This and That, October 24, 2026

Look where former JSCEE staffers Katrina Hunt and Sarah Pritchett-Goodman landed - it's called Eiren and it's their consulting firm.

EIREN is an executive and organizational advisory firm that helps senior leaders, executive teams, boards, and organizations navigate complexity, make consequential decisions, strengthen leadership, and shape what comes next. 

EIREN is led by two experienced systems leaders whose careers have been shaped by leading through complexity from inside organizations—not simply advising them from the outside.

THE EIREN APPROACH
See clearly.
Connect what matters.
Shape what comes next.

My observation, from over the years, is that many people who used to work in upper management at JSCEE tend to try consulting. 

SPS is asking for high school students to be part of the Memorial Stadium Art Wall Program.

This opportunity gives students the chance to create public art inspired by the meaning and legacy of Memorial Stadium and the role it plays in Seattle’s community.

Selected students will design large-scale murals that will be professionally printed and installed as a long-term feature of Memorial Stadium.

Deadline is this Friday, October 30th.


This week at SPS we see the next community engagement meeting with Superintendent Ben Shuldiner. This is on Tuesday the 27th from 6:30-8:30 pm at Robert Eagle Staff Middle School.

You may remember I wrote in another This and That post that one high school in a school district in Vancouver - Fort Vancouver High School - had cancelled their football season.

FVHS principal Luis A. Castro-Quintanilla had told “Fort families” Tuesday that the varsity season had been canceled, but the initial email stated it was due to player injuries and limited player availability, according to a copy sent to The Seattle Times.

But know what? That wasn't entirely true even and leadership in that district knew it.

The Vancouver Police Department is investigating possible sexual contact between students in a locker room at Fort Vancouver High School, a department spokesperson stated to The Seattle Times in an email.

Oh my. This is what the principal said in a follow-up email:

On Thursday, Castro-Quintanilla emailed families and staff to “provide some additional context about that decision.” He stated the initial email was sent in the “early stages” of working with law enforcement to investigate what happened and how to handle the situation.

“Last week, we became aware of serious allegations of inappropriate behavior involving members of our varsity football team,” Castro-Quintanilla wrote. “We immediately reported these concerns to law enforcement, began our own internal investigation, and put safety measures in place to protect those who reported the incident.

He says they are bringing in an outside investigator.

What did the students do upon learning this? One hundred of them walked out of class.

FVHS junior Victoria Hansen told Portland’s KOIN 6 News that she organized the walkout.

“It’s revolting. It’s gross,” Hansen told the news station. “I can’t believe that this type of thing has made its way into our schools. … You don’t have to tell us the whole story, but at least let us know that there are people with sexual-assault allegations in our school.”

This next story is just jaw-dropping. From The Seattle Times Editorial Board:

Karreon Adams-Franks needed a lot of things during his 15-year life.

He had severe autism — his verbal skills were limited to a few words. He needed teachers trained in special education to help him reach his full potential. He was also visually impaired and needed help with his personal hygiene.

But the thing he needed most he didn’t get — an advocate to make sure his schools and his social workers were working in tandem on his behalf and following the law when it comes to intervening when they suspected abuse.

Karreon died Nov. 27, 2020, of starvation and neglect while in the care of his adoptive mother and her husband, and under the protection of the state through the Department of Children, Youth and Families and the Department of Social and Health Services.

Died of starvation. His shitty parents used food as a punishment. Both received 30+ years in prison. Still not enough.

Just six days before he died, a DCYF caseworker visited the home and interviewed the boys, who spoke of being spanked with a paddle and an extension cord and deprived of food, according to a child fatality review report by the DCYF.

“The caseworker observed the bedroom door handle had a lock on the outside. This child was very skinny but also very tall. Did not have any observable injuries on exposed skin. The caseworker encouraged the mother to look up the laws regarding acceptable discipline and said spanking with an object was not advised. She then left the home and documented that there was no present danger,” the fatality review stated.

Karreon was in school in the Evergreen School district. So there were multiple agencies that had some degree of oversight for this child. But somehow they ALL overlooked:

At a medical exam in July 2019 Karreon weighed 115 pounds. When he died 16 months later he weighed just over 60 pounds.

Unbelievable.

These changes are long overdue, but better communications is needed between DCYF and school districts. The state should coordinate with school districts to annually reinforce what the law requires of mandatory reporters and the consequences of not following the law.

Karreon’s case underscores the responsibility of the state and school districts to show up for children they suspect are in danger, especially those who can’t protect themselves.

I am going to write a separate post on Superintendent Shuldiner's weekly newsletter. He is very frank about safety in a way I have not heard from other superintendents and that's a good thing.