Live-Blogging the 2/7/24 Seattle School Board Meeting

And here we go at 4:20 pm.

I see all the remaining directors in their seats as well as Superintendent Brent Jones. President Liza Rankin started the meeting. Student Board member here.

Acknowledgement and Announcement of District 2 and District 4 School Board Director Resignations

Both Rivera and Song resigned on Friday 2/2/2024.

Rankin: Thank you for your service to district and students. Will be launching search soon and more info later in the meeting. 

 It's a packed house and Rankin acknowledges that. 

BLM at School Week started in 2016 in SPS.  Rankin explains that history. Weird that this was under the Superintendent's comments. So maybe the Board IS making this resolution? She hasn't said that. 

Onto Jones' comments.

Black History Month AND BLM at School Work in SPS. Talked about raising the Pan-American flag at JSCEE. He said SPS will continue the history of participation in this week. He will read the proclamation into the record. (I may not get all of it; wish there was a link.)

2024, a proclamation of SPS declaring lives of Black students matter and BLM at School Week this week.

Someone said something from the audience but it's unclear what.

Jones also spoke about the Progress Monitoring updates to come, 3rd grade reading and 7th grade math.

Journey to balanced budget is difficult with at $105M deficit. Reducing resources at JSCEE almost to the bone. "Our bread and butter of what we do, teaching and learning, will not be harmed" but they may come to a point of pushing further. He says budget is stretched too thin. He mentioned buses to Olympia to askf for further dollars. 

Point of Celebration - Acknowledgement of the C. David Hughbanks Donor Advised Fund Contribution to the Seattle Scholarship Fund and thanked former Director Leslie Harris for coming tonight. It's a $5M gift. He was not happy with the tepid applause and stated the gift again. "It is the largest gift ever for our district." He had members of the family stand.

Showed part of the latest monthly district video update, First Bell, with students from The Center School with news from around the district. 

Rankin asked if student board member had comments. Aayush Muthuswamy stated that he wanted to give his perception of the resignations. Damage the fraught releationship with community. He said the community must trust us and if directors don't trust one another, it's a problem. He said that he admired both those directors. He said that there are more than one belief about how the district should go.

1) fill the gaps those two directors, Latina and Asian. He said that the process should find members who fit the profile asked for by those two directors because they were the ones elected to those posts.

2) new directors that will continue to challenge the Board and the Board should not walk in lockstep; it's healthy to have other viewpoints.

Can't do Board Comments because, as usual, they go on too long so they are moving to Public Testimony.

Milo 

Senior at a high school.  We need Black Studie/Ethnic Studies classes.  The class he took changed him and it was great.

Anya -president of NAACP Student Council - Ethnic Studies important to students. Only see trauma and not joy of our culture. We learn white science, literature and history.

William - a student and treasurer of NAACP Student Council. Never had a Black teacher. No Black teachers at three-quarters of schools in Washington.

Miliana - student, 5th grader at Decatur and asks for help. Talked about being welcomed at school. Asking for more help made her feel unwelcome in class or was a bother but at Decatur she sees the opposite. Doesn't want Decatur to change and promises were made to parents. (I only wish I was this articulate in 5th(!) grade.)

Selah - A Lincoln student, SPS need to provide resources for ethnic studies classes and "liberatory courses." The conversations that take place are important. She said the cost should not matter. "All you are doing is paying for the teachers; we create the curriculum." This student was pretty loud and accused the district of being in a building that is on Native land.

Eros - Center School student. Felt mattered in ethnic studies class. Did not feel the same way in the History class. Felt safe enough to drop mask worn around white students. That class made this student proud.

Leslie Harris - Honored to be co-chair of Seattle Scholarship Account. Introduced C. David Hughbanks relative to talk about the family's $5M gift. Created Ballard High School Foundation. Felt students should receive the gift to make their lives better.

Chris Jackins - RBHS project, a vote without discussion. One would give architect $750K. June 21st, the amount of $10M was included in this project. Alki project lacks details. District now says they can provide ADA parking. Thanked Song and Rivera for their service. (I'll add that all these RBHS items SHOULD be pulled from the Consent agenda and the Board should have a real discussion around it.)

Laura - Says that Ethnic Studies would help Black boys and reading. She's a high school teacher and says the district is not serving the POC students. She is an Ethnic Studies teacher and all classes should include this. Where is district leadership in all this?

Claire - Cleveland school counselor and wants transparency in budgeting. Seattle Student Union got busy and got money for student mental health. Center student voice. SPS should not cut Ethnic Studies classes.

Adian - Here with Urban Native Education Alliance. Importance focusing more attention and transparency with Native Education and Title 6. Recognize Billy Frank Day on March 9th.  SPS has a responsibility to speak out about the genocide in Gaza and that the U.S. could stop this with one phone call. 

Chloe - Layla Adam got her time. Sealth alum, concerns for student safety in the SW. Her brother died two weeks ago. Gun violence is an issue in schools. This happened at Ingraham and we need the Board to make decisions to prevent this from happening. Reinstate SRO officers. It's inadequate coverage in schools right now. Maybe metal detectors to keep guns out of schools. Sealth has 13 entrances open at all time. (That is pretty shocking, if true.) Put alarm system in place so these entrances are used all the time. Parents want separate grade lunches. Very moving testimony.

Sarah - Sarah is a long-time Native leader in Seattle. Urban Education Alliance, standing with students of the Clear Sky Academy. Request for Indian Education have bi-annual reports that used to happen and it is not happening now. She said she was told that it would be done through Public Records. Asking why Superintendent Jones has not met with Native community and they have asked multiple times. High turnover rate of Native Education educators. Why is this? District Data Dashboard should be be reinstated. And there's an undercount of Native students and she wonders why. It means less support for Native students. Want access to Robert Eagle Staff MS. Too much gate-keeping. Why are the people who helped name that school being kept out? Where's the report on Licton Springs and its Native focus? Throw support to Ethnic Studies and free Palestine.

Fiona - Ethnic Studies supporter who goes to a private school.

Julia - Native American and asks for more directed attention to finding and serving Native Students. Questions how Title Six funds are being used. Why are Native students not being directed to NEA programs? Our students have some of the poorest outcomes and deserve better.

Amelia - Giselle Jenkins, a Native and UW student and grad of SPS. Speaking on behalf of her mother and worry over Native American students. Supports Billy Frank Day on March 9th. Supports ceasefire and education about the situation in schools. Where is the Title Six money going?

Jon - SPS paid teachers to learn to teach BLM. Ceding time to junior at Lincoln High. Not enough real history and culture of POC students. Black history is US history. We need to reverse and reduces biases.

Katherine - Counselor at TOPS K-8, district should honor demands of Seattle Student Union for mental health supports in SPS. 12th year in SPS with a caseload of over 1,000 students with all kinds of high level trauma and abuse.

M.C. - school nurse speaking on students who are told to choose music or not meet requirements. Why can't there be other ways to fulfill them? Former Roosevelt student and took distance learning. Can't take a course outside district if offered in district per Board policy.

Isaura - cedes time to Nevay (don't know how to spell). Part of Cleveland Racial Equity team and wants to talk about Pacific Islanders. Said her cousin had a terrible experience in a mostly white schools. History can't be about one culture.

Cherylynne - Co-president of Special Education PTA. Increasing numbers of segregated preschools. Special Ed kids get separated from peers. Head Start funding will shift slightly for more inclusive schools.

Jennifer - SEA president. Safety and gun violence issues. Number one cause of death for juveniles in King County. It's a public health and public safety emergency. Consider board candidates who can see the big picture of complex issues like this. Engage with and honoring what students, families and educators need.

Jon - two kids in SPS, one at Decatur, parents have been told it will be open next year but uncertainty past that. Parents have heard kids will be moved somewhere? and don't know what to expect or when we will find out. Neighborhood schools cannot give support to kids who need it.

Kay - Native American speaking about history. Saying the Board members were younger than her and she's been coming to Board meetings 40 year ago. Native community was told and promised access to Robert Eagle Staff MS. Very disdainful of how the district deals with Native students. Said that Chandra Hampson actively worked against helping her grandson. (And did the Native American program get a new head? Hmm) "I don't want you to be comfortable. I want you to be uncomfortable for going after our babies. At least be uncomfortable with what you are doing." Claims previous superintendents never came to talk to their community. "Grow a pair or get off that chair."

Enrico -student from RBHS, part of Filipino club, could not learn culture at school. Areas get named for our heroes and yet we don't learn about our history in schools. Why do we have to fight for this?

End of public testimony

Gotta say, public testimony is almost out of control. I understand the sensitivity of cutting off impassioned students and others. But if you let one group go on and on, then yes, you must let ALL people go long. I'm not talking 30 seconds or a minute. But why have a policy if it isn't enforced in the slightest? Rankin fails as a president at this. 

I would also state that trying to read remarks off a phone is not great. So many speakers struggled with this tonight. 

Board is taking a break for 13 minutes and I may skip the progress monitoring.

I tuned into to hear the progress monitoring going on and listened to President Rankin explain this:

Strategic planning to give direction to superintendent to  "operationalize education and tell community how system is doing in educating all our kids." 

vs

Tactical planning more operational things that might be interesting but we need to save those but they are not as directly connected to what our role is in this moment. 

So, FYI.

I would question if what they are doing is directly helping to educate "all kids." I wonder why she says that when that is not the focus as put out in the Strategic Plan. 

I walked away for a bit. They are now nearly 4 hours into this meeting and they are on 7th grade Math.

Staff say that Walk to Math doesn't work. Moved away from that systemically and that the materials they use have the ability to differentiate. Because you don't want one kid to be better at math than another.  So that appears to be out. 

I have to wonder if anyone on the Board will have the courage to pull some items off the Consent Agenda to actually have a discussion OR will everyone be so exhausted, they'll just do a vote and 17 items pass. Sigh.

Board goes back to the dais.

Next up, the Consent Agenda. I think the RBHS renovation items should be called out. Let's see what happens.

And, nope. So it all passes. Wow, the district has so little money but the Board has no problem approving ANOTHER cost overrun. 

First Intro item is the C-SIPs for every single school. I need to do a bigger spot-check but it appears that nearly every single C-SIP may be almost exactly the same C-SIP. Not good. 

Rankin says she wants to help parents understand how these reports about schools are important. "We are just doing the minimum" and maybe could do better. 

Second is amending the Board policy 1113 on director residency. Not required to have this policy because there is already a state law. "It's our direction to ourselves" says Rankin who seems to have never read the current policy because the RCW does not fully align with that policy.

She is not referencing the two directors but seems to be posing it as something she thought of. 

Legal Counsel Narver talked about changes to the policy. State law governs being on a school board. A lot said recently about residency. The law has a clear roadmap and for eligibility to continue if residency changes. 

- You live in district you represent. Even being elected citywide does not change that.

- But you can continue to serve for "a period of time" even if you move or if there are boundary changes in your district. 

- When your move occurs is a big thing in the law. It's a timing of before two years or after two years. 

- The problem they are trying to address if school district staff is responsible to tell King County Elections about these changes. Won't talk about any privileged communications but in general, staff needs to know in a timely way about any residency changes. "We need to know the facts as change occurs."

 He's says special elections DON'T apply to school board.

So folks, that means whoever the Board appoints within 3 months will serve until in Nov. 2025.

KC Elections has been notified about these vacancies. 

Rankin said it is their responsibility to notify staff about any changes. She says district is not responsible for Board doing their jobs.

Rankin then outlined appointment process.  

State law outlines requirements to be Board member. Open for applications next week. After applying, then candidates record short video statements. Then materials will be shared publicly. Then a review and possible narrowing down process. Finalists by mid-March with a forum for both at JSCEE. The timing to announce new members may be around the beginning of April. Ninety days would be May 2nd which is state law to get it done.

Rankin asked for suggestions for process. Hersey said to try not to have a narrowing down process if they are under 6. Wants to get representation ASAP for those districts.  Director Topp asked how Board will select finalists. Board Office says key decisions are to open application, it's online, questions, etc. They don't need to decide the entire process right now but focus on application process. 

Topp wanted to ask about application questions. When to gather feedback for those questions among the Board? Topp wants to know how to add to questionnaire. "I would like something around progress monitoring or educational goals." 

Director Briggs asked about individual candidate webpages that the district will generate. She likes the questions.

Student member asked about adding a question about directors' relationship to the district they will represent. Others agreed. There was a previous question like that other times. 

1. Name

2. Pronouns

3. Which seat?

4. personal data

5. Letter of interest why you want to serve

6. Resume

7. Understanding of role

8. Working with others

9. Addressing conflict 

10. Board Policy  and what it means to you

11. High priority education issue for you

I may have missed one as she was speaking quickly.

Wow, now nearly 5 hours into this meeting.

Board Comments

Director Sarju - Need to acknowledge I'm a little dishevelled. (Reading) - Today the comments I will make not sit well with some. It's uncomfortable and truth does that sometimes. Seattle likes to be comfortable. 

In most situations, I would not respond because it's not worth my time. I will never roll over and play dead in situations like this. Racist dog whistle. I witnessed this happen to another colleague, twice. I knew my time would come but never imagined responding to a choir of dog whistlers. If you are going to quote me, don't take my words out of context. Totality is important. I had private and intimate conversations with choir director 1. I shared my concern for residency situation and that it would led to controversy and may hurt their children. 

They have opportunity to control the narrative and that is not bullying. It's asking people to be accountable. Racist dog whistle saying a Black woman is a bully. What is bullying is racist dog whistle choir. "Bullying in its highest form." People who have trouble with truth and accountability.

I'm not happy and this is mean and nasty. I'm not running for anyone's job. "I will make sure she doesn't get an endorsement "and this job is not about endorsements. There's a song from movie Frozen, Let It Go. Hoping this choir will let it go and stop recruiting students into this choir.

"The task is not done, journey not complete, we can and must do more." A quote she won't name its author. "That's your homework." She asked for an escort out of the building tonight. She said "The dogs come out and come out hard. I don't want to be harassed and I want to be respected and I don't have to answer questions. Don't like it? Run yourself! Do it! But leave me alone. I'm trying to serve to the best of my ability."

Dead silence. Rankin said she was going to have them sit with that for a bit. 

"And I'm not an angry Black woman" she adds off-mic. And gets up and leaves.

Rankin says there are difficult decisions and can't pretend they aren't. Holding up accountability is not bullying. Any other Board comments? Topp says Liaison update for city levy and it was the first meeting of the year. Will be visiting school sites and would love other Board members as well. Her community meeting went well and was well attended.

Briggs is scheduled to meet director of Head Start later this month. Reminder that she will be at Sand Point Elementary PTA meeting on the 13th. 

Hersey said he would like to join others at PTA meetings but would like to come into earlier. 

Well, that ends the meeting with a bang. I will have a new post on what I saw and heard tonight. I can say that you might want to listen to Vice President Sarju's remarks yourself. It's probably in the last 15 minutes of the meeting.