The Superintendent Speaks (But Will He Speak Today?)

I see from the SPS website Superintendent Shuldiner has an affirmative greeting for Pride Month.  He says (partial):

In Seattle Public Schools, LGBTQIA+ students are an essential part of our school communities. They are part of every school and community across Seattle Public Schools, and they are brilliant, creative, joyful, and full of promise. 

We want every student to come to school as their full self, to be respected for who they are, and to be surrounded by adults who care for them, support them, and expect great things. 

One of the most meaningful parts of my first four and a half months as superintendent has been visiting schools and seeing how belonging is created every day through student-led clubs, visible signs of pride, and conversations with students about why it matters that we stand clearly and proudly with our LGBTQIA+ community. 

Education is about academics, but it is also about helping young people understand themselves and one another, and live in community with kindness, curiosity, and care. 

You will hear more in the months ahead about creating supportive school environments as part of our broader work on school improvement and student success. And we will not assume we are getting this right. We will continue to listen, survey, and learn from our students.

All good thoughts especially around broadly seeking to create those supportive spaces as that will make parents feel good about sending their child to Seattle Schools.


However, I see in today's Times a story that really bothers me. 

Brandon Roy to return as Garfield boys basketball coach less than a year after firing

Not only is Mr. Roy coming back but 1) with seemingly no explanation about why he was let go and 2) SPS is having a press conference for this announcement. If Shuldiner is there, I will be disappointed. 

KOMO first reported the news Wednesday. Roy, a Garfield alum and three-time NBA All-Star, seemed to confirm it with reposts on his Instagram story that celebrated his return and featured a screenshot of an email from Garfield’s principal announcing the news to “students, families, and staff.”

“I am writing to share an important update about the Garfield boys basketball program,” the screenshot showing part of Garfield principal Tarance Hart’s email said. “Brandon Roy will return as Garfield’s Head Boys Basketball Coach for the 2026-2027 school year.” 

Roy’s return will be formally announced at a 1 p.m. press conference on Thursday at the high school, according to a message from Seattle Public Schools.

The Times did have a story in March about Roy being part of a "recruiting push involving an NBA agent that offered a student cash, a car, and an apartment if he transferred to Garfield."

Roy denies the allegations. 

At the time, he also pushed back on the claim that he had been fired and stated that he was invited to reapply for his job in the future. 

So did he reapply and SPS hired him back? Unclear. 

As one commenter said:

So.... Seattle Times is reporting what another news outlet reported, with zero reporting on it's own about if the guy was guilty or not, and not even a question with a no comment about why he's being re-insstated?

Weak, Seattle Times. Weak.

Another comment:

The WIAA publicly stated it did not find a violation by Garfield. Yet Roy lost his coaching position while those allegations were being addressed, and now he's been rehired after going through the district's hiring process. That sequence naturally raises questions about how these employment decisions were made.

As for the press conference today:

If you're gonna fire a guy over recruiting allegations, and then rehire him, Garfield, SPS and the state should be prepared to explain. 

I doubt there will be any kind of reasonable explanation. 

Another one:

It’s sad to see how much high school championships (for boys) mean within the district. The district continuously looks the other way on high school team recruiting- you’d have to be blind to miss that.  
 

This one nails it:

Why are they holding a press conference over the hiring of a high-school basketball coach? 

We wonder why our kids are falling behind the rest of the world academically. 

Perhaps a good start would be to stop making routine things that are meant to offer enjoyment and growth during high-school the highlight and start making academics the primary focal point. 

I'm all for sports and extracurricular activities I just want them to be extra and not the primary.


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