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.. The two staffers attempted to present the policy during the meeting in September but were cut off by board members. 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. and . City officials and school board members have declined to meet with the group of neighbors, parents and employees who are . Believe me, I know. 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. However, the investigation did not conclude Hampson and DeWolf discriminated against staffers based on their race or gender. Lake Washington Windows and Doors is a local window dealer offering the exclusive Leak Armor installation. Apr 2013 - Jan 20162 years 10 months. 1 and International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local No. So far SPS has spent $36,238.53 defending the case against Hampson, according to public records. And other directors and witnesses declined their opportunity to speak, too. Admissions. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. This is my Executive Committee meeting, the report said he told her. And its costing taxpayers thousands of dollars. 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. 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 opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times. DeWolf has represented District 5, which includes Capitol Hill, downtown and the Central District. Its unfortunate that another story like this has surfaced. Nothing comes up. Selection of School Board Student Members; Approval of the Amended 2021-22 Superintendent . Other government bodies, like the City Council, also have to redistrict every decade per the Washington Voting Rights Act, which requires redistricting after each new census count. A left-wing media outlet used a union-backed poll to push a union-backed piece of legislation to push you into offering support. And it . 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). The anti-racism policy has not been adopted by the school board. 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. Do I need to pull out my resume? she asked, according to witness testimony. 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. Currently, Liza Rankin holds the district 1 spot, Lisa Rivera Smith represents district 2, Chandra Hampson represents . He also said that both of the women were not qualified to continue working on the policy. They were accused of waging sexist and anti-Black harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB) campaigns against two Black female SPS staff. Email the Board of Trustees . But the district is doing what it can to keep the report from public view. Students on the selection committee must: Students on the selection committee will be able to earn community service hours for their work. Volunteer to help people understand their Medicare options! Board members raised their voices at staff and the conversation has been described as terrible, heated, and berating, according to interviews conducted by investigators. Once selected, student members will need to obtain written permission to work from their parent or guardian. Theyre not against racism; they want to favor one racial group over others. 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. Seattle School Board chooses new board member, approves plan to return to classrooms . She is the second School Board director in recent memory to resign. Another Washington community is having to deal with the possibility of rogue sex offenders. Board of Directors and District Map. DeWolf did not respond to requests for comment. 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. 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. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. For example, in one email, DeWolf called out Scarletts dishonesty in claiming she was working with him on the anti-racism policy. The attorneys representing the district, Pacific Law Group LLC, referred to the district for comment. 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 . 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. He was elected twice to the Seattle School Board serving from 2007 to 2015. Winner of President's Cabinet for top performance in 2006 and 2008. 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. The Jason Rantz Show on KTTH has a staff of one when it comes to reporting and research: Im the one. This fall, the community can expect three new members to join the Seattle School Board . The report found Hampson worked with DeWolf to limit the impacts and remarks of the district employee. Hampson, meanwhile, wanted to vote on the anti-racism policy instead of waiting for more community engagement, arguing its already been done. King County Superior Court Judge Maf Rajul dismissed the case in April and, shortly after, Hampsons attorney filed an appeal in the states Court of Appeals. The board did, however, vote to take action on the investigation. Come one, come all! Some of the biggest changes: District 2, which incorporates Green Lake and Phinney Ridge, has expanded west to include Ballard and Magnolia. SPS contracted FLO Analytics, a consulting company with expertise in data analysis and redistricting, to draw new district election maps. Medicare open enrollment is here and SHIBA can help! And why havent local TV stations picked the story up in any meaningful way? Since 2013, evolved legal intern program at the Allen Institute into a law school class to teach the practical aspects and soft skills . In 2023, voters will choose board members for districts 1, 2, 3, and 6. Approval of the 2021-2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between Seattle School District No. The filing deadline for this election was May 21, 2021 . The 2,000-acre grounds are home to approximately 535 students from more than 30 states and 13 countries. More info. MFR investigators did, however, find that Hampson used her position and authority to the detriment of the complainants. Student School board members will receive an orientation from staff and board directors and will be paired with a School Board Director mentor and staff mentor for ongoing support. Should classroom learning time be cut down to 4 hours a day in Washington state. Scarlett and Al-ansi, who have escaped media scrutiny, should also be called out. Im sorry. The second instance that was investigated was an executive committee meeting on Sept. 16, 2020, according to the report. March 24, 2021 at 5:12 pm Updated March 24, 2021 at 9:35 pm . Hampson did not respond to requests for comment. Mason Trinca for The New York Times. Founded in 1856, St. Paul's School is a fully residential independent high school located in Concord, N.H. The school board attempted to bury the report. The complainants said that even though they didnt push for a HIB investigation, they will be positive about it. 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. Hampson and DeWolf are no strangers to controversy. District 1 - Liza Rankin. 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. 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. School board members Lisa . The Seattle School Board believes students possess valuable insight and should have a paramount voice in the education received from the district and in the decisions made by the board. The Seattle Public Schools board unanimously approved the new district elections map last week. 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. Student board member terms run . Here are further demographic highlights of the leadership team: The Seattle Public Schools executive team is 40% female and 60% male. One year appointment. Contact the Student Members through Lets Talk. Newsletter & Website Content - OPEN. Hampson had been a last-minute addition to the conference call. Neither board member had to pay a fine, nor were they disciplined. They inexplicably chose not to embed the actual investigation, nor did they examine who made the complaints. Northwest for Underrepresented Regions (NUR) seeks to improve access to educational opportunities in . Right now they are relying on the superintendent and staff to provide them with data. Population and demographic changes in Seattle cause district boundaries to fluctuate. But Scarlett and Al-ansi wanted more legitimate community engagement with the Black community before passing the policy. School board members in Washington are basically volunteers. All students and the more than 100 full-time faculty members live on the grounds. Ironically, the complaints came out of work on a draft policy concerning anti-racism. Hampson and DeWolf later tried to expedite the board vote on the anti-racism policy during an executive committee meeting without the staffers. 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. According to the investigation, both complainants claimed that HIB investigations are not good enough to uncover implicit bias and anti-Blackness. 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. They say it's not safe. But the investigation said her treatment of Scarlett and Al-ansi was not based on race or gender, as alleged. 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. District 5 - Michelle Sarju. Attorney General Bob Ferguson's office could arrest or civilly commit conservatives for uttering mainstream positions under a terrifying and illegal plan. The law targets boundary lines drawn with the intention of diluting votes based on race or political party a tactic known as gerrymandering. Currently the owner of Delos Reyes Law . Hampson told MFR investigators that she was being disrespected as a school board director. A list of School Board Members and Superintendents. 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. 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. Multiple school board members say . Click to reveal While I started to look into it then, I purposefully withheld my reporting until now. The recall petition must be reviewed and approved by Superior Court Judge Patrick Oishi. Work. Capitol Hill's school board seat will have a vacancy this year, and the incumbent has some thoughts for anyone interested in running. The number of hours a month may vary, but should not exceed 20 hours. John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence The investigation is damning both for the directors who misbehaved and the complainants who use their wokeness to prove any investigation into anti-Blackness would be futile. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. 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. The two SPS employees believed board members were silencing, undermining, discrediting and discriminating against them based on gender and race, court documents say. Some school board directors even declined to be interviewed for fear their comments would become public record. 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 . Have at least a high school diploma or a certificate of high school equivalency. Northwest for Underrepresented Regions. The School Board Office will reach out to interested students with further information and meeting dates. Your IP: Melissa Westbrooks local blog which I just discovered actually covered this story back in October. Mar. School Board Member Chandra Hampson appealed the outcome of the investigation in September. Seattle School Board chooses new board member, approves plan to return to classrooms. Districts of Seattle's size are also limited by state law to seven School Board Directors. 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 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. 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. Each School Board student member will be assigned to one of three board committees: the Audit & Finance Committee; Operations Committee; or Student Services Curriculum & Instruction Committee. 'Time for an intervention:' Seattle School Board member resigns, cites 'dysfunctional culture Jan 07, 2021 at 7:22 pm 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. 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. Education. It was dated Sept. 18, 2020. Students will also have opportunities to participate in outside training, such as through the Washington State School Directors Association. It's easy to be accused of fearmongering regarding crime, but Seattle residents might have good reason to be concerned for their safety. It only requested Hampson and DeWolf review the policy the investigation said they violated. All current board members still reside in the districts they represent under the new map. Bellevue Christian Board of Directors. Some board members thought historic redlining maps should have been taken into consideration. But why did it take the Seattle Times months to cover? Hampson recused herself from voting. Two Seattle School Board members violated the board's harassment, intimidation and intimidation policy last year when they worked on an anti-racism policy with two black district employees, an external investigation showed. Tensions began to mount beginning in July 2020 between Hampson, DeWolf and district staffers. GSBA, Comcast, and other partners are working to address disparities in access to financial resources with the Ready for Business fund. March 8 @ 4:30 pm - 7:00 pm. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Kirby has served as Board Chair at Special Olympics of Washington, where he helped bring the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games to Seattle. Staff involvement was a privilege, not a right, Hampsons attorneys argue in court documents. I dont want to rehash our own private conversations.. As crime increases, our safety measures must too, GSBA is closing the disparity gap with Ready for Business Fund. 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. 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 . Location. Its been made available only through a public disclosure request. 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. Theres also a federal law, the 1965 Voting Rights Act, with similar requirements that prohibit discriminatory practices when redistricting. 2445 3rd Ave. S, Seattle, WA 98134 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 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 employees names were redacted. General election date. DeWolfs last day in office was Wednesday; he was elected in 2017 and did not run for a second term. They couldnt get to this sooner? 2013 - Present10 years. Director Harris has every right to vote yes or no on any measure that presents itself to the board. Greater Giving Administrator - Kelsey Fish. The only somewhat meaningful reporting on this complaint came from the Seattle Times. If youre retired or getting ready to retire and looking for new ways to stay active, becoming a SHIBA volunteer could be for you! She repeatedly said she was elected to do this work and appeared upset that her authority and duty were questioned. District 6 - Leslie S. Harris. Hampsons attorneys are seeking to overturn the finding that their client violated the districts harassment, intimidation and bullying policy and say the district has not explained how events that led to the investigation meet the threshold of causing substantial harm to staffers under the policy. But attorneys representing SPS are arguing a thorough investigation was conducted, and that the outcome is supported by 20 witness interviews and thousands of documents. I have been doing this for 30+ years, and I dont need to hear your qualifications. 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. Jill Geary was a member of the Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors in Washington, representing District 3.. Geary ran for re-election to the Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors to represent District 3 in Washington.