Ballard High School Will Continue Its Principal Status Quo
From Associate Superintendent Concie Pedroza:
Dear Ballard Staff and Families,
Allow me to extend my appreciation for your dedication to the needs of students over the last several months. As you know, Ballard High School undergone a leadership shift while Principal Keven Wynkoop was on leave. Today, I am providing an update as promised.
At this time, Principal Wynkoop has returned from leave and been reassigned. He will continue to serve Seattle Public Schools as a principal on special assignment, supporting and filling in for building leaders in need of assistance at other schools.
Interim Principal Joseph Williams will continue serving the Ballard High School community as school leader until further notice.
His role as the interim building leader has been to support students, staff, and families, effectively maintain the daily operations of the school, and provide stable leadership.
I understand how sensitive this transition is for many families and staff members. Please know the totality of the issue was considered, and this resolution was made with the future success of BHS in mind.
When a decision is made regarding the next steps to determine the future leader of Ballard, the process will be shared with the community. We will work closely with the director of schools to support the next steps for our students and staff.
Again, thank you for your devotion to Ballard High School. I will share the timeline and process as soon as possible.
Respectfully,
Dr. Concie Pedroza
Associate Superintendent
Seattle Public Schools
So, Wynkoop is out at Ballard High (it would appear). There is an opening at Roosevelt High so maybe he will get placed there.
I wonder what "totality of the issue" means. I don't think any community was consulted, probably not even BHS staff, so what that means only the district knows.
I also wonder if Principal Williams will become permanent and will that help the issue of a few students believing some BHS teachers are insufficiently sensitive in their assignments.
The notice does say that they will "determine the future leader of Ballard" and that there will be "a process." My observation is that generally the district DOES include staff, parents and students in choosing high school principals but something tells me that like the "process" to appoint Superintendent Jones, it is likely that Ballard High will see that same kind of process. I'd like to be proven wrong.
Clearly, the district needs to get this settled before the end of the school year and the clock is ticking.
Comments
Skeptical Parent, you are halfway right. It appears that there is nothing extra to Wynkoop's departure.
My guess is that Wynkoop was too "hot" to stay at Ballard and both the district and Wynkoop would have faced protests for a long time if he were reinstated. Is Wynkoop truly on-board with this decision? We'll probably never know.
It will be interesting to see what others say (like parents and Wynkoop supporters).
I asked my son who is a sophomore at Ballard if Dr Williams is more involved at school than he is with parents (as in, he has had NO communication with parents beyond his introductory email.)
He said no. No school announcements, nothing. There was one pep rally (My son said, "Mr Wynkoop would have been greeting kids at the door"), and when the students started booing at something, Dr Williams was not able to restore order quickly.
-Sad Ballard Mom
The press and some loud mouth people caused harm to Wynkoop's reputation. There was nothing in the Investigative Report to indicate that the class, teacher or principal was racist. Will these same journalists correct the record?
I'm uncertain if Wynkoop wanted to return, but it seems that the bullying culture which is prevalent in Seattle Public Schools- from board VP to SCPTSA to community members- may have run a good principal out the door.
The board and district are focusing on a particular group of students. Yet, it is abundantly clear that those students are being hurt and one does not need to look beyond OSPI reports to see harm.
I again have to wonder what is happening to journalism over at the Times. This is the second time they have printed a story WITHOUT linking the documentation.
So what did HR say? I await the report by the end of this week. I suspect it will be a split decision, meaning, HR will say he retaliated under district policy but I'm not sure if the claim of violation of state/federal law will hold up.
We just can't know until we see that HR report.
Yes, the investigative report found that neither the teacher nor principal acted in a racist fashion. SPS took that report and gave it to HR who applied the actions reported in it against district policy and found that Wynkoop had retaliated against the student.
It is mind blowing that in 2022 that the most obvious explanation here is the one no one wants to say out loud; this was a targeted, performative action directed at someone guilty of absolutely nothing but doing their job at the highest level. This fact has only been obscured through the 'narrative' of racism and the byzantine, opaque SPS investigation 'process'
This was reinforced by a recent editorial in the Seattle Times where this incident was referenced in support of the narrative that 'Whiteness' must be dismantled and that the childhood friends of Kevan who were moved to take out an ad in the Times to show their support for him are referred to as violent and threatening.
Please demand the Seattle Times issue a correction, or minimally follow up and get the point of view from Kevan himself. Please consider the precedent this whole issue has set where facts, due process and reality take a back seat to false 'narratives' and professional activism
You could not have said it better. But I think he should start with SPS first. They willingly and knowingly allowed this to happen. There is alot of stifled parent support behind him at this point. -skeptical parent
Another Ballard Parent.
Another Ballard Parent
SPS capitulated to the family and sent off Greenberg to teach a watered down version of the class at a middle school. He sued the district, won and now is back at The Center School. The curricula he introduced could have been a model for other high schools.
It sounds to me like Wynkoop was a good fit for Ballard. I hope he fights these charges. SPS has no principles and fewer good principals.
"There is a lot we don't know" -- really?? Is this just speculation on your part? Or do you actually "know" of what "we" don't "know"?? If you don't actually know of additional facts contributing to this then you are actually part the problem here!! You are insinuating completely baseless assertions of guilt....if the District is withholding information that can be learned through a FOIA request; or hmmm maybe it's time to get additional media outlets involved??
Melissa Westbrook does unbelievable work on this blog and deserves tons of accolades; but this demand broader coverage and investigation
"Many Ballard staff had issues with him" -- what does this mean exactly given this matter has nothing to do with Ballard staff going to the district about him? Again this is problematic and slanderous.
You are correct - there are no real winners here; only losers....a Principal who apparently did nothing wrong (except not vigorously and publicly pushing back) and my and all BHS kids who get screwed by the 'adults'. Again.
Alum parent
But yes, if SPS and the SCPTSA want to get rid of parents they don't seem to like, they are doing a good job.
I really need to disagree with Alum parent. 45 leagues in the state nominate a principal and King county nominated Wynkoop for the High school level. It was an honor for the BHS principal to be nominated by peers.
As well, Phil Brockman was the former principal of BHS- and he was a well respected principal. He was amongst those that supported Wynkoop.
So, I really need to disagree with Alum parent that KW lacks the breadth of experience necessary to run a high school.
The day to day operations of a large comprehensive high school were intense before COVID and everything has been amplified since. For one family to wield the power to undo ALL of his service to BHS is a shame and a blight on SPS and leadership downtown. He did not do what one family told him to do and he lost his job. To say he was not up for the job is a ridiculous conclusion to draw.
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Another Ballard Parent