This and That, May 18, 2026

I am aware of Danny Westneat's column - Seattle Has the No.1 Big City School District - and that will be a separate post. It was an interesting read. 

First up, I did listen to the interview at the local NPR station last week with Superintendent Ben Shuldiner. (I did finally hear from the radio folks after I did multiple types of outreach, trying to nail down the date/time for my readers but only after the interview was taped. I'm not sure they understand that I could have driven more listeners to their program.) 

Shuldiner called his time so far "a wonderful whirlwind." 

He said that in order for SPS to become "the best urban district in the country," that the district had to straighten out its finances ("not spending more money than we have"), explain the district's decisions before they are made and include community in discussions, and create great instruction in the classroom. He said trust and transparency had to happen with community. 

There was a question about cell phones (kids will move to laptops if the phone is gone) and generally about reducing tech use. He said that he wants to see how the new policy for cell phones works but that yes, there should probably be a reduction in the use of screens especially around non-instructional purposes. 

Interesting question from a teacher who said there used to be a staff survey for schools but that it went away. She said that it was great Shuldiner came to all the schools but that he had administrators with him and so teachers and staff were less likely to be open about issues. He said the survey sounded like a good idea to him and would look into it. 

He said that closing schools could be on the table. He said he thought showing parents there could be better options for their child - like not having split classrooms - would be necessary to get buy-in. 

One mom asked about safety and said when her kids were in elementary school, everyone coming in the building was screened. But now in middle and high schools, people just seem to come in and out of the buildings. Shuldiner said he was surprised at how "porous" the upper grade buildings seem to be. I'm glad this came up because I do think there is not even a real try to see who is coming into the buildings. The interviewer tried to ask some pretty complex questions about national student achievement but they ran out of time. I have seen these articles on that issue and I'll do a post soon.

Another Jewish family is suing the district over the treatment of their student at Nathan Hale High School. This from the Jewish News Syndicate (JNS).  The writer, Jessica Russak-Hoffman, is based in Seattle. 

Alexandra Greenstein, a former student at the school, alleges in court documents that she endured “rampant antisemitic harassment and bullying” and that school officials failed to intervene. She is suing the district, Seattle Public Schools, in King County Superior Court.

Ms. Greenstein claims that over two years 2023-2024 and 2024-2025, she was subject to bullying at school after the October 7th attack on Israel by Hamas. She says it includes racial slurs and insults, offensive drawings of swastikas, and intimidation and bullying in-person and online. 

Although Ms. Greenstein was born in California, she lived most of her life in Israel, a fact she didn't disclose to classmates out of fear for her safety. 

She claims there were anti-semitic and anti-Israel phrases and remarks visible on the walls at Hale and that administrators left them uncovered. 

She also took issue with a school fashion show that "promoted Middle Eastern/Arab cultures" and "promoting participation in the Free Palestine movement but excluded reference to Jewish and Israeli culture from being represented in any capacity."

She also claims that "anti-Israel posters, fliers and stickers were posted with the approval of the school administration and handed out by SPS employees."

She says she reported the treatment to her teachers and the administration but "they dismissed, denied, or minimized Ms. Greenstein's experiences." As well, in her last year, she went to the school's social worker intern who admitted that anti-semitism was pervasive at NHHS but that the social worker "took no steps to address Ms. Greenstein's objective distress." 

She apparently missed being at school most of her senior year out of fear. 

What does the district say?

A Seattle Public Schools spokesman told JNS that “antisemitism and discrimination of any kind have no place in our schools and will not be tolerated.”

The spokesman urged members of the school community to report antisemitism to the district’s student civil rights office.

This is a lot to take in. As for the fashion show, did they include Hispanic models? Or any other nationality? It might have depended on who was running the show and not that there was deliberate attempts to discriminate.

On the other hand, if employees at the school were handing out flyers and posters that were pro-Palestine but anti-Israel that could prove problematic for the district.

I think it interesting that the district's response is to tell people to report problems like this to the district's student civil rights office. I'm not sure most people even know that exists.

But what is the bigger fault? Once again we circle back to the Executive Directors. There were two girls complaining about this issue to NHHS administrators and they seemingly did very little to nip it in the bud. Where is that school's ED in all this? That it got this far tells you how useless the EDs are. Their boss, Mike Starosky, makes a very good salary. It's hard to believe that something could not have been done in a thoughtful and visible manner at NHHS to calm the waters. 

Lastly, the October 7th attack in Israel was a big deal that ALL high school administrators should have thought about in terms of sensitivities. Of course, kids have free speech rights but not when they create an atmosphere of fear for other students.



SEA has a new president. One problem, though, she is under investigation by SPS for allegedly harming a student. From The Seattle Times:

A Seattle teacher is poised to become the next president of the Seattle Education Association despite being on administrative leave, following allegations from a family that she physically abused a child. 

According to preliminary election results, Ibijoke Idowu, a special education teacher at Rising Star Elementary in South Beacon Hill, is leading the race to preside over the union representing about 6,000 Seattle Public Schools teachers, paraprofessionals, secretaries, counselors and other staff. 

Idowu has been teaching at SPS since 2021. In December 2025, she was placed on paid leave and is currently being investigated by the district, confirmed Bev Redmond, SPS’ chief of staff and public affairs.

The district "did confirm that the district notified Seattle Police Department about the allegations, per its own protocols that require the district to report any “suspected child abuse or neglect” to the proper authorities."

The allegations come from parents of a third grader at Rising Star who has autism, a speech delay and is only partially verbal. According to the complaint filed with the district, they first noticed bruises the size of adult fingertips on their son’s arm last October and then again in early December 2025. Using visual aids, the parents said they asked their son if the bruises were caused by an adult, and the third grader confirmed they were caused by Idowu. 

The parents also contend that in December, their son’s therapist witnessed Idowu throw a marker at the student’s head while he was working at the whiteboard, alleging the marker struck his face and glasses. 

Tyson Marsh, the third grader’s father, said his son hasn’t been sleeping well since the incidents, is emotionally distressed and consistently resists going to school.

A police report obtained by The Seattle Times confirms a similar picture of the allegations from Marsh, including details about the teacher grabbing several students by the arm and students complaining that it hurts them, according to the report.

Other parents think that Idowu is a very good Special Education teacher.

On May 6, police sent the case as a statutory referral to the King County prosecuting attorney’s office. “A statutory referral is unique …” wrote Casey McNerthney, the spokesperson for the prosecuting attorney’s office, in an email. “Police typically send a case and identify the referral as a statutory referral when they do not believe they have evidence for prosecutors to charge a crime.” 

There is no charging decision at this time. 

The parents think the investigation is taking too long but the investigator told parents in March 2026 that other allegations against Idowu have come to light.

This is quite the spot for SEA to be in. There are contract negotiations that will be starting this year and where does that leave Idowu?

Via the West Seattle Blog:

Back before construction began on the Alki Elementary rebuild, much discussion – and even an appeal – centered on transportation and traffic issues. 

Now the new school is a few months from opening, and its traffic management plan is an agenda item for tomorrow morning’s monthly meeting of the Seattle School Traffic Safety Committee, a city-convened advisory committee. 

Other discussion items on the agenda include school-zone speeding and idling alongside schools.

Its meeting is set for 8:30-10:30 am tomorrow (Friday, May 15), online and in person at City Hall, and the Alki traffic-management plan is on the agenda for ~10 am. The public is welcome at the meeting – room 370 at City Hall (600 4th Avenue) or online (find the link here).

Oh really? So all those people who were pointing out that there would be traffic issues for the location for the new Alki Elementary were right after all?