Seattle Schools Community Forum

Update: I knew a new Legal counsel was coming. It appears it is Anita Khandelwal. She got her law degree from Yale. She is a former public defender (I'm impressed) and also worked as the director at King County Public Defense. She joined Pacifica Law Group (a very high-powered local law office) in Jan 2025. Interestingly she became partner there in one year. She has not updated her Linked In page for this move to SPS.  A highly experienced lawyer for SPS is great news.  Eric Guerci is also leaving but he was some kind of family hire. A position was created for him (which was not needed). Maybe Shuldiner noticed that Guerci was not useful and so streamlined Communications.  End of update There are two big stories locally. One is this discussion on Reddit: The superintendent is certainly shaking things up.   I just received word that Dr. Sarah Pritchett, the superintendent of human resources, has been placed on administrative leave. She was escorted out of the district...

 A worthy effort from the Editorial Board of The Seattle Times yesterday,  A high-stakes test for Seattle schools’ new boss: contract talks with teachers The Seattle School Board could not be any clearer: Current negotiations with the teachers union must finish with a contract that ensures the financial stability of Seattle Public Schools. That has not been the case in the past. So, this time, the school board put it in writing. SPS is mired in “a significant structural deficit,” its seven members said in a  resolution  approved unanimously last month. It directs Superintendent Ben Shuldiner to “address and eliminate” this problem. The Times is right; the Board is clear in this resolution (partial): NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board directs the Superintendent to continue to engage in collective bargaining in good faith and in a manner that reflects mutual respect, transparency, and a collaborative approach with the District’s labor partners; and BE IT FU...

  I was going to write my own but this write-up from The Bulletin has loads of good info. Apparently, the talks are going slowly with less than a month to go when school starts. Here are some points to keep in mind: - The Superintendent and staff negotiate with SEA officials. The Board has no role in negotiations but can encourage the Superintendent to come to a timely agreement. Plus: At the July 8 board meeting, Director Joe Mizrahi  proposed a resolution  regarding bargaining. The resolution calls for the Superintendent to "continue to engage in collective bargaining in good faith and in a manner that reflects mutual respect, transparency, and a collaborative approach with the District’s labor partners.” It also calls for the Superintendent to “negotiate agreements that advance the District’s long-term fiscal well-being” to tackle the district’s budget challenges. Mizrahi’s resolution  passed unanimously . The Board can also authorize the Superintendent to take le...

Update: From The Seattle Times , a story that SPS is appealing to an appeals court over an $8M judgment against them " in which a former math teacher hit a then-middle school student and ejected him from the classroom." The district first wanted a new trial but that got nixed (along with the defendant's claims that his constitutional rights were violated by the district.) The district has not laid out the specific grounds for its appeal, but the notices filed indicate it is asking a higher court to review the rulings in the case, including the final November judgment, the denial of a new trial and a portion of the order on Sheikhibrahim’s attorney’s fees. A new firm, Seattle-based Carney Badley Spellman, has joined the district’s team. “We would much prefer that this process was done and that the verdict be left undisturbed,” said Lara Hruska, one of the lead attorneys representing Sheikhibrahim.   The jury found the district responsible for Sheikhibrahim’s injuries and v...