Seattle Schools Board Meeting March 15, 2023

Good afternoon.

We will be calling the board meeting to order in a moment.

SPS TV will begin broadcasting.

For those joining by phone, please remain muted until we reach the testimony period and your name is called.

All right.

This is President Hersey.

I'm now calling the March 15th 2023 regular board meeting to order at 4 15 p.m.

Right on time.

Somebody make sure they write it down.

This meeting is being recorded and we would like to acknowledge that we are on the ancestral lands and traditional territories of the Puget Sound Coast Salish people.

Miss Wilson Jones roll call please.

Director Hampson.

will be joining us later.

Okay.

Director Harris.

Present.

Vice President Rankin.

Here.

Director Rivera-Smith.

Present.

Director Sarju.

Present.

Director Song Maritz.

Present.

And President Hersey.

That's me.

Okay I will now turn it over to Superintendent Jones for his comments.

Good evening and thank you all for being here today.

I want to begin by inviting everyone to our Funding the Future Budget Community Information Session on March 20th at 6 p.m.

This event will be held virtually and more information can be found on our website regarding our 23-24 district budget.

I also want to acknowledge that school leaders are in the midst of setting their school building budgets.

This process happens every year and regardless of budget outlook that's what we annually do.

And this is where our school leaders receive their allocations that are based on enrollment for the coming school year and they make decisions about staffing and programming.

Families and directors may hear about changes at schools as a result of this annual process.

As we look at budgets I had opportunity to go to Olympia all day yesterday with some fellow superintendents and we talked about how we can secure more funding for the things that we find to be absolutely critical to our to run our school district efficiently.

It was received well and we'd like to just see some some big checks coming our way soon.

We'd like to of course.

Regarding goals and guardrails, our student outcome-focused governance, tonight we'll be checking our progress on our college and career readiness goal.

I'm excited to dig into this promising data with you all.

I'm also excited to launch the public student outcome-focused governance dashboard, and so we'll have a chance to look at that this afternoon in the presentation with the student outcome-focused governance as we do the progress monitoring.

I also like to just say that we're proud of the progress that we're that we're making and I look forward to sharing that information with you.

Back to you President Hersey.

Thank you Superintendent Jones we greatly appreciate it.

The student member planning to join us tonight is not available but we appreciated the opportunity to meet with our students during Saturday's retreat and are excited to continue working on the program and making sure that it is just as helpful to them as they have been to us.

We have now come to the board comment section of the agenda and I got quite a few today so bear with me.

Let me spit out my gum Alright, as mentioned last meeting we have updated the Student Outcomes Focused Government's implementation timeline and included it on our board webpage.

Charting our board activities alongside the goals and guardrails dashboard shared by Superintendent Jones will provide increased public access to our process and progress.

The timeline shows that we are making progress on the goals that we've based on board governance best practices.

Today we had our second meeting of the Ad Hoc Community Engagement Committee.

Thank you to the directors who were able to attend.

We worked on establishing our committee work plan, among many other things, so we are interested, or rather, we are excited to continue that work.

We also met last week for a training on best practices for conducting a policy manual review and are poised to undertake that work.

On Saturday the board held a retreat focused on developing working relationships as a board and with our student members.

This spring we will also do a check-in on our governance shifts to date and formalize our governance structure for the coming year.

With tonight's agenda we also continue to move forward with our progress monitoring with review of our college and career readiness goal.

I'm also excited to announce that our student member application for the 2023-24 school year is now open.

The application can be found on our website and is open until April 3rd.

Finally we have several informational items posted to tonight's agenda including the clean energy plan.

In 2021 the board approved a clean energy resolution championed by Director Rivera-Smith and former Director Zachary Pullen in collaboration with students and other community members.

Under this resolution the task force was convened to support the district in reaching the clean energy goals that we have set for ourselves.

Clean Energy Task Force has delivered a plan outlining 80 recommended actions to achieve the goals of this resolution.

Thank you to all the community members who championed this work from the resolution development through many months of participation on the task force to bring forward these recommendations.

We appreciate your service on behalf of the students of this district and our entire community.

This work comes back to us at the perfect time in juncture in our capital levy planning process.

Next month, we will hold our first work session for development of the BEC 6 capital levy beginning with the establishment of board guiding principles and can draw on these recommendations.

Director Rivera-Smith, would you like to speak to the work of the task force or add anything to that?

Hi, thank you.

Yes, I was I was able to pin a letter in the first or second page of the implementation plan if you've got a chance to read that and it was basically to say just a huge amount of gratitude and thanks to the members of the task force who worked for over a year monthly and I think they even had some more subcommittee meetings beyond that and really put everything into that and it was no easy task as you can imagine.

and trying to make a plan for the ship of SPS to get us to those goals.

But it's gonna be worth it and I'm just thankful not just to them but to the board for approving that resolution over a year ago and getting us on that path to just to do what we need for our future generations.

I look forward to finding, following along as it, fleshes out with staff and superintendent as they go through the recommendations and work those into future funding, future logistical plans, future capital planning because we're going to be watching.

Students, parents, community members are watching because we're all very excited about this and want to see it happen.

So again, thank you for your continued support, everybody here and everybody in the communities.

And yeah, just hats off to everyone from the task force.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Okay, we will now move to our other reports tonight.

First, we will go to Director Hampson for announcements on completed audits.

Director Hampson, are you with us yet?

Do you have someone that could do this interested?

We'll circle back at the end.

Good suggestion.

Okay, do you have a report from legislative liaison?

Take it away.

Good afternoon.

Thank you.

Yes.

So as every time is blurring together but I think I mentioned at our last board meeting that we're now past that halfway point where bills that have made it all the way through three readings in their House of Origin, which is a little bit confusing to hear House because there is the House and the Senate, but House of Origin, Chamber of Origin, bills that have passed three readings now trade and are heard in the opposite chamber and then go through three readings there as well.

And ultimately bills that make it through those three readings end up being approved by the governor.

So.

5311 and 1436, which are the two special education funding bills we've been watching most closely from, let's see.

So all the bills that originated in the Senate start with a five, and bills that originated in the House start with a one.

So 5311 started in the Senate and is now being heard in the House.

1436 started in the House, is now being heard in the Senate.

So those both had hearings this week.

one of which was today and one of which was yesterday.

And it was a little bit surprising, not an unwelcome surprise, but that the kind of general expectation was that those were both going to go right to fiscal committees.

but the 5311 went to a policy committee which was the House Education Committee and thank you very much to Superintendent Jones for being there and testifying.

I know that your presence there was much much appreciated and he was very enthusiastically received by members of that committee.

The complicated thing about that was that our main issues with that bill are that we really want to see that cap that I discussed last time.

So I'm not going to go in.

I don't want to take 12 minutes again the way I did last time.

The cap is in the bill a fiscal issue and so not necessarily appropriate to discuss in the Education Committee.

However, as a policy issue, I and many others will maintain that it is a civil rights issue that we are putting a limit in legislation on how many students civil rights will be honored by the state in terms of how much how many students will receive funding for qualifying for an IEP.

I know that there is some appetite on some individual legislators especially in Seattle and huge gratitude to Representative Santos who is the chair of the House Education Committee.

but it does end up being a money conversation when it comes down to the negotiations that legislators have to do on the number of bills on all topics that they have to get to the finish line.

but that bill will still be heard in house appropriations so that's another opportunity to continue to discuss the importance of removing that cap and maintaining or increasing the level of the multiplier.

so good opportunity to testify watch stay engaged.

1436 unfortunately has changed so much from when it was introduced in the House that it's really not a bill that we can support anymore.

The positive it has going for it is the gradual removal of the cap but it is over the course of four years which goes over multiple biennium.

which means that it could change at any time.

So it's got a nice idea in it but the level of funding that it would bring is not is at this point not near what school districts including Seattle need to see for next year.

But I also want to thank representative Paulette another Seattle representative for championing the needs of our students and districts in providing the funding for these services.

He in a very surprising move today in presenting his own bill to the Senate education or to the Senate hearing said that stated that his bill doesn't have this bill doesn't have sufficient funding.

Anyway really hope that legislators are listening.

If you open up or look at any website for any local Washington state news source they are all reporting on the same things from all school districts.

about looking at budget forecasts for next school year.

It's the same story different numbers attached because we're much larger than any other district in the state.

But the same story the same really difficult choices and the same source of the shortfalls being funding and special education and transportation from the state that is the the big gap for districts.

But so but literally any kind I mean I feel like every couple days I see another story from from a news source from around the state having that same same it's like the same article with just different numbers and different names.

Transportation bill is also being heard today.

That bill also was massively reduced from the amount that it started with and from its policy committee.

So just want to express continuing gratitude for the legislators especially our Seattle delegation that are continuing to push and elevate the needs of our students and especially our partners and community members SEA Seattle Council PTSA special education, PTSA, parents, kids, everybody getting involved.

I know that the level of urgency is going to rise some as people are dealing with their budget numbers.

And we have this dual thing going on where there's the underlying budget deficit and then also an enrollment decline.

So people are going to feel that in different ways.

They are connected.

They're not exactly the same problem.

But I just had a meeting last night with Olympic View PTA to talk to them about what it means to lose their assistant principal.

and that it's directly connected to the number of students.

And they've been used to having a pretty stable enrollment and have hit that threshold that some schools have hit before.

And it's new for them.

And it's tough.

It's tough.

And it hurts.

It feels really unfair.

especially when it's an individual that's really important to the school as their assistant principal is.

And really thank the Olympic VPTA for inviting me to come to their meeting and for being very gracious even though I was not telling them things that were particularly you know they didn't want to hear that there wasn't really a path to restore that position just based on how many students they have.

But it's tough.

It's It's also not too late for us to come together as a community and just keep talking about the real impact that changes in funding at the state level ultimately have on our schools and talking about what we need to improve, maintain and center the needs of our students.

So let's see.

Oh at our board retreat we talked about board norms and board kind of codifying some operational norms.

And so I had a question on would we would the follow up to that be a work session probably.

Do I need to put in a request for that.

OK OK.

But that was a great conversation.

So just adding to that that there's some policies there that I look forward to continuing talking about with my colleagues.

One second.

Liaison report?

Then by all means, Director Harris.

Thank you, President Hersey.

I would like to follow up with what Director Rankin had to say.

I know that a great many of the Seattle legislative districts are having their district town halls.

So whichever district you are in you might look it up and find out when you have the opportunity to speak online with your two reps and your senators and ask them about their votes and ask them about whether or not it's a civil rights issue that we have a cap on special education funding.

and whether or not McCleary has actually been met.

My follow up is on last Saturday's community engagement meeting for District 6. Lasagna was served.

We had a good turnout.

We had very, very significant and heartfelt concerns about the scope and the size and the planning for the Alki Elementary rebuild and I have promised feedback on that and executive director for capital projects Richard Best has been sending the materials that I will be sending out and as well I promised on the Monday morning after that meeting to speak with our district council Greg Narver to make sure that I don't step off the fine line of giving personal comments by a board director when this issue is in front of the state SEPA State Environmental Protection Act process and we expect apparently a decision from the hearing examiner soon and there are other steps to go through both with Department of Neighborhoods and the city's construction folks but the issues are size, the issues are most definitely parking, the issues are traffic and the issues are whether or not the community had a chance to be heard and it's a really difficult conversation.

more to be continued and we have our next District 6 community meeting Saturday April 8th 2023 at the West Seattle library.

It's in the basement there.

Nice big room.

I'm making lasagna every community meeting because I'm not above bribing people to show the heck up because food is love.

and the address there is 2306 42nd Avenue Southwest.

It's a little bit behind the Metropolitan Market and one block off of California Avenue Southwest.

And I invite two of my fellow colleagues to join us.

Thank you.

Thank you Director Harris.

So looping.

Go ahead.

Thank you.

That's two to five.

Two to five.

There you go.

Looping back to liaison reports, we have one from Director Sam Moritz.

I have two reports to share.

The first one is from the Family Education Preschool and Promise Levy Oversight Committee with the City of Seattle.

We last met on Thursday March 2nd.

The department shared an update on their statement of legislative intent.

What that is is the City Council requested information firm deal regarding the work they were doing around mental health supports at SPS and the specific request was to do a report back on funds available for student mental health supports including federal, state, city, county and philanthropy dollars.

I will try to get a copy of this report and share it with my colleagues.

Something that the committee discussed was that DIAL does provide a continuum of care for our students ranging from direct clinical care to supporting social emotional learning among our students.

And the department's priorities are that the care that they provide is culturally responsive localized to communities and directly informed by youth and family needs.

The second part of our conversation was around getting an overview and update on the Seattle preschool program.

And the Seattle preschool program from the levy gets $317 million of funding over seven years.

Committee members and myself will be doing some site visits in the coming weeks.

and I will report back anything that I learned from those site visits.

None of the sites I will be visiting are actually located at our schools.

They will be with partners.

The next meeting of this committee is on April 27th and that is actually our all day in-person retreat.

Last year's retreat we did a really great data deep dive and I'm looking forward to sharing the insights at the board meeting that follows that retreat.

The second update is from the capital levy oversight committee for our district, the BEX BTA capital levy.

That meeting occurred on Friday, March 10th.

We got a fantastic update on our student community workforce agreement.

A highlight for me was hearing from our educator Jay Conley who spends half his time working directly with students at interagency and he also spends half of his time working on the capital projects team doing work to support the workforce agreement.

And just some interesting data points I wanted to share.

We have 738 students participating in construction aligned coursework in our district and 48 students doing the pre-apprenticeship program and One of the objectives of this agreement is to create opportunities for SVS students and families and to develop a diverse labor workforce by working with women minority business enterprises WIMBY.

And currently the workforce agreement is exceeding its goal of getting students to be a priority higher.

The goal is 4% and we've got 6% higher.

So wonderful progress on that agreement.

The next Levy Oversight Committee meeting is Friday April 14th at 8 30 a.m.

in this room.

Thank you.

Director Samaritz directors any other engagement that we need to discuss for tonight.

Go ahead Director Rankin.

Thank you.

Yes I forgot to say that Director Songwritz and I with Seattle Council PTSA are planning a virtual joint community meeting on March 29th I think at 7 p.m.

We're still working out getting an email translation or interpretation request and so once we have that figured out we will post the link to RSVP and join the meeting.

and specifically focused on legislative and budget issues.

Sounds like a super exciting meeting.

Any other engagement opportunities the folks want to share?

OK.

Fantastic.

All right.

We have now reached the public testimony portion of today's agenda.

Board procedure 1430 BP provides the rules for public testimony and I ask that speakers are respectful of these rules.

I will summarize some important parts of the procedure.

First testimony will be taken today from those individuals called from the public testimony list and if applicable the waiting list which are included on today's agenda posting on the school board website.

Only those who are called by name should unmute their phones and step forward to the podium and only one person should speak at a time.

Speakers from the list may cede their time to another person when the listed speaker's name is called.

The total amount of time allowed will not exceed two minutes for the combined number of speakers.

Time will not be restarted after the new speaker begins and the new speaker will not be called again later if they are on the testimony list or waiting list.

Those who do not wish to have their time ceded to them may decline and retain their place on the testimony or wait list.

The majority of the speakers time should be spent on the topic they have indicated they wish to speak about.

The board expects the same standard of civility for those participating in public comment as the board expects of itself.

As board president I have the right and will interrupt any speaker who fails to or refuses to comply with these guidelines or who otherwise substantially disrupts the orderly operation of this meeting may be asked to leave the meeting.

Ms. Ku will read off the testimony speakers.

Thank you President Hersey.

A quick logistical note speakers joining us via phone please remain muted until your name is called to provide testimony.

When your name is called please be sure you have unmuted on the device you are calling from and also press star six to unmute yourself on the conference call line.

Each speaker will have a two minute speaking time.

You will hear a beep when your time is exhausted and the next speaker will be called.

The first speaker on the list is Chris Jackins.

My name is Chris Jackins box 84063 Seattle 98124. On the private grant to South Shore pre-K eight.

Four points.

Number one the statistics are unclear.

Number two the grant does not free up district money.

Number three the private funder gets a special say in selecting the principal.

Number four the board should end this shadow charter school arrangement.

Please vote no.

On the BTA five capital levy implementation plan and the purchase of a warehouse.

Six points.

Number one the warehouse would be used for surplus items currently stored under the bleachers at Memorial Stadium.

Number two there have been past references to unused space at the district headquarters.

Number three the board is being asked to approve the BTA 5 plan which includes Memorial Stadium.

Number four earlier plans involved reinforcing the bleachers.

Now the district is talking about quote redeveloping unquote Memorial Stadium.

Number five the superintendent signed last minute agreements with the city to consider swapping Memorial Stadium for other city property.

Number six the board should not sneakily or casually allow the abandonment of Memorial Stadium an important remembrance of World War II.

Please vote no on the plan and the warehouse.

On proposed construction projects at Alki Montlake and John Rogers Elementary Schools.

Each project is too big for its site.

Loss of playground space loss of trees building height over city zoning code.

distracting changing image signs zero parking not even for ADA.

Please change these plans.

The school board has the power to change these plans.

All of you need to pay close attention.

Thank you very much.

The next speaker on the list is Marianne Wagner.

I need my two minutes.

Seattle Public Schools in Salmon Bay has been my village that I'm proud to have been part of for 18 years.

Most of my adult life.

I teach to make a difference in kids lives to change the world into a more just and equitable place.

I've also served in SPS on bargaining teams developed and served on the PAR panel and I'm still serving on PGES.

For most of my years teaching I put in 50 to 60 hours a week to ensure fit students and families get from our public schools what I believe they deserve.

After I had my first child I knew I could not give 50 to 60 hours a week for a while.

I did not want to spend all of my waking hours away from my young kid.

And I adamantly believe students deserve high quality teachers.

A job share gave me the chance to stay a high quality teacher and to find balance with my family.

We've had our cost neutral job share four years now.

We share at point six and point four.

Now while I'm still on maternity leave with my second child or new principal decided we both need to increase our FTE to 1.0 so we'll both need to leave our school Salmon Bay.

Our admins expressed concern is next year's fifth grade cohorts which is too many has had many transitions and two teachers would be too much.

Salmon Bay staff has respectfully offered our admin many solutions that would serve next year students every need but admin doesn't want to dialogue to hear them.

200 parents have signed a letter calling for dialogue about this big decision.

Parents made an anonymous survey of next fifth grade cohort.

Those parents overwhelmingly support the job share but evidence and reason don't seem to matter.

Retaining strong teachers doesn't seem to matter.

Respecting parent voice doesn't seem to matter.

I don't seem to matter.

because this is what your job share policy allows.

Current SPS policy says principals can dissolve a job share as arbitrarily as they want as autocratically as they want and this is a disservice to SPS staff and students.

I urge this governing body to at the very least make some indication in your policy that you value job shares for the reasons that I've stated.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

I am also a fifth grade teacher at Salmon Bay K through 8. My colleagues Marion who just spoke and Nicolette share a fifth grade class at Salmon Bay.

They have 36 years of combined experience.

Their institutional knowledge and commitment to our school impacts us at every level.

Beyond that, Marion and Nicolette welcomed me onto their team during the height of the pandemic.

They took my calls at all hours.

They poured their energy into supporting me and newer teachers like me so that I wouldn't burn out during my first year in the district.

Their combined effort has amounted to far beyond one full-time position.

This month I have watched my school admin ignore hundreds of pleas to reconsider ending Marion and Nicolette's job share.

I now suspect that there are larger pressures from the district to end job shares as I understand they are now rare in this district.

My question is why?

Why are job shares being eliminated in this district?

My understanding is that they're cost neutral.

I'm a young teacher in my 20s.

I watch my peers enjoy other careers with several options when it comes to flexing time.

I hope to have a family one day.

Right now I'm seeing that having children while continuing to teach in this district is risky.

What if I need more flexible options during my children's youngest years?

Will my years of experience, two research-based world-class degrees in education and love for teaching, will all of that needlessly be redirected to a different profession where I can strike a healthier balance?

SBS will lose many of my generation and upcoming generations of teachers with policies like these.

I strongly suggest you reconsider this policy.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Arthur Doros.

Hello, Arthur Doros, Montlake.

I know you care about getting the best possible outcomes for all students.

You inherited programs, projections, and projects.

I have seen you have courage, though, to make positive changes with new information.

Montlake Elementary is a tiny island in a sea of traffic.

Surrounded by major arterials, there is only a small SPS zone for walkers.

WSDOT recently called Montlake Boulevard the busiest street in Seattle.

All streets around the school only a block from the arterials are used as a dangerous cut throughs for traffic that often speeds through to 520 and I-5.

Kids don't walk to school by themselves.

They get walked accompanied only by older family members.

The streets become overwhelmingly congested when they're used as alternates for nearby arterials and the streets are so narrow always that the cars cannot travel in both directions at once.

You have to wait on one end of this block until you can get by.

There have been hundreds and hundreds of SPD and SDOT reported accidents in the area around the school over the years with numerous injuries and some deaths.

One neighbor emailed you about being traumatized seeing a child's finger about to be slammed in a car door in the school drop-off frenzy.

I and others have only barely avoided bad accidents.

To triple the current enrollment means cramming children in vehicles on a tiny site and to fill it would inevitably mean long travel times for many students to reach school.

Time spent, hours in school transportation with added costs, disengagement that the state is not funding these days either, Disengagement for families who live far do not lead to good student outcomes.

There is a way to alleviate the above problems and dangers that is well within your power.

Acknowledge the realities that have changed since BEX V was sort of years ago.

Use of innovative project design now propose reduce it just slightly so that it's double the population not triple and that could readily enable a lot of alleviation of the above.

And you have the power to do that as Chris mentioned.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Karen Byman.

Hello.

I am a staff member at Broadview Thompson K8 and I'm here today to talk about the inequity in services that our students will be receiving next year at our school due to the recently released budget.

Broadview Thompson K-8 is a Title I school in North Seattle with 67% students of color, 21% African-American males and 23% of our population are MLL students.

The ratio of counseling staff we are given next year for elementary school is 419 elementary students to zero school counselors.

As a Tier 2 Title 1 K-8 school we were not allocated an elementary school counselor.

Tier 2 elementary schools with 400 students that are not K-8s receive 1.0 counseling with their budget allocation.

It is the only Tier 2 K-8 and it receives the same allocation for counseling as a Tier 4 K-5 elementary school with an enrollment of 51 students.

This is contradictory, confusing and frankly shameful to a school with high trauma and emotional needs.

The strategic plan for SPS states that they are ensuring that students furthest away from educational justice will thrive.

In a school with again 67% students of color and 21% African-American males, the very students that are furthest away from educational justice thriving is the last thing our students will be doing next year.

Our students need access to a school counselor.

we are asking to fund our school with a 1.0 elementary counselor as it would be if it were not a K-8.

Thank you.

The next speaker on the list is Sumaira Anayat.

Hi I'm a Montlake community member and a taxpayer.

So plans for Montlake elementary school expansion are going ahead even though there is no projection or need for a capacity that is planned right now.

Current enrollment is fewer than 200. So why are we building a 500 or 650 capacity.

These funds can be better utilized to improve teacher pay.

student teacher ratio or even put in an interest bearing account until an actual expand expansion need arises.

We are told that modernization of the school is needed and that is fine.

This is a custom design so let's focus on the modernization and not expansion.

Otherwise you have empty classrooms and space that is not needed that we have to pay to heat cool maintain forever as a taxpayer cost forever until such a time that it's actually needed and by that point it would be outdated anyway.

If consolidation of schools is the actual plan we need to discuss that with the greater community.

I feel that schools should be local and students shouldn't have long commutes.

So really if the plan is consolidation that's a separate topic but right now the capacity need is not there.

Currently I feel that ADA compliance and modernization is the only thing that we should be doing.

We can utilize these funds better.

I would like to say also add that I voted for the building excellence levy.

I did not vote for unneeded expansion expansion should only happen if it's needed and it should be reasonable.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Victoria Havas.

Hi good afternoon and before I forget thank you all for your public service.

I'm not going to spend my two minutes reiterating the points from the rest of the Montlake community.

You've heard several times about the size of the lot and the building and the enrollment and the environmental impacts.

Instead I'm going to touch on what I think is the root cause of why we're retreading that ground over and over again which is communication.

So I wanted to make a pitch for improving that.

In my experience the the fear out of the community comes from they just don't understand the project.

People fear what they don't understand.

And so a best practice in project management is just communicate communicate communicate and then over communicate again.

And so in this case Montlake is just feeling truly unheard.

We've only had a handful of meetings too that I that I can recall and they're all they're inconsistently advertised.

They're a little bit incomplete but most importantly they're they're one way.

They're kind of like this where we get two minutes and I talk as fast as I can for 120 seconds and I don't get to engage with you in a two-way dialogue.

So I'd really love to see us do that.

So with my time I want to make a pitch for my District 5 champion Director Sarju to come down to the Mount Lake Community Center and have a forum with us.

What was described by Director Harris sounds awesome.

You don't want me making lasagna but I make a mean cheese and crackers.

And so I would love to see you come down and just talk to the Mount Lake community.

We're a great community.

I think that communication would do well to get us all on the same ship together.

Dispel that fear get us on the same page and answer some questions to kind of quell the concerns and then we can all work together to bring around the best version of a Montlake Elementary for the future.

So that's all I have.

Thanks.

The next speaker is Jennifer.

Hi, everyone.

Thank you for your service and for taking my input into consideration.

I have been an Olympic View elementary parent since 2011, and my third kiddo will graduate from OV in 2024. That will be 12 years in the OV community, most of which have been gathered in and glued together by our assistant principal, Rachel Rosma.

She knows my story of grief and loss.

She knows and supports me and my children.

She knows the stories of the staff children and families in whom she has invested this entire time.

Our diverse families spanning 17 primary languages adore her.

Rachel's leadership has made Ovi a great school a great community and we just learned.

that her position is being cut along with other positions.

My son cried and said it won't be OV without Ms. Rosema.

Based on local news reports that SPS is 130 million dollars in the hole for next year.

I can imagine this scenario is playing out all over the district right now.

and I am sure that you are at a loss with this reckoning.

But if SPS wants to be a place where students, families and education professionals want to be then math is only part of the solution.

Without using other tools such as personal and community interviews math is a terrible way to displace a person I tell you why.

Pulling people like Rachel Rosema out from under school community is like tearing away a devoted skilled and fierce mother from a household.

It's like yanking three pieces of Jenga from the second to the bottom of the stack all at once.

And what you'll be left with is a school district where families who are able and skilled caring educators who are worked to death without district appreciation will leave by the school bus load and then you'll consolidate schools and wish you had never let Rachel go because she's the one whose servant leadership will put the pieces back together.

I am here to tell you that in this case math doesn't give the correct solution.

because the impact of Miss Rachel Rosema and countless others like her including those other teachers today that gave their testimony before me cannot be boiled down to a cell on a spreadsheet.

Miss Rosema's position must be reinstated.

Thank you for your consideration.

The next speaker on the list is Laura Marie Rivera.

Good afternoon.

I wanted to call attention the board's attention to the discriminatory practices within Seattle Public Schools particularly the exclusion of students with learning disabilities.

We cannot say that we are a district that values equity without considering each of our vulnerable students.

As you may or may not be aware approximately 20 percent of the population has some form of dyslexia the most common learning disability.

And when these students are not addressed and included it can lead to lifelong disadvantages.

For example almost half of the prison population has some form of dyslexia.

So when we are looking at reading rates and ultimately graduation rates we must consider students with learning disabilities.

And I mean that from grade K through grade 12. We can't wait till they miss that third grade reading cutoff.

I'm asking you to consider the assessments that we are using.

The stated reason for changing the highly capable program was to make it more equitable.

But did you all know that Seattle Public Schools is currently using a discriminatory DIBELS test to exclude students with learning disabilities.

In June of last year you all voted to adopt a plan to use map scores, teacher ratings, and report cards to identify high cap students.

You did not approve the use of DIBELS probably because it is known to discriminate against students with disabilities.

The DIBELS test is only a few minutes and it puts students with dyslexia and attention disorder at a disadvantage.

I recently learned that staff is using the DIBELS test as the sole reason to exclude children with disabilities from the highly capable program.

I hope you disagree that it's discriminatory and that it must stop.

Did you realize even if a student receives 99th percentile in the MAP scores for reading and math they can still be disqualified by a one minute test.

a timed test that is known to discriminate against students with learning disabilities.

And now that I've told you I'm asking will you vote to stop discriminating against students with learning disabilities and Dr. Jones I'm asking you as well.

Will you stop allowing Seattle Public Schools to exclude students with learning disabilities.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Christy Robertson.

Did I do that right?

Yes we can hear you.

Go ahead.

Did I do that right?

Can you guys all hear me?

Yes we can hear you.

You can go ahead.

Okay.

My name is Christy Robertson and I'm the parent of two kids in SPS.

Recently staff introduced the concept of a system of well-resourced schools.

In the spirit of targeted universalism I asked some families of disabled students what a well-resourced school would look like to them and I wanted to share some of their answers with you.

First of all access to your neighborhood school and a general education classroom.

Access to smaller but inclusive classes.

A variety of lunch settings and sensory spaces.

Curriculum adaptable to different paces.

Structured literacy for reading.

Gen Ed and special Ed co-planning and co-teaching.

Widespread use of assistive technology visual schedules and instructions.

A focus on relationships.

trauma-informed and non-punitive approaches to behaviors and respectful problem solving when issues arise.

Access to a nurse and a counselor.

And lastly accessible buildings and the ability for every kid to participate in field trips and school events.

If the resources from this list were put in place here are some of the outcomes we might expect.

Fewer kids shipped to non-public agencies.

Fewer incidents of restraint and isolation.

fewer incidents of school refusal and absenteeism lower teacher turnover and greater teacher job satisfaction reduced need for one-to-one AIDS and in fact fewer IEPs and finally a higher rate of graduation and post-graduation engagement for kids with disabilities and maybe overall.

So I ask that the district engage with other communities furthest from educational justice and collect resource priorities prior to any school consolidation.

In addition I asked the district to establish outcome measurements to evaluate their impact and thanks for the opportunity to testify remotely.

The next speaker is Shawna Stephanie.

Shawna if you're on the line please press star six to unmute.

The next speaker on the list is Nicolette Jensen.

Nicolette if you're on the line please press star six to unmute.

I learned my job share was over the morning I was taking my fifth graders to Islandwood no second meeting no discussion no outside input just over.

My partner teacher and I met with our principal the Friday afternoon before midwinter break when she told us it was over.

The upcoming students couldn't possibly handle having two teachers.

These are fifth graders who are going to have seven teachers in fact next year in middle school.

This was for the children.

But I argue that our job share is the best for the children.

She said she would be open to hearing from parents.

She would be open to discussion.

Instead of any discussion with anyone in our community, she seeded us on emails with her HR person asking us to sign away our positions.

We're both gonna be 1.0s.

One of us would keep our classroom and the other one would display somebody else at our school.

It was and remains an impossible decision.

I job share because it allows me to take care of my family, myself, and be a better teacher.

I can dedicate more time and energy to my students.

I can go above and beyond, coach volleyball, maintain connections in the community, communicate with parents, which takes so much time and energy.

I know it's a privilege to be able to teach part-time, but the balance and the health it allows me Why are we ending chop shares?

This isn't about the students.

This is my 18th year at Salmon Bay in the same classroom.

Both my parents retired from the district and this is how my stories of teacher Wyant.

Feeling disrespected and vastly disappointed that this is what happens to our community.

My children that are still at the school It feels pretty hopeless.

We should value experienced teachers.

Dedicated teachers.

We should support chop shares.

This is what supports our vision vision values and mission as a district.

We support families.

Thank you.

The next speaker on the list is Carol Terrell.

Hi my name is Carol.

This isn't the first time I've shown up to speak but I would love for it to be my last.

I'm here to talk about Alki the expansion the project that is in the works.

I was a participant of the appeal process.

I was a witness and testifier.

and after that I received some notes and letters that said I was a nimby old hag that didn't know anything about the Seattle Public School system or Alki in general.

So my daughter attended Seattle Public Schools.

She's a current business owner in Alki.

My son went through Alki or through Seattle Public Schools.

My grandson is a current current student at a Seattle Public School.

I worked at Alki Elementary for seven years.

I helped worked donated and was a participant in the Alki auctions for 15 years in a row.

I'm telling you all this just to show you that I'm a part of the neighborhood and the design that you're bringing in doesn't fit.

It doesn't serve the community.

It doesn't serve the school.

It doesn't serve the students.

And I'm hoping that I can convince a couple of board members to say the emperor wears no clothes that this is not a good fit.

This is not a good design for this area.

And that isn't we aren't stuck in the sunk cost fallacy that we've put so much time and effort into it now that it's too late to go back because it's not.

If you guys can look in your hearts and find some courage and bravery you'll see that this isn't the way to go.

This isn't where you go.

Also could you ask he's in third grade would you be willing to ask a first grader to enter into a 542 student building four story building and navigate that they would be lost.

It's not a neighborhood school.

Anyway thank you.

The next speaker on the list is Linda Cuddy.

Linda if you're on the line please press star six to unmute.

The next speaker on the list is Melissa Woolley.

Melissa if you're on the line please press star six to unmute.

Hello my name is Melissa Woolley.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak.

I am a SPS parent and substitute teacher.

I have five children in the district.

Our family has attended five different SPS schools over the last 13 consecutive years.

We currently attend four different schools at the elementary middle and high school level.

As I've spent considerable time in the schools as a parent volunteer and substitute teacher I have seen the importance of all positions.

I realize the district and state as a whole is facing challenges financially and I'm asking for close examination of budget cuts.

Positions like assistant principals counselors social workers and school psychologists are crucial.

I believe mental health among students is a serious concern.

I'm hopeful that SPS can prioritize these valuable valuable positions.

As has been mentioned prior to my testimony I am also very concerned about the Olympic View situation losing their assistant principal Rachel Rosemann.

She has had an incredibly positive impact on the Olympic View school community.

I am asking that you continue to seek ways for positions like these to be maintained.

Please prioritize social emotional and mental health for Seattle Public School students.

when students and families have trusted relationships with school staff members.

Schools are far less likely to experience traumatic events like my son experienced at Ingram High School in November.

Miss Rosma and other educators like her must be a priority for the health of our school.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Sergeant Colin Gerhardt.

Good afternoon.

I'm Sergeant First Class Colin Gerhart with the United States Army Recruiting Command.

I am also a former student of the Seattle Public Schools.

I was a student originally at Greenwood Elementary School and then Olympic View and then went on to go to school at Eckstein and Roosevelt High School.

I've always been very very proud of being in public school growing up and I believe it's been a big effect on me and my success both completing my college education and eventually becoming a leader within the Army.

I'd like to talk today about my story and how thankfully I had an interest in the military and I sought it out.

But looking back I can't tell you how many fellow students I had that fellow students of mine that I was friends with that maybe didn't have that interest and also were not ready to attend college.

And I will say, following up with them in these last couple years, I've noticed the fact that they weren't aware of the opportunities within the Army has had a very negative effect on their lives.

The Seattle School District compared to many in the in the nation has a far lower integration and partnership with the U.S.

Army Recruiting Command than the average district.

Really I just want to start a dialogue between the superintendent's office and the board about what the Army Recruiting Command can do to further educational goals for students.

Oftentimes we're kind of viewed as you know we're just here to get kids to enlist but we really want to support the community.

We want to make sure everyone who maybe isn't ready to go straight into a traditional college you know understands what the Army has to offer and we'd love to do anything we can to help integrate and assist the schools with whatever whatever they need.

Thank you so much.

The next speaker is Brian Reeves.

Board members thank you for your service.

I'm a Montlake resident and parent of a two year old who I plan to send to Montlake in a few years.

I agree with the concerns shared by others here today previously about the impacts at the Montlake and Alki sites.

As you heard many times already the neighborhood impacts driven by the 500 student model being applied to the Alki and Montlake sites the two smallest in the city are immense.

This model should not have been applied to these sites and without further changes to the designs the impacts of these mistakes will be felt for generations.

Opportunity remains to scale back these projects just slightly and meet the needs of students for the life of the buildings by redirecting a portion of the funds that capital projects funds to the maintenance backlog which would help alleviate general fund shortfalls.

Many aspects of the design may appear difficult to change at this point.

However the outdoor play area at Montlake is one huge impact that could be mitigated for no little or no additional cost.

As you may be aware the outdoor play area proposed for the roof of the gym is currently a budget alternate and at risk of being cut.

The budget alternate was estimated by a member of the project team to be rough roughly 1 percent of the project budget.

No reason was given for why it has been made an alternate.

Answers to community questions asked at the December 13th meeting have gone unanswered for more than three months despite promises from the project team to provide answers.

Without the play area alternate there would be less than half the space for twice the capacity.

roughly 25 square feet per student which happens to be one third of the 75 square feet per student the state currently mandates for outdoor space for early learning centers.

I live close to the school and see students enjoying the play area every day.

I ask that you do what you can to help resolve issues at Mott Lake including the outdoor play area issue.

Thanks for your time.

Before concluding today's testimony I want to go back and check on those who may have missed their turn.

The first is Shawna Stephanie.

Shawna if you're on the line please press star six to unmute.

Next is Linda Cuddy.

Linda if you're on the line please press star six to unmute.

This concludes today's testimony.

Thank you Ms. Ku and thank you for all those who shared some time with us this evening for public testimony.

We have now reached the consent portion of today's agenda.

May I have a motion for the consent agenda.

I move approval of the consent agenda.

Sarge seconds.

Approval of the consent agenda has been moved by Vice President Rankin and seconded by a member at large.

Do directors have any items they would like to remove from the consent agenda this evening.

President Hersey.

Number 7 the VTA 5 implementation plan please.

Thank you.

Number 7.

President Hersey I'd like to remove item number six annual approval of schools per WAC one eight zero one six two two zero.

Got it.

Thank you.

So we've got six and seven.

Any other items.

All right.

May I have a motion for the to approve the consent agenda as amended.

I move approval of the consent agenda as amended.

Sarge seconds.

Approval of the consent agenda as amended has been moved by Vice President Rankin and seconded by Director Sarju.

All those in favor please signify by saying aye.

And Director Hampson is here by the way.

Please note that Director Hampson has joined us.

Thank you.

Welcome Chandra.

All right.

Now turning to the items removed from the consent agenda.

Can I have a motion for sorry.

Oh I thought we just did that.

We just did that.

It's been a week for sure.

We have a motion for item number six.

I move that the school board approve each school within the district it approved that each school within the district has a school improvement plan that is data driven promotes a positive impact on student learning and includes a continuous improvement process as required by Washington Administrative Code 180-16-220.

I second.

All right this has been moved and seconded by Vice President Rankin and Director Sarju.

Before we go to Dr. Pedroza do you have anything that you any specific questions.

OK.

Cool.

Then by all means Dr. Pedroza if you could give us some information on this item.

Yes, hi, I'm here to present the school improvement plans, the continuous school improvement plans, which we just, the acronym that we use is CSIPS for the 23-24 school year moving forward.

As indicated in the previous BAR board action report, we have done significant work about revisioning this school improvement plan for all schools.

that includes the goals the guardrails information making sure that the initiatives and that they have specific plans in place specifically information around advanced learning wellness additional components included in the school improvement plan moving forward.

It'll be reviewed annually but the plan is to put in place a three year school improvement planning process similar to what we did in the past where they will have updates to data and revisions continuously.

through the building leadership team process at all the schools.

So I just wanted to give that information for the public that wasn't at the last meeting prior.

Are there any questions?

Do directors have any questions about item number six?

Go ahead.

Last board meeting when this came in for introduction we talked about whether or not there was updates on building leadership team training and the building leadership team needs to sign off on these.

Yes.

Continuous schools improvement plans CSIPs.

Yes.

And on the budgets.

And there was talk about putting together a ledger of folks and schools that have taken advantage of the offered professional development on the BLT because in the past it's been really inconsistent.

So we have done that.

So I have conferred with the Human Resource Office.

They have the list of schools that have completed the training.

So we launched the training with in partnership with our Seattle Education Association our labor partners so we co-developed the training.

I will share that we have two trainings in place so it's BLT building leadership team 101 and then they added additional training building leadership team 102. Specifically it's related to the contract language and additionally related to the contract language and equity training and making sure that the building leadership teams have training in the building the equity toolkit because they have to have an equity analysis as required according to the bargaining agreement.

I will add though that last year there was a two day training for all of the schools that actually needed to do that.

We have completed the training with all 104 all of our schools when we completed our first cycle.

I will share that this year we took a pause.

So there wasn't correct, there wasn't training this year.

We contracted the 102 training last year and then the 102 training as a cohort that actually concluded their training in January 2022. And I will add that for this year we are actually working with our labor partners to redesign the training.

So that's in place for the coming school year and I'll just share what the modules are going to be.

It's gonna be a series of six training sessions for one hour each and it's going to be six sessions and one is going to be foundational beliefs and community agreements which is our racial equity training.

Session two will be entry to building leadership tools.

Session three will be data qualitative and quantitative data.

Session four will be school improvement plans.

Session five will be planning professional development and session six will be budgets.

and so that'll be part of the component they are working currently with I'm going to say the names Joaquin Rodriguez and Amish who are part of the leadership of the Seattle Education Association.

And then I will add that they are also we have a new person that's hired to launch the school improvement training and they are coordinating with our director Sarah Marabueno to ensure that all of that training happens embedded into the school improvement because we have to introduce all the tools so we have a plan in place.

for our SLI our School Leaders Institute to train at least all the school leaders and start building that out with our school teams in the fall.

So no training this year but they're planning and revisioning the entire training module for the district.

Hugely appreciate.

Thanks so much.

Thank you.

Any additional questions?

Yes.

All of the things that you just said and the so our vote is per state law is that the plans exist.

Yes.

based on the things that you just said are more that things have or will happen.

Where, and I understand this is not part of the vote, but in terms of evaluating or accountability for the efficacy of individual plans, where's the, Where's the rub there, I guess?

Who's ultimately responsible for holding these accountable for being effective?

Those are conversations we're having with our directors of schools and our principals as well as the building leadership teams.

It's a combined effort to hold that accountability piece.

The last piece I will share and this is something that Dr. Jones is working on is he's working on a dashboard to make all the school improvement plans public.

So there should be a community component within that as well.

Community understands and knows the school improvement plans.

If there's a conversation around that then there should be questions around that.

And I know Building leadership teams are the ones that actually in I'm going to say this very carefully but in the optimal space building leadership teams should be using the data components and reevaluating their school improvement plans throughout the year in the best optimal situation.

And the board would be presumably if this is connected to goals and guardrails the board would be seeing that because I don't think it's appropriate for the board to be digging through individual CSIPs and saying well looks like this building isn't doing XYZ but Somebody in staff should be.

But where we would see it is trends and progress towards the goals.

We would see evidence of progress towards the goals as connected to or the progress on CSIPS would be at the board level evidenced in progress towards the goals and trends overall.

and that's why we worked very hard to ensure that each of the goals are embedded.

The district goals are embedded and with the data of the schools to have them have smart goals around those data points for their school in direct connection to each goal.

So what you should see at the middle schools or K-8 schools evidence of the seventh grade math goal in the school improvement plan.

You should see evidence college and career goal for the high schools or traditional high schools.

traditional non-traditional high schools.

And then you should also see a third grade evidence of the third grade reading goal with data for all of the elementary schools and K8 elementary within the K8s.

The K8s should have two of those goals embedded in their work.

So there should be a direct correlation and through line to what you're seeing at the district level when we do progress monitoring.

Thank you.

Any other questions before we move to the vote.

Go ahead.

More of a comment versus a question.

Thank you Dr. Pedroza for clarifying what the standards for the CSIPS are from the district's perspective.

When I reviewed the CSIPS for our schools I found that there was inconsistent content in terms of what you outlined that there wasn't mention of the plan for advanced learning for special education what not.

And so I had a similar question to Director Rankin about ultimately who is going to be accountable for ensuring that whatever the district leadership has set out as the standard for the CSIPS that they actually are in the content.

So you know.

it seems like our vote tonight is just that the CSIPs exist.

I will express my personal disappointment that the we're not quite there in terms of getting everybody to meet the requirements that the district has set but I understand that the last couple of years have been unusual and I just thought it was interesting that a lot of the goals are stated goals from 2020 and 2021. I understand that these are intended to be three year plans and then next year we will do a refresh.

But I actually do think that the CSIPs are a fantastic opportunity for individual schools to communicate what is the plan what are the goals around this school.

So I thank the district and building leaders for trying to make significant progress this but I pulled this off the consent agenda so we could have this conversation and we can express our expectations.

And I'll just share what we shared last time just for public record.

The team did share that they're willing to share the tools with you.

We're still working on finalizing but they're willing to share with you the tools and then of course we've always invited school board members to listen in on some of the SLI training so we can give you the link to some of the events that are happening around that.

But I just want to make sure that that invitation still stands for all of you.

Are there any questions?

Seeing none Ms. Wilson Jones roll call please.

Director Sarju.

Yes.

Director Song Moritz.

Director Hampson.

Director Harris.

Vice President Rankin.

Director Rivera-Smith.

President Hersey.

Aye.

This motion is passed unanimously.

Thank you Ms. Wilson-Jones.

Now moving on to consent agenda item number seven.

Our favorite Mr. Podesta and Mr. Best are approaching the podium.

Before we go to our staff Director Harris did you have any specific questions?

Well I need to make a motion.

Yeah I'm tripping.

Go ahead.

I move that the school board approve the buildings technology and academics athletics also known as BTA five capital levy implementation plan as attached to the board action report.

Any significant schedule adjustments will be shared with the board for information.

I second the motion.

This has been moved by Vice President Rankin and seconded by Director Sarju before we go to the podium.

Director Harris did you have any questions on this item.

Comments also.

Big surprise here.

Is this the place where the folks that have come to talk to us in various capacities about the projects at Alki, Montlake, et cetera should be concerned if we vote yes?

This is a BTA 5 implementation plan those are not BTA 5 projects.

You know the document lays multiple levies online but what you're approving today is our project planning for BTA 5.

I appreciate that but I also appreciate that the community at large thinks that this is clear as mud and wanted to create a record and make that very clear.

Thank you sir.

Thank you.

Any other questions for this item?

Go ahead.

Actually just a clarification slash information that has to do with why we have capital levies.

Basic education as paid for by the state does not include construction.

It does not include physical buildings.

So there is actually at least one school district right now that is suing the state because they we are very fortunate to have voters that agree to pass levies.

Some districts use bonds that require by state law a supermajority so they have to have 60 percent voter approval and they're struggling to pass those and their buildings are their school buildings are quite literally crumbling.

So this you would think the physical building where students go to school and any improvements made there would be part of basic education as defined by the state and it's not.

And we have two separate ones.

We have a buildings technology and academics levy which is this one and then we have a building excellence levy and different projects will be covered by those at different times.

So for example the Montlake project is under a building excellence levy and this is a BTA levy.

I don't know that that really clears it up but.

Thank you for that comment Director Rankin.

I think I would also point out in this complex world of funding that these levy dollars for capital construction can only be used for capital construction.

These are not funds that really relate to some of the other budget discussions we've been having.

Director Rivera-Smith.

Thank you Assistant Superintendent Podesta could you explain to us what this item says it was updated since introduction.

What are the changes?

I will turn this over to executive director of capital projects and planning Richard Best who I think can answer that question far better than I can.

Wonderful thank you.

Good evening Richard Best director of capital projects and planning director Rivera-Smith I know there's just a couple of changes.

One we highlighted that we're going to be implementing work Sorry my document is very small.

For two summers on Nathan Eckstein for the roofs we highlighted we actually made a schedule adjustment for the Rainier Beach High School fields.

and but the changes have been very minor and it was really to recognize that the implementation plan now is to have the fields complete at the end for Rainier Beach High School as part of phase four.

Wonderful.

So nothing terribly substantial that.

Nothing substantial.

Wonderful.

Thank you for that information.

No further questions.

Thank you.

Any other questions.

Thank you Mr. Best.

That being said Ms. Wilson-Jones roll call please.

Director Song Moritz.

Director Hampson.

Director Harris.

Vice President Rankin.

Director Rivera-Smith.

Director Sarju.

President Hersey.

This motion is passed unanimously.

Okay thank you very much.

That concludes the items that have been pulled from the consent agenda.

We will now move on to the action items on today's agenda for which we have one.

May I have a motion for this item please.

You may.

I move that the school board authorize the superintendent to fully execute a purchase and sale agreement dated December 22nd 2022 in the amount of ten million six hundred thousand dollars and attached to the school board action report with any additions deletions and modifications deemed necessary by the superintendent to implement the purchase agreement.

Immediate action is in the best interest of the district.

I second that motion.

Mr. Best.

I'm sorry Mr. Podesta.

Thank you.

Forgive me.

No problem and I'll ask Mr. Best to join me in a moment.

I will just tee this up.

The district has been looking for a number of years for a replacement warehouse to service its surplus warehouse for some non distribution items.

We have a warehouse in this building where we distribute food and curriculum and other things but we store a lot of material that's in surplus.

We have science materials that also get stored inappropriately in this building and we lease a capital warehouse.

And so we've been looking for a better space.

We've been storing surplus goods under the South Grandstand at Memorial Stadium which is a terrible warehouse.

It's not shaped right and it's in the it's very inaccessible.

So we finally found a product property that's advantageous and this market has gone crazy for warehouse space so we're really eager to close this transaction if we can.

I'll ask executive director Best to describe our due diligence and the process we came to find this process and find this property and and the due diligence we did to make sure it'll work for us.

Thank you.

So again we're looking at 640 South Spokane Street as a warehouse that is approximately 20 well not approximately 27,933 square feet.

It's on an approximate one acre site.

We are seeking your approval tonight for the purchase of this warehouse in the amount of ten million six hundred thousand dollars.

As part of our due diligence due diligence study we implemented a seismic improvement study.

We implemented a building condition assessment study which did identify some issues with both the roof and the concrete slab.

There's vapor transmission that comes up through the concrete slab.

that has some concern for us in related in relation to storing furniture and in relation to storing curriculum.

We've added some dollars there in the in the last paragraph in the background section.

We're recommending approximately 3.5 million dollar budget be established to bring this warehouse up.

We've noted that the money for the purchase of the warehouse is set aside both in the BTA IV and the BEX 5 capital levies there are property acquisition accounts.

Our accounting department would like to close those levies before they access the BTA 5 property acquisition accounts spend the money that was identified first in BTA 4 then roll over into the BEX V capital levy and then we would recommend that we utilize dollars associated with the Memorial Stadium project to implement the improvements to this warehouse.

This warehouse as Deputy Superintendent Fred Podesta noted was underneath Memorial Stadium.

It needs to be relocated prior to the work that we will implement at Memorial Stadium.

So the plan would be right now is to go through a design phase through the summer fall winter spring of 23 and 24 and then implement the improvements in the summer of 24 and then relocate the contents from Memorial Stadium Warehouse in the fall of 24. So open it up to questions.

Thank you Mr. Best.

Do we have any questions before you proceed?

Director Harris.

As per usual.

anytime there is a budget item with a big price tag on it, we hear from constituents.

We recently just heard from a constituent this evening.

Do you realize how tone deaf you are when at a time you are taking away funding for guidance counselors, when you are still performing and assessing safety audits for schools in a district that just experienced a shooting, when you are threatening to close schools due to budgetary shortfalls that you are considering spending tens million dollars on a warehouse.

A warehouse where no teachers will be teaching and no students will be learning.

I don't care what pot of money this is coming from or how much money you project this quote unquote might save in the future spending it now will only demonstrate where your priorities lie not with the kids.

Can we talk just a little bit about how again our budgets work.

We don't buy this warehouse.

This doesn't mean we're going to have more guidance counselors and that we've already my understanding is set aside the money for school safety improvements that these are not interchangeable pieces of our budgets.

I think it's important that we clarify some of this for constituents because I guarantee you will have a whole lot more pushback on this particular issue and because this was a real estate transaction we couldn't put it out there and communicate it prior to this.

And if you could explain those

Certainly.

Considerations and rules as well.

Certainly first I will say that those counselors as teachers everyone needs furniture everyone needs curriculum.

We operate we are a large enterprise we operate more than 105 buildings and we need to store things and conduct operations.

So this it's not really.

discretionary to store these things.

If we don't purchase this property and we'll always have a need for this.

The board action report mentions we're going to try to streamline our process so we're keeping less surplus.

But if we don't purchase a warehouse we're going to end up leasing a warehouse.

And those dollars will in fact compete with the dollars that we would use to pay counselors and teachers.

So we are leveraging the right pot of money our capital resources to make sure that we can provide the logistics support so everybody has what they need to operate at school.

School schools and warehouses are different things and we need this amount of space whether we lease it or buy it or purchase now will save us general fund costs down the road.

if we lease all our warehouse needs outside of what's in this building would be approaching a million dollars a year in expenses.

So this investment will pay for itself very quickly both just as a real estate proposition and also that we found a very advantageous property that's just a few blocks away from this building so we can consolidate our operations.

So I think this is the best stewardship of taxpayer and public funding.

He couldn't put the word out in a big way to alert the public on a real estate transaction.

We're not playing hide the ball here.

Yeah.

If you negotiate in public it gets it's very difficult.

Director Best did an excellent job getting a price that was well below the original asking price by negotiating hard.

but if everybody had seen our appraisals everybody had seen all our studies when we went into that discussion we would have been at a great disadvantage.

It'd be like playing poker and showing everybody your cards.

And I know we try to be as transparent as possible in the public realm but having done this in this jurisdiction and many others.

If you get too much information out there it's so easy for another buyer to swoop in and offer $10 more.

And so this is not as transparent as we like all our business practices to be but we're doing that in the interests of the public and which is why state law has special exceptions for real estate transactions for that very reason.

So all public agencies work this way.

Thank you for that clarification and context.

Do we have do we have any other questions on this item before we move to a vote.

All right.

Seeing none Ms. Wilson-Jones roll call please.

Director Rivera-Smith Director Sarju Director Song Maritz Director Hampson Director Harris Vice President Rankin.

Aye.

President Hersey.

Aye.

This motion is passed unanimously.

Fantastic.

Thank you very much.

Before we move on into our progress monitoring on goals 3.1 and 3.2 we're going to take a brief five minute recess just to set up the table give directors a chance to stretch your legs.

Do what you need to do.

Please be back in five minutes.

Appreciate it.

All right.

Yes, Director Hampson is still there.

So Chandra, if you can hear my voice, we are about to.

Yes, Director Rivera-Smith had to depart a little early this evening.

Okay, so thank you.

So we have now reached the progress.

I cannot talk from the progress monitoring portion of today's agenda.

I will hand it over to Superintendent Jones.

Good evening again.

As part of our regular meeting today I'd like to pivot our progress monitoring conversation as we take another step in implementing student outcome focused governance here in Seattle Public Schools.

We're grateful for the time that we have with you today to discuss this important work.

We're going to talk about the work that we're doing to promote college and career readiness.

This is our second formal opportunity to review the progress that we're making in this area through our formal student outcome focus governance process.

But before we do that I'd like to unveil if you will the dashboard.

And so we're going to show you the student outcome focus governance dashboard.

A couple of us got together and thought about how do we how do we how do we bring this to actually realization.

We've talked about this over and over.

Assistant Superintendent Ted Howard convened a group multiple excuse me multidisciplinary group of folks together.

And what we have here what I'll walk you through just briefly is the SOFG dashboard.

As you heard Dr. Pedrosa talk about the connection to the CSIP this will all be connected and so this is the first iteration of it that you'll see right now and this is the goal for this is to have transparency accountability and something that we don't do too often is celebrate progress along the way.

So this is our opportunity to be at visual data in front of you.

So the dashboard can be accessed from the about page on the school board SOFG page.

and that's what you're seeing here.

There are brief descriptions of the goals and guardrails on the top of the pages.

Each goal has a marker indicating goal status similar to the progress monitoring memos.

There is a key at the bottom, progress measurement key, and if you click on it, it shows the data dashboard, you'll be taken to the data pages Each of those data pages, there's a summary of each goal, the interim metric and current data.

Then if you click through, you will see the charts indicating progress towards our goals over time for each metric.

So going back to the main page, you'll see that we have all the guardrails listed.

The data and status for these will be updated once the progress monitoring has occurred.

So we have guardrail progress monitoring coming up I think in April and May.

The dashboard will be updated with the most recent progress throughout the year.

I want to say a huge thank you to the team, again a multidisciplinary team.

five or six different iterations of this but this is our attempt to again be transparent, be accountable and to celebrate.

So I'm happy with that.

I want to take any questions that you have about this and then we'll move on to our regularly scheduled business around the progress monitoring.

Thank you Superintendent Jones.

Very excited to see this first step and how well it's been presented and excited to see it continue to grow as well as we load it with more pertinent data.

Any questions from directors on this item?

Right on.

Great job.

Great work.

Let's go.

All right, as I mentioned, we're looking forward to this opportunity tonight.

As always, we're grateful.

I think we have our coach, A.J.

Crabill, to give us feedback on our process.

We will follow the same sequence that we used for our other recent reviews, like the one we followed for the third grade reading goal that we did in January.

We will spend three minutes doing a review, just a quick review.

It's not a close read, just a review on the memo to refresh your memory around what this looks like, and so that we're all coming into this discussion with the same information.

Once you've done your review, we'll spend a few minutes providing some suggested questions for our conversations, and that's how we'll proceed.

Any questions?

Alright, let's take three minutes to review the memo and then we'll have some questions, some guiding questions for you.

One more minute.

Okay now that you've had the opportunity to review the memo I will take a few minutes to orient us to the conversation about the data.

As you saw on the top of the first page based on available data I want to share that while we are doing reasonably well on our top line measure we have decided to err on the side of caution given our 9th and 10th grade data and indicates conflicting evidence for whether results will be delivered.

So that's how we have yellow for the SOFG rubric.

There are some concerning data points in our ninth and tenth grade data.

But that said this memo illustrates the progress we are making in helping students earn their credits and graduate on time having completed advanced coursework such as advanced placement IB International Baccalaureate and college and a high school courses.

So for our top line measure we see that the percentage of black boys and teens who graduated and also successfully completed at least one advanced course rate was above the target with the class of 22 being around 14 points higher than the top line measure target.

This means we are green for this metric or we're on target.

Beautiful.

Within this positive data, I want to note that we've started to look more closely at former multilingual learners.

Yeah.

Thank you, Director Harris.

So I want to so within this data, I want to note that we started to look more closely at formal multilingual learners who have exited out of English learner services who met the top line measure at a rate of 94% in the class of 2022. This indicates when our multilingual learners are supported in gaining English language proficiency they are graduating on time and successfully completing advanced courses at very high rates.

So that's another really high point for us as we move forward.

So as a reminder we choose this as our top line since research shows that it correlates with post-secondary readiness.

We also have two interims that we chose because according to our statistical analyses, they correlate with this top line measure.

The two interim measures serve as leading indicators for the upcoming graduation cohorts of students.

I wanna flag that we are looking at multiple graduating classes and analyzing data.

The 22-23 semester one, interim measure one, provides a first look at the class of 20-26, and interim measure number two provides a more up-to-date on-track indicator for the class of 20-25.

So interim measure one is based on recent data and it is the number of ninth grade black boys and teens that earned at least three total credits with a minimum of 0.5 credits in ELA, math and science by the end of the 22-23 semester one.

Unfortunately this rate is currently at 76.3 which means we will likely not meet our end of year target of 78%.

Interim Measure 2 is the 10th grade black boys and teens that earned at least nine total credits with a minimum of 1.5 credits in ELA, math, and science, and one credit in social studies by the end of 22-23 semester one.

Unfortunately, this rate is also currently 59.1, which means we will likely not meet our end of year target of 61%.

while we're close on both of those interim measure one and two, we still have not met the target and that's our ultimate goal.

So when we look at these trends in the interim measures, we do need to note that the two interim measures were intentionally set higher so that we have a high level of confidence that students who meet them will go on to meet the top line measure.

changes in grading policy and the increase in waivers from the state during the 2019 20 and 2021 20 2020 and 2021 school years do have important effects on the data.

When looking at the overall trend for 2018 19 school year to the 2021 22 school year we do see a positive trend which suggests that our system has made improvements.

We will discuss this more when we get to our strategic questions.

So I'll summarize by saying we're making good on our progress and we're heading in the right direction given our investments in our five main strategic areas which are excellent teaching and joyful learning, number two, strong relationships and connected families, three, equitable measures and student supports, and four, opportunity pathways, and five, expanded learning.

African-American male students are generally taking and passing more core subject courses in ninth and 10th grade and also more advanced courses in 11th and 12th grade.

It is reasonable to anticipate continued top line progress with the class of 2023. That said, we will need to continue to closely monitor our progress and analyze the underlying trends and patterns in the data, particularly for the class of 2024 and beyond.

So now I'll turn to our discussion, and there are many types of questions that we answer which are tactical, technical, and strategic, and I'll turn it over to Dr. Perkins to lead us through those.

Thank you very much Dr. Jones and thank you for the opportunity to share updates on this work and obviously the celebration of some of the successes appreciated as well.

Just want to address some of the tactical and technical questions first so that we can spend most of our time on the strategic questions.

We have answered a number of the questions that came in.

Thank you for taking the time to ask those.

Those have been posted publicly, so for those who are looking for those pieces.

But let me just capture a couple.

You asked some just things in terms of reading some pretty complex figures.

One was just asking, for example, the diamonds on the table that references the targets as opposed to the actual data.

So that's what the diamonds refer to.

That was one of your questions.

Another question was around figure six which is a new data point for us around the equal opportunity schools partnership that we've been having for the last few years in which they survey students and faculty and really try to find out what are the barriers to students accessing and succeeding in advanced coursework particularly students of color furthest from educational justice.

And the reason why we called out this one example of data and we can certainly share a lot more but we wanted to give you a sample is that the good news is that students are generally reporting that their teachers are providing culturally relevant pedagogy, but they're finding the curriculum to be lacking, the instructional materials, the texts that they're accessing.

And I just want to give kudos to multiple board members on the panel tonight who are very much advocates for trying to improve that situation in terms of improved instructional resources, particularly in the areas of things like ethnic studies and black studies.

So there's a question about why did we highlight that?

Because we think that's a key piece to really make sure advanced coursework is not only accessible, but students are successful, particularly our students of color.

Then the other piece was asked, why is there generally a dip from first semester to second semester?

So one obvious reason is just it's cumulative.

So you need to get to three credits by the end of first semester ninth grade and six credits by the end of ninth grade.

So that's generally speaking going to go down.

The other is that the first semester data can also include summer credit retrieval data, which tends to boost up the numbers.

That said you know we do want to keep an eye on that.

We're always trying to ideally have the same even progress that we're making from first semester to second semester and that gets into some of the grading pieces I'd love to talk more about.

One other question I wanted to highlight was a great one around what about college access.

You know we say these top line measures connect to post secondary success but what is the what is the data actually show.

So similar to a nationwide trend we have seen a small dip but it has been a decrease in college access over the last couple graduating classes.

At the same time an enormous increase in Seattle Promise.

So there's a paradox there going on and what we're trying to understand is who is actually succeeding in college and that's what we're excited to report back to the board as we learn who is actually going on to get their associates and even their bachelors through that process.

So we did share that additional data and we'll provide more and we really appreciate that we're not just looking at the top line measure but thinking about the broader portfolio of measures that we care about.

So those are some of the technical and the tactical questions.

I'm gonna kick us off with a strategic question that you asked, and then I will gladly open it up to all the questions that you wanted to ask.

But since multiple board members asked in anticipation about grading, and what do we know, what do we see about what's happening between the grading policy, the grading practices, and our data?

And one of the pieces that we're claiming in this, we're making the input, output, outcome connection on grading, that the outcomes have been improved by our push for equitable grading practices that we all pushed.

In fact, you started that push in the spring of 2020 really definitively.

The reason why we're confident that it's more than just changing grading scales.

The grading scale is actually the same as it was before the pandemic.

And the reason why we added this green dotted line on the piece, I don't know if we can show figure four or figure three.

Yeah, that's perfect.

So you see the green line going from second semester of 2019, 2018, 2019, and you trace that through forward to the second semester of 2022, you see a generally upward trend.

That's comparable, same grading policy, pre-pandemic grading policy to the same policy, and yet we're still seeing improvements in how well students are earning credits.

and we think that's not just because of you know that's not coincidence.

The fact is that because of your pushing and advocating we've implemented three specific grading practices one around minimum grades one about allowing retakes so students have more opportunities to show proficiency and perhaps most powerfully we've put in the expectation that all educators need to communicate with students and families if students are falling behind and at risk of earning an incomplete or a failing grade.

And so as a result not all of those were were uncontroversial but they've been enormously helpful in as school leaders tell us every month we meet with them every month to talk about grading for equity and so that's why we feel confident that they're reporting that that's been helpful in terms of ensuring not that we're lowering standards just to be clear but that we're providing more opportunities for students to show that they can meet standard.

So that's just one piece.

I'm sure there's more that you'd like to dive in on but that's one key strategies that we are pursuing.

It's one that also happens to come directly from this board.

So what we just are grateful for that push that you made a few years ago.

So with that I'll pause to see if there are questions or other things that I do have others that you raised but I'd love to open it up to you.

Yeah what questions about strategy does this raise for you?

Go for it.

Thank you.

So I had a really hard time providing questions ahead of time for this report for some reason I couldn't formulate my questions.

Some of that might be I don't know it's at a well I mean it's dense and it was also there is specific data but there was also a lot of like more general information and I think I want a little bit more evidence.

So here's one question I have is the two interim measures are really really close to the target.

And I'm wondering in not getting there do you have evidence or have you seen in the not quite getting there if there is anything that stands out there in terms of students with disabilities and multilingual learners within intersectionality within the black male population.

If there are trends in there that are have been noticed or if there is just an overall not quite getting to that target.

Excellent question.

I think generally speaking it is an overall trend that students with IEPs and multilingual learners not the former multilingual learners that Dr. Jones was referencing earlier do earn credits at a lower rate.

So we are seeing that.

I do want to point out that one of the reasons why we're being so cautious on these interims and saying yellow as opposed to green even though in the case of ninth grade we're actually a little bit above.

It's because we anticipate at least the state is sending signals that they're not going to have all the waivers that they've had over the last couple of years.

So we need to be ready for that.

And anyway and we need to make sure that we're prepared.

But in terms of your specific question I know I don't know of anything that's showing that that's what's effectively dragging the number down.

Can you can expand a little bit about your statement quote unquote we are not lowering standards.

I'd be a rich woman if I had a nickel for every time I've heard pushback on that issue.

So I think it's a it's a great topic to get into when it comes to grading because there is a balance to some degree in terms of supports versus ensuring that all students are meeting very rigorous expectations.

The one premise though of that kind of concern that I just want to challenge is the notion and I'm not saying it's coming directly from you Director Harris but just it is as you're alluding to it's a frequent question we get.

from educators who are new to the equitable grading practices, they're new to standards-based grading, is the concern that we're moving towards trying to get all students to reach standard.

And that's our charge.

As opposed to the traditional approach to grading where you have a distribution curve and a certain number of kids do well and a certain number of kids don't do well.

As Principal Connor at McClure puts it, she asked the question regularly at staff meetings what if we didn't allow any student to fail.

Not allow them to just pass even if they're not meeting standard but what if we made sure that every student got every opportunity they needed to do to meet the standards that they're supposed to be meeting and that's what we're trying to shift to.

Do I think there's still learning to be done?

Absolutely.

And the one thing that's really encouraging, so we went to Roosevelt last week to work with all the staff to talk about these equitable grading practices.

It is grounded in a number of things, but one text that I would recommend, and we can certainly have further conversations, is this book called Joe Feldman's Grading for Equity.

It's been around for a little while.

It's very popular.

across the country, and what he does along with his team of researchers, he goes into school after school to see, does this actually undercut, there's a concern also about motivation.

Does this make students try less hard?

Does this result in students doing less well later on in their educational careers?

And the answer over and over again is no.

Again, there are individual cases for sure, and there's definitely that anxiety from those transitioning away from the traditional approach to grading.

But overall, that's what's most encouraging.

The evidence shows that it doesn't lead to lowering standard in that way.

And so again, that's what we're trying to have regular conversations with educators about that exact, where's that feeling come from?

I have a question about figure six.

So I'm really excited to see this data because the top strategy that we have is around excellent teaching and joyful learning and this is an important data point.

And I would be interested in seeing the full report that came from equal opportunity schools and just get a little bit more learning.

I am kind of curious how they what the questions were asked when they measured whether or not the teachers were using culturally relevant teaching practices.

But I'm wondering what are your hypotheses for why there is such a discrepancy in terms of the culturally relevant teaching versus the curriculum.

My personal hypothesis was that this question was about AP IB courses.

I'm wondering how much is dictated by the AP IB curriculum and if that is the issue and what are ways that we could address that.

Love to hear more.

I will say originally we've done a lot of work with specifically around AB and IB early on around getting all the coordinated the guided expectations changing guidance for example on access.

Caleb's done a lot of work with the team on guidance around curricular materials and we're going to be launching some additional work this year.

but that was a specific piece that we really spent a lot of time on racial equity language on all of specifically around those advanced course works because that was the information we got many many times is you like when we were talking about our advanced learning changes and bringing students more into the classroom.

Is it still safe for kids?

And what students were telling us at that time as you all can recall that we're here that it was not right.

So we had it to go back to I call it going back to the beginning and then really looking at training with all of the IEP coordinators and the IB coordinators and bringing them together on a monthly basis.

This was when that program was situated within advanced learning under student services back when I was leading that work.

And then eventually that has shipped over into Dr. Caleb Perkins work under CNI to make sure that that's super coordinated and connected to the college and career work.

So that's a foundation of things that we've done and then I'll pass it to Dr. Perkins to talk about additional pieces.

just before we go on to Dr. Perkins just basic bottom line our teachers are invested in culturally responsive teaching right and so we're ahead of the game in terms of our understanding and our and our attempts to have that as part of our pedagogy but the curriculum isn't as far caught up as where we are in terms of our journey on this.

We started this journey years ago and so the curriculum is trying to catch up but there's probably a much more sophisticated response that Dr. Pedrosa and Dr. Perkins can offer but it's just I want to credit our teachers for being out front.

I think that's spot on in terms of the one of the main reasons why there's a disconnect.

I would love to give one other example of why there might be the disconnect and then a sign for hope.

One is that I was invited last year by Cleveland students in the ninth grade to hear about the text that they were reading to make a case that there's more relevant contemporary literature.

And sometimes we as a system can't move fast enough to incorporate the latest, greatest, obviously authors of color and authors that are speaking to the themes and issues that they care most deeply about.

So that's one area for growth.

An encouraging story, I'll call out four names, Alexander Ray and Anita Coyier Mwamba, our ethnic studies and black studies program managers, have been working with Stephen Miller at Rainier Beach and Allison Hayes at Chief Self to make the IB language and literature class a black studies version and an ethnic studies version, because to your point, while there actually is a lot more flexibility than people realize as evidenced by recent advanced placement discussions but there's a lot of flexibility that educators don't exercise and often we fall into the same old canons and that can be white centric and Eurocentric and so they're taking extraordinary efforts to make sure that that doesn't happen and they already have but they're going even further and so I'm hopeful in particular at some of these schools that are making those efforts that this these numbers will get better in terms of what students are seeing.

DIRECTOR HAMPSON.

DIRECTOR HAMPSON.

Thank you President Hersey.

So just quickly to you mentioned at the beginning the you put under the category of tactical some of the presentation questions that I had.

And I'm wondering if maybe it's not necessary to establish a more common set of expectations around presentations.

And what I mean by that I'm going to try to answer by asking a question.

What level of statistics do you think like what grade level statistics do you think that this report is on?

Are you alluding to grade level?

Is it just like we have reading grade level that kind of piece?

Well so you know whereas we generally end up communicating our narratives at a grade level that is quite high right probably too high for the average reader.

My feeling is that we communicate our mathematical story at a level that that is quite a bit below the grade level which we should be communicating.

So I'm wondering what grade level do you believe this this falls at in terms of a statistical presentation.

It's a great question.

I don't know if I have a precise answer.

I'll share a couple things.

One is that to determine the interims in terms of which classes in the ninth and tenth grade best predict the top line measure, which is graduation having completed an advanced course, that was very sophisticated analysis done by one of our researchers, Brian Chu, through regression analyses.

So in that sense, this presentation is very well grounded in some level of sophistication in that piece.

In terms of what I think again this is not quite grade level but where I think we're all hungering for is how exactly will this data correlate to post-secondary success.

how will it correlate to completing not only a high school degree but a college degree and how will it correlate to credit accumulation in college and things like that.

Those are things that are just lagging data which makes it challenging for the progress monitoring process because we're ending up looking at data that's often from the class of 2021. But again if there's suggestions on how to increase the sophistication on which statistics we show I would I would love to share that and that might connect to Director Song Maritz's point about the equal opportunity surveys data survey data is much richer than what we shared in this report.

We only did one very short figure.

So that certainly could be much more complex and rich and open to other suggestions.

So your response actually leads me to believe that maybe there's more to the story and I'm wondering if because this was an overarching you know we believe we're on track and if we dig in a little bit more to some of the work that we're doing that has us even with some interim metrics that show us possibly not meeting those but if we stay on the trajectory that we're on that we might be able to meet them that maybe less care was taken to provide a better mix of of narrative explanation and quantitative explanation because like just even the fact that there was regression analysis used is helpful to know.

Yeah it just didn't feel as robust.

And when I say talk about the tactical questions the reason I'm asking about that is it just we're doing this so that we can have better understanding and ask better questions about strategy but if if for example items on the the part of the reason I asked about grade level is you're going to get marked down if you don't label your items in your tables.

And so I guess my expectation would have been let's get the items in the tables.

I don't need you to tell me I mean yes I know what it was I figured it out but can we can we please label everything that is on a graph.

I think that's that's pretty pretty standard high school statistics.

I don't we think we should have lower expectations as board directors of our of of these reports than we would expect of people in class.

And I mean regression is pretty you start doing that relatively soon I believe in you know statistics.

So that's why I asked because I'm not really sure you know what what we think is reasonable to talk about, but I think we should be, I think the expectations about the level of analysis should be higher.

And so that, I think you hit the nail on the head and my questions, which were extensive, were really to how do we know this?

how do we know these things to be true and I think it's as important that we do them when things are headed down a positive trajectory as when there there is a negative trajectory.

And so I was disappointed to not I was excited to see the progress and and Congrats to all the kids who are working their asses off out there because times are hard and I know they're working their asses off and so congrats to them and to all the adults that are supporting them and to you all for supporting the adults who are supporting them.

and trying to create the conditions to make sure that they're successful.

And so I wanna make sure that I'm teed up to ask the hard questions about, okay, so why is this working?

And I think with the grading standards, that's great that there's that book.

I didn't have time to read it between then and now.

I'm really interested.

Just based on the conversation, I'm losing your question or your response.

So if we could just keep it a little tighter, that'd be great.

Well I was kind of in the.

So if I may jump in.

I don't think that's what you meant to say but I had a large number of questions that I didn't feel were satisfactorily answered.

So it was a lot about what let's talk about this.

One specific question I have strategically is is about the standards and how we know that we're not doing whether or not there's been any analysis of the exclusion from grading of coursework in order to meet the the goals.

Director Hampson if I may ask Caleb to talk about what we're learning that isn't working as well as some ideas that we're exploring this may get to some of those pieces and if not we'll keep cracking at it.

So Caleb you could talk about from grading what are some examples that we can explore.

Yeah I think just I think Director Hampson asks two very important critical questions that we all want to get better at.

One is how do we know what's working and what are we specifically doing to make that connection and the second is how do we know it's not working and what's evidence that we're actually pivoting away from things.

So to Dr. Jones point on the grading piece again that's an example of where we together including the board have learned about some things we've tried some things the incomplete process for example.

was something that we tried during the 2020-21 school year where we did not allow D's and E's and instead had teachers giving incompletes and then had to follow a process for that.

I think from that learning we implemented a required practice, a practice we did not have in this district prior of ensuring that all educators were required to check in with students and families when students were at risk of a failing grade.

There have definitely been evolutions to the things that we've done and we've changed and revised the supports.

So I do want to be clear about that and I appreciate the feedback.

It sounds like it would be better to share some of those stories of where we're pivoting away from things not just celebrating the things that we think are working.

The other thing that I would love to preview that we can do more of going forward is thanks to Dr. Anderson's team we are doing formal studies to follow up on for example the equal opportunity school survey data to interview and talk with in a systematic way students at Rainier Beach itself and other places to learn about what is working in those classrooms what makes a successful experience for students of color further from educational justice in advanced courses.

We have a lot that we can share and we're beginning qualitative data analysis actually this week.

So we'll have a lot more to share and I think I do appreciate I would love to make these memos more helpful to really give the community a better picture of what's working what's not working.

So I appreciate the question.

Before we move on I wanted to move back to Director Hampson and clarify that just in terms of the length of the question I was getting lost so that's on me.

I take full responsibility.

But what I'm asking is if we can just shorten those for tracking purposes I think that would be super helpful.

No I hear you.

I get what you're saying.

I just don't think that's the way you meant to say it.

I didn't.

All right.

Okay.

Do you have additional questions that you would like to ask.

I want to make sure that you get those in.

Not at this time.

Director Samaritz and then we'll go around the room.

So in terms of the interim metrics we're currently tracking at yellow and I'm wondering what is our strategy or thought around this.

Are we pursuing specific strategies to help these interim goals move into the green work and the second question would be what feedback are we getting from our guidance counselors on why we're tracking yellow.

So, Caleb or Kansi, will you talk about one example such as a ninth grade success tracker and how we're leveraging that?

one of the pieces that this board has helped shape and we've had conversations since 2019 is this idea of a ninth grade success tracker.

So as it happens Seattle actually has a good tradition over the last 10 years of doing more support for ninth graders and we simultaneously have been studying other systems Chicago being the main one that really dramatically improved their results for ninth graders.

The simple version is that it's a combination just back to Director Hampson's point about doing a statistical analysis of what factors best correlate to success at the end of ninth grade and then therefore at the end of high school.

And it usually is a combination of something around attendance, around grades, Sometimes other pieces related to that and so we built that that actually tool exists on Atlas and we've also developed some protocols.

So the good news is that schools are already using it.

It's already available.

Where we have work to do is that it would be greatly enhanced if there were more advisory.

There's more advisory time within the high school day and that's a challenge of our schedule.

but that's something that we're doing to sort of proactively address this to make additional future ninth grade classes more successful and we know coming out of the pandemic those supports are going to be that much more needed.

In terms of more analysis that again we could include in this what's going on with the interims is the credit by credit and we're just as a high level piece we did do a subject area analysis and are seeing that students are generally succeeding in social studies and ELA at higher levels than math and science.

Perhaps that's not totally surprising given prior looks at data related to this, but that's another thing that we're looking at and then working with our content managers to think about what that means for support.

Is that a question about analyzing grading data and thinking about those equitable grading practices?

Is that a place where the curriculum needs support?

Those are two steps that we're taking.

My question is pretty basic.

Are we planning as a school district to continue to work with EOS equal opportunity schools?

We're still in discussion because of the budget constraints we are going to have to change how we work with them.

But we absolutely the thing I want to stress is that we just did a Herculean lift.

Thank you to the high school leaders and staff to get all the data.

so actually we're going to be working feverishly to pull that data together in useful ways to use it going forward.

But we are ultimately trying to teach ourselves how to fish if you will.

So exactly what level of support they'll provide next year is a little is still TBD.

But the good news is that we have some of the greatest things that they provide which is the data itself the survey data itself and the tools related to that.

So implied in the question, or in the response actually, we have limited resources and so I'd like to have Dr. Pedrosa talk a little bit about how we're leveraging those and which areas such as the PMOC and the CSIP cycle, if you could speak to those.

Yeah, so two of the things that we have launched, one thing I'll speak to that we've launched this year is, and this is something that our system is learning to be more systemic around, is our internal progress monitoring of all of the initiatives.

So we have now created the small cabinet, the superintendent's cabinet.

They are now the committee, and actually all of the goal owners, including Dr. Perkins, comes in front of the committee where we talk about execution around the strategies.

We talk about the commitments from each of the division and the barriers to the success of the strategies implemented.

We do that monitoring.

We just implemented our full cycle of monitoring.

We use a process, a protocol, and that is work.

So we're trying to, again, build it.

We're trying to build the internal processes for accountability.

So to ensure that it's not just we create it and then wait till the end of the year but that we go through a cycle and we're doing this with each goal.

The next series is coming up for all the goal owners who will be coming in front.

And the other piece I'll say is also holding accountability to the leaders' commitments because they are to commit to ensuring that they are coordinating and collaborating with the team to ensure that whatever barriers, for example, if there's a DOT commitment, a Department of Technology commitment, related to some type of a strategy or some type of program that we buy that we make sure that all of those pieces are put in place.

So that's one way.

And then the last one is a school implement plan monitoring piece which is also a component of that.

So there'll be all layers within that.

And then the last piece that we're actually also incorporating is our engagement around the work because there are some strategies around family engagement around student engagement.

and making sure that those are also within the cycle of accountability structures.

And so that's work that's launching this near, it's new.

We are learners in the process.

We're also trying to work on our cadence in terms of alignment with these presentations as well.

So make sure that we're in sync and we're not doubling too much efforts on the team that's actually creating this work and these internal documents for the team.

but we are getting better and we will continue that process throughout this year and into next year.

So it's again, we're being the accountability sticks to ourself for some of this work because, and that's hard for us because it's been a challenge and it's also hard for us to be really visible when we are not doing well on some of these strategic initiatives and the execution of some of these goals.

Those are honest conversations we're learning to have with each other as well.

So yes Director Sarju we're looking at all of our resources particularly our partnerships and saying what can we do on our own what do we still need support with we're looking at our coaching how much coaching do we still need we're still in a stage of development but I think we're growing and you'll start to see us have some infrastructure in place for ensuring that our initiatives are strong and implemented really well.

All right, we've been talking a lot.

I want to pause for questions from you all and see if there's any more coming up for you.

I connected to what you're saying about the math that the successful completion is higher in social studies and ELA than math and science.

I want to share a positive story from a principal teacher principal classroom teacher and special education teacher team that the principal literally said that they wanted to become a spokesperson for Envision Math.

and and I'm really excited to see the impact that that that access to that curriculum has on what this goal eventually but also our seventh grade math goal that what's and it's connected to what we're talking about the cultural responsive teaching versus cultural responsive curriculum like what's that about but that making sure that teachers and students have access to meaningful tangible curriculum like they said that the interventions were really helpful.

And so in terms of contacting students who are at risk of not passing being able to have interventions to use that are helpful and useful in meeting those needs.

It was I was so like never thought I would get so excited about math curriculum but it also really demonstrated to me how important it is that we maintain our commitment to and invest in you know keeping those things updated.

So of course I brought up policy 2015 and was looking at stuff but that's neither here nor there.

Anyway I am looking forward to seeing how that having those consistent having that consistent curriculum available to all students in our system.

I believe we will see and I'm wondering if if you all believe this too a yield in the future in terms of students having foundational skills and understanding as they move into later grades because of this curriculum.

And something that was really cool that they talked about too was that some of the older curriculum was really just about the right answer, yes or no. and that this curriculum really supports better just thinking through how to solve the problem and building skills and critical thinking around it and how well how much you could learn from it even if maybe you didn't quite end up with the right answer.

There were still ways to go back and figure out how to arrive at the right answer and just opportunity for building lots of skills opportunity for various levels of ability and anyway.

It was really cool and so I just wanted to share that and I expect it will have an impact eventually.

So anyway my question though is about a wonder they have about grading for equity in terms of is it working is it not working something that I am interested to know about is maybe strengths and limitations that might exist around that from the educator point of view.

So do we know or do you all know is there any data that we have or evidence that we have from educators about maybe preparedness for that students coming into 10th grade have compared to previous 10th graders that if there's a noticeable impact on students level of ability and preparedness for the next course in a sequence based on re-examining grading practices.

I guess what I'm getting at is to Director Harris's point about what does it mean like how do we how do we prove we're not lowering standards.

Is there from the educator point of view anything to support.

Yes it's it's really evident that students because students who were at risk of failing were addressed and really supported.

I see evidence in my classroom because more students are prepared or whatever it might be.

I'm wondering do we have evidence around what may or may not be working in the grading for equity in addition to more kids earning a passing grade.

That was the question is do we do we have more information about grading for equity having increased student student learning.

Do we have more evidence around that working other than that more students are passing.

It took me a while to get there.

I think the fair answer is that we don't have a systematic way of studying sort of 9th to 10th grade 10th to 11th grade it's let's say in math classrooms.

I do want to just say thank you so much for the earlier comments.

Huge credit to Cashel Toner and Alyssa Farmer who weaving it's it is all connected and also to Dr. Torres who's weaving in the inclusion piece and the UDL piece and that envision is perfect.

Anyway so that aside one data point that I would think that we should hold ourselves accountable to me in particular is the idea of what percentage of our students are going to college and am able to enroll in a credit bearing math class.

that is one of the biggest gatekeepers on students ability to finish associate degrees and then go on.

It's one of the main things that our students do in terms of accessing options.

It's a little bit of a lagging indicator because it isn't until they leave and so your point is well taken in terms of we should be looking at data before then.

but I do want to point that out.

That is one of the most consequential math related data points that we can actually measure.

We know what percentage of students who graduate go on to Seattle Promise and go right to a credit bearing math class and that is about readiness.

That is about did they have the knowledge and the standards mastered in those areas to be able to achieve.

But I think otherwise it's a good suggestion to do more research on.

Favorite topic curriculum.

I guess I have three questions now.

Thank you.

You brought up two extras.

I'll make them very quick.

I'm happy to do that.

Thank you for the direction.

Five million dollar curriculum budget in years past has been one of the first things to be cut.

Is that happening in this budget cycle?

Can I tackle that?

It's an easy response I think Dr. Pedrosa go ahead.

And I have a hopeful piece to add.

Especially around every when we did our budget cuts the thing that we asked everyone to hold sacred was our goals.

That was challenging.

Very very hard.

Not that it wasn't necessary but those were the things.

So when we talked about professional development around the goals not to say what's required by law what's required for the CBA the union contract.

and then what's required in terms of elevating our goals and our guardrail work.

So those are the things that we asked everyone to hold.

So I will say that the team, a lot of the teams had to create their really tough lists and the ugly lists in terms of that work.

But that was something that they tried to hold as a commitment that all the work that we were doing to elevate our goals was held.

And so I'll let Caleb answer specifically about these curriculum pieces but that's we've given that direction to the team so.

and I can confirm that and I'll add on that while there is obviously a lot of challenging news with the budget one of the things that enabled us to do is to leverage existing dollars in other ways and so I want to give huge credit to those who put together the tech levy that we have and obviously the voters themselves because in that tech levy we have two million dollars for high school math materials and as it happens now adoptions are almost entirely digital.

and so we're going to be able to make progress in high school math by leveraging those two million dollars.

We'll also be doing something in the six eight ELA areas.

So Director Harris you've been a wonderful advocate for this for years.

Those are two of our our most pressing areas.

So we're not going to do everything but we'll at least have something to make some progress on.

OK but let me. reframe your answer so that I make sure I get it.

Are you saying then that instead of the five million you're going to go with the two million which is a three million dollar subtraction?

Is that correct?

That that's not an accurate assessment of what I shared.

But in terms of you're referring to a five million in previous years we still fund any number of adoptions through a very you know and that has been protected the science adoption that continues to go on that this board voted for that now K-8 for math K-5 for ELA all of those continue to be funded out of the general fund where we're being on it.

In addition to that we're adding the tech levy funds for those other areas.

So is that seven million dollars then?

I think I'll have to make sure I check my numbers because it's a very important question.

I want to make sure I give you the precise answer.

It is a very important question given history a transparency and accountability.

So if you would let the entire board know and if Dr. Jones could address that next meeting appreciate it.

Will do.

Second question and you just alluded to it.

Science adoption.

It wasn't this board that voted for the science adoption.

and I have the scars to prove it.

We were promised however an update as to whether or not the science adoption was working and I don't believe I've ever seen such an update.

And if we're doing less well in math and science maybe that's a good question to look at.

Fair point and we should connect those dots in terms of what what is connected to the curriculum itself.

I will share that previously I think was every other month we provided an update through the committee structure on the science piece.

And so if I know there's ample amount of.

energy being spent on evaluating how that adoption is going and what's working.

It is one of the most widely praised from all corners adoptions especially during the during the virtual year.

It was one of the things that came up again and again that school leaders were so appreciative that we had a common set of curricular resources that were mainly digital that we're able to leverage.

but again to your point you're right we committed to doing an evaluation.

I'm nearly positive my colleague back there Cashel has also been working on this and we'll have to figure out how to share that.

Appreciate that last question.

Thank you.

We talked about math.

Does the fact that we are scaling back the opportunity to take advanced math or algebra in sixth grade and scaling back algebra two in ninth grade.

Does that have something to do with it as well because we hear a lot of pushback from the community and from folks that are used to having services that we have scaled significantly back on.

One of our commitments is to actually continue to offer algebra and combine courses for our highly capable students.

One of the shifts that were made specifically was the two year three year ahead model.

So we have aligned although we do have some cases so for example for this year we did offer an online version for students who needed for example geometry in eighth grade.

so we're trying to be flexible with some of those when we talk about tier three right and so those are the students that are really needing some tier three.

We are trying to be flexible with some of those pieces but for a standardized advanced coursework we've created one continuum for all the schools because that is consistent because the majority of our students actually fall within that.

There are a few students that fall outside of that and we've tried to be accommodating and we're looking to see we're just launched it.

We're just past year one where we launched it completely.

And so that is something we'll have to include in our analysis moving forward.

But we just completed our one year cycle around that.

Okay directors any additional questions before we move on from this section of our meeting.

All right Sina thank you very much.

We appreciate it greatly.

Fantastic work.

All right.

Thank you very much.

Thank you all.

Pleasure's all ours.

Yes definitely cause to celebrate.

We'll now move into our time use evaluation.

Thank you Director Rankin for evaluating last meeting and providing the detailed evaluation included in today's materials.

Are there any takeaways that you'd like to discuss from last meeting or tonight.

Give me a second to bring up.

I need to.

You can have two seconds.

Two seconds.

Wow.

Need to look at it to remember.

Here we go.

Oh that's cumulative.

It's tiny.

OK so I'm looking just at the regular regular board reading.

Here we go.

We had a lot.

Well we didn't have in terms of how the time use evaluation is broken down into accounting for student outcomes minutes.

We really didn't have.

very much at all.

We didn't have any discussion on vision and goals.

We didn't have a discussion on values and guardrails in the agenda.

We didn't have we had the only vote we took was on the consent agenda.

And then we had some time that was continuous improvement in the board time use evaluation category which is also what we are doing right now.

talk slower that gives us more time.

No just kidding.

I mean which also it doesn't mean that we didn't use our time well in the meeting.

It just the agenda wasn't didn't have those topics on it.

So you know actually what what No sorry.

No I didn't have any specific observations.

And that is a okay.

Any other noticings wonderings around time evaluation for this evening.

We do need to select somebody who's going to do it next time.

Oh I can do it.

I can do it for this meeting.

I mean I'll do March.

I can do this meeting too.

All right.

And then actually a question I had are we only tracking Are we tracking all public meetings or just regular board meetings.

I think let's do regular board meetings and then we'll expand.

It's all public meetings.

All public meetings.

I know it's all public meetings but what I'm saying is for the purposes of hold on one second.

I got it.

OK.

Cool.

I was wondering if I was doing the ad hoc committee meetings because those are public meetings but they're not meetings at the full board.

Exactly.

So that was a question that I had as well.

But if we want to do all public meetings then we can do all public meetings.

I think we can also have this conversation and make sure that we are incorporating like.

Because I did the budget work.

I did a work session.

Right.

And some other.

Yeah.

So then that would.

It's all of our time.

OK so that will require all of time use evaluations to request the videos from the other meetings.

Which is easy because it's in teams.

Yeah.

So they're just already there.

Yeah.

OK.

Any other pieces on this before we wrap up.

All right.

If you have not already done a time use evaluation as Director Rankin said she will be covering March and then we're looking for someone for April.

So keep that in mind.

I would rather you volunteer than being voluntold.

That being said we have four written updates attached to tonight's agenda in addition to our standard items.

We have the clean energy plan from the Clean Energy Task Force as I mentioned earlier and a memo regarding the John Stanford Center educational excellence fire line separation emergency determination.

And we have we have had an audit announcement or Chandra do you still have oh that's right because we need to loop back from earlier.

Chandra do you have or excuse me Director Hampson do you have an audit announcement prepared for us at this time?

I do.

Go ahead.

Board procedure 6550 BP internal audit requires an announcement of completed audits.

As the Audit and Finance Committee Chair I'm announcing that at the March 7th quarterly audit meeting the Office of Internal Audit presented two internal audit reports on communications and the Ingram High School Classroom Edition closeout.

The Director of Accounting Services also presented an agreed-upon procedures report for the Northwest Labor's Employees' Employers' Trust Funds.

All audit reports are discussed at a public audit meeting and the completed reports are posted for public viewing on today's agenda and on the Office of Internal Audit Department website at Seattle Public Schools website.

And that's it.

Thank you Director Hampson.

There being no further business before the board the regular board meeting now stands adjourned at 7 p.m.

Thank you.

Get home safely and we'll see you next time.