seattle school board members

Its unfortunate that another story like this has surfaced. Self-interested unions, insider political interests and entrenched school officials decide what happens in public schools, not parents. That meeting was the focus of the investigation and what triggered the accusations against Hampson and DeWolf. The two women who made allegations against Hampson and DeWolf wrote a letter to the board on Sept. 18, 2020 almost a year earlier detailing their experiences, board member Lisa Rivera-Smith said during the meeting. Juneau spoke with students and parents of students in the district, staff, principals, and the Seattle Council PTSA, and gathered feedback from Latinx and Black community members before making the . August 3, 2021. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a2e666278b6291a Sami Al-Abdrabbuh, the chairman of a school board in northwest Oregon, has received death threats. Performance & security by Cloudflare. District 5 - Michelle Sarju. Medicare open enrollment is here and SHIBA can help! Each district needs to meet certain criteria set by state law: having nearly the same population size, being as compact as possible and not favoring or disfavoring a political party or racial group. And in that letter I heard from two brilliant Black women that worked within our district, Rivera-Smith said. In other words, they are far-left activists who dont practice what they preach on anti-racism, nor do they serve the kids they are supposed to protect. Subscribe to thepodcast here. Seattle media deserves to be called out on this. And it . City officials and school board members have declined to meet with the group of neighbors, parents and employees who are . This behavior is always done to Black folks and holds up anti-Blackness. Specifically, the recall petition itself reports that Seattle school board members have: Delayed reopening Seattle schools to full-time, in-person instruction, compared to the great majority of other districts; Violated their legal duty to provide special needs students with access to in-person instruction; Given away school property in West Seattle in violation of legal standards; Failed to correct a 2015 school board decision to take $2.7 million in private money while keeping the donors name secret; Approved contracts on planned Rainier Beach High School and Northgate Elementary construction projects which involve conflicts of interest and violations of environmental review laws; Failed to protect student privacy online; Failed to consult the Duwamish Tribe regarding environmental review of the Northgate Elementary project; Failed to provide adequate school-day recreational areas for students; Sold school property to a favored buyer without holding a public hearing; Discriminated against students by canceling the Highly Capable Program at Washington Middle School; Violated the rights of Kimball Elementary School students by improperly changing the attendance area. The motion also waived the need to post the report on the districts website, which typically needs to happen at least three days before public meetings. He also said that both of the women were not qualified to continue working on the policy. Tel 206-324-0400 . In the summer of 2020, the two staffers and board members disagreed on when the anti-racism policy should go to a board vote. School Board Policy No. He will decide whether there is reasonable cause to show these board members committed an act or acts of malfeasance or misfeasance while in office or that such person has violated an oath of office.. The conduct violated SPSs policy against harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB). The findings call his conduct unprofessional.. Hampson, meanwhile, wanted to vote on the anti-racism policy instead of waiting for more community engagement, arguing its already been done. Seattle reporter Jason Rantz noted that, in leaked emails, the school district actually refused to request the mayor's office sweep the camps for illegal activity. The School Board has not yet voted on the policy. Im sorry. Although the report didnt find clear evidence that Hampson and DeWolf discriminated against the two staffers because of their race or gender, it did conclude that both board members violated board policy 5207, which prohibits harassment, intimidation and bullying. Three seats on the Seattle Public Schools school board in Washington were up for general election on November 2, 2021. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of Seattle . Come celebrate Anacortes 11th annual Bier on the Pier! She repeatedly said she was elected to do this work and appeared upset that her authority and duty were questioned. The School Board Student Member Selection Committee is a student-led committee that will recommend three (3) Student Members to the Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors for selection. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Theres been an issue on whether the staff of Seattle Public Schools runs the district or if the superintendent and board do, said Hampsons attorney, Philip Talmadge, a former Washington State Supreme Court justice. It was clear Hampson had darts for both of them, the witness told MFR investigators. The school board members did not publicly respond to the recall effort. Miles Hagopian, a student at Mercer International Middle School, applauded the Seattle School Board's unanimous vote in June 2020 to indefinitely suspend the district's partnership with the . MJ Bolt is an elected Eastern Washington representative to the Washington State Board of Education. Hampson did not respond to requests for comment. The board voted on March 24 to move Pre-K through fifth-grade students into in-person instruction starting in April 2021. Beginning with the 2022-23 school year, the board will annually seat School Board student members to represent student voice through board committees and regular board meetings. Zirahuen Herrejon-Crutcher, a student at Ballard High School, details her experience with sexual assault and how it was handled, to the Seattle Public Schools school board, on Wednesday, December . But some witnesses and school board directors got in the way. School board members in Washington are basically volunteers. In a series of emails, DeWolf and Hampson accused staffers of inaccuracies in district meeting minutes and claimed the district staffers didnt do the work they said they did, the report said. The new geographical boundaries do not affect student attendance boundaries; their purpose is to make sure each region within the city is represented by a board member who lives in that region. 2445 3rd Ave. S, Seattle, WA 98134 2013 - Present10 years. The report found Hampson worked with DeWolf to limit the impacts and remarks of the district employee. Consequently, media coverage has been scant and inadequate. Some kids are back at Seattle schools, but 2 homeless camps near Meany Middle and BroadviewThomson Elementary have parents worried. Any immediate political consequences are unknown. Student board members will not be voting members but will serve as advisors to the Seattle School Board. March 24, 2021 at 5:12 pm Updated March 24, 2021 at 9:35 pm . More info. Two Black women staffers who still currently work at SPS were working with Hampson and DeWolf on developing an anti-racism policy, but as disagreements started, contentious conversations followed. Contact the Student Members through Lets Talk. The two district employees, both of whom are women still working for Seattle Schools, alleged an orchestrated campaign of harassment, intimidation, bullying based on race and gender in response to their work on the anti-racism policy, according to the investigation by the MFR Law Group PLLC, a law firm focused on employment law and human resource services in the Pacific Northwest. Some board members thought historic redlining maps should have been taken into consideration. At a meeting earlier this month, Seattle Public Schools board member Liza Rankin pointed out that the upcoming legislative session is a budget year, and called for the state to start paying for . With just a week before the Seattle School Board is scheduled to vote on a plan for instruction this school year, which begins Sept. 2, some members including Chandra Hampson say the district's . As Scarlett was discussing her desire to ensure the policy is a pro-Black anti-racist policy, she was repeatedly interrupted by DeWolf. There was another meeting between the board directors and the complainants on Sept. 16, 2020. It doesnt help that theyre insufferably rude, either. Your IP: A district that I know ardently strives to be a safe, welcoming and anti-racist institution. 1250, School Board Student Members. And their commitment to turning an anti-racist policy into a pro-Black anti-racist policy is instructive. Two Seattle School Board members violated a board policy against harassing, intimidating and bullying staff members last year when they were working on an anti-racism policy with two Black . The School is accredited by the New England . 206-252-0000, Distributing Information to Students and Schools, Northwest Coast Art by Andrea Wilbur-Sigo, Squaxin/Skokomish. Board members were under pressure to bring the resolution to the board quickly because many other board policies that were in the works hinged on this document, and district staff was pushing back on the urgency. Student board members are appointed for one year, following the academic calendar. Director Harris has every right to vote yes or no on any measure that presents itself to the board. The two staffers attempted to present the policy during the meeting in September but were cut off by board members. She is passionate about high-quality education for all Washington students and for an equitable education system to help fully equip achievers for tomorrow. They couldnt get to this sooner? Contact us with questions about applying to be a School Board Student Member. Talk with Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors member Leslie Harris, who represents West Seattle and most of South Park, at 2 pm at Delridge Library. BCS is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation. However, DeWolf cut her off before the 10 minutes were up, telling her twice to wrap up her comments, the report said. 1250, School Board Student Members, Share a commitment to elevating the voices of students of color furthest from educational justice in district decision-making, Be currently enrolled students in Seattle Public Schools, Be currently enrolled in high school grades 9-12, Be able to meet once a week during the months of April and May 2023, and spend up to 15 hours on meeting and application evaluation, NOT be applying to be a School Board Student Member. SPS board members wrestled with the district boundary lines over the course of various public and community meetings, and debated how race played a role in the redistricting process. Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyers claim Jeffrey Epstein's 15-year-old Florida plea deal should undo her sex-trafficking conviction. The districts decades-long record of failure helps explain why three Seattle mothers, Emily Bramwell Cherkin, Jennifer Rebecca Olson Crow, and Beverely Diann Goodman are leading a broad coalition of concerned parents asking voters to recall six out of seven Seattle school board members. 206-252-0000, Distributing Information to Students and Schools, Northwest Coast Art by Andrea Wilbur-Sigo, Squaxin/Skokomish, School Board Student Member Selection Committee, School Board Policy No. 1 and International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local No. 2445 3rd Ave. S, Seattle, WA 98134 Seattle School Board chooses new board member, approves plan to return to classrooms. According to district policy, the investigation was compulsory since they did not successfully mediate their dispute. Codd, Superintendent Denise Juneau, School Board President Zachary DeWolf and Hersey heard from community members at a Thursday evening meeting on the issue at Garfield High School. Do I need to pull out my resume? she asked, according to witness testimony. 68% of the management team is White. I dont want to rehash our own private conversations.. The anti-racism policy has not been adopted by the school board. As the inaugural class of student members, students serving during the 2022-23 school year will play an integral role in designing the scope and focus of these positions, advising the board on implementation of newly adopted Board Policy No. Both Hampson and DeWolf, according to the complainants, were upset that they lost control over the anti-racism policy to two Black women. Seattle Public Schools hired MFR Law Group PLLC (MFR) to conduct an extensive investigation into school board directors Chandra Hampson and Zachary DeWolf. Theyre not against racism; they want to favor one racial group over others. . "It is unreasonable to . School Board (1882 present) minutes, indexes, correspondence, email, public hearings and administrative documents. The experiences of the past year have taught parents a hard lesson just how little power they have in the current system of public education. The Seattle Public Schools Board Office has two main areas of focus: Supporting the Board in the preparation and planning of Board meetings to ensure they run effectively and allow for public awareness and participation, Supporting Board members in their role as Directors, John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence Work Session: Building Relationships with Youth Continued (with Kings) . Hampson told MFR investigators that she was being disrespected as a school board director. And other directors and witnesses declined their opportunity to speak, too. The Board of Directors is self-perpetuating; new members are elected each year, serving up to two, 3-year terms. But given the events of a recent school board meeting, this shouldnt come as a shock. 2023 Washington Policy Center All Rights Reserved Terms of Use, Closer look at Superintendent Reykdal's dig at WPC has me missing "Better call Saul", Washington state students to get less classroom time under new Dem-backed plan, Proposed WA bill would cut student's classtime by 4 hours a week, Tutoring bill to help students with school-shutdown learning loss blocked in Senate Ways and Means Committee, Bill reducing WA classroom learning by four hours a week working its way through Senate. Bellevue Christian Board of Directors. The only somewhat meaningful reporting on this complaint came from the Seattle Times. Believe me, I know. John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence Work. Carlyle's plan would pay board members, starting in the biggest, most complex district in Seattle, a salary in-line with state legislators, which is $42,000 per year. The campaign also builds on the Clean Schools Resolution passed by the Seattle School Board in February, which commits the district to being fossil fuel-free by 2040. Show more Show less I dont know what youre getting at by sharing yours, Hampson added, according to the witness. Two Seattle School Board members violated the board's harassment, intimidation and intimidation policy last year when they worked on an anti-racism policy with two black district employees, an external investigation showed. John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. The district's decades-long record of failure helps explain why three Seattle mothers, Emily Bramwell Cherkin, Jennifer Rebecca Olson Crow, and Beverely Diann Goodman are leading a broad coalition of concerned parents asking voters to recall six out of seven Seattle school board members. School Board student members will also attend the regular meetings of the School Board of Directors on a roughly once-per-month rotation and will have an opportunity to report on the work of their committee, offer opinions on the motions and resolutions before the board, and communicate other topics of student interest or concern. The investigation is damning both for the directors who misbehaved and the complainants who use their wokeness to prove any investigation into anti-Blackness would be futile. By. Currently, Liza Rankin holds the district 1 spot, Lisa Rivera Smith represents district 2, Chandra Hampson represents . District 6 - Leslie S. Harris. This is my Executive Committee meeting, the report said he told her. And in a district like Seattle, a $1 billion annual enterprise, its a big job for someone who isnt getting paid.Dont we deserve a higher quality education system for our 50,000 kids, asked Carlyle.Carlyle argues that many of Seattles problems, and many problems in other districts, including the achievement gap, low graduation rates, and high turnover, can be tied to the fact that board members are volunteers, arent up to the job, and dont have much time for it.Carlyles plan would pay board members, starting in the biggest, most complex district in Seattle, a salary in-line with state legislators, which is $42,000 per year.It is unreasonable to expect people to have all of that knowledge and then be full-time volunteers on top, said Carlyle. A Seattle school board member has gone to court to fight the outcome of a district investigation that concluded she harassed, intimidated and bullied two Seattle Public Schools employees. Greater Giving Administrator - Kelsey Fish. The estimated total hours of board meetings that student board members will attend in a month is six (6) hours. 206-252-0000, Distributing Information to Students and Schools, Northwest Coast Art by Andrea Wilbur-Sigo, Squaxin/Skokomish, School Board Student Member Selection Committee. The investigation itself was extensive. The report further concluded Director Hampson and Director DeWolf violated [the policy] because they intended to and did degrade and humiliate [staffers] in their workplace.. According to the investigation, both complainants claimed that HIB investigations are not good enough to uncover implicit bias and anti-Blackness. Other government bodies, like the City Council, also have to redistrict every decade per the Washington Voting Rights Act, which requires redistricting after each new census count. Kudos to her. Mason Trinca for The New York Times. Click to reveal Scarlett and Al-ansi did not appear pleased with the process. The Seattle Public Schools Board Office has two main areas of focus: Supporting the Board in the preparation and planning of Board meetings to ensure they run effectively and allow for public awareness and participation. I found out about this a week or so before my vacation, thanks to a listener tip. King County Superior Court Judge Maf Rajul dismissed the case in April and, shortly after, Hampsons attorney filed an appeal in the states Court of Appeals. The number of hours a month may vary, but should not exceed 20 hours. 2023 Bonneville International. District 1 - Liza Rankin. Applications for the 2023-24 student member positions will be open soon please continue to check this webpage and district social media for updates.

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