Seattle Schools Superintendent Issues a Statement on School Closures
At Tuesday night's turbulent Board meeting, President Liza Rankin called for a recess so that she and the Superintendent could speak after her teary outburst about closures after listening to public testimony.
The meeting was in recess nearly 20 minutes. He was scheduled to give a closure and consolidation update at the end of the meeting but here's what he said when they came back.
He stated he was going to give his "planned update." He said when the discussion began on a system of well-resourced schools, the Board gave him direction on what they wanted to see in a set of recommendations. He said:
It is now clear that direction is shifting and I am considering withdrawing my preliminary recommendation. I will need to give it more consideration as to when it would come back, if it does.
I will need time to clarify the process as driven by policy.
President Rankin did not look at him and said, "Thank you, Dr. Jones."
Superintendent Jones issued this update today:
Dear SPS families,
On Tuesday, we had our scheduled school board meeting, and I am reaching out to share some key updates.
We are canceling our upcoming round of online community meetings at North Beach, Sacajawea, Sanislo, and Stevens elementary schools. We are doing so as the board has decided to delay the December closure and consolidation hearings, in part based on important input from families that we all value. As a result, I am considering withdrawing my earlier recommendations for closure and consolidation.
Our next step is to sit down with the school board for further planning. Having community meetings before or during these conversations would not be fair at this time.
Closing and consolidating schools is one of the hardest conversations we have ever had as a community. The conversations with affected school families, with the larger Seattle Public Schools community, our staff, and our board have been productive and at times painful. We understand that no one wants their beloved school to close – and we appreciate how much you love your schools, the teachers, the staff, and the culture that helps each student thrive.
I want to thank our school community for providing feedback as we work to address our budget gap and build a sustainable system so that every student thrives.
In partnership,
Dr. Brent Jones
Superintendent
Seattle Public Schools
I will have a separate post on the meeting which goes into my Top Ten for odd meetings. But here's what appears to be the situation now.
1) The legally required hearings for the four named schools up for closure are cancelled.
2) The Superintendent references in today's statement "online community meetings" for each school but I don't know what he means. I never saw or heard of any other meetings besides the community meetings already held as well as the public hearings.
3) At the Board meeting, Director Michelle Sarju went to her preferred method of communication - a speech. She said that the district HAD to close schools and that they (the Board) WOULD be voting - up or down, at some point - to close some schools.
Conversely, she said that, "We can't do this if we can't assure parents that we're not going to damage their children." Which is a ridiculous statement. Many parents came forward that night to explain how their children WOULD be hurt.
I note that some comments at the Seattle Times where readers scoff at any "pain" a child may feel - they got moved in their childhood and lived. Naturally, having to move as a family is NOT the same thing as a neighborhood school closing. Of course, kids have to learn to weather storms in their lives but a district has to do all it can to minimize pain and that means a well thought-out closure plan.
4) I sensed some friction between President Rankin and VP Sarju. That could spell trouble now that this process is now being dragged out longer.
Can Jones come back in 2025 with a cohesive, clear transition plan? If he and staff did by the end of January, I think the closures could proceed. But frankly, I'm not sure that will happen.
Comments
Curiouser
@Curioser - the board president can meet 1:1 with the superintendent or bring a fellow director. Nothing earth shattering here.
Did the board ice Song? What happened, she did it to herself. Committing fraud to get a seat at any board is illegal and gross. Many of us thought she did a good job as a director and are willing to look the other way. Not me.
Not defending Rankin or anyone else. Just stating the facts.
1. I urge everyone to be careful in the language used, and criticisms leveled. Whatever personal views one might hold about Liza Rankin's leadership, her comments immediately following public testimony were vulnerable, and I would not characterize them as an "outburst." She explained that her tears were out of anger and frustration, and that she could no longer mask her neurodivergence. Gum chewing is an established accommodation for us neurodivergents. It is ableist (and sexist) to not make room for emotion during meetings, especially meetings of such great importance.
2. I believe the recess was so that Dr. Jones could meet and be advised by counsel, as that was a stated need by legal right before the recess. I wasn't watching the entire time, but at some point during the recess Liza Rankin was among us in the audience.
1) designated consolidation site
2) any option school in their region (jumping the wait list)
3) any adjacent school with space (including bus transportation if they are willing to get to an existing pickup point)
Problem is, this school board and administration are adamantly opposed to any form of student or parent choice. The core ideology of public education now days requires all power to reside in the system, and parents and students must have no choice. Even mention the c-word, and you might as well be wearing a red hat.
It makes for a bleak environment where any change seems threatening, and people will prefer the devil they know.
That problem is layered over Seattle's unique culture, in which many people derive their meaning and purpose in life from opposing things. One example: the parks department planned recently to renovate some abandoned tennis courts in Lincoln Park for use as pickle ball courts. Seems like not a big deal, but massive resistance welled up, because some owl's feelings might be hurt, and that's really really important in a way you just don't understand. You don't understand, because it's nonsense. But Seattle people derive deep-down existential satisfaction from opposing things.
Staff assignment is controlled by the union contract. When new positions open up at the consolidation site, they are claimed by union members who want them, if any, based on seniority. You can't plan that.
As to whether unique customs, programs, or culture of the closed school could be preserved at the consolidation site -- that would be a cat-herding and consensus-building process involving the principal, teachers, and BLT of the consolidation site. No way they will undertake the emotional labor involved until after consolidation is certain.
For ordinary students in elementary grades, in a one-size-fits-all system in which individual academic needs don't even exist and certainly won't be considered, the only thing that matters is continuation of friendships from being assigned to the same class as some of their existing friends. That would be easily addressed in consolidation, but it won't be, and not because of failure of planning. It won't be addressed because district staff would be completely unwilling to acknowledge this concern, or any concern. All power must reside in the system. No concern will be acknowledged that might give parents or students the impression that they have any legitimate influence over any process.
Here's the thing and probably because I'm an old lady but I
am not good with any kind of behavior in public by public officials. It isn't a bad thing to cry, given the right circumstances. I don't think she cried for a particularly good reason. I don't think what she said helped and that IS her job. And she's under a lot of pressure but things didn't have to get this far if she had shown some leadership. But we can agree to disagree.
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