Seattle Schools Community Forum

From U.S. News and World Report on the uptick of reported assaults:

Since the sexual assault complaint that arose on a Garfield High School field trip to NatureBridge in November of 2012, we have heard from the Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors and senior management about how seriously they regard it and how committed they are to tightening up procedures, policy, and compliance. But what have they actually done? Shockingly little. And let's remember that they have had almost two years since that day. Almost two years and they haven't really done anything. We got the lip service. We got the crocodile tears. What we didn't get was any real movement towards improved policies, procedures, or practices. Nor have we seen any movement to hold anyone accountable for failures to follow the policy or procedures. Instead, we've seen the Board and the senior management close ranks to not only excuse the non-compliance, not only condone the non-compliance, but actually defend the non-compliance. I'm sorry, but how tragic do the outcome...

I only watched the Board comments and a bit more of the meeting.  (They moved at lightening speed and I think may have adjourned by 6:30 pm.)  This is NOT coverage of all their comments but just the issue-specific ones that they made. I wish I had heard one Board member say that he or she was committed to following thru on every stated commitment and accountability measure that staff has said.  No one did.

Tuesday, Sept. 2nd Superintendent Nyland will have a press conference at JAMS followed by a ribbon-cutting for the renovated school at noon.  He will also be at the ribbon-cutting for Fairmount Park Elementary at 2:45 pm.  (I'm taking ideas for questions to ask Superintendent Nyland.) Wednesday, Sept. 3rd -    First Day of School Superintendent Nyland will be visiting several schools that day including Rainier View Elementary from 9-10:30 am, then the World School from 11-11:30 am.  He will join World School students for lunch. School Board meeting starting at 4:15 pm.  Agenda I note that the family of the Garfield field trip victim is organizing a rally before the meeting and I expect a fair number of people to again press the Board to do more.

Please support a much more critical demonstration next Wed, Sept 3rd , at the Seattle School Board meeting.   The District is making decisions about its next step regarding the Garfield HS rape victim. We know the District’s response was outrageous, but the general public must also become educated. The self-serving Seattle Times reporting did nothing to inform the public of the facts. We know the District still pretends that no assault occurred (despite the assailant's testimony to raping/sodomizing and medical information); the District takes no responsibility for its deplorable chaperoning, nothing is wrong. The victim wasn’t even the recipient of sexual harassment, they determined.   Yeah right.   A successful student’s life was ruined on a school field trip where chaperones and staff failed to supervise. It was entirely and easily preventable.

Something's missing and we all know what it is. It's the unfulfilled commitment I have been requesting for over ten years. It's the hole at the heart of the district's dysfunction. It is the emptiness at the root of the complaints and protests about the Garfield rape case. It is what was absent from Director Peaslee's understanding of the protests and it was omitted from Dr. Nyland's letter. The District staff does not comply with procedure, policy, regulation, or law and they do so without consequence. No matter if the violation is trivial or tragic, they are not only neglected, not only forgiven, but even defended. A sea of outrage rose up against Director Peaslee's tonedeaf remarks at the Board meeting. We were shocked by her misunderstanding of the protests. They were not calls to hold the boy accountable for his actions but a call to hold the district staff accountable for their actions (and inactions). How was it possible for Director Peaslee to ...

I neglected to mention Director Patu has a Community Meeting from 10 am to noon today at Cafe Vita. I read thru the g eneral letter from SPS to families about NCLB.    As I previously noted, the Washington Policy Center is claiming 33 letters went out about different schools (I need to get confirmation from the district on this) but they also claim there isn't info on tutoring and/or changing schools. Under NCLB, students at "failing" schools are offered free tutoring and/or the ability to change to another non-failing school.  The district has always made this option available as their legal obligation. In addition to the notification, SPS Title I schools that did not meet AYP now must offer to move students to school that made AYP or is not in one of the Steps of Improvement required by the law. This is called Public School Choice. The law also includes free tutoring services in reading, language arts and/or math at schools that do not meet AYP.  This ...

I spoke at last night's Board meeting.  My remarks were about the MOU with the Alliance for Education (more on that in another thread as the Board discussion with Charles Wright was telling) and to welcome Superintendent Nyland and ask for his help. My remarks to the Superintendent: I want to say welcome to Superintendent Nyland.  Please understand, you may truly be the guy in the white hat who just rode into our district. You can be a figurehead, a follower or the change agent that our district needs so badly. The change? Creating a headquarters that is well-run and, in turn, a district that is well-run.  Our district is not well-run. We need a central headquarters staff that follows policies and procedures and that any deviation from that will be handled appropriately.  That attitude needs to funnel down to the last staff member in every single school. Because the Title IX issues - and the case they stem from - are appalling.  Everyone wants to be ...

This is a lengthy post and has new information so I urge you to read to the end. Gaps abound in the Garfield case.  You can see this just from the Times' story this morning on last night's School Board election.  (And welcome Times to this story - very late to it, no?) Some have suggested that the Times article is slanted?  I would say it is underwritten and has several parts wrong.  I can say that just from a cursory reading of it.  (The Times is not allowing comments but I think that is their policy on rape cases as the comments can get very unpleasant.) Update 1: the girl did not go back to Garfield as a student.  From an e-mail from her parents: One point, she never returned to GHS. the chat you likely read referred to going to GHS after school to see friends. She then had a huge melt down concerning the retaliation.  The District granted her a school transfer with rape as the basis (we have that document), so t...

Update: in the Board Comments, each Board member addressed this issue (in his/her own way).  There was a range of verbiage used.  I was surprised at how they spoke out now, given their silence the entire summer (except for President Peaslee's letter months ago.) Director McLaren is the only Board member to say anything nearing this: " I regret whatever lapses occurred on part of district, both in communication and systemic organizational responsibility." She is also the ONLY person, to the best of my knowledge, who has acknowledged that mistakes were made and that she is sorry it happened. A couple of Directors support several speakers' call for a taskforce of BOTH community/experts and district staff.  I could support this taskforce only IF it was run by an outside entity. Director Martin-Morris acknowledged the issue but went on to say that Seattle could be a leader in this kind of advocacy of providing information to students on sexual harassment/assault....

I'm going to try some live blogging tonight as it is Superintendent Nyland's first meeting AND I believe that the district - via legal counsel - will have something to say about the Garfield field trip rape and Title IX issues. I attended the Audit & Finance Committee meeting yesterday and boy, what a meeting.  But that's another thread. I will note, however, that lead counsel, Ron English, gave out a "Legal Action Log on Title IX Issues."  It is lengthy and troubling.  The district is to create a "Crisis Response Team" for such incidents. Superintendent Nyland gave his first superintendent remarks.  He talked about the Garfield fieldtrip rape issue and read a letter from the district.  The letter will be available on the district website soon.  It was fairly vague and nothing new that we haven't heard after OTHER incidents.  There was a gap between the beginning of the meeting and Public Comment.  I asked if I could speak with the Sup...

Tuesday, August 19th Audit& Finance Committee meeting from 4:30-6:30 pm.  Agenda Wonder if the Committee might consider where money was taken for the various staff members to go off on their preschool junket. Update: Wonder no more, there is nothing on the agenda about the preschool junket or replacing those funds from the various sources that were used to fund it. Lots of interesting items like: - redirection of selected lease and rental earnings to General Fund (because, really, why do buildings need maintenance?) - policy for unpaid holidays for reason of faith or conscience - restrictive covenant agreement terms review - downtown school financing options Wednesday, August 20th School Board meeting starting at 4:15 pm. I am aware that a rally over the Garfield field trip rape is to occur outside of headquarters right before the meeting at about 4 pm.  Supporters of the student and her parents are also likely to be at the meeting. Agenda Selected A...

I asked the Department of Education spokeperson about issues around Title IX and Seattle Schools and here was their statement: We can confirm that OCR is currently investigating a Title IX sexual violence case involving the Seattle Public Schools. As this is an open investigation, we cannot share any additional information. For more on how OCR handles civil rights complaints, please see our Web site here . The Department would not comment on any other Title IX investigations involving Seattle Public Schools. 

I myself have not spoken with the family of the victim but Charlie has and believes the sincerity of their story.  I see now at their Facebook page -Stop Sexual Assault in High School - that the district is trying to shape the narrative of this incident. Here's what the family says has happened recently: -  Yesterday, the District wrote it was sending out the parents' Oct. 18, '13 response to the District's skewed investigation without including essential information we parents provided , e.g. National Parks Service reports with the assailant's testimony acknowled ging rape. For the complete thread, request all correspondence between Julie Barbello, public information office, and the parents from July 29-August 1, 2014. From the parents' e-mail to the district:

Update: So all I was trying to find out - from the FBI and National Park Service - is what was the date that  SPS asked them for their investigation report?  And what was the date that the district filed their FOIA request when the FBI/National Park Service said no to that request? Those two groups now want me to file a FOIA to find out when SPS filed their FOIA.  Kind of funny.  (I would ask the district but I'd like direct verification myself.) end of update 1) There is a lengthy account at the Facebook page associated with the family of the student assaulted.  I do have a few questions but I'll wait and see if the family contacts me.  It is fairly well-fleshed out so they were clearly documenting as they went along (a very good thing for all parents to do should any type of school situation arise - document everything ). 2) I called the Seattle office of the FBI.  The press officer sent me a statement; they aren't answering any questions...

The Stranger has a very pointed article - with questions posed just as Charlie has - on the topic of the Garfield field trip rape incident. There is also this from Monisha Harrell: I’m an Alum of Garfield High School, and until yesterday I sang “I’m So Glad I go to Garfield High” with pride.  Please read the attached petition to understand why I believe we as a community need to push for new leadership.  We are giving the adults who were supposed to provide a safe environment a pass because we don’t want to be too harsh, but what should the penalty be for a lax school culture that encourages additional assaults through inaction?  When do we decide to stand up for our young people? I’m asking you to draw a line in the sand, and send a message. We must have new leadership at Garfield High School. On-line petition for a New Garfield Principal for 2014-2015. Dr. Nyland has his work cut out for him.