seattle school board members

That meeting was the focus of the investigation and what triggered the accusations against Hampson and DeWolf. District 5 now stretches from the Central Area all the way to the Montlake Cut, and includes Madison Park, Montlake, Eastlake and all of Capitol Hill. and . Thats quite clearly the opposite of being an anti-racist. In 2023, voters will choose board members for districts 1, 2, 3, and 6. And, moving forward, new school board members would be required to take training on HIB conduct. An accumulation of these disagreements and misunderstandings, according to the emails, led to a group phone call and meeting on Aug. 28, 2020. 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 GSBA, Comcast, and other partners are working to address disparities in access to financial resources with the Ready for Business fund. As a result of the SPS investigation conducted by the MFR Law Group PLLC, Hampson, who was elected in 2019, and board member Zachary DeWolf, who has since left the board because his term expired, were required to review the board policy that prohibited harassment, intimidation and bullying. The current policy doesnt codify any punishment for HIB conduct, so neither Hampson nor DeWolf were punished. Greetings from the Admissions Director; Prep At A Glance; Explore Prep; Open House; Panther For A Day; Apply to Prep; . Three seats on the Seattle Public Schools school board in Washington were up for general election on November 2, 2021. According to the investigation, both complainants claimed that HIB investigations are not good enough to uncover implicit bias and anti-Blackness. 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 . It was an attempt to limit Scarletts contributions to the meeting. 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. John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence Scarlett and Al-ansi did not appear pleased with the process. This is my Executive Committee meeting if you could please wrap up your remarks, he said, according to minutes printed in the investigation. Tel 206-324-0400 . Enrollment ('17-'18) 54,573 students. Arizona school board member says district should reject hiring teachers with Christian values: 'Not.safe' https://lnkd.in/gsiKn_qu Explore the Fox News Its been made available only through a public disclosure request. District 3 - Chandra N. Hampson. WA to end masking requirement in health care, correctional facilities, Fire on Lake City Way in Seattle raises smoke, flooding concerns, One Seattle business is taking a stand against tipping mania, Chef Ethan Stowell buys a historic Seattle dive bar, Amazon shutters some convenience stores, including 2 in Seattle. PO Class Reps. Preschool Class Rep - Rojine Rudio. The events that took place between the Seattle Public Schools employees and board members Chandra Hampson and Zachary DeWolf happened in August and September 2020 during meetings and discussions about a draft of the districts anti-racism policy. This is my Executive Committee meeting, the report said he told her. The school board members did not publicly respond to the recall effort. Where were they? An unnamed board director who worked closely with DeWolf in 2020 declined an interview. 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. 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. Hampson appears easily slighted and is disrespectful to many people. Next year, Seattle voters may be voting for candidates in different Seattle School Board districts, the result of a monthslong redrawing of board member districts this fall. Every 10 years, in accordance with the U.S. census count, Seattle Public Schools board members have the task of approving a new district election map. And it . DeWolf engaged more harshly, disrespectfully, and/or rudely with women, regardless of race. But others note hes rude to everyone regardless of gender. School Board student members should expect to spend approximately ten (10) hours a month performing their duties. The only somewhat meaningful reporting on this complaint came from the Seattle Times. SEATTLE -- As Washington schools continue to face huge challenges with test scores and student achievement, theres a new proposal from one state lawmaker to help kick-start public education: Pay school board members, he argues, and thereby attract better leaders.We cant demand that our kids and our teachers improve their quality, and not improve the quality of our management as well, said state Rep. Reuven Carlyle, D-Seattle. Last month, the school board voted to repeal the harassment, intimidation and bullying policy for adults (a student policy still exists) and replace it with civility procedures, citing the extraneous resources it took to go through complaints that often didnt meet the threshold of the policy and prevented more serious complaints from being addressed. Work. The report was never posted to the Seattle Schools website. Dr. Keisha Scarlett, the SPS Chief of Equity, Partnerships, and Engagement, and Manal Al-ansi, the Director of Racial Equity Advancement, alleged an orchestrated campaign of bullying, escalating intimidation, gaslighting, and retaliation that lasted for months. 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 . As a former elected official, its bloody nonsense.. The board voted to withhold the information from online publication in an apparent move to keep the adverse findings from the public spotlight. 2023 Bonneville International. It's easy to be accused of fearmongering regarding crime, but Seattle residents might have good reason to be concerned for their safety. A list of School Board Members and Superintendents. 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. 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 . Sami Al-Abdrabbuh, the chairman of a school board in northwest Oregon, has received death threats. District 4 - Vivian Song Maritz. The district has improperly employed [the harassment, intimidation and bullying policy] to rebalance the power between elected directors and staff., Board members are elected to advise and approve policies, Talmadge said. 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. Currently, Liza Rankin holds the district 1 spot, Lisa Rivera Smith represents district 2, Chandra Hampson represents . Not be a current employee of the district and/or be related to a current employee in that district. 8. The report noted that it seemed [DeWolf] felt the need to put them in their place. One of the accusers tried to raise that there must have been a misunderstanding, but DeWolf was relentless in his negative admonishing and chastising tone, which set the stage for a terrible conversation., Hampson berated staffers, the investigation said, and the conversation became very heated and spiraled out of control.. The Seattle School Board recognizes the organizational structure of the district can create a wall between decision makers and the students the district serves. John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence 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. But on Sept. 9, 2021, a month after the report was submitted, the board voted to waive the requirement that it be posted online. Lets remember, six of the last seven people who had the job ran for re-election. 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. DeWolf did not run for re-election and will suffer no immediate political consequences as a result. By. 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. Hampson had been a last-minute addition to the conference call. The district was also to provide harassment, intimidation and bullying training to board members as needed. 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.. The lack of choices and the disrespectful treatment of children and parents by those in power will have to change if officials are going to be accountable, or have any chance of earning back the publics confidence. Hampson, meanwhile, wanted to vote on the anti-racism policy instead of waiting for more community engagement, arguing its already been done. And its costing taxpayers thousands of dollars. By . 1250, School Board Student Members. Multiple school board members say . Yet here they wont? SEATTLE, WA- Massive homeless encampments have taken over several school grounds in Seattle.Instead of demanding that the growing tent communities be removed, the Seattle School Board president and one of its directors have reportedly urged Mayor Jenny Durkan to not clear them out.. Best believe anywhere else, there would be zero homeless camps outside a school. SPS upholds all board policies and superintendent procedures and thoroughly investigates workplace complaints.. The estimated total hours of board meetings that student board members will attend in a month is six (6) hours. 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. School board members in Washington are basically volunteers. I dont know what youre getting at by sharing yours, Hampson added, according to the witness. They found mixed and inconclusive evidence to show the conduct was based on gender. School Board Member Chandra Hampson appealed the outcome of the investigation in September. Some of the biggest changes: District 2, which incorporates Green Lake and Phinney Ridge, has expanded west to include Ballard and Magnolia. Posting comments is now limited to subscribers only. School Board student members will receive $17.27/hour for their work in this role, not to exceed 20 hours a month. The board did, however, vote to take action on the investigation. Have at least a high school diploma or a certificate of high school equivalency. And in that letter I heard from two brilliant Black women that worked within our district, Rivera-Smith said. The filing deadline for this election was May 21, 2021 . Student board members can expect to spend approximately four (4) hours a month on additional work, including reviewing meeting materials, meeting with peers, and meeting with support staff and board mentor. When Al-ansi attempted to explain why her ties to the local Black communities would help tweak the policy, Hampson interrupted to scoff at the womans bona fides. Washington Democrats are trying to force employers to hire or retain potheads with new legislation. Districts of Seattle's size are also limited by state law to seven School Board Directors. Northwest for Underrepresented Regions. The investigative report was submitted last August and concluded that Director Hampson used her position and authority to the detriment of [staff] in violation of [the harassment, intimidation and bullying policy], according to court documents. Do I need to pull out my resume? she asked, according to witness testimony. Bier on the Pier takes place on October 7th and 8th and features local ciders, food trucks and live music - not to mention the beautiful views of the Guemes Channel and backdrop of downtown Anacortes. The student school board positions are new positions, created by School Board Policy No. 2445 3rd Ave. S, Seattle, WA 98134 The number of hours a month may vary, but should not exceed 20 hours. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. School Board student members will have the opportunity to participate in district policy development processes and counsel board directors on the impacts of potential district actions on students. Elise Takahama. City officials and school board members have declined to meet with the group of neighbors, parents and employees who are . They complained that they were being tokenized in the policys development. Self-interested unions, insider political interests and entrenched school officials decide what happens in public schools, not parents. 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. 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 controversy began about two years ago, when SPS hired a law firm focused on employment law and human-resource services in the Pacific Northwest to investigate claims that Hampson and DeWolf violated a board policy during meetings that took place in August and September 2020. 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. Nothing comes up. 11% of the management team is Black or African American. She is the second School Board director in recent memory to resign. More info. If you feel you are being discriminated against, you need to prove it with the highest level of scrutiny., According to the investigation, both DeWolf and Hampson felt it important to move forward with an investigation so that it was clear they were not being held to a different standard or process than other SPS staff.. Indeed, they seem upset that an investigation would occur and that their claims arent believed at face value. Email the Records and Archives Center archives@seattleschools.org for finding aids for paper records: school board and superintendent's working files, correspondence and meeting materials. But they are also fringe partisans who set up their complaint to fail when they claimed concern over the process not being able to weed out implicit bias. RT @mrandystevens: We need to replace the activists school board members with parents whose only agenda is to ensure a good education for our kids. Board of Directors and District Map. Student board member terms run . The Emerald asked the two finalists in the city's tightest school board race, Laura Marie Rivera and Vivian Song Maritz, nine questions collected from community members with a stake in education, and then one of our own.. All rights reserved. Seattle media deserves to be called out on this. Board members must first be elected to the 40+ member BCS Corporation. Her online tantrum may have broken the law . District 7 - Brandon K. Hersey. This case highlights that particular problem and ultimately can bring affirmation to the board and the superintendent they hire.. A primary was scheduled for August 3, 2021. The seven . School Board Student Member Application. It was only days after Sami Al-Abdrabbuh was re-elected to . Mar. Raymond Delos Reyes is a first-generation Filipino American, born in Seattle and a native of the Rainier Valley neighborhood, where he continues to reside. March 7 @ 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm. Medicare open enrollment is here and SHIBA can help! So far SPS has spent $36,238.53 defending the case against Hampson, according to public records. She repeatedly said she was elected to do this work and appeared upset that her authority and duty were questioned. Any immediate political consequences are unknown. The events that took place between Seattle public school staff and board members Chandra Hampson and Zachary DeWolfe . 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. Inspired by the Angela Davis quote that Walls turned sideways are bridges, the board recognizes the organizational structure of the district can create a wall between decision makers and the students the district serves. 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. 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. The School Board Office will reach out to interested students with further information and meeting dates. Pre-K Class Rep - Clare Moffat. Apr 2013 - Jan 20162 years 10 months. They were victims of HIB, no doubt. In July 2019, former School Board member Betty Patu's resignation triggered an appointment process that led to the selection . The Seattle school board voted unanimously Wednesday to fire Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson over a $1.8 million financial scandal involving a district business development program. 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 six officials parents are seeking to recall are Chandra Hampson, President, Brandon Hersey, Vice-President, Zachary DeWolf, Liza Rankin, Leslie Harris, and Lisa Rivera-Smith. For details see Revised Code of Washington 29A.56.110. Mary Fertakis, Kevin Wang, Patty Wood - At-Large Positions She was elected in 2019 to represent District 3, which encompasses Northeast Seattle, including Sand Point, View Ridge and Bryant. Geary won in the general election on November 3, 2015. Lake Washington Windows and Doors is a local window dealer offering the exclusive Leak Armor installation. "You will not see me supporting your business and I find it intriguing you think that crime is just in Tacoma, said a Tacoma Councilmember. Seattle Public Schools hired MFR Law Group PLLC (MFR) to conduct an extensive investigation into school board directors Chandra Hampson and Zachary DeWolf. During law school, I served as a Board Member on the Black Law Students Association, Alternative Dispute Resolution Board, Academic Conduct Board, and Seattle Journal for Social Justice. In order to be compensated, students will be considered district hourly employees subject to standard onboarding and criminal background check requirements with parent/guardian consent. Did you like this opinion piece? By Chris B. Bennett Co-publisher/Editor Two weeks ago, The Seattle School Board had a decision to make - who will be the next board member representing District 7, which encompasses Southeast Seattle. All current board members still reside in the districts they represent under the new map. The 2,000-acre grounds are home to approximately 535 students from more than 30 states and 13 countries. The report found Hampson worked with DeWolf to limit the impacts and remarks of the district employee. I dont want to rehash our own private conversations.. School Board student members should also possess an awareness of challenges and barriers that they or others experience in education and in society. I wanted it to get out afterThanksgiving, as stories printed the week before the holiday tend to get lost. Bellevue Christian Board of Directors. Come celebrate Anacortes 11th annual Bier on the Pier! Students on the selection committee must: Students on the selection committee will be able to earn community service hours for their work. Not have been convicted of a felony. They were accused of waging sexist and anti-Black harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB) campaigns against two Black female SPS staff. And I heard them speak of treatment that they did not just want us as their leaders to be aware of but to also act upon.. Be a resident of the district she is running in. Another Washington community is having to deal with the possibility of rogue sex offenders. He also said that both of the women were not qualified to continue working on the policy. The board voted on March 24 to move Pre-K through fifth-grade students into in-person instruction starting in April 2021. Posting documents for regular Board meetings at least 3 days in advance of the meeting to allow for public review. Normally, this investigation would be posted online three days ahead of a school board meeting. Student members will serve as experts through their own experiences and as representatives of their peers. But Scarlett and Al-ansi wanted more legitimate community engagement with the Black community before passing the policy. He made these comments several times. DeWolf did not respond to requests for comment. Seattle University School of Law. Population and demographic changes in Seattle cause district boundaries to fluctuate. Better yet: Where are they? 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 the district is doing what it can to keep the report from public view. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Hes no longer in office, with Nov. 17, 2021, being his last day serving on the school board. Hampson declined to comment. Greater Giving Administrator - Kelsey Fish. And why havent local TV stations picked the story up in any meaningful way? The tension came to a head during an Aug. 28, 2020, phone call between Hampson, DeWolf, the complainants, and SPS staff. 2400 11th Avenue East Seattle WA 98102. Student board members will not be voting members but will serve as advisors to the Seattle School Board. 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. I found out about this a week or so before my vacation, thanks to a listener tip. Attorney General Bob Ferguson's office could arrest or civilly commit conservatives for uttering mainstream positions under a terrifying and illegal plan. March 24, 2021 at 5:12 pm Updated March 24, 2021 at 9:35 pm . Melissa Westbrooks local blog which I just discovered actually covered this story back in October. It was clear Hampson had darts for both of them, the witness told MFR investigators. Hampson did not respond to requests for comment. Seattle school officials declined to comment on the case, although spokesperson Beverley Redmond said the replacement of the harassment, intimidation and bullying policy does not impact the superior courts decision. Their feelings about why or how they were targeted do not replace the need for evidence. 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. I think the investigation was correct in noting there was no evidence to suggest Hampson or DeWolf targeted Scarlett or Al-ansi for their racial or gender identities. The attorneys representing the district, Pacific Law Group LLC, referred to the district for comment. Education. Kindergarten Class Rep - Whitney Qualls. These meetings are held Wednesdays at 4:15 p.m. at John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence. 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. In 2023, voters will choose board members for districts 1, 2, 3, and 6. The two staffers sent the board a memorandum in September 2020 that said Hampson and DeWolf orchestrated a campaign of bullying, escalating intimidation, gaslighting, and retaliation, according to court documents. 1 and International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local No. During his tenure on the Seattle School Board, he served on the Council of Great City Schools board of directors and the Council of Urban Boards of Education (CUBE) steering committee as its vice-chair. Contact the Student Members through Lets Talk. The findings call his conduct unprofessional.. Scarlett and Al-ansi, who have escaped media scrutiny, should also be called out. Both Hampson and DeWolf, according to the complainants, were upset that they lost control over the anti-racism policy to two Black women. They expressed concerns about the expected Public Records Act disclosures after the investigation concluded., The report also notes that some witnesses asked MFR not to take notes during parts of their interviews..