Food, Drink, and Coastal Christmas Anacortes has it all. 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. Medicare open enrollment is here and SHIBA can help! I dont know what youre getting at by sharing yours, Hampson added, according to the witness. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. 1 and International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local No. Please fill out this form by April 3, 2023 if you would like to join the School Board Student Member Selection Committee. The board did, however, vote to take action on the investigation. During a group phone call in August 2020, the situation took a turn for the worse. By Chris B. Bennett, The Seattle Medium. 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. Students will also have opportunities to participate in outside training, such as through the Washington State School Directors Association. Seattle Public Schools hired MFR Law Group PLLC (MFR) to conduct an extensive investigation into school board directors Chandra Hampson and Zachary DeWolf. Posting comments is now limited to subscribers only. The district was also to provide harassment, intimidation and bullying training to board members as needed. Al-ansi noted that DeWolf was pushing for a HIB investigation because he is familiar with the law and the level of scrutiny that is required around a racial claim., She calls it an institutional tactic where DeWolf is trying to find a different way to discredit their named experiences., The choice to move forward with an investigation is the most institutionally racist way you can do it, Al-ansi wrote, according to the investigation. Contact the Student Members through Lets Talk. SPS upholds all board policies and superintendent procedures and thoroughly investigates workplace complaints.. 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. But on Sept. 9, 2021, a month after the report was submitted, the board voted to waive the requirement that it be posted online. 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. Believe me, I know. Applications for the 2023-24 student member positions will be open Monday, Feb. 27 - March 24. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. 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. 11% of Seattle Public Schools management is Hispanic or Latino. 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. Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyers claim Jeffrey Epstein's 15-year-old Florida plea deal should undo her sex-trafficking conviction. School Board student members will hold non-voting advisory positions. Hampson and DeWolf later tried to expedite the board vote on the anti-racism policy during an executive committee meeting without the staffers. It is widely acknowledged that the Seattle Public School district (with 53,000 students, the largest in Washington) is riddled with weak leadership, overly powerful unions, poor academics and deep structural problems. 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 board voted to withhold the information from online publication in an apparent move to keep the adverse findings from the public spotlight. School Board student members will participate in committee discussions and are encouraged to question and communicate their opinions, suggestions, and concerns. Paralegal. Its been made available only through a public disclosure request. As a former elected official, its bloody nonsense.. District staff thought they knew better and felt sidelined. Director Harris has every right to vote yes or no on any measure that presents itself to the board. MFR investigators said DeWolf repeatedly and persistently mistreated the two complainants, violating the HIB policy. And other directors and witnesses declined their opportunity to speak, too. 2445 3rd Ave. S, Seattle, WA 98134 This behavior is always done to Black folks and holds up anti-Blackness. DeWolfs last day in office was Wednesday; he was elected in 2017 and did not run for a second term. Student board member terms run . Theyre not against racism; they want to favor one racial group over others. Then Hampson started to berate the staff members and [one of] the complainants with accusations. The witness said that Hampson was lying about some of the allegations made against the complainant. Mar. The number of hours a month may vary, but should not exceed 20 hours. 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. And it . In the summer of 2020, the two staffers and board members disagreed on when the anti-racism policy should go to a board vote. Two woke Seattle Public School board directors who claim to be anti-racist progressives were found guilty of harassing, intimidating, and bullying Black staff. According to the investigation, both complainants claimed that HIB investigations are not good enough to uncover implicit bias and anti-Blackness. 68% of the management team is White. School Board Student Member Application. They complained that they were being tokenized in the policys development. Both Hampson and DeWolf, according to the complainants, were upset that they lost control over the anti-racism policy to two Black women. Seattle Times staff reporter. 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. Northwest for Underrepresented Regions. Selection Committee members will review applications for the Student Member positions and collaborate to make final recommendations. The Jason Rantz Show on KTTH has a staff of one when it comes to reporting and research: Im the one. An accumulation of these disagreements and misunderstandings, according to the emails, led to a group phone call and meeting on Aug. 28, 2020. So, the actual people who actually do the job clearly like it and want to keep doing it.Mas argued theres a better solution to the fact that the job can be demanding, a solution that doesnt involve paying board members.They dont need to be paid themselves, they need some paid staff to answer those emails, to do some independent data gathering, he said. DeWolf engaged more harshly, disrespectfully, and/or rudely with women, regardless of race. But others note hes rude to everyone regardless of gender. 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. Pre-K Class Rep - Clare Moffat. 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. Board Member @ Seattle Public Schools Vice President at Seattle School Board @ Seattle Public Schools President @ Seattle Public Schools see more 15. Seattle School Board President Chandra Hampson threatened volunteers with trespassing who were distributing leaflets on Monday regarding a homeless encampment on campus and school officials' refusal to address it. She repeatedly said she was elected to do this work and appeared upset that her authority and duty were questioned. Currently the owner of Delos Reyes Law . School Board Special Meeting: Executive Session: Supt Eval Check-In; Work Session: Policy Diet. The current policy doesnt codify any punishment for HIB conduct, so neither Hampson nor DeWolf were punished. His complaint appears to come from her wanting to work more independently from him. Subscribe to thepodcast here. Hampson had been a last-minute addition to the conference call. Neither board member had to pay a fine, nor were they disciplined. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a2e666278b6291a 206-252-0000, Distributing Information to Students and Schools, Northwest Coast Art by Andrea Wilbur-Sigo, Squaxin/Skokomish, School Board Student Member Selection Committee. Some board members thought historic redlining maps should have been taken into consideration. An unnamed board director who worked closely with DeWolf in 2020 declined an interview. Student members are encouraged to utilize course credit, service hour, independent study, free periods, or other opportunities, as available and appropriate for their own academic schedule, to modify their class schedule to accommodate committee meeting attendance. Follow@JasonRantz onTwitter,Instagram, andParler,and like me onFacebook. And why havent local TV stations picked the story up in any meaningful way? School Board Policy No. One of the accusers tried to tell Hampson and DeWolf twice they were disrespecting her, the report said. Hes no longer in office, with Nov. 17, 2021, being his last day serving on the school board. 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. The student school board positions are new positions, created by School Board Policy No. 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. Seattle Prep. Served on Corporate Advisory Board at the University of Arizona, School of Retail. 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.. March 7 @ 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm. Thats quite clearly the opposite of being an anti-racist. 11% of the management team is Black or African American. It was only days after Sami Al-Abdrabbuh was re-elected to . But the authority over direct policy lies in the hands of the governing directors, not staff. Her online tantrum may have broken the law . 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. Student board members will not be voting members but will serve as advisors to the Seattle School Board. Winner of President's Cabinet for top performance in 2006 and 2008. Some kids are back at Seattle schools, but 2 homeless camps near Meany Middle and BroadviewThomson Elementary have parents worried. 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. Sami Al-Abdrabbuh, the chairman of a school board in northwest Oregon, has received death threats. The company, which has offices in the Pacific Northwest and New England, created various maps based on legal requirements, community and board member input. Map of the seven director districts. 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. District officials said that number will increase because the case is ongoing. Meeting days and times vary by committee and may occur during school hours. March 8 @ 4:30 pm - 7:00 pm. MFR submitted the report to Seattle Schools in early August. 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. The Stranger, normally interested in amplifying claims of racism, offered the bare minimum in covering the story, only to link to the Seattle Times. Try searching for this story on the websites for KIRO 7, KING 5, KOMO News, or FOX 13. But the investigation said her treatment of Scarlett and Al-ansi was not based on race or gender, as alleged. 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. The School Board student member positions were created in response to student advocacy about the need to uplift and increase BIPOC student voices within Seattle Public Schools, to work toward a student-centered educational system, and to help students understand the educational system around them and share their perspectives with district leadership. All students and the more than 100 full-time faculty members live on the grounds. 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. Its not considered harassment when an elected board member reprimands staff for failing to follow board directives, Hampsons attorneys argue in court documents. She is the Seattle School Board president. Education. 8. Did you like this opinion piece? Mary Fertakis, Kevin Wang, Patty Wood - At-Large Positions 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. 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. Mason Trinca for The New York Times. As Scarlett was discussing her desire to ensure the policy is a pro-Black anti-racist policy, she was repeatedly interrupted by DeWolf. and . And their commitment to turning an anti-racist policy into a pro-Black anti-racist policy is instructive. Elise Takahama. The School Board has not yet voted on the policy. The report was never posted to the Seattle Schools website. 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. Some of the background facts for malfeasance include the U.S. Department of Educations civil rights investigation against Seattle Schools for not serving disabled children, the long-term closure of schools during COVID-19, and the districts inadequacy in providing children with at-home instruction. Founded in 1856, St. Paul's School is a fully residential independent high school located in Concord, N.H. The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times. PO Class Reps. Preschool Class Rep - Rojine Rudio. He was elected twice to the Seattle School Board serving from 2007 to 2015. Enrollment ('17-'18) 54,573 students. Work. 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. Social Media - Qiong Schlegel. 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. The two SPS employees believed board members were silencing, undermining, discrediting and discriminating against them based on gender and race, court documents say. Scarlett and Al-ansi, who have escaped media scrutiny, should also be called out. Right now they are relying on the superintendent and staff to provide them with data. 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. Scarlett and Al-ansi did not appear pleased with the process. The filing deadline for this election was May 21, 2021 . Posting comments is now limited to subscribers only. 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. But some witnesses and school board directors got in the way. The events that took place between Seattle public school staff and board members Chandra Hampson and Zachary DeWolfe . But the Seattle Times has an entire education section of their paper. Multiple school board members say . Leslie Harris (incumbent), 61. As crime increases, our safety measures must too, GSBA is closing the disparity gap with Ready for Business Fund. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. . They couldnt get to this sooner? John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence Normally, this investigation would be posted online three days ahead of a school board meeting. One year appointment. The judge does not rule on the truth of the charges, only their legal sufficiency under state law. 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. 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. They were accused of waging sexist and anti-Black harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB) campaigns against two Black female SPS staff. SPS contracted FLO Analytics, a consulting company with expertise in data analysis and redistricting, to draw new district election maps. One witness called it worst meeting she had ever experienced., Another witness said that DeWolf began raising his voice and accused [the complainants] of being dishonest about their collaboration on the policy. She said that it seemed he felt the need to put them in their place., When one of the complainants wondered if a miscommunication could have led to the belief that they were working independent of the school board members, the witness said, DeWolf was relentless in his negative admonishing and chastising tone, which set the stage for a terrible conversation., DeWolf told MFR investigators, according to the report, that he was not scolding [the complainant], because he does not like conflict, and he was trying to be super-intentional and gentle with his language.. 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. 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. 174 (Teamsters 174). (One recently-appointed member is not eligible for recall.) Before she was first elected to the District 6 seat in 2015, she worked on the Schools First campaign in support of district levies. They were victims of HIB, no doubt. Consequently, media coverage has been scant and inadequate. The conduct violated SPSs policy against harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB). August 3, 2021. 1250, School Board Student Members. Students on the selection committee must: Students on the selection committee will be able to earn community service hours for their work. 2445 3rd Ave. S, Seattle, WA 98134 They were accused of waging sexist and . School board members in Washington are basically volunteers. Its unfortunate that another story like this has surfaced. Hampson and DeWolf are no strangers to controversy. For example, in one email, DeWolf called out Scarletts dishonesty in claiming she was working with him on the anti-racism policy. 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. The Board of Directors is self-perpetuating; new members are elected each year, serving up to two, 3-year terms.
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