Committees meet monthly. School Board Student Member Application. Work. He was elected twice to the Seattle School Board serving from 2007 to 2015. It still has not been posted on the boards website. Redistricting is required by law. Her online tantrum may have broken the law . The investigation itself was extensive. According to district policy, the investigation was compulsory since they did not successfully mediate their dispute. Hampson and DeWolf are no strangers to controversy. Follow@JasonRantz onTwitter,Instagram, andParler,and like me onFacebook. And other directors and witnesses declined their opportunity to speak, too. The Seattle School 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! Earlier this month, in response to the school board's proposal, Washington Senator Jamie Pedersen introduced Senate bill 6282, which would require school districts to create individualized . DeWolf totally disagreed with the allegations and described himself as conflict averse and being careful in this situation.. Currently the owner of Delos Reyes Law . The student positions were created under the recently adopted School Board Policy No. SPS contracted FLO Analytics, a consulting company with expertise in data analysis and redistricting, to draw new district election maps. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. November 2, 2021. Theyre always quick to lift other peoples stories and present them as their own. School Board Member Chandra Hampson appealed the outcome of the investigation in September. 206-252-0000, Distributing Information to Students and Schools, Northwest Coast Art by Andrea Wilbur-Sigo, Squaxin/Skokomish, School Board Student Member Selection Committee. Since 2013, evolved legal intern program at the Allen Institute into a law school class to teach the practical aspects and soft skills . Hampson, on the other hand, is in office until 2023 and its unclear if shell run for re-election. (One recently-appointed member is not eligible for recall.) 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. 11% of the management team is Black or African American. 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. Kirby has served as Board Chair at Special Olympics of Washington, where he helped bring the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games to Seattle. 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. Hampson and DeWolf later tried to expedite the board vote on the anti-racism policy during an executive committee meeting without the staffers. And, moving forward, new school board members would be required to take training on HIB conduct. 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.. Its not considered harassment when an elected board member reprimands staff for failing to follow board directives, Hampsons attorneys argue in court documents. Seattle Public Schools hired MFR Law Group PLLC (MFR) to conduct an extensive investigation into school board directors Chandra Hampson and Zachary DeWolf. March 7 @ 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm. Harris is a mother and foster parent who works as a litigation paralegal for Campiche Arnold PLLC. 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. 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. 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. 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. Hampson recused herself from voting. 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. I wanted it to get out afterThanksgiving, as stories printed the week before the holiday tend to get lost. But the district is doing what it can to keep the report from public view. School Board (1882 present) minutes, indexes, correspondence, email, public hearings and administrative documents. MFR submitted the report to Seattle Schools in early August. The Jason Rantz Show, 3pm-7pm on KTTH. But you wont find the report on the districts website. Applications for the 2023-24 student member positions will be open soon please continue to check this webpage and district social media for updates. Seattle Times staff reporter. 1st Grade Class Rep - Lauren McAlister. 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. As crime increases, our safety measures must too, GSBA is closing the disparity gap with Ready for Business Fund. 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. According to the investigation, Hampson and DeWolf both denied engaging in anti-Black racism or treating the two district staffers any differently from other employees. Last week, the Seattle School Board approved two measures involving African Americans males by a vote of 5-1, with the lone no vote on each measure cast by senior school board director Leslie Harris. But on Sept. 9, 2021, a month after the report was submitted, the board voted to waive the requirement that it be posted online. Currently, Liza Rankin holds the district 1 spot, Lisa Rivera Smith represents district 2, Chandra Hampson represents district 3, and Leslie Harris represents district 6. Be a resident of the district she is running in. Student members will serve as experts through their own experiences and as representatives of their peers. It doesnt help that theyre insufferably rude, either. 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. Another Washington community is having to deal with the possibility of rogue sex offenders. District staff thought they knew better and felt sidelined. 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. Northwest for Underrepresented Regions (NUR) seeks to improve access to educational opportunities in . The tension came to a head during an Aug. 28, 2020, phone call between Hampson, DeWolf, the complainants, and SPS staff. Posting documents for regular Board meetings at least 3 days in advance of the meeting to allow for public review. Founded in 1856, St. Paul's School is a fully residential independent high school located in Concord, N.H. Facebook Parent Group Moderator - Kaye Smith. By Chris B. Bennett, The Seattle Medium. I found out about this a week or so before my vacation, thanks to a listener tip. 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. 1 and International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local No. School Board Special Meeting: Ad Hoc Community Engagement Meeting. 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. At least one of the employees was supposed to present a 10-minute update on the anti-racist policy. Meeting days and times vary by committee and may occur during school hours. 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. Newsletter & Website Content - OPEN. The complainants said that even though they didnt push for a HIB investigation, they will be positive about it. Is there a reason you telling me this? Come celebrate Anacortes 11th annual Bier on the Pier! 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. Tensions began to mount beginning in July 2020 between Hampson, DeWolf and district staffers. and are the keepers of school policy. The conduct violated SPSs policy against harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB). 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. Board member Zachary DeWolf will not be running for re-election to the seat representing District 5, which covers the bulk of Capitol Hill, the Central District, downtown and the area near the stadiums.. It's a tumultuous time for Seattle and the city's . The number of hours a month may vary, but should not exceed 20 hours. 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. Board members accused both employees of inaccuracies in the policy. 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. When not harassing Black, female staff, they fought to keep dangerous homeless encampments on school property, including one that housed a sex offender. Three seats on the Seattle Public Schools school board in Washington were up for general election on November 2, 2021. By . The action you just performed triggered the security solution. While I started to look into it then, I purposefully withheld my reporting until now. Their feelings about why or how they were targeted do not replace the need for evidence. 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 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
The board vacancy came on the heels of Director Betty Patu announcing her departure from the school board, and without enough time to [] As soon as the call began, DeWolf raised his voice at the two women who made the allegations and accused both of them of being dishonest about their collaboration on the anti-racist policy, according to the report. 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. Nothing comes up. This year's inaugural class was nominated by a student-led committee in May, and was approved by the board in June. Im sorry. MFR investigators interviewed 20 witnesses and reviewed over 5,600 documents. 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). Its unfortunate that another story like this has surfaced. Posting comments is now limited to subscribers only. These meetings are held Wednesdays at 4:15 p.m. at John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence. DeWolf has represented District 5, which includes Capitol Hill, downtown and the Central District. 1250, School Board Student Members. The SHIBA program part of the Office of the Insurance Commissioner is ready to help with your Medicare open enrollment decisions. 174 (Teamsters 174). 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. "Members of the Seattle School Board demanded the mayor's office not sweep dangerous and growing homeless encampments on two school properties," Rantz reported Tuesday . MFR investigators said DeWolf repeatedly and persistently mistreated the two complainants, violating the HIB policy. 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. Did you like this opinion piece? 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.. Students will also have opportunities to participate in outside training, such as through the Washington State School Directors Association. 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 . There was also confusion among board members and staff about the timeline of the anti-racist policy, the emails show. Volunteer to help people understand their Medicare options! The current policy doesnt codify any punishment for HIB conduct, so neither Hampson nor DeWolf were punished. Please fill out this form by April 3, 2023 if you would like to join the School Board Student Member Selection Committee. She is the second School Board director in recent memory to resign. The seven . She coordinated with DeWolf in an attempt to limit the complainants from speaking about their work on the policy and from offering input. 2445 3rd Ave. S, Seattle, WA 98134
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. By. 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. A criminal history does not automatically disqualify an applicant from serving as a School Board student member. Its been made available only through a public disclosure request. Population and demographic changes in Seattle cause district boundaries to fluctuate. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. 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. Melissa Westbrooks local blog which I just discovered actually covered this story back in October. A school board candidate must: Be a registered voter. Not be a current employee of the district and/or be related to a current employee in that district. Believe me, I know. Leslie Harris (incumbent), 61. School Board student members will contribute to discussion by providing student insight and perspective, advocating their positions on district issues or needs, and serving as liaisons between the board and students. 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. Greetings from the Admissions Director; Prep At A Glance; Explore Prep; Open House; Panther For A Day; Apply to Prep; . 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. Multiple school board members say . Ironically, the complaints came out of work on a draft policy concerning anti-racism. I dont know what youre getting at by sharing yours, Hampson added, according to the witness. 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.. During a group phone call in August 2020, the situation took a turn for the worse. District 6 - Leslie S. Harris. The estimated total hours of board meetings that student board members will attend in a month is six (6) hours. In 2023, voters will choose board members for districts 1, 2, 3, and 6. School board members Lisa . Geary won in the general election on November 3, 2015. 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. 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. I certainly understand that SPS did not make it easy to track this story. Student board members will not be voting members but will serve as advisors to the Seattle School Board. The board voted on March 24 to move Pre-K through fifth-grade students into in-person instruction starting in April 2021. Approval of the 2021-2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between Seattle School District No. They say it's not safe. It was dated Sept. 18, 2020. Embattled Seattle School Board President Chandra Hampson deleted critical comments from her Facebook page. His complaint appears to come from her wanting to work more independently from him. In 2023, voters will choose board members for districts 1, 2, 3, and 6. 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. Board of Directors and District Map. Hampson and DeWolf come off as petty public servants because thats precisely what they are. Scarlett and Al-ansi did not appear pleased with the process. The filing deadline for this election was May 21, 2021 . They barely got a slap on the wrist. The 2,000-acre grounds are home to approximately 535 students from more than 30 states and 13 countries. They found mixed and inconclusive evidence to show the conduct was based on 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. 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. 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. Self-interested unions, insider political interests and entrenched school officials decide what happens in public schools, not parents. 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. She is the Seattle School Board president. Subscribe to thepodcast here. In an emailed statement, the district said its not able to comment on personnel matters but that Seattle Public Schools is committed to nondiscrimination in all our educational, employment and staff endeavors., We firmly believe this commitment to anti-racism increases student success, the statement continued. 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. 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 . Monica Velez. March 8 @ 4:30 pm - 7:00 pm. Apr 2013 - Jan 20162 years 10 months. And their commitment to turning an anti-racist policy into a pro-Black anti-racist policy is instructive. I dont want to rehash our own private conversations.. Elected to the Central Valley School Board in Spokane Valley in November 2011, Bolt . 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. Thats quite clearly the opposite of being an anti-racist. This fall, the community can expect three new members to join the Seattle School Board . Other indicators of failure are Seattles extraordinarily high private school attendance rate, dangerous homeless encampments adjacent to school grounds, the persistent learning gap for black, Hispanic and Native American children, and the fact that hundreds of families have left the system since March of last year. 1250, School Board Student Members. Selection of School Board Student Members; Approval of the Amended 2021-22 Superintendent . If a superintendent or board member directed staff to get something done by a certain time and the employee refused to and claimed that was bullying, I mean thats just unworkable, said Talmadge, who served as a state senator for 16 years. All rights reserved. Where were they? Contact the Student Members through Lets Talk. 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. The findings note that four of the 13 witnesses they interviewed opined that Dir.