Board Meeting Tonight Should Be Interesting

 Just a couple of quick updates before today's meeting.

One, saw the election results and once again, some parents and most union folks apparently support the district. I think it will be interesting to see what happens in the Legislature. I mean, now that SPS is flush with money again. 

Two, if you are going to the Board meeting, do keep in mind they are having and Executive Session prior to the meeting. Last month, they did the same thing and that ES ran 30+ minutes over. So if you go, there may be a longer wait to public testimony.

Three, the speakers list is full at 25 people, most of who are going to speak on the Highly Capable program. There are 14 people on the waitlist. 

I notice there is one speaker who will be speaking on "community engagement of Dr. Brent Jones /multicultural communities perspectives in contract extension." 

Four, the proposed contract extension for Superintendent Brent Jones. As of this hour, there is still NO documentation on this item attached to the agenda. This might be because the Executive Session will put the final touches on it.

So let's review. Jones got a two-year contract approved - with a raise - in October 2024. For some reason, the Board now feels compelled to add another year onto that just months later. And the agenda item is Intro/Action which means zero public engagement. 

I'm actually wondering if there will even be any public explanation.

Where's the fire? Is he threatening to leave and the Board needs to entice him to stay? 

But that's SPS - always leaving parents and community in the dark about real motives about anything they do.

Comments

Outsider said…
Just a guess, based on no real information, but Jones seems like a team player, who took the job to be the standard bearer for the consensus among the board, mayor, and other local elites. He was welcomed into that role because no one was eager to repeat the process that hired and burned out Denise Juneau. Jones has become something like the permanent interim superintendent.

It's proven to be a thankless job, however, because the board's vision is neither wise nor popular, and they keep wobbling and changing course and hanging Jones out to dry. He must be thinking, he doesn't need this, and if they want him to keep taking blow after blow to his reputation for being their front man, they better make some commitment and pay up.
2/12/25, 1:46 PM
Anonymous said…
Jones has some good attributes, but fundamentally he's a caretaker administrator. More skilled in HR management than in educational policy or how to achieve improvements. Those deficiencies can be patched with highly skilled deputies (after all - no one has the full wish list of skills), but I fear he lacks the communication and leadership skills to move the district forward. Perhaps this iteration of the board can provide that leadership, otherwise the vacuum will persist.
2/13/25, 8:33 AM
John stewart said…
From the Seattle Times story on the levy votes: "The amount on the ballot — $747 million — is more than the district can legally collect. SPS hopes that a bill to increase the levy cap will pass in this year’s legislative session, allowing the district to raise the full amount over three years."
2/13/25, 1:40 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday Open Thread

The speaker list is up for the Board meeting tomorrow; not as packed as I thought with just four people on the waitlist. The majority of the speakers are speaking on high school boundaries (with several wanting to talk about Ballard High). There are only three of us speaking about the Green Dot resolution asking the City to not grant the zoning departures that Green Dot has requested.  It's me, long-time watchdog, Chris Jackins, and the head of the Washington State Charter Schools Association, Patrick D'Amelio.  (I knew Mr. D'Amelio when he headed the Alliance for Education and Big Brothers and Big Sisters; he's a stand-up guy.)
Read more

Breaking It Down: Where the District Might Close Schools

Update 2: an absolutely fabulous interactive map made by parent Beth Day (@thebethocracy on Twitter - she covers Board meetings and is fun to read).   end of update    Update 1: Mea culpa, I did indeed get Decatur and Thornton Creek mixed up. Thanks to all for the correction. end of update   I suspect some who read this post will be irate. Why do this? Because the district seems very hellbent on this effort with no oversight skid marks from the Board.    To clearly state - I do not believe that closing 20 schools is a good idea. I think they hit on 20 because they thought it might bring in the most savings. But the jury is still out on the savings because the district has not shown its work nor its data. I suspect closing schools and THEN leasing/renting them is the big plan but that means the district really has to keep the buildings up.   But this district, with its happy talk about "well-resourced schools" is NOT acknowledging the pain and yes, gr...
Read more