Seattle Schools Community Forum

KING 5 report from last night.  Note Director McLaren's tone - I'm baffled why she's this agitated.  She says something like "how can we let this man go?"  All I can say is that he's retired so where is he going anyway? I am on the Speaker List for tomorrow night (there looks to be about 15 people on the waitlist which surprises me as I thought it would be longer).  I note this message - fairly unusual as the Board office rarely contacts speakers - Thank you for your interest in speaking before the School Board at the  December 3rd  Board meeting.   According to Board Procedure  1430BP , the order of those giving public testimony was determined as follows: those speaking to agenda action items, those speaking to agenda introduction items, and then those speaking to items of general interest. Please note that the “ Action to Select a Permanent Superintendent ” item will be introduced at this meeting and action will be taken at a Specia...

The Times had a brief article last night when the news broke about the one-week extension for public input on the appointment of Superintendent Nyland to be the permanent superintendent which has now expanded and there are some very interesting quotes. The action slated for a special meeting of the board on December 10 at 4:30 p.m.  The Times says the Board hasn't decided if they will allow comments. - apparently there will be discussion at the Board meeting Wenesday when this is introduced.  (Normally, the discussion at Intro is limited so we'll have to see.) - The district has this e-mail for "interested parties" to weigh in - SchoolBoard@seattleschools.org . - The Times notes that Nyland came from Marysville, serving nine years there.  I'm finding some very telling stories out of Marysville that may be clues to the kind of superintendent he may be. - Peaslee said the board usually introduces and votes on superintendent job offers in the same meeting...

To have a split vote would look terrible (no matter how large or small).  For the purposes of whoever is driving this process, the Board should be united on who they pick; otherwise, it signals no faith in the choice and/or the process.   It would also serve to isolate whoever votes no.  In essence, they may become a present-day Mary Bass (the former director who frequently was the lone vote against many issues.  She ended up being the canary in the coal mine for former Superintendent Olchefske's $30M+ unraveling.) However, the courage to say NO is more valuable to them than any good will.  It means they stand with the parents and community who knew that the search process had begun and expected them to finish it in good faith.  Or, AT LEAST have the grace to tell people in a timely, rational fashion what they were going to do.  Here's how I see the vote.

This is a turning point before us.  We either fight back and let the Board know, in huge numbers, that this is terrible mistake to just appoint Dr. Larry Nyland the permanent superintendent of Seattle Schools or the district will take the most major turn we have ever witnessed. Here's the KIRO-tv news story from Thanksgiving Day. If you watch the story, you will see me being more than fair.  Frankly, that was a mistake on my part.  I am vehemently against this action, no matter Nyland's qualifications.  His experience and qualifications are NOT the only considerations for a superintendent for this district. This is wrong for so many reasons.  Read the agenda item (and note who sponsored it).

Update : search firms and candidates - you're welcome. end of update. The Board had a meeting of the entire group (without Carr) to discuss how to look for a superintendent.  It was a lot of logistics talk about finding the right search firm. (I will try to get a electronic copy of the document they were working off of from Erin Bennett.) They will be putting out an RFP around October 3rd and will decide on a firm by early December.  There was no firm date for the applications to go out for superintendent.  

The Board seems in agreement of the appointment of Dr. Larry Nyland, former superintendent in Marysville (and a former Superintendent of the Year) to be the interim superintendent. More to come.  Board seems enthused. Updates: - Carr and Martin-Morris were out-of-town but were on speaker phone.  All the Board spoke highly of Dr. Nyland.  The vote was 7-0. - Nyland's motto - "Listen, learn and lead." He wants to learn more and touch base with all groups/district leadership and set priorities.

Dear Seattle Public Schools community, I am writing to update you on the Superintendent process. 

A week from today, the Sacramento School Board (they call their members "trustees") will vote on Jose Banda as their new superintendent.  (I am waiting to hear back from their Communications person on details.) I suspect they will vote to offer Banda the contract and that he will accept.  I'm also fairly certain he would start almost immediately. That then opens the door for two things to happen. One, the Board needs to appoint an interim superintendent. Two, they need to decide on a process for finding a new superintendent.  I'll offer some suggestions and then some thoughts about a former superintendent.

Honestly, I think it matters.  (I'll tell you why I think that at the end of the thread.) I wrote to them and included some thoughts that Charlie and I had previously printed here especially around the role of the Board and the role of the superintendent. Here's some of what I said (and I'm deliberately vague on the process because it's the Board's call and no one else's):

Charlie wrote this elsewhere and it absolutely reflects what I believe.  (Emphasis mine and this is partial.) The Board and the staff have a fundamental disagreement on the role of the Board. The staff believes that the Board should function as a rubber stamp. They don't believe that the Board has anything positive to add at all and should just show up twice a month to approve whatever is placed before them. The less they talk about it the better. These things don't stand up well under discussion - even friendly discussion. The Board, on the other hand, thinks that they have a duty to make policy and oversee management. Funny, right? So the Board occasionally - rarely, to tell the truth - takes a break from floating with the current and sticks an oar in the water. They suggest something. Something like having a transparent program placement process, actually conducting performance evaluations, keeping track of the money, or setting school start times that work fo...

Updates: I spoke with several people connected with this issue on Friday.

Once again Seattle is looking to hire a schools' superintendent, just two years after hiring the current one. So you're going to read and hear a lot of people saying stuff like "What the heck is wrong with Seattle that it can't keep a superintendent? There must be something wrong with that school district/school board/city/community/whatever." Let's bust this myth.

Finally!  There was a bit of yakking tonight before they finally got to the vote. Carr reviewed trip to Anaheim that she and Patu took last week. All good things - neither she nor Patu had anything of concern to tell the Board. Banda spoke briefly to the audience saying it was a "bittersweet moment." He said, "You become part of a community and builds bonds and relationships." He said he was not just part not just of schools but of community. It was nice to hear that he has that goal. More on the media questions later.

A fascinating, chock-a-block Board meeting to come this Wednesday night and I can only say, "Superintendent Banda, help us!"  That said, this meeting will have it all so he will get a very good look at what's to come. You should make plans to come given the uncertainty of what the Transportation Plan is at this time.  Both the Board and Banda should be able to see parents mean business.    To note: if you want to speak, sign-up starts at 8 am Monday morning, 252-0040 or boardagenda@seattleschools.org.   You have two minutes so time that talk. On the upside, Leo Pfeifer, the young Salmon Bay director, will show his award-winning short film, Who Owns Free Speech, from 5:45-5:55 pm.  (Note to all; if you don't want to watch it, please do not stay in the room and talk.  I've seen this many times with young performers and frankly, some of us DO like to watch the student presentations.)

From the Orange County Register, a yawner of a story on the hiring of Banda.   Their loss, our gain. From the Seattle Times, coverage of Banda's selection.   Highlights: Banda plans to spend his first year on the job, getting to know the city and the district without making major changes.  Some of the reporters at the press conference seemed startled at this but Goodloe-Johnson did a lot of the same with touring schools and doing assessments of various departments.  I cannot see anyone coming in and wholesale changing things.  Sharon Peaslee said the Board did want to change things that are working in our schools but wanted to address those issues that are still of concern.  Marty McLaren named Special Education for one.   In choosing Banda over the only remaining finalist, Sandra Husk, board members opted for a low-key leader with a reputation for relationship-building. Board members said they chose him because they believe he ...

After being very late with this editorial , it finally showed up at the Times' website.  Frankly, it's doesn't lay out the greatest case and spends time writing around some flaws.  One key item to note from the editorial (and remember for later on down the road if she is chosen):  When it comes to talking and listening, she's more likely to do the latter.  They even spend time writing about Enoch even though they state that he withdrew.  So why bother?   He is well-read and steeped in the latest pedagogical research. But Enoch's track record of doing is more mixed. He has the least experience working with urban students and when he left one school district, it was essentially broke. His withdrawal was probably a good decision. Not very nice (Enoch explained the financial issue) and not necessary unless you really wanted to back up the weak decision that is their endorsement for Husk.   They end by saying there will be " large mon...

From SPS: A statement from School Board President Michael DeBell: “We enjoyed getting to know all three of our finalists last week and we are disappointed to learn that Mr. Enoch has withdrawn his candidacy. I want to thank Mr. Enoch for his interest in Seattle Public Schools and his commitment to public education. We know this is a two-way process and we want to find a leader who is a good fit for Seattle, and who believes Seattle is a good fit for them.”

As I previously posted, a finalist has dropped out and it is Steven Enoch.  (The district decided not to tell me so I get official notice from the Times.  I suspect they will drop me as media when we get a new superintendent so I will be forced to state many things off the record.)  From the Times: “I have concluded that what Seattle needs is a younger person, potentially able to provide longer stability and direction for the district,” wrote Enoch, who will turn 63 next month. “I believe you have two very viable candidates that will better meet the long-term needs of the district.” Enoch added he enjoyed his visit to Seattle for final interviews last week. “I loved the tours of the schools, meeting with staff, students and community leaders,” he wrote. “I most enjoyed meeting each of you as you are all wonderful individuals, who give unselfishly so very much to the the children of Seattle.” This is very genuine and generous of Mr. Enoch to say this but...

 Monday, April 30th  Seattle Council PTSA meeting: Navigating SPS: Steps for Positive Advocacy JSCEE from 7-8:30 p.m. Speakers: Ron McGlone, SPS Ombudsman, Adie Simmons, State of Washington Ombudsman, Bernardo Ruiz, SPS manager of Family and Community Engagement Tuesday, May 1 Community Conversations with ELL and Special Education Directors  6-7:30 p.m. at Jane Addams K-8, 11051 34th Ave NE Please join Veronica Gallardo, Director of ELL and International Programs, and Becky Clifford Interim Executive Director for Special Education at one of their upcoming Community Conversation hours. Wednesday, May 2nd Board Work Session on International Education from 4-5:10 p.m. at JSCEE School Board meeting from 6-9 p.m. Agenda .  This is one of the last meetings at 6 p.m. as on June 6th, Board meetings will start at 4:15 p.m. with public testimony at 5 p.m. Announcement of an offer to a superintendent candidate with a final approval - if accepted by the...

I missed posting this before but Director McLaren has a community meeting today from 1:15-3:00 pm at the West Seattle Library, 2306 42nd Avenue SW.    The Board continues their superintendent finalist discussion (albeit with one fewer person - details to come when I get an official press release) later this afternoon. I am hoping that if they cannot find agreement for a number one choice, that they can all agree to their second choice.  Meaning, they need to have a united front on this issue and a split vote on a candidate is no way to start that person's tenure. Better to be united in agreement on the second choice than the hard feelings of a majority vote that 2-3 other Board members did not concur on.