KUOW Interviews Seattle School Board Candidates in D3, 2023

KUOW is interviewing candidates by district in the races for Seattle School Board. They are getting some illuminating answers that might be of interest to voters.

The first round of interviews were with District 3 candidates: Ben Gitenstein, Christie Robertson and Evan Briggs.

Ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline to turn in ballots, KUOW asked each of the candidates about their top priorities if elected, what solutions they'd support to address another budget gap next year, their stance on some students and educators' push to require ethnic studies and Black history classes, and how the district should boost academic achievement.

NOTE: Candidate responses have been minimally edited to improve clarity and style.

(Editor's note: I am going to pick out highlights for each question. Please go to the KUOW site for full answers. As well, kudos to KUOW for questions that don't exactly speak well of the current Board.)

1) If you’re elected to the school board, what would be one of your top priorities and why is it important to you?

Briggs said "fiscal accountability" and that she is "committed to ensuring transparency and responsible financial management." She says she will work to include community .

She also says that community engagement is "vital" and "which is why I will also advocate for inclusive engagement policies and proactive, transparent communication."

Great but I hope she recognizes that is NOT what is happening now. I'm going to assume she knows that given what she is saying.

Gitenstein said, "My number one priority will be returning the school board to its role of effective oversight of the District. The current board has knowingly given away oversight authority in the name of efficiency and expediency." He believes that every Board director should have regular contact with the Superintendent (not just the Board president as is the new SOFG way).

Robertson says, "I would like to begin work immediately on a "nothing about us without us" policy that ensures that those most impacted by decisions will be involved in the planning and decision-making."


2) Seattle school officials estimate they’ll save about $28 million by consolidating schools for the 2024-25 school year. How do you view this solution to the district’s continued financial woes? What other solutions should the district explore?

Briggs said cuts should stay away from classrooms. But she goes onto say, "However, if consolidation helps ensure well-resourced buildings that can more effectively serve kids, and as long as key programs serving our highest needs students remain intact, then it's an avenue worthy of consideration."

Gitenstein went the opposite direction. "Consolidation" means "closing schools," something the District would like to avoid admitting. Yet closing schools decimates neighborhoods and sets kids' learning back by decades at dubious cost savings." He again cites specifics like shrinking other spending, reversing the enrollment drop and "rebuilding trust in Olympia."

Robertson says, "I am not convinced this is the right path forward. The district should take a hard look at their special education spending. More and more money is flowing there, yet there is no public accounting for where the money is going." I am interested in asking her about this statement given she is promoting more attention to Special Education.

3) Declining enrollment has fueled SPS’ budget issues in recent years. What should the district do to attract and retain students?

Briggs says Seattle must become "a more affordable city" for housing. She also said, "Another source of declining enrollment stems from homeschooling related to the pandemic. Improving family engagement and providing hybrid options for families who prefer some amount of homeschooling can attract more students." I'm wondering if she knows about SPS' Cascade Parent Partnership that does exactly that.

Gitenstein said SPS needs to acknowledge the problem beyond low birth rates and housing costs. He says the district needs to talk to parents who leave.

Robertson says, "I think that families and communities still believe in public schools. If we can show that we are providing an equitable education, families will return."

 

4) Some students and educators have been pushing SPS to require ethnic studies and Black history classes. How should the district address these concerns?

Briggs says, "Despite OSPI mandating Since Time Immemorial: Tribal Sovereignty in Washington State in 2015, the curriculum has yet to be fully implemented seven years later due to a failure on the part of the legislature to allocate appropriate funding."

Gitenstein is against more cops in schools. He said also said, "That means teaching the real history of African Americans in the United States, from enslavement to Jim Crow to the origins of the modern police force. This also includes learning about the history and cultures of the people that make up Seattle, i.e. ethnic studies." He also speaks up for option schools.

Robertson said, "As students have been telling us, it is critical for students to be able to see themselves and their peers in the curriculum.


5) In the wake of the shooting at Ingraham High School last fall, concerns about safety in and around school buildings have grown. How should the district improve safety, and what role, if any, should police play?

Briggs said, "We must instead focus on the root causes of violence, including unaddressed mental health needs, and increasing community partnerships in order to provide a continuum of care for our students most in need. Additionally, the history of violence in America as well as gun safety should be included in school curriculum."

Gitenstein talked about examining exactly what happened at Ingraham saying, "What were the failures in the system that led to the tragedy at Ingraham, and what can we do make sure they never happen again?"

Robertson said, "Gun control measures are critical, but the most important thing that schools can do is to address student and staff mental health. We need to ensure that we make every student feel welcome and belonging through our inclusion efforts, including Universal Design for Learning, Restorative Practices, and collaborative problem solving tactics that seek to understand kids' difficulties and work WITH them on solutions."

6) District officials project only about 19% of Black boys in 7th grade are proficient or higher in math, and roughly a third of Black boys are proficient or higher in reading — meaning the district is not on track to deliver on its academic goals for the student group they say is “furthest from educational justice.” What specific strategies should SPS use to improve educational outcomes for Black boys and all students?

Briggs gave a word salad kind of answer so I'm not sure what she is saying.

Gitenstein was blunt - "First, stop pretending that what we are doing is working. In both reading and math, FFEJ students are actually doing WORSE today than they were just five years ago."

"The effective response to these kinds of results, as an oversight board, is to demand a change in plan."

"We need to reduce our reliance on standardized, top-down, tech-based approaches, and increase our emphasis on teacher-led innovation."

Robertson stated, "I believe we need some "street data" on what is causing difficulty for our kids. We should start with the kids who are having the most difficulty and their teachers and parents, and try to understand what is causing the difficulty."

Both Gitenstein and Robertson clearly stated that if the outcomes are not what the initiative said, then the district should change course.

7) More students than ever are grappling with mental health challenges stemming from the pandemic. Should the district expand or in any way change its mental health service offerings?

Briggs stated, "We need to increase the number of trained mental health professionals in buildings, promote mental health awareness and destigmatization, and use our schools as hubs to connect students and their families to wrap around services."

Gitenstein said, "We should increase investment in mental health services at every school, so every kid who needs help can get it. This is a great opportunity to partner with budget writers in Olympia. Instead of attacking Olympia as the source of SPS' problems, we should approach them to collaboratively build political will for targeted new funding sources to help kids."

Robertson turned the view around, "Schools were initially responsible for education. Our city and county should collaborating with our schools to provide the health and mental health care that our children need." 

 

8) What do you think Seattle Public Schools is doing particularly well right now?

Briggs answered this way, "Seattle Public Schools has greatly improved collaboration with state legislators and the city in the interest of improving student outcomes, as evidenced by the passage of HB 1436 which increased funding for special education. Furthermore, the relationship between the board and the superintendent is more functional and productive than we have seen in recent memory, allowing for a collaborative leadership model that will set a positive trajectory for the district as a whole. Additionally, the creation of measurable goals and reporting on progress are important developments that will lead to increased transparency and accountability at the district level."

I put in nearly her entire answer because of her second and third statements. I would say yes, that the relationship between the Board and the Superintendent is good but is it really more "functional and productive?" I would not agree. Her third comment is curious because the district HAS had a data dashboard for years now with measurable goals as part of that. Not sure how she missed that.

Gitenstein praised teachers, the effort around Black boys, the diversity in many SPS schools and programs like jazz band and mock trial.

Robertson also happily mentioned jazz band and mock trial.

Analysis

To my view, Gitenstein has the most specifics. Briggs is parroting a lot of what the current Board thinks (probably via Hampson) and I don't see much new there. Robertson is going in the right direction but I'd like to see more specifics. 

Also to state, all the candidates talk about working with Olympia. I would like some clarity on that because do they mean the Seattle delegation or actually finding allies outside of Seattle to help the work in Olympia on public education?