What a Seattle School Board Meeting

 As I mentioned in my recent This and That post, the Board had a regularly scheduled meeting last night. I thought it might be dull but this Board never disappoints.

As I noted, the speaker list was full at 25 with a 15 person waitlist. Most of the speakers wanted to talk about the district exiting the seemingly-beloved principal, Catherine Brown, from Cleveland High School. 

But let's examine what came before. The Superintendent had an update report on how the targeted universalism initiative for Black boys and teens is doing. The report is not the clearest one written with a lot of "KPI" talk and "seems on track" talk. Then, after his presentation, the directors were to discuss this with him.

Jones said:

- that they wanted to use "competency-based grading" but color me confused because I thought that WAS what grading is.

- The City's education office is working closely with the district on this initiative and aligning some of their work - especially post-graduation - with the district.

- Director Liza Rankin pointed out that the wording said something about differentiating curriculum and Jones as quick to say that was an error that should have been differentiating teaching. 

But the discussion was a bit stilted as the Board struggled to ask clarifying questions without comment or opinion and here's why.

The Board is shelling out some real dollars to learn how to be more effective directors via a group called Council of Great City Schools. It costs the district $45K a year just to be members and the district has been members for at least 10 years. But the Board has a consultant team guiding them on how to conduct themselves and last night, they had a consultant on virtually and she was - giving - input - during - the - meeting.

After the Superintendent's presentation, this consultant told the Board they should be grading themselves via a rubric right then. 

Jaw-dropping.

The room was filled to capacity plus overflow out in the lobby. From watching the speakers, most of them were teens. That means, that the Board thought it more important to not only allow this consultant to use up valuable time but to encourage them to do that as well. 

Also, to note, the Board has gotten in a terrible habit of NOT starting the speaker list on time. This is probably the fourth Board meeting where the Board got into a long discussion, going past 5 pm. This is INCREDIBLY disrespectful to those who are in attendance, especially in-person. When 5 pm comes, they should table their discussion and show respect to those who signed up to speak.

True to that behavior, the Board did NOT start public comment on-time AND they allowed this discussion on grading themselves. I cannot begin to know what the teens in the room must have thought. 

Public Comment

- As stated, most was about how gifted and engaging the principal at Cleveland High has been and is to students, staff and parents. We heard from all three of those groups. 

The students were incensed that Marni Campbell, currently principal at Robert Eagle Staff MS, was selected to replace Brown. The students literally did their homework and learned about how Campbell, when she was at Eckstein MS, had not listened to a student who said a teacher was behaving inappropriately towards her to the point of saying the student just wanted attention. The CHS students could not believe the district thought this would be a good person for their school.

What was interesting as well is that traditionally the Board and the Superintendent do NOT allow personnel to be named at Board meetings. And yet they sure did here and I wonder what PASS will have to say about that.

Then you had some really good firebrand speakers;

Rena - Who mentioned that there was a meeting at Cleveland HS with, I guess some senior staff who, when asked some questions, said they couldn't speak for Jones. She challenged Jones to come and answer the questions.

Mia - ASB president who stated that the district is constantly talking about how they want to hear from Black and brown students and then don't listen. 

Cameron - Who complained about the lack of transparency in the whole process.

Trayvon - Who said they need Principal Brown for "racial equity" work she has already been engaging in.

 Joe Donahue - He's a teacher at CHS and he said the Cleveland motto was "We do different better" and that no direct information on the principal change was being given by the district. In praising Brown he said she had found money to fund a grant for students to get UW credits and attend UW. 

And then we had Sebrena Burr who is an SPS parent and long-time SCPTSA Board member including as president. She has been nothing but supportive of this Board and especially Brent Jones. Not last night.

She lit into Jones saying that the district wants student voices but only in a way to shape the district's narrative. She said she had lost hope and faith in positive change happening in SPS. She looked at Jones and said, "How could you?" For Burr to turn on Jones publicly like this means she is very disappointed. 

- There were several comments about the 100-year saga of Latin being taught at Roosevelt High School ending. Students in the program had been told they would be able to finish all four years but the program is to end next school year. 

Parents expressed frustration that no one in the district would engage, with school personnel blaming the district and vice versa. 

- There was one parent complaining about how Advanced Learning services were being addressed at Washington Middle School, that they are being "taught to the middle." She also said there were behavior issues at WMS that are not being addressed. 

-  There were some comments on the transportation issues with Andrew Cooper, an SPS parent, saying that data should drive the choice and that the district has an obligation to "show your work."

I left the meeting after public comment as the Board was actually going to use the rubric to rate themselves on the discussion led by Jones on the African American male student project. I just have to shake my head. 

I'll sum up by saying what I have said over and over for more than a decade at this blog:

What parents and students fear the most is loss of a great principal. 

What parents and students hate is appointed principals. 

What parents and students get upset about is lack of transparency and clarity in messaging. No one likes to be patted on the head and told, "It'll be okay." 

It is quite the thing over these months with principal musical chairs in SPS. I used to say that high school parents would not stand for appointed principals and that both parents and students should be on any hiring committee. 

Looks like the Board and Superintendent Jones have a different idea about principal placement. 

I wonder how this will turn out.