The Jason Rantz Show, 3pm-7pm on KTTH. Hampson recused herself from voting. It doesnt help that theyre insufferably rude, either. The petition is accompanied by a detailed list of news reports, recorded school board votes and official school board resolutions to back up the recall petitions claims. A hearing is scheduled for April 16th. 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. 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. Hampson and DeWolf later tried to expedite the board vote on the anti-racism policy during an executive committee meeting without the staffers. 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. Applicants must be a Seattle Public Schools student entering their junior or senior year of high school at the time of selection, on track to graduate, and continue to be enrolled in Seattle Public Schools through the school year of their term. They found mixed and inconclusive evidence to show the conduct was based on gender. I have been doing this for 30+ years, and I dont need to hear your qualifications. MJ Bolt is an elected Eastern Washington representative to the Washington State Board of Education. The only somewhat meaningful reporting on this complaint came from the Seattle Times. Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyers claim Jeffrey Epstein's 15-year-old Florida plea deal should undo her sex-trafficking conviction. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. But you wont find the report on the districts website. (One recently-appointed member is not eligible for recall.). Location. and are the keepers of school policy. Hes no longer in office, with Nov. 17, 2021, being his last day serving on the school board. 1250, and incorporating student voice into district decision-making. District 1 - Liza Rankin. GSBA, Comcast, and other partners are working to address disparities in access to financial resources with the Ready for Business fund. 11% of Seattle Public Schools management is Hispanic or Latino. 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, concluded she harassed, intimidated and bullied. 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. 198.1.97.113 Theyre always quick to lift other peoples stories and present them as their own. But why did it take the Seattle Times months to cover? Is there a reason you telling me this? Mar. Theres also a federal law, the 1965 Voting Rights Act, with similar requirements that prohibit discriminatory practices when redistricting. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. The employees names were redacted. They barely got a slap on the wrist. In the summer of 2020, the two staffers and board members disagreed on when the anti-racism policy should go to a board vote. 1250, School Board Student Members. 11% of the management team is Black or African American. Tel 206-324-0400 . Seattle Times staff reporter. Students entering their junior or senior year are eligible to apply for a one-year term that will begin August 2023 and conclude at the end of the 2023-24 school year. 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 . Geary did not file to run for re-election in 2019. 206-252-0000, Distributing Information to Students and Schools, Northwest Coast Art by Andrea Wilbur-Sigo, Squaxin/Skokomish. John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence 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 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. Seattle media deserves to be called out on this. District 5 - Michelle Sarju. In 2023, voters will choose board members for districts 1, 2, 3, and 6. And District 6 in West Seattle now stretches to the other side of the Duwamish Waterway and includes Georgetown and South Park. A primary was scheduled for August 3, 2021. But the authority over direct policy lies in the hands of the governing directors, not staff. Email the Records and Archives Center archives@seattleschools.org for finding aids for paper records: school board and superintendents working files, correspondence and meeting materials. Meeting days and times vary by committee and may occur during school hours. Food, Drink, and Coastal Christmas Anacortes has it all. Work. Where were they? Click to reveal And thats not an unbiased source of data.Carlyle is working to get legislative support for his idea before lawmakers reconvene in Olympia in January. 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.. Work Session: Building Relationships with Youth Continued (with Kings) . Believe me, I know. The findings note that four of the 13 witnesses they interviewed opined that Dir. 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 . School Board student members will be provided agendas and other materials in preparation for meetings and are also encouraged to attend board work sessions and other special meetings of the board. Im sorry. This fall, the community can expect three new members to join the Seattle School Board . During a board meeting Sept. 9, the board voted to take action based on the findings of the investigation. 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 . He made these comments several times. Should classroom learning time be cut down to 4 hours a day in Washington state. Board members raised their voices at staff and the conversation has been described as terrible, heated, and berating, according to interviews conducted by investigators. The second instance that was investigated was an executive committee meeting on Sept. 16, 2020, according to the report. Kudos to her. Our safety, legitimacy as leaders, unique and necessary lived perspectives, and material contributions have been routinely marginalized and discredited in accordance with our proximity and alignment with white-centric institutional norms, and these Board Directors views, they wrote in the memo. When not harassing Black, female staff, they fought to keep dangerous homeless encampments on school property, including one that housed a sex offender. 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. School Board Audit Quarterly Meeting. 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 district employees, an outside investigation has found. A school board candidate must: Be a registered voter. There was another meeting between the board directors and the complainants on Sept. 16, 2020. It was an attempt to limit Scarletts contributions to the meeting. 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. But Scarlett and Al-ansi wanted more legitimate community engagement with the Black community before passing the policy. General election date. 15. 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. 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. Contact the Student Members through Lets Talk. 2445 3rd Ave. S, Seattle, WA 98134 School Board Special Meeting: Ad Hoc Community Engagement Meeting. 1250, School Board Student Members. Some of the biggest changes: District 2, which incorporates Green Lake and Phinney Ridge, has expanded west to include Ballard and Magnolia. Self-interested unions, insider political interests and entrenched school officials decide what happens in public schools, not parents. and . And other directors and witnesses declined their opportunity to speak, too. The student-led Selection Committee will support the Boards selection of three (3) students for the 2023-24 school year who will serve as Student Members. Redistricting is required by law. 206-252-0000, Distributing Information to Students and Schools, Northwest Coast Art by Andrea Wilbur-Sigo, Squaxin/Skokomish, Posting documents for regular Board meetings at least 3 days in advance of the meeting to allow for public review, Maintaining accurate and timely information on the School Board?s website, Noticing all Board meetings on the District?s website in a timely manner, Responding to and tracking constituent communication, Complying with requirements of the Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA), Providing administrative support to Board members (e.g., travel arrangements, expense reimbursements, and document preparation). Come one, come all! The number of hours a month may vary, but should not exceed 20 hours. 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. Students on the selection committee must: Students on the selection committee will be able to earn community service hours for their work. . They were victims of HIB, no doubt. Newsletter & Website Content - OPEN. 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 . Greater Giving Administrator - Kelsey Fish. The events that took place between Seattle public school staff and board members Chandra Hampson and Zachary DeWolfe . Its unfortunate that another story like this has surfaced. Then listen to the Jason Rantz Show weekday afternoons from 3-6 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Student members will serve as experts through their own experiences and as representatives of their peers. Gross: Residents step up to hold government leaders accountable, Tacoma councilmember vows to not support departing local business, Rantz: AG pushing most dangerous bill in legislative history, Rantz: Union-backed bill gets friendly, misleading media support, Rantz: Washington Democrats to force businesses to hire potheads, Franklin HS teacher charged on multiple counts for having sex with student. 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. 174 (Teamsters 174). Map of the seven director districts. The school board attempted to bury the report. The seven . School Board student members are charged with engaging students and student groups for feedback and with carrying forward the diverse perspectives of Seattle Public Schools students. 2023 FOX Television Stations, from SAT 6:00 PM PST until SUN 12:00 PM PST, Wenatchee Area, FOX13 News | Seattle & Western Washington | Formerly Q13 News, 'I've been really scared:' Survivor of home invasion sexual assault fighting to keep suspects in jail, Remains found tangled in a fishing line south of Marysville in 1979 identified through DNA, VIDEO: Kent police search for man who stole car with 2 children inside; children later found unharmed, Giant bug found at an Arkansas Walmart identified as a Jurassic-era insect, 7 people arrested in Seattle connected to national drug trafficking operation, Bryan Kohberger lawyer blasts 'grotesquely twisted' media coverage of stabbing that killed 4 Idaho students, Philadelphia Eagles WR Zach Pascal robbed at gunpoint in Maryland, Thurston County man dead after being hit by car in his own driveway, suspect arrested, VIDEO: Distinct red van may have been used in multiple break-ins in Seattle, Edmonds, Investigators: Former Puyallup police officer accused of rape may be linked to other assault, Skin cancer removed from President Biden's chest, Roof collapses during vacant building fire in Lake City, Seattle Police search for suspect who shot someone in the leg in Belltown, Seattle Police search for hit-and-run driver, SPD: 3 kids arrested for threats, stealing a car, having guns. Some board members thought historic redlining maps should have been taken into consideration. SPS upholds all board policies and superintendent procedures and thoroughly investigates workplace complaints.. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. One year appointment. 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. While serving, School Board student members must be enrolled in courses that ensure normal progress towards graduation and maintain the number of credits necessary for advancement to the next grade level. Mason Trinca for The New York Times. Part of the reason that I personally chose not to run is that it is such a huge commitment, particularly for someone who has a full-time job, and we have three board members who have full-time jobs.Smith-Blum said that there are good quality candidates who dont ever run because of the fact that its so overwhelming, with no compensation.But others doubt that board pay is a panacea.I dont think we are going to get a better corps of board candidates for that level of pay, and I dont think anybody who is doing it is doing it for the pay, said Charlie Mas who writes for the Save Seattle Schools website. Hampson did not respond to requests for comment. According to the investigation, both complainants claimed that HIB investigations are not good enough to uncover implicit bias and anti-Blackness. Seattle Public Schools started out the 2020-2021 school year in remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Elise Takahama. Yes, they get reimbursed a little for expenses such as gas and supplies but certainly not for their time. But some witnesses and school board directors got in the way. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. School Board Policy No. 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. 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. "For the fiscal year 2024-25, the subsequent year, I forecasted a shortfall of $139.4 million," Gannon told Seattle school board members on Wednesday night. Its not considered harassment when an elected board member reprimands staff for failing to follow board directives, Hampsons attorneys argue in court documents. It was clear Hampson had darts for both of them, the witness told MFR investigators. 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. Its a bridge too far.Carlyle says the quality and diversity of the board would improve if members were compensated.Retiring Seattle School Board Chairwoman Kay Smith-Blum agrees that its time to start paying some kind of salary.This is a job that averages, I believe, anywhere from 20-30 hours a week, Smith-Blum said. Neither board member had to pay a fine, nor were they disciplined. A criminal history does not automatically disqualify an applicant from serving as 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. It unnecessarily meddles in the employment practices. 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 . All current board members still reside in the districts they represent under the new map. But the Seattle Times has an entire education section of their paper. 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, at least three days before public meetings. The two SPS employees believed board members were silencing, undermining, discrediting and discriminating against them based on gender and race, court documents say. While I started to look into it then, I purposefully withheld my reporting until now. 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.. An accumulation of these disagreements and misunderstandings, according to the emails, led to a group phone call and meeting on Aug. 28, 2020. August 3, 2021. John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence There was also confusion among board members and staff about the timeline of the anti-racist policy, the emails show. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Theyre not against racism; they want to favor one racial group over others. Applications for the 2023-24 student member positions will be open Monday, Feb. 27 - March 24. 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. It only requested Hampson and DeWolf review the policy the investigation said they violated. School Board student members will participate in committee discussions and are encouraged to question and communicate their opinions, suggestions, and concerns. The conduct violated SPSs policy against harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB). Committees meet monthly. District staff thought they knew better and felt sidelined. Hampson had been a last-minute addition to the conference call. A left-wing media outlet used a union-backed poll to push a union-backed piece of legislation to push you into offering support. The board vacancy came on the heels of Director Betty Patu announcing her departure from the school board, and without enough time to [] 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. 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. 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. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Email the Board of Trustees . DeWolf has represented District 5, which includes Capitol Hill, downtown and the Central District. Follow@JasonRantz onTwitter,Instagram, andParler,and like me onFacebook. Students entering their junior or senior year are eligible to apply for a one-year term that will begin August 2023 and conclude at the end of the 2023-24 school year. The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times. School board members in Washington are basically volunteers. July 6, 2022 at 6:00 am Updated Aug. 2, 2022 at 4:46 pm. Scarlett and Al-ansi, who have escaped media scrutiny, should also be called out. Seattle School Board chooses new board member, approves plan to return to classrooms . In 2023, voters will choose board members for districts 1, 2, 3, and 6. 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. She is the Seattle School Board president. 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. Bellevue Christian Board of Directors. The 2,000-acre grounds are home to approximately 535 students from more than 30 states and 13 countries. Elected to the Central Valley School Board in Spokane Valley in November 2011, Bolt . Paralegal. The student-led Selection Committee will support the Board's selection of three (3) students for the 2023-24 . As a former elected official, its bloody nonsense.. I dont know what youre getting at by sharing yours, Hampson added, according to the witness. Scarlett and Al-ansi outlined the complaints in a memo titled Bullying, Intimidation, and Anti-Black Racism, which was sent to the full board and then-SPS Superintendent Denise Juneau. Though the District 4 primary was decided by voters in that district which includes Ballard, Magnolia, and Northern Queen Anne the runoff is citywide, so South End . He was elected twice to the Seattle School Board serving from 2007 to 2015. School Board student members will receive $17.27/hour for their work in this role, not to exceed 20 hours a month. The Seattle School Board recognizes the organizational structure of the district can create a wall between decision makers and the students the district serves.