All directors, back to the dais, please.
Okay back in session as we've now reached 5 30 p.m.
we will next go to public testimony.
The rules for public testimony are on the screen and I would ask the speakers are respectful of those rules.
I would note that the board does not take public comments on items related to personnel or individually named staff.
The majority of the speaker's time must be spent on the topic.
They've indicated they wish to speak about.
If you're not speaking to your topic I will politely ask you to speak to your topic.
I'd also like to note that each speaker has a two minute speaking time when the two minutes have ended.
Please conclude your remarks.
If you don't conclude your remarks I will also ask you to terminate your remarks.
And thank you so much.
Ms. Shek will you read off the roll call or the testimony speakers please.
First up for public testimony we have Alexandria Rodriguez followed by Chris Jackins and then Alex Zimmerman.
Hi.
How are you guys?
OK.
I have a piece of paper so that I won't go over time.
OK.
So first off I want to introduce myself.
My name is Alexandria Rodriguez.
I was a student.
I am a student at InterAgencies Academy.
I want to speak to you for young people who don't have homes parents and have no support and are fighting to keep into school and graduate and make a difference in their lives.
That's really whose behalf I'm here to speak on.
Those are the students that matter to me.
The ones that don't have the stability don't have the support at home and come to school and get that support from the teachers and the people around them.
I am and I was one of those kids.
As I said Donald Felder I don't know if you guys know who Donald Felder is.
If you don't that's a shame.
He found me October of my sophomore year and brought me to interagency and said that this was going to be my new home and it was.
And from there teachers took me under their wing and like never before they really got to know me.
They got to know my dislikes my likes.
They got to know how angry I was too.
When I first got there I was transitioning out of foster care.
So I had a lot of anger.
I didn't want to accept the help that was given to me.
I didn't see.
I didn't see you know that people were just trying to help me.
I didn't see better for myself.
It felt insurmountable.
I struggled with the diction my home life math and those were the things that I also ran away from and fought hard not to face.
With the help of the staff more like family members at interagency I saw it through and it became mind over matter.
I started at Southeast.
I learned about my addiction at the recovery high school and I made great progress at Alder Academy.
I found help with school work and found a new me.
As I move forward and as you guys move forward with the business of this school board meeting keep us in mind us the ones who aren't always eager to speak.
Us the ones who fight to get up and go to school in the morning.
Us the ones who have very little support and protect the funding that supports the kids like me.
Thank you.
My name is Chris Jackins box eight four zero six three Seattle nine eight one two four.
On Magnolia Elementary boundary changes two points.
Number one as proposed this district project was not able to comply with the language in state law about not creating or aggravating racial imbalance.
Number two the board is being asked to give rubber stamp approval to racial imbalance.
Please vote no.
On the proposal to add 1.5 million dollars to the Ingram project.
The district report seems to imply that if the board votes no the district could save 1.4 million dollars by implementing the same work over a longer period of time.
Please vote no.
On the annual financial report for fiscal year 2017 2018 five points.
Number one the amount listed on page four for actual total expenditures does not seem to match the amount listed on page seven.
There is a difference of some three thousand dollars.
I appreciate Ms. Berge addressing that earlier.
Number two on page 13 the report references the debt for the district headquarters.
Number three Rick Anderson a longtime Seattle journalist wrote multiple articles on the headquarters debt.
One article from 2011 noted that the headquarters was quote being built at the wrong place at the wrong time for the wrong reasons unquote.
Number four according to a December 29th newspaper article Rick Anderson recently passed away.
Number five.
So thank you Rick Anderson for your good work.
Thank you.
Next up we have Alex Zimmerman followed by Melissa Westbrook and then Brian Terry.
Hi.
Happy New Year.
My name Alex Zimmermann and I'm first time here.
So a little bit 10, 20 seconds about who I am.
I spent in school 20 years, teach student in university but I'm very stupid.
You're talking about stupidity to hear?
It's exactly what I once speak to.
I'm very stupid because I come and talk about something but I know more and better than you probably 100 times.
So.
Situation right now is very simple.
I go for agenda number one, so we need to open a new territory, for my understanding.
How we can open a new territory with old rules?
So I want a little bit of delivery of my opinion about rules that I see for 30-plus years, what I live in Seattle, Lincoln Country, and about school, and children, and everything that I see around.
Two minutes probably not enough, but don't worry.
I come and speak for last ten years more than 2,000 times from Tacoma to Everett, in Seattle Council, in everywhere, 1,000 and 1,000 times.
So, guys, we need change rules.
What does mean change rules?
We need rules that has come before in America for 250 years ago.
This EU who make correction with everything includes this.
Where do you find this?
Are you a corporation or government?
What is last time, remember I told you about this limitation of freedom of speech?
Everybody have rights speak.
And what is you doing?
This is pure fascism.
Because you change American principle that exists for 250 years.
In this Seattle, I call Seattle the number one fascist city in America.
Because I have and my family have experience with fascism much closer.
We go right now every day more and more and more.
Two minute not enough, but don't worry.
When I stay in life, I will come back.
I told you guys, you're doing something very dangerous and very bad.
You bring fascism to life every day.
More, more, more.
So I speak right now to everybody who listen to me.
Stop fascism.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Good morning.
Good afternoon.
Good evening.
I wanted to talk about the bar for roofing repairs to be made in 2019. It only has two buildings and yet Whitman Middle School reports that they have to use buckets to catch water from their leaky roof.
There's money in BTA 4 and heck there's still money in BTA 3. What is the capital emergency in Seattle schools if not a leaky roof?
And Whitman is getting no new building so the least that can be done is to fix the roof.
Next I again ask you to spend the use of King County's check yourself survey.
It is an untested tool in its current form not a single child has ever taken it.
It asks intimate questions about students.
Are they in therapy.
Does someone drink at home.
Do they go to religious services.
What is odd about the screening tool is that it seems to be a lot more about what is happening at home than how the student is feeling.
Again I say to you that parents were not notified.
King County may not care they indicated as such to me in their emails but you should.
No PTA was asked about it as to tell their members and of course World School has no PTA.
I'm supposing World School was chosen because their parents are immigrants who have no idea this is happening.
Not notifying parents goes against board policy on surveys.
I still believe it violates the federal education law PPRA.
But most of all it is unethical to do this to students and parents without parental notification.
Here's a question.
How come it's OK to ask middle school students questions about what goes on in their homes without telling their parents about it.
But the district won't tell parents what they're doing to children in their own schools.
Why is it OK for you and it's not OK for the parents.
You need to tell the parents.
Every PTA president I contacted said I know nothing about this.
That's four out of five schools.
Is that fair.
Is that ethical.
It is not.
The check yourself survey of middle school students in five middle schools and world schools needs to be suspended immediately.
Thank you.
After Brian Terry we will have Craig C. Scholes followed by Juanita Galloway.
Good evening.
In our schools today, a white student is 20 times more likely than a black student to be identified as highly capable.
This leads to segregated classrooms that send a clear message.
White students are more capable and more deserving.
This is institutional racism.
District Policy 0030 and the WAC specifically prohibit this inequity To bring our program into compliance, there are two basic rules it must follow.
First, serve students from all backgrounds equitably and without de facto segregation.
And second, never place a self-contained, highly capable classroom in a neighborhood school with different demographics.
Our Advanced Learning Task Force is, right now, considering changes to the highly capable service model.
Please make it clear to them that any new service model must conform to these two basic rules.
Eliminating institutional racism from our program will send a new message to our students.
All of you are capable and deserving.
Thank you.
Craig?
Good evening.
Yes I am a Seattleite born partially educated in Seattle Public Schools.
My name is Juanita Galloway I'm sorry.
Daughter of a Seattle Public School teacher.
Virginia Galloway who was one of the first black teachers in Seattle.
My mother.
So I grew up with education.
I have four adult now sons who went through Seattle Public Schools.
All four of them have advanced degrees now I'm proud to say.
My concern now is my grandchildren.
I have one grandchild in Seattle Public Schools at Genesee Elementary School which happens to be one of the schools where my mother was a principal about 40 years ago.
But I also have three grandchildren in the Kent School District And I will have two in the Renton School District and I know that the kind of it's a common kind of a domino effect.
What Seattle does you know the other districts smaller districts around will be looking at.
I think ethnic studies in the schools are vital.
The last school where I taught was Van Asselt Elementary which has one of the most diverse populations in the district.
We all know that the majority of teachers are not minority in the district and it's not likely to change for a while.
So I think it's very important to encourage.
I know we can't require but to push to encourage the present teachers to research other cultures the history their Current events the issues in their in their communities so that they can be more understanding.
Last weekend I went to a meeting of S.E.E. which is the social equity educators.
I'm sorry could ask you to please conclude your remarks within the next five to ten seconds.
We have a two minute window.
Sorry.
Anyway.
Yeah.
I would.
I'm curious.
If there has been a survey regarding which teachers or who is capable of teaching ethnic studies in the district.
How are they going to recruit the teachers.
What are the requirements going to be.
Yes I'm almost done.
Thank you so much.
This concludes the sign up list for public testimony this evening.
Thank you.
OK.
So we're a little ahead of normal schedule.
And Director Harris has been following along on TV and she's calling back in now.
So I'm going to open it back up if any directors would like to add additional comments with regards to testimony or anything else.
Director DeWolf.
Yes.
Thank you.
Just first want to say thank you again to Alexandra Rodriguez for coming and speaking.
Always super grateful to have students here speaking not only for themselves but even more so for the students and their peers.
So really grateful to her for coming to share with us today and also just wanted to I guess reply back about particularly focused on ethnic studies really great suggestion and thanks for that question.
I know we're all very excited for ethnic studies be as becoming part of our curriculum.
And so again there was an event on there's an event this Saturday at 3 p.m.
at El Centro de la Raza to learn more and we hope to have some really great news coming up the next few months about ethnic studies here within Seattle Public Schools.
Would anyone else like to add to their comments.
Director Geary.
I would just ditto exactly Director DeWolf's comments and I'll leave it at that because those were pretty much mine as well.
I do want to thank Anita for coming and testifying.
I ran into her out in the hallway and told her we had a short list and that we would be excited to hear her point of view.
So thank you so much for for taking that moment and talking to us.
And then the only other thing is I'm going to continue my almost every Tuesday morning meetings at Zoka on Blakely behind the University Village from 8 to 9 30. You're welcome to drop in chat.
I usually have a group of regulars but usually there is one person who shows up to bring an issue that we all can reflect upon and I really appreciate that.
There are times when I can't make the Tuesday morning meeting but I always post it.
You'll know the morning of if you look on my Facebook page the school board one is the most reliable but I try and copy it over to my personal one too depending on which one you've managed to to follow or ping.
So I will continue those and I hope to hear from people.
Thank you.
Director Mack.
Yeah I appreciate everyone who came out ditto comments made.
I don't want to take too much time but I do want to respond in particular to the comment around the planning around our facilities and ensuring that every building that has needs gets addressed and especially around Whitman and knowing that there are some Challenges in that building now and it was not selected for the BEX V but but what was put into that package which if voters approve it in February.
There are many buildings across the district are getting critical maintenance needs met as well as the eight that are getting replacement and modernization and I have a question in Around where Whitman's critical needs may be in that plan and we're working on the committee work plan around presenting around the implementation plan for BEX V potentially having a work session in February hopefully.
So that whole process should illuminate and hopefully the critical needs will get planned out and we'll pass our levy.
Thank you.
Director Pinkham did you have something you'd like to add.
Yes just one again thank everyone for coming out sharing the public testimony and especially to our student Alexandra Rodriguez coming up and sharing her voice and concerns that we don't overlook the children that always have the most needs those that are homeless parentless and struggling with a lot more outside of school than in school.
So thank you Alexandra and remind us that we need to take care of those who sometimes have the most needs.
Well Anita thank you for sharing your views on ethnic studies and once we do implement this that we make sure that we have a ways make sure there's teachers that are in front of the class have been trained and acknowledge how to approach us.
We had some struggles with this since time immemorial and thankfully we had some people coming in and provide training for our teachers and plus the administrators at the school levels to help implement that and hopefully we can duplicate that for ethnic studies program.
Thank you for bringing up the concerns that you have.
I too I guess would like to see more information about this check yourself survey.
What information are we getting out to our parents and.
Do we need to check ourselves.
Are we following a good protocol if we're asking minors to complete a survey without the parents knowing maybe they are getting informed some way but if we're getting some feedback that doesn't seem like the message is getting out let's see what we can do about making sure all of our parents are informed especially those are Englishes in their first language.
I do not yet have a next committee meeting scheduled I had to wait until Athletic calendars came out.
My daughter's playing basketball for Hazel Wolf K-8 and that did come out.
Now it's just balancing all the schedules and seeing how I can have the next community meeting.
So just check the board website for my next meeting.
Thank you.
Director Harris would you like to add in.
I would indeed.
Thank you so much.
Thank you especially to Ms. Rodriguez.
And mostly thank you for calling out Donald Felder.
He is one in a million.
As is the entire staff and Principal Karen Andrews at interagency.
What they do over there is nothing short of a miracle every day.
And a real note as well, Dr. Felder is also on the Seattle City of Seattle Families Education Preschool Promise Oversight Board.
And we're very lucky to have his background and his continuing service with the African-American Standing Committee as well.
I am very concerned about the Check Yourself survey.
I understand that legal has taken a look at it and said that it works.
It may follow the letter of the law according to legal But I have extreme difficulties with it and I hope that we can revisit this as a board and as staff and with our partners at King County.
You know, they say the road to heck is paved with good intentions.
And I think this was a well-intended survey.
But if we are not including our parents in the conversation, then something's wrong here and we need to step up our accountability and transparency.
And thank you to Ms. Galloway.
We are making great progress on ethnic studies.
One of the things, though, that you have rightly pointed out and that our partners at Social Equity Educators have pointed out as well is professional development are going to be the keys to a really robust implementation of ethnic studies.
And frankly we have to find the money to do that.
But all thank you for coming down and telling us and Ms. Rodriguez please bring your friends next time.
We need to hear from more of you and more often.
Thank you.
I'll put a cap on that.
My colleagues have stated it nicely.
I did all of that.
I share the concern about the Whitman building that was during all of our conversations around the BEX 5 prioritization.
I was really worried that that particular facility.
Was in really high needs.
So as you're thinking about the different priorities for implementation for roofs whether it's a short term fix that will actually work or whether it you know what that structure looks like I'd really appreciate hearing more about that.
Similarly with the check yourself survey as as I understand our policy it does indicate that if we're doing research With our research policies it does include a notification clause.
And so hearing that we are not sufficiently notifying families is a warning flag for me that says we need to take a much closer look at that how we're rolling it out and how we're communicating about it.
And then similarly Ms. Galloway thank you for bringing your voice and the the ethnic studies process has been a really exciting one.
I think it's it's a change from within and a change from without.
So it's from external internal sort of at the same time and it's a new area for us instead of just buying a textbook and training people how to use a textbook.
It's shifting a culture shifting a mindset and getting an entire organization to shift along with it.
And I think that there's nothing that you can there's no way to learn better than teaching.
So as our educators are delivering it we have to be really clear that they're teaching it properly and that way they'll learn it properly.
And so there's the dynamic between professional development and implementation is going to be really challenging on that and really important.
So I hope that you'll also stay in touch as you hear both the good and the bad and help us with course corrections.
I think.
That takes us back to the item that was removed from the consent agenda.
And this was item number three I believe.
I am looking for a motion for that to read the title.
I can too.
The title number 3 BEX 5 BEX 4 approval of budget transfer from BEX 4 program contingency to the Ingram High School classroom addition project budget and approval of construction change order 2 for the project.
No that should be.
I'm sorry.
I'm in the consent agenda.
I'm in consent I'm in.
There we go.
I thought that was in a different place.
BTA 3 I'm one one levy up award architectural and engineering contract K 1322 to SM Stemper Architects for the 2019 roof repair and replacement project came before ops on December 6th for.
Approval.
Approval.
I move that the school board authorize a superintendent to execute contract K 1 3 2 2 with SM Stemper Architects in the amount of $659,760 for architectural and engineering services for the 2019 roof and roof repair and replacement projects plus $1,000 for reimbursable expenses with any minor additions deletions and modifications deemed necessary by the superintendent and to take any necessary actions to implement it implement the contract.
I second the motion.
Would staff or directors like to ask any questions or make comments on this.
Looking to Richard Best and Director Pinkham.
Yeah I was the one that asked to get decided removed one because of the updates since introduction if you can help explain those and then also be heard the comments from one of our public commenters.
The updates from introduction.
Director Pinkham as you might remember as Director Geary requested that we articulate some of the past history of improvements at our schools.
And so we've added information of work done both at North Queen Anne Elementary School and then the African American Academy as well.
I am aware of the roof leak problems that we are experiencing at Whitman Middle School.
I have been engaged in conversations with Frank Griffin.
This at this moment in time would be a facilities department issue but our facilities department works very closely.
Bruce Gower who's the director of facilities Frank Griffin is major preventative maintenance manager and Chris Richardson and I So that we can look at these types of issues and then figure out the best way to address them cognizant of future plans for schools.
So we want to be utilized to fiscal resources prudently for our citizens.
So.
One question on that is the Whitman roof officially based on date and condition is it officially end of life.
It is near the end of life.
There are strategies that we can employ coatings for example that will extend roof life five to 10 years.
I need to go out and further examine that to make recommendations to our facilities department.
We have major preventative maintenance dollars as part of Our BEX V capital levy those have also been included in BTA IV and BEX IV moving backwards.
And so Frank Griffin and I have been exchanging emails to go and look at the middle school roof.
Director Mack.
I think for a point of clarification from me each year We approve a capital budget which is based on the projects that are planned for the year and so forth.
And so we're going through that process now and in March I think we're getting the full presentation of what all those projects are what the budget is and what we're expecting to do.
In this situation where Whitman might be showing some kind of critical needs sooner than maybe was planned or that kind of thing.
Is that is that something that potentially may show up in the budget that's presented in March for next year or is it something that that may be considered and discussed to be addressed prior to that in the current budget.
Yeah the current repairs.
To prevent the leaks will be addressed with facilities department dollars at this moment in time that comes from the general fund.
That's an annual operating expense.
Then the question is does this roof need to be are there strategies that we can employ to extend this the roof life 10 years so that the occupants aren't experiencing roof leaks during that period.
And you know we can focus on the educational mission of that middle school.
And that Frank Griffin and I need to go and look at and determine what's the existing roof.
What are the coatings that we could potentially use to extend that life.
Director Mack.
So in short the immediate leaks are going to be handled ASAP by facilities and then the longer term solutions of the critical needs of the building are going to be worked out and discussed and we'll be having further conversation around those plans.
Correct.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Director Pinkham.
And then I also just I think what really caught me when I was looking at this was the last red line item on there.
The contract award to implement construction activities will be funded with successful passage of BEX V. So this is again just to start the design process.
Correct.
The funding that's going to be used.
But then in.
In it it says that the completion of the project which I assume would be the construction as well would be done by summer 2019. Does that allow us enough room to once we get the design to identify the construction people and get things started to complete by summer 2019 based upon if BEX 5 passes.
Great question Director Pinkham.
We have entered into an interim contract to get the design team started on these solutions.
For these roofs these roofs are both catastrophic nature and failure.
We need to be replacing these roofs during the summer of 2019. We will be bidding these projects March April timeframe for work to occur summer timeframe.
It may extend into fall at the African-American Academy also Van Assel but we will be able to complete the work.
And during the summer months at North Queen Anne but both of these need to be addressed.
They have significant moisture intrusion problems.
Okay.
Thank you for the questions and comments.
Ms. Shek the roll call please.
Director Burke aye Director DeWolf aye Director Geary aye Director Mack aye Director Pinkham aye Director Harris aye This motion has passed unanimously.
Okay so we're we're at a time where I think folks could use a break.
We'll take a 10 minute recess and reconvene at 6 15 for the rest of our agenda.