Seattle School Board Meeting, Wednesday, September 18,2024

Please let us know if you attend the rally before the meeting. 

Seeing photos from Twitter; looks like a good crowd at the rally. The West Seattle Blog is there reporting. 

I am going to attempt to live blog so you will see abbreviations, spelling/grammar errors, etc. I will clean it up but I think it is worth trying to do. I will be refreshing the page as I go. 

I am sad to see that apparently President Liza Rankin is not even going to allow 10 people over the regular 20 to testify. Just five. 

Also, right at the beginning, the Board has stuck in, after Board comments, a Progress Monitoring presentation. They could have put it at the end but they didn't. They think - in 45 minutes - they can do Superintendent comments, Board comments and this presentation. I doubt that public testimony will start on-time. Tone-deaf doesn't even cover it with Board leadership.

To note, apparently the district scheduled the NE community meeting on closures on Rosh Hashanah which is October 2. It seems like they could have consulted a calendar before picking days.

Board meeting

Meeting starts at 4:23 pm. I don't think I've ever watched a Board meeting with the current Board where it started on-time. The entire Board is present as is the Superintendent and 2 student board directors. 

NO, I have that wrong - Director Sarah Clark is not there. Not sure why; it might have been mentioned at the beginning but there was no sound. 

She IS here but virtually. I'm not getting why she can't come to Board meetings.

I have no sound. Not sure why. Came in about 5 minutes later.

Superintendent Comments

Superintendent is speaking on "process" and how the parents make things great. He speaks of "new opportunities." "eager to listen to feedback" and he wants it "civil." Has the ombuds team there to take notes.

Worry over programs, he says all those programs "won't be diminished." Commitment is "steadfast." Want to provide more consistent services. (He was speaking of Special Ed, highly capable, and ELL.)

I can hear some chanting in the background. 

Board Comments 

Liza Rankin starts. Public testimony will probably start late. She believes that you all have questions and concerns we all have. Stay for budget update. No action happening this evening. 

"This is actually a business meeting of the Board held in public and not a performance." Huh? She can't disengage public engagement from Board meetings much harder. Our role is "vision and values." "Buckle up" and she laughs. 

One student director, Colin Bragg, spoke. Students are feeling tension in district. Budget cuts and those decisions. How decisions affect the students is important. Educate students and connect with community. 

Sabi Yoon, at Ballard High, said the possible Salmon Bay closure is hitting them. She's wearing a blazer; I'm so impressed.

Progress Monitoring presentation is not happening. Good. Director Evan Briggs is reading something about it.

Director Michelle Sarju, as is her way, spoke off mic so I don't know what she said. No one up on the dais should mute their mic since the meeting as started if they choose to speak to other directors. 

Rankin is going through what they have done around well-sourced schools to this point. 

Sarju speaks. Difficult to hear if people are noisy in the lobby but that's okay. It models democracy and we need this for our nation for kids to see adults behaving civilly. 

One thing 100% committed to is access for those who need that. "Sign language community" asking for this and it has not happened. She apologized and said the Board is going to figure this out. "Children should not be signing for their parents." "It's a public commitment." 

She fumbles with her mic and jokes, "We don't want a hot mic here."

Rankin trying to figure out what to do next since it isn't time yet for Public Testimony. 

Kurk Buttleman comes forward for a budget update. The documentation is under the Budget Development Study Session, under Intro Items. I'm not hearing anything new.  There is a slide with savings from various items; biggest savings are closing schools and school staffing, both around $31M.

No matter what, it appears they will move to 3 bell time tiers. The savings there is estimated at $11M. 

If no closures, staffing would need to be cut greatly. 

"Proposals shall be presented to the Board on or around January 22, 2025."

Rankin asks, "Somebody help me, is draft of educational program resolution" introduced tonight and okayed in December. Her concern is that we have directed Super on impacts to children and I don't see that anywhere." She gets this presentation is the "mechanics" and she doesn't see that reflected in there. 

She's actually telling staff that what they are doing isn't enough. Wants to see the refocusing of services for children. Applause. 

Director Bragg "so many just numbers" but not considering students. Lowering numbers while remembering effects on students. 

Director Hersey as to the the "no closures" page, if they choose A or B, they STILL have to do some of what is on this page. Buttleman says true but the Legislature is the wild card. 

He says - If we are still going to have to do some combination of all these things anyway, do we need the same A or B? Maybe fewer closures and less disruption?

Oh really? I think they are feeling the heat. 

Superintendent chimes in. "We need resources to support programs like......" How do we precisely preserve programs and not impact them in a negative way?"

Hersey talked to Podesta, took us decades to get here and it's challenging to expect students in buildings to shoulder the brunt of it." If opp to potentially do a phased approach and more input from community, surprising to me not looking at plan that gives us some runway so we do this well. 

Sounds like a "go slow, close some, see how it goes, close more, replicate. " Wants to have that conversation.

Rankin says another conversation for well-resourced schools. Considering closures because of loss of students and she feels some buildings don't have enough resources. 

Director Joe Mizrahi comes in, even with Option A, you will still end up with staff reduction. Still not clear there will be more resources. 

Hersey comes back, "many things can be true at the same time." We want best physical spaces possible but also closing a school is very disruptive." We may need a third option.

You can hear background cheering or voicing. 

Director Clark comes in, asking about savings in A and B and where are the costs involved in that?

Buttleman says they have done that and it's a net savings.

Director Gina Topp asked about A and B, but "no carryforward?"

I guess it is in there.

She asked Superintendent, could you bring a budget to the Board that has fewer closures? Superintendent - hard but "nothing is impossible."

Once again, Rankin says they have to get to "Board business" which NOW does not include much public testimony.

Public Testimony

1. Students approach. They look like middle school students. Don't want closures especially John Stanford International Elementary. Advocating for dual language. Glad for that connection with her family with their language.Wrote cards for Board to read.

Big applause.

2. Janis White - parent of 3 SPS grads and new non-profit All Youth Belong. Concerned of under identification of Special Education. Another parent, Cliff Meyer and I, sent edits to Rankin for policy change. She's concerned how services will be delivered to students in new neighborhood model. We were told transition to neighborhood, there might need to be alternative placement for 2E students. No info on how services will be delivered to these students. 

Rankin trying to cut her off and does.

3. Chris Jackins - on capital levy, presentation on levies only 2 Board members showed, losing playground ground, voting on closure BEFORE levy picks, district could use interest on capital funds (and cites RCW) for operations, the district has picked the wrong thing to do in closures.  Allow more speakers.

4. Ben Gitenstein, SPS parent, opposed to change of name for HC. New policy takes out that these students exist and need services. Teachers will not have the resources. Massive buildings are not going to serve children because they are not widgets or cookies. You build the temple for those you know will be there (referenced a Jewish holiday). NE community meeting on Jewish holiday. 

Rankin says it will be changed. 

5. Stephanie Gove-Yin, SPS parent, district has no provided a plan for neighborhood schools to provide HC services. Cascadia welcomed 300 new students. How does expand access but it doesn't need money to do that? New policy wording is bland with no specifics. Reject this proposal and send it back with concrete plans with measurable outcomes. Staff cannot do this for all the programs named in one year.

6. Candace Kasbarian - Option school parent, Thornton Creek has expedenitary learning. Her son is passionate about his learning. TC has good SEL. "Must embrace learning to learn." She says staff wants to get rid of research division.

7. Chau Pho Tung - West Seattle parent, ceded time. WS High teacher Ms Phelps. supposed to have 1400 but have 1500 and most teachers have over contract level of students. One has 180 students! This is having a bad effect on teachers. No retakes, inclusion difficult, some classes are 42. No electives, can't be teacher sponsors for clubs.

8. Janel Lardizabal - Ainsley student from West SEattle high. Can't take AP classes because school is so crowded. We need more teachers and it's important for seniors.

9. Sophia Conley - ceding time to parent of IEP students. Asking for TOP to stay open for deaf and hard of hearing students. Program cannot be replicated at different schools. They need access to many deaf people. Majority students of color in program. Equity is about meeting needs and lifting up students. Calling bigger schools "well-resourced doesn't magically make it happen."

10. Dustin Cole -  sped teacher at Graham Hill and on Special Ed PTSA. October is Disability History month. We don't want to go back. Cedes time to Tavia McCullor. Schools will still be underfunded even if you close some of them. You will drive families away. What will it look like for my son if you take this away? What will it look like?

11. Christie Matthaei - Thornton Creek is continuing to inovate and we are trying playing first and lunch second. It doesn't cost more. High Special Ed scores and we got an award for achievement in closing the opportunity gap. We are a diverse school that mirrors Seattle's. TC is not a threat to other schools.

12 - Kaitlin Murdock - SPS alum and parent. If option schools are closed, worried about collapse of district. She's a middle school teacher and worried about those kids. Black students suffer drops in math in middle school. Pathfinder is a great school. Option schools provide more for diversity than address-related schools. We want these programs are in demand and have waitlists.We have built a community at Pathfinder.

13. Michele Campbell - giving time to Samantha Fogg. SCPTSA board member and want to be partners with the process. Our communities are told they are cared about and it feels performative. We need education that our children do not need to heal from. Info was not brought to us in a timely manner. We don't see none of info we sent the Superintendent. We do not see the Board vision reflected in plan.

14. Liz Barry - SCPTSA board member and a teacher at Denny Middle. Expanding DL is something we want to see especially for bilingual students. They are assets to the program and our district.

15. Nicole Salisbury - ceded time to Cecily Smith, parent of JSIS student, how is staff defines anti-racism but the harm this will bring doesn't reflect that. Same policies cannot apply to all schools. Shift to equity instead of equality. What % of students can be safely moved?

16. Adam Mollis - ceding time to Leslie Harris. She is here in person. I said I didn't want to be correct but this plan fails on many metrics. Fails in communication, respect, recognize our children are not cookie cutter children. Are option schools too white? Sure but Blanford asked, "What is your fix statement?" "Don't kill these schools and it's absolutely malpractice."

17. Matisse Berthiaume - cedes time to Corrine Bangero. From Texas public schools and has two 2E children who go to Thornton Creek. Tried traditional but was bad for her son. They are very happy now. Equal is not equity in public education. TC's learning style allow students to learn with right level of support. Don't take away Special Education pathway schools.

18. Chris Longhurst - advocating for TOPS, deaf/hard of hearing kids are overlooked. Was in large school in new building and could not make it work. He was only kid with low hearing. He's in Gen Ed at TOPS with the right resources with the right teachers.

19. Laura Marie Rivera - 4 SPS students, 2 grads. SPS has been dismantling the best parts of this system. "concept of a plan" that won't work. Students are just NOT all the same. Pretending services will be offered everywhere is a joke. Ableism abounds. Don't destroy their communities. ASL was requested for meeting and no translation done.

20. Sam Gutierrez - mom to two SPS students. We need dual language and I thought my district valued diversity. Feels unseen and unwelcome. Have you met the kids at these schools? Do our kids not matter? Trust is earned and you promised HC services at every school and failed. How can we trust you for DL or Special Education?

21. Lily Eakin - 3 SPS students, been on PTA, this proposal has raised concerns in communities, too many key details left out. Access to programs for kids with challenges is a concern. Fears that option schools becoming neighborhood schools and those programs will end. Center around acceissiblity, equity and student outcomes.

22. Sarah Pulanco -ceding time to Zoe Bryant, a new freshman at West Seattle High. Wanted to start a club of mock trials and law. Tried to find a teacher sponsor. Teachers can't run clubs because they are overwhelmed with so many students. Not enough desk.

23. Paul Bugala - WS High parent, ceding to Holly Rickoff, PTSA parent. Sad for previous speaker. West Seattle High is undersourced and other communities are closing. We need staffing support. Teachers are at a breaking point. Hoping before October 1.

24. Nelson Conley - cede to Nelson Connolly who is a TOPS parent. TOPS has DHH program. Not feasible to spread out those students. The program has created a community. His son has a rare disease where he can't be exposed to sunlight. He was also going deaf. Being at TOPS helped him adjust to these changes. Program may be extending his life. Please give that consideration.

25. Joe Mangan - new K parent, this plan is giving me pause. We want to plant kids in best garden possible. Is there a better patch for them to grow in? Is this turmoil a sign of things to come? I have concerns. The options seem chaotic. We need positive and stable environments. Take a breath and work together, answer unanswered questions and work together. 

Rankin asks about a recess. Someone asks for more speakers. Rankin ignores him. 

I am SO impressed with these speakers. No one shouted or threatened and there were so many good points made.

Folks, I think the tide may be turning. Keep it up! 

Next up, "Board Business."

Consent Agenda which they will plow through. (And meanwhile it has the scoring and ranking method for BEX VI which should be on our radar but who has time?) Plus, the revamping of the Board policy around Highly Capable. I have rarely seen a policy so full of redlined items. It's stripped down with few specifics. 

Then the Educational Program Reduction that I mentioned above and then yet ANOTHER presentation on "well-resourced schools" and Report on Data and Options for School Closures. I see new stuff in here but I'm unlikely to be able to read it all in the short recess. 

 HC got pulled of Consent but I was out of the room. Topp is concerned over program to services. Rankin says there are some notes in the BAR. 

Mike Starosky comes forward. He says this is for consistency of language. 

Rankin asked about specifics but Starosky says 30 days. 

Topp requests a Work Session on HC when they get their new policy. Rankin says there will be an academics work session for all topics. 

Clark abstained on the vote. But yet didn't speak up when she could. Hmmm.

Now the Educational Program Reduction item but Rankin is now confused and we are waiting on her to figure it out. Ok, it was introduced.

Moving to tables for the well-resourced schools presentation.

Oh, here's Marni Campbell. This should be good.

The interactive map at the SPS website:

In first 2 days, the option A interactive map had 58,087 views, and option B had 30,671 views—suggesting active engagement.

Messaging Platform

Most messages regarding well-resourced schools are about 1) boundaries and assignments, 2) enrollment projections, 3) option schools and 4) programs and services.

Number 4 includes both Option Schools/K-8. Number 5 would be Dual-language, number 6 "other well-resourced schools, " then highly capable. 

I interrupt to hear the Superintendent say something about "beautiful buildings and grounds." Know what? Parents care about staff, safe building (as opposed to "beautiful" and certainly not the grounds. 

Slide 14 is interesting about "assumptions and concerns" from parents. I don't have time to put it up but I'll do that tomorrow. The slide following it tries to debunk those. 

There is another document - Seattle Public Schools Report on Data and Optoins for School Closures. This covers a lot of basics that you might have questions about for this closure plan.

They also specifically name schools and why they were chosen for consideration of closure. Demographics are also included. 

Then there is a breakdown for every single school. Enjoy!

I hope to look through this document in detail but one thing I can say is this. About a decade or so ago, I noticed that schools that had been on a possible BEX list but didn't quite make the cut, then dropped off the list completely. I was puzzled about this until it all became clear that somewhere a bunch of district somebodies decided they needed to close schools.

So, OF COURSE, many of the schools on this current closure list have less-than-great buildings. The district made a choice but they didn't choose to support buildings that were popular like Salmon Bay K-8. I'd have to go back and look but I think Hazel Wolf K-8 was the last K-8 to be renovated. Then that stopped. 

Hersey is asking about current student outcomes at different schools in terms of meeting certain metrics. Are any schools on the list doing a better job than other schools for 3rd grade literacy?

Marni Campbell is saying that it led to "racism" to use those metrics. 

Hersey says he cannot support any plan that didn't include metrics. 

I note that the district has said academics are not part of the criteria list for closing schools this time around. 

Hersey says the point is that all of it HAS to come back to the Board's stated student outcomes goals. 

Rankin says let's finish the presentation. But she doesn't want staff to "gaslight" them. Wow.

Campbell said she is sensitive to the "gaslighting" comment and they try to answer questions and knows they didn't answer everything.

She also said the community meetings may go over something that communities have already heard but many haven't. So community meetings - expect a LOT of time with them going over what they did, what they are doing and what is to come.

Campbell says they are planning affinity group meetings in languages of those communities. 

They may also have another online community meeting.

She says they have mapped out the city and some areas don't have some services and trying to make it work for students and families. 

She says various outside entities are looking at their work. I'm not sure I understand who is doing what (she mentioned a professor in Austin and some NYC group).

She vaguely mentioned different JSCEE departments working together when they normally don't. I have been hearing about siloing FOR DECADES. When will they learn this should NOT be a one-off exercise for different department to work together?

Clark says some community members are confused where we closed schools and end up with remaining schools having more teachers. 

Campbell replied our student-teacher ratios "are what they are." "The more students you get, the more staff you get." Go tell West Seattle High School about that. 

They have identified where space is in buildings and that's where staff will be. 

Sarju is openly saying, "We HAVE to close schools" but like, Hersey, will not vote for anything that doesn't clearly show better outcomes for kids. "I don't see how we can get where we need to be, it's mid-September." Closures "don't feel good." "We are not inspiring confidence in our audience with student outcomes." "Even I don't understand it." 

I don't want to keep going around the mulberry bush and I feel I'm being backed into a corner to vote yes or no. I won't do either." I would assume she means she would abstain. She mentioned the TOPS deaf and hard of hearing program not being able to be moved. 

"Maybe I shouldn't be an elected official and I need a PhD to understand this and the parents should be either. They may not like it, but if we can't answer Brandon's question then..."

Mizrahi comes in with some questions.

1) Messaging platform #1 was boundaries and assignments. He wanted to combine the top three, did you model the kids in those schools? Campbell said yes. He asked about grandfathering depends on scenario that Board adopts and he supports grandfathering. 

"In either scenario, what is continuing assignment?"

Campbell says page 18. We don't use grandfathering any more. 

He presses her, Option A. Campbell says not trying to evasive but who is it? What would that look like? 

I think Mizrahi wants scenarios run. (And Sarju is standing behind them swinging her arms. No idea why.) 

The Board would need to give recommendation on continuing assignments. 

Poor student directors are STILL there. Bless them.

Mizrahi says communities WILL want continuing enrollment.

Hersey can we look when you come back and see what other districts have provided to families? Can we give a "suite" of items? 

Topp asks, "WE have seen no easy choices. There's a budget deficit and no decisions that will be easy. School closures + and trying to get more money from the state." How do we get to our goals? Hard for staff to cut the budgets but get better outcomes for our kids. That's really hard, not convince A or B gets there. Heard from community this past week, big changes we have to all be in it together and work as a city. Bring the community with us. 

All of that being said, unanswered questions still.

Topp wants a motion and Rankin tried to stop her. Legal tries to stop her and Rankin insists all directors should be able to ask questions. Topp wants to do it after that. 

Topp - I move that we direct Super school closure plan C with 4-6 schools and bring to community meetings. 

Rankin says we have already have done the work. 

Topp will not stop.

Rankin pushes back and we have to see for whatever the number is. 

Topp says, vote no then.

Individual directors can say anything. Garver from Legal says collective Board action has to be on the agenda. Need a special meeting and can be done on 24 hours notice. Topp tried to get clarification. 

She thought well-resourced schools was broadly on the agenda. Rankin says no decision today was stated and Garver says it needed 24-hour window. 

If I had a motion that Rankin and Super rejected, what is process? Rankin said she would put it on the agenda. Four directors would have to say they wanted a special meeting. Topp says she's not sure she agrees with Legal meaning. 

Rankin wants every director to speak. (Boy, I think 

Bragg says he and Sabi have to leave before 8. There is nothing voting members should vote on if they don't have clarity on student outcomes. The transition between they closed and then what happens? In five years, it might not feel like anything but now, it will be huge for all involved. Those will affect student outcomes. "What is transition plan?"

Superintendent take the mic. But gave over to Campbell but she said no, but it is a key thing to do.

Sarju breaks in without a mic. Rankin tries to wave her out. Sarju says there is not a draft plan (for transition). 

Sabi - are dual-language schools just at K-5 because Sealth was worried about their Mandrin program. And foreign language is important for graduation.

Campbell waves her off.

Sabi says the well-resourced schools plan will eventually apply to ALL SPS schools. 

I love these kids so much.

Briggs feels like it is a shell of plan and info here today should have been there when plan was released. "We have provided no meat, it's just a skeleton." 

Rankin has a question herself. 

1) watched past work sessions and what was committed to. I don't see a change from what we saw in those meetings to now. We are repeating a scenario where we can't provide answers to communities. It's nothing but "pure disruption." 

Rankin is giving a speech. Again.

2) Option A versus B is not great. Wants analysis of making some K-8s to be K-5. 

She's exhausting.

She doesn't think 5 community gatherings is enough. Oh my. And she thought there would be more. And she mentioned workshops over the summer (and yes, the Super DID say that). She says the leap of faith the Board took and they haven't seen things materialize.

And she's calling out no academics at the table. What?! Now she asks?

She agrees with Topp that 20 schools is possible by December. We won't be comfortable voting on that in December. What do we need to do? Is our assessment wrong? "We can't see how it works." 

Campbell - page 13 of doc has information on modeling. We do have a service and placement map. (I myself haven't found this.) 

Campbell has a pipe dream if every Special Ed kid in any given neighborhood will get what they need at their attendance school. 

She says the deaf and hard of hearing as well as medically fragile students need one centralized location. 

She's now agreeing they need the academic team here. 

It's getting late and I'm wearing out. I'll give it 5 minutes. 

Super says "we need to take the time we need to get it right. Disappointing but we need to get it right. But we need to stabilize our budget." 

 Hersey has complete confidence in Superintendent.