This and That! in Seattle Public Schools, November 11. 2026 (Part One)

Of course, this being Veterans Day I do want to recognize all the veterans who served who are part of Seattle Public Schools. Thank you for your service. 

This was sent to SPS staff this week (bold mine):

Dear SPS Staff, 

I am pleased to officially announce two important appointments to our senior leadership team. Devin Gurley will serve as Assistant Superintendent of Special Programs, and Marcus Harden will serve as Assistant Superintendent of Student and Family Support. 

These appointments bring two experienced, student-centered leaders into key roles while marking an important step in streamlining how our district leadership team is organized. 

Many of you already know Devin. She has served Seattle Public Schools for more than two decades, beginning as a special education teacher and continuing through a series of district leadership roles, including Program Specialist, Supervisor, Director, and Executive Director of Special Education. 

As Assistant Superintendent of Special Programs, Devin will provide leadership for the Highly Capable, Multilingual, and Special Education Departments as well as Early Childhood Services, the Native Education Department, and the Career and Technical Education Program. 

For Marcus, this appointment is a homecoming of sorts. He attended Emerson Elementary, McClure Middle School, and Rainier Beach High School and later returned to SPS professionally, serving students and families at Meany, Madrona, Interagency Academy, South Shore, and Rainier Beach High School. 

Marcus returns to SPS with experience spanning schools, community organizations, and statewide education leadership. Most recently, he served as Executive Director of the Washington State Charter School Commission. His career also includes helping build the education program at Overtime Elite and co-founding Academy for Creating Excellence. 

As Assistant Superintendent of Student and Family Support, Marcus will provide leadership for the Coordinated School Health and Safety and Security Departments as well as other student and family programs. 

These appointments are also part of a broader effort to streamline our senior leadership structure and strengthen accountability across the district.  This more focused structure is designed to create clearer areas of responsibility, strengthen coordination across departments, and keep our senior leadership team centered on the work closest to schools, students, and families. 

Devin and Marcus bring different experiences to this work, but they share a deep connection to SPS and a commitment to the success of our students. Devin brings decades of experience and institutional knowledge from within our district. Marcus returns home with firsthand knowledge of SPS and additional experience serving young people, families, and communities beyond the district. 

I am excited to have them helping lead the next chapter of Seattle Public Schools. 

Please join me in congratulating Devin and welcoming Marcus home. 

Sincerely, 

Ben Shuldiner 
Superintendent 
Seattle Public Schools 

So here's an SPS Organizational Chart from Feb. 2026. You can see that some people are gone like Dr. Sarah Pritchett. But looking at Ms. Gurley's new position, she's taking on areas that are under other departments so that's interesting to see. For example, CTE is under Mike Starosky but now it is moved to Gurley's area. And for some bizarre reason, Native Education was under...Chief of Staff and now moved to Gurley's oversight. 

As well, Mr. Harden takes over from a couple of places. I don't even see "coordinated school health and safety" in this chart. What was Harden's last job? Executive Director of the Washington State Charter School Commission. 

I don't know, maybe SPS needs these new positions. Each person will make between $220-268K. I note that the Superintendent recently told the Washington Policy Center that there was "bloat" at the JSCEE.  

I certainly hope to hear from parents with students in programs under each new hire's umbrella about how much better that program is. Because this district does not need new hires if there are no discernible results. 

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