School Board Meeting January 22, 2020 part 4

We have now come to the additional business action items portion of the agenda.

If I could get folks who are still having conversations to keep those outside or follow along as we're going to start our the additional action items from our agenda.

Hi friends.

We're about to get started.

Thanks.

Appreciate it.

OK so we are just going to go right into action item number one and I will turn it over to our VP.

I move approval of a joint operating agreement between Seattle Public Schools and Technology Access Foundation partial waiver of board policy number 2 1 9 0 with respect to Washington Middle School and amendment to the student assignment transition plan for 2021.

Second the motion.

And this came through executive committee and our recommendation was for consideration.

Thank you.

Chief Counsel Narver.

I move that the school board approve the joint operating agreement between Seattle Public Schools and Technology Access Foundation as attached to this board action report.

Waive with respect to Washington Middle School the provision and policy number 2 1 9 0 highly capable services and advanced learning programs that a self-contained cohort option is available in grades 1 through 8 and amend the student assignment transition plan for 2020 to 21 to include language that the STEM by TAF model at Washington Middle School will be implemented beginning in the 20 2021 2020 21 school year and that starting in fall 2020 highly capable services for sixth grade students at Washington Middle School will be provided in a blended model rather than a cohort model.

Second the motion.

Thank you and thank you for helping us making sure our process is on point.

I appreciate that.

The recommendation that came through the executive committee of the whole was for consideration.

So I'm going to ask our staff to come up to the podium for any revisions and new information since introduction at our January 8th legislative meeting.

Great.

Thank you President DeWolf and directors.

My name is Sherry Cox senior advisor to Superintendent Juneau and I first would just like to honor all of the public comments that we heard tonight.

There were some very heartfelt comments made to us by parents and folks in our community.

And I know this work is hard.

It's hard for all of us.

I just want those particularly to acknowledge that while we maybe haven't always served students as best we can in the past SEA is a committed partner.

That's our Seattle Education Association is a committed partner in doing this work with us to make more equitable outcomes for all students.

I'd also like to call out that our special education and our advanced learning departments have been a partner in this work as we're moving ahead looking at the TAF STEM by TAF curricular focus at Washington Middle School.

I also want to give a special acknowledgment to some of the folks in the audience tonight in support of this work Seattle Colleges our breakfast group Urban League the mayor's office the city of Seattle Constance Rice and the Alliance are all in the audience tonight.

I want to spend an extra minute or two thanking TAF.

These strong women have stood with us through a long difficult process.

They've opened their school doors to SPS parents staff and to you directors who unfortunately at times left TAF students feeling inadequate in comparison to our SPS students.

These great TAF leaders have attended multiple community engagements with us that were at times heated and loaded with racially charged language.

I'm hopeful that that was not our intent and I just want us to remember that sometimes our impact and our intent do not align.

This is an opportunity for us to be in partnership with an organization with over a decade of a proven track record who wants to help us serve our students even better than we currently do and to help us live up to our strategic plan mission and vision of creating students that receive a high quality world class education that prepares them for college career and community.

TAF staff I am honored to have you with us today and I am hopeful that we can move past some of these experiences and that the TAF program program the TAF STEM by TAF curricular focus at Washington Middle School is the strongest TAF program in the state of Washington.

I want to call out that there were three small changes since we were here at consideration.

The first is on page 10 in the BAR.

There was just a small may have been a scriveners area but I want to call it out that it was listed that when we came before you it was for approval when actually it was for consideration.

I want to acknowledge that on page 19 section 10.3 in the joint operating agreement per Director Mack's questions about the capital work we've added some clearer language in that section and I want to call out that on page 22 section 11.2.6 per questions about the procurement and decision making process we've cleaned up that language.

I want to quickly reemphasize a couple of important points.

TEF is not a charter school and it's not privatization.

This is a partnership to bring a curricular focus STEM to in partnership with the industry leader in this work that shares our values.

We are not dismantling HC services.

I believe we're bolstering them.

We are not dismantling the pathway to Washington Middle School.

We are again just proposing that we enter into a partnership with a proven organization.

Washington Middle School is serving the HC students in the south south east southwest corners of the city.

It is not though however our most diverse cohort which we hear.

We will continue to serve students who qualify for HC services both in and out of the cohort.

And we have an outstanding record at serving students who need HC services in both places with our students in the cohort and out of the cohort scoring on average in the 95th percentile or above on state tests.

I'm going to conclude my comments and open it up for questions.

Thank you.

Do directors have comments and questions and let me just pause here to say for the process tonight what we'll do is we'll have any questions or comments or concerns particularly specifically related to any portion of the staff presentation.

Then what I'd like to do is pause there and open the conversation up to the amendment.

We'll ask Director Mack and Rivera-Smith to guide us through any updates there.

Ask questions of of those directors around that amendment.

Vote on that amendment.

And then once that amendment is voted on then either we have a new motion as amended or we stay with the current motion we're under right now.

I will walk us through that as we go along but I just want you to there's a.

There's a little bit of a process here.

Sure.

So I'm super clear before we start.

So we discuss the BAR then we discuss the amendment and the amendment has to be voted on first because.

Because either we will have an original motion that needs to be amended.

It's an amendment to the BAR so we can't vote on them separately.

Thank you.

OK.

Director Harris.

I have a question for senior advisor Cox first and then I would like Chief Counsel Narver's response to some of the things that we heard in public testimony specifically number five on our handouts from Mr. Jackins and his testimony.

To Senior Advisor Cox something you just said piqued my curiosity.

OK as I'm sure will not be a surprise to you that we do a quote outstanding job in serving highly capable students both in and out of the cohort in Southeast Seattle.

What do we base that on.

And if we base it on culturally inappropriate SBAC tests.

I'd like to push back on that statement.

Thank you Director Harris for your question.

And unfortunately the ESPA test is the test that is available to us and so when we utilize that data to look at how our students both in the cohort and not in the cohort perform throughout the city we see on average that our third through eighth graders are scoring in the 95th percentile and above on both the math and the reading ESPA and I understand that the ESPA is fraught with all sorts of bias.

But it is the test that is before us today.

And I just want to flag that is specifically about a larger conversation around highly capable services.

So I want to be thoughtful about sticking to the TAF JOA.

I'm sorry she said Southeast Seattle.

Understood.

I just want to make sure we're trying to keep our thoughts to this TAF JOA.

Thank you.

And if we could have Council Narver address the issues that were brought up.

Number five on Mr. Jackins.

Number six maybe which is the list of.

OK I've got number five on another list here so maybe we're operating on the same.

All right.

A through G.

Got it.

Good evening Greg Narver chief legal counsel.

Can you clarify what you're asking.

Are you asking him to whether or not answer all seven of these.

Whether or not he has opinions on whether or not A through G are in fact facts.

Right.

I want to be careful about the legal advice I give I want to give in a privileged setting.

But just to comment on statements about what state law may or may not require I can give my reactions to these comments.

Appreciate the boundaries.

And of course we need guidance.

I'm seeing these for the first time this evening myself but I will just say a few words.

The first statement is that the TAF proposal discriminates in the provision of educational services to families based on geographic residence.

I disagree.

One thing that has been emphasized to the board in the past is that under current state law there is no prescribed or required model for providing HC services HC services are by law part of basic education but in And in fact the Senate bill that was mentioned earlier the report that goes with that makes explicit there are a range of ways of providing HC services.

One is a cohort model one's a blended classroom.

There are others.

State law right now does not require any particular model and it doesn't restrict the ability of the district to move from one model to another.

What this statement seems to suggest is that a cohort model is inherently superior and that taking it away in one part of the city is a form of discrimination.

That's that's just not a showing that's that I believe is is supported by the law.

Either are acceptable models.

What we have to have in place is a way of providing HC services.

The second is that it is likely to create or aggravate racial imbalance at schools in violation of WAC 392 342025. That's a provision about site selection for schools and that in considering a site for construction of a school one of the factors to consider is that it can't create or aggravate racial imbalance.

This site already exists.

We're not establishing a new school.

This is a change in curricular focus at this school.

I don't believe this WAC provision applies at all.

It fails to meet the needs of students qualifying for highly capable services.

There's been a presentation to the board about how TAF provides those services in a blended classroom.

TAF is aware of the legal obligation to meet the needs of HC students.

I can't repeat what's already been presented to you on the way it does that.

There's a statement that this violates RCW 20A 320230 which is the statute about a board approval of instructional materials.

That's not what's before you right now.

Again this is a change in curricular focus.

STEM school changing a school to a STEM curriculum is one of the ways under our policy that we can change curricular focus.

This is different than approval of instructional materials as we went through for example with the Spanish instructional materials recently.

This says that suggestion that this improperly waives requirements for reporting and board approval of donations of resources.

There were issues or questions raised earlier about what TAF is bringing in terms of in-kind services staff positions.

Those are all called out explicitly in the contract and I believe that by approving the contract as written the board is meeting its requirements to approve the bringing of those resources by TAF.

Violate state law regarding charter schools disagree completely.

There is a specific state statute on what the requirements of a charter school are.

It is a school that is established pursuant to the process laid out in that chapter with a charter.

That's not what we're doing here.

This isn't the establishment of a new school.

It's a joint operating agreement similar to what TAF already has in Federal Way and a change in curricular focus.

And the last thing says it claims to serve students of color furthest from educational justice while ignoring alternatives such as reopening the African-American Academy and Indian Heritage High School.

I don't think that's a legal issue.

Those are policy issues for the board to consider.

So that's that's a quick take on these issues.

Thank you Chief Counsel.

Are there other directors who have questions or comments particularly for this portion of the staff presentation or any revisions or updates that.

I'm just meaning I want to contain particularly our questions and comments for this update because at the certain point when the amendment is voted on up or down we come back to the main motion and so there will be more time for.

So I just want to be thoughtful that to try to be thoughtful about our time because it is 730. Director Mack.

If there are no other questions or comments I will turn it over to Director Mack to introduce your amendment.

Should I read the title as well as the motion or just the motion.

You please read the motion.

Thank you.

I move approval of Amendment 1 to the board action report approval of a joint operating agreement JOA between Seattle Public Schools SPS excuse me and Technology Access Foundation TAF.

Partial waiver of board policy number 21 90 with respect to Washington Middle School and amendment to the student assignment transition plan for the 2020 21 which a amends the underlying board action report to strike the following motion language quote waive with respect to Washington Middle School the provision in policy number 21 90 highly capable services and advanced learning programs that a quote self-contained cohort option is available in grades 1 8 through 8. B substitutes the attached further amended version of the student assignment transition plan for 2020 21 to include language that continues to guarantee highly capable students rising to sixth grade in the Washington HCC pathway assignment to another highly capable cohort program when they apply during open enrollment through May 31st and supersedes the underlying board action report to the extent there are inconsistencies.

Do I have a second.

So directors Mack and Rivera-Smith invite you to give us updates on revisions or anything new from introduction and then we'll open it up to questions and comments from board directors on Amendment 1. Go ahead.

Yes thank you.

Good evening.

As you may have read if you read the updated BAR Director Rivera-Smith and I updated it to include a number of articles of research as well as expand on the equity section that we just discussed last meeting.

I hope you had a chance to read it.

There are in fact academically gifted students of all races and backgrounds and the black and brown students that are at the intersection of race and giftedness are the ones that in my opinion we need to listen to Dr. Joy Lawson Davis a gifted black scholar advocate and author writes that being gifted and talented and also African-American makes children double minorities and the issues they face can be different than those faced by other gifted children.

In testimony tonight and in prior testimony many black and brown parents have identified highly capable students spoke about the value that they place on the HCC program.

There's a gentleman who spoke about his child was identified as a behavior problem instead of gifted and several mothers have spoken up about their upset about not feeling heard that their black child is academically gifted.

In the resolution that we passed several years ago the focus was on expanding advanced learning opportunities not restricting them.

We do need to reform and increase our advanced learning opportunities to ensure equitable access.

The advanced learning task force has provided many recommendations to this end and to remove the option from these students in this cohort of students the rising sixth graders who are in fact 53 percent of color which is a greater proportion than the rest of the highly capable cohorts across the city.

Before we implement the recommendations would be an actual this amendment both supports the blended model at TAF and supports it does not take away from that.

In fact students would be initially assigned to Washington.

Students would have to choose into the HCC option if they want that.

So it's it's it supports a both and solution where we can support all of these students in providing an opportunity to pilot the blended model program as well as continue to provide these students access to the highly capable cohort program which was designed for the academically gifted students.

This is this is where I'm coming from and I hope you consider supporting the amendment.

Director Rivera-Smith do you have thoughts to add.

Director Rivera-Smith.

Thank you.

Thank you for the further explanation of the amendment.

And thank you again to everybody who has emailed in either for or against the amendment.

It's been very eye opening honestly to read all the emails and it is definitely taught me a lot hearing your stories again for or against it.

I want to be very honest about that.

As when we first developed this I kind of saw it serving a single purpose and to me the purpose was to be consistent with our application of HCC services and make sure that we are not we are not taking it away from one population that has that has that has it in their service model and.

It would seem like you know itself was an inequity to say sorry southeast and south.

You don't get that option anymore.

I felt like that was unfair.

And again this is just looking strictly at it looking at it as this is services that they have been promised in this program just saying we promised services in special ed or we promised services in ELL.

These are these are an agreement we have with those families and I wanted to make sure that we were consistent across the city with that.

But again so I've grown since then and I also see it as more as like when we have these families come up here who are families of color who have very passionate stories about what difference it's made to have that opportunity.

And it's hard to take this make this conversation separate it from the larger conversation of is our service model the best one is the cohort the idea that we want to carry on with.

So this amendment is not so much a perpetuation of trying to grow that model.

This is just trying to keep consistent for this one class this one grade that is coming into it.

I cannot wait to finally talk about HCC again and our advanced learning services as a whole as its own subject that we can explore and dive into and finally you know some someday we'll get those advanced learning task force recommendations that are already finished and I'm not sure why we haven't really seen them yet.

That's a different story.

Anyway I look forward to having those in our hands along with I know the task force has been not the task force the advisory committee that's been put together to look at that and find out how we implement them.

That's a conversation I can't wait to have.

I can't wait for it.

But right now this is simply on this is simply to again try to keep us consistent with the services we're giving to that program.

It does not systematically remove any cohort or students from Washington.

They can still go there.

They can.

I won't be disappointed if nobody uses this amendment like if we pass it and everyone decides to go to Taft.

Awesome.

That's that's great if they've chosen that they are willing to to not want that cohort model for their student.

That's fine and they can still do that.

This does not give them an option that they didn't that they weren't already supposed to have as far as they can go to anybody can go to the neighborhood school and these students have been promised this model.

They already had that.

It's not giving them any extra privilege.

So what it does do again is it just gives that one to six incoming sixth graders of this one pathway the option to keep that.

Keep that model that they have been promised.

And then later we will talk about that as its own subject.

But thank you.

Thank you Director Mack and Director Rivera-Smith.

Opening it up to directors for comments questions and concerns I saw Director Rankin first and then Director Hersey.

Thank you.

I I kind of want to clarify about your statement Director Rivera-Smith about the cohort being a promise.

I don't know where that is like we are mandated and should serve — students identified as highly capable and we currently deliver offer.

the cohort model as a delivery system in addition to being able to but I don't know that it's a promise.

And you well I'm just you mentioned special education students as well and they do not have the promise of any sort of delivery model.

In fact it changes on them all of the time.

So I'm just wondering where that promise part comes in.

The the the mandate and the.

thing that I take very seriously is serving all of the students at a certain level.

But the particular model so I'm just just wondering about that.

And then I am wondering about in the original version of the amendment it guaranteed transportation and now it says should transportation be provided.

So I'm wondering what the what the change was.

It didn't change.

OK.

I'm just not finding it then.

So there's still.

The.

The assumption from my understanding and Mr. Narver's interpretation as stated is that with the guarantee of assignment that transportation would go along with it.

Oh because it's a pathway.

Right.

Gotcha gotcha gotcha.

OK. that it's not we are not we don't need to specifically call that out.

Gotcha.

OK.

And then my other question is about space available in our other HC cohorts and how that any any student can apply to a different school other than their own for during open enrollment in terms of having access.

So I know this is the pathway but I'm still just I guess wondering about like say a student decides that they do want the cohort and they want to go to Madison because it's closer than Robert Eagle Staff.

Is there space.

Can they do that if they can get themselves there or like how.

My understanding from working with Ashley Davies team and the enrollment services department enrollment planning sorry is that currently the only likely space is at Robert Eagle Staff.

So we would be providing transportation to students to Robert Eagle Staff.

And can I clarify also that there is space available there because a K-8 school is being moved.

Yes there there is space available at that because that was also a promise made by the district of a native focus school being at that location.

Yeah and we've and yes the previous board approved moving Licton Springs to the newly renovated Webster building.

But I I understand what you're saying.

Director Rankin any more comments or questions.

Director Hersey and Director Rivera-Smith.

Do you want to do you want to respond Director Rivera-Smith.

I respond to the question about the promise.

I mean we're kind of talking semantics here because what I what I was referring to was in policy it does say that a cohort is available and it wouldn't be to the southeast south quadrant if it was if it was removed from well with the TAF model it won't be there.

So that's what I was speaking to.

I'm making a distinction between available and guaranteed.

which I think as the policymakers for the district is important.

Yeah.

Right now the policy again we're not we're not even talking about that policy right now.

We're going to do that I know at some point.

But as it's understood in the sense right now it's it's means that that's what that's what they get.

You know I mean I don't know which word is probably more palpable but that's how they understand it.

Thank you Director Hersey then Director Mack Director Hersey.

I was just going to respond to her space available question that you were asking.

Please.

If that's OK.

So in our current policy students can option in to another school with space available.

However the district has not moved the waitlist for those students.

This only requires that if there is in fact space available that they do get a spot and we don't have that.

potential cap saying that there isn't space available and they don't get the spot so they can still if this doesn't pass students could still apply.

And you know we've been saying that there's space available at Robert Eagle Staff.

Presumably we would honor that regardless of whether or not it passes.

But the the the question of whether or not the district will do that is if we don't pass this then they don't have the guarantee.

So my other question too is that there is concern about Washington Middle School being under enrolled and in the past that has meant that the district will not allow students to opt into another school.

So should that be the case for incoming sixth graders.

Do they actually have this option whether or not this amendment passes.

Those are really good questions for kids for us to think through.

When I say space I mean physical space.

We have often moved or not moved wait lists for not just the physical capacity but because we.

Thank you Director you're like setting me up here for the staffing capacity in a building and so we have historically.

Chosen for the most part there may be exceptions not to pull enough students out of one school that would require us to then say to for example sorry Meany Middle School we're now going to also because we've let your students leave.

We are now also going to pull one of your teachers.

And so we balance the staffing and the physical capacity of a building when making those decisions about wait lists.

I hope that.

And while I'm with that supersede an amendment because if we say well this amendment makes this available to you and then enrollment says actually no.

Guaranteed space no matter what.

And then and then Washington Middle School would lose staff or guaranteed space and Washington Middle School remain unaffected even if they lost students.

This is I'm concerned.

That's a great question about all of the schools retaining the staff that they need.

I mean I think about us not making more promises to people that are not actually going to be options.

Right.

I believe that should there should this amendment move forward in there.

I think you are guaranteeing those students the right to go to a different school which would then leave us with basically two choices.

We would have to continue to mitigate the dollars that would that would require to keep the staff whole or yes Washington Middle School would lose staff if a large enough number of students chose to go to a.

Robert Eagle Staff.

OK.

Thank you Sherry.

Director Hersey then Director Hampson sorry Director Harris then Director Hampson.

Thank you.

So last time we had this conversation I asked had there been any community engagement done knowing that Robert Eagle Staff is probably going to be the selected site that most people.

So could someone please speak to the community engagement and what that looks like.

Hello.

I did.

I did.

I will.

Part of that was I went and met with the principal as I said earlier.

I'm sorry I did go.

I went to Robert Eagle Staff last week and I met with Principal Campbell and last night I went to their PTSA general membership meeting and both times spoke upon this amendment or this you know because they a lot of them you know they're very aware of what's going on.

I mean I don't I don't know.

I mean Principal Campbell was very understanding of that.

You know if this passes then she'll get more and she didn't you know she.

I don't want to speak for her at all.

But I believe that she is serving all of her students very well there.

She did not let me know of any.

You know any outright disapproval dissatisfaction with that.

She you know she I think she's she has her own opinions on the programs and kind of again like I really am wary of speaking for her but she understands that that would that's what would happen.

And the families I spoke to there were also you know overall supportive of well again you know students they already have HCC there so it's not like we're putting things that aren't already there there.

You know they already have it so it's not like we're sticking HCC somewhere it wasn't.

They they again we talk about numbers.

There is what is it 115 total incoming HCC eligible students next year as a 6th grade class.

The odds of all of them opting out is is highly highly unlikely.

It could be as low as zero as high as 115 I suppose.

But and again this purely goes as space is available.

If if you know Arboretum has 10 spots they get at most 10 of them.

If anyone else has any spots it's what they can fit there.

We're not going to overcapacity anybody here.

So you could also appreciate that to me that does not meet the bar that we have set for ourselves in terms of community engagement.

So while I appreciate the effort that you put in I do not think going forward as this board as we have committed to doing a better job of community engagement with our families across this city that that meets the bar in any way shape or form.

Yes so would I have loved to do more community engagement.

Oh yeah.

I mean I totally agree.

I think that we need to need to have a high bar for our community engagement efforts.

Did what I could.

Thank you.

Any more questions Director Hersey.

Please.

Sorry.

I have full respect for the feelings around the community engagement.

We've heard from testimony a fair amount that there there's Unhappiness with how community has been engaged and we heard more than once that the families that had people didn't feel engaged in the conversation until late.

So I I feel as if we unfortunately Knowing that or believing from my perspective that the TAF model and the TAF opportunity is an amazing opportunity and I do believe that in fact students that are highly capable will be well served there as well as all students.

That is that it has a great opportunity.

I think that that we've we've had a challenge through the whole process in.

communicating and supporting and getting everyone on board.

This amendment simply provides the opportunity that all the other students in the city have to a highly capable cohort site.

It does not require that they go.

It simply provides them the same opportunity that the other highly capable students have.

Thank you Director Mack.

Do you have any more questions Director Hersey.

Not at this time.

Director Harris.

I'm going to pass and let Director Hampson go and follow her if I might.

Thank you sir.

Well played Director Harris.

It's very difficult for me to see this as anything but a guarantee of flight and I'm really pretty troubled with the amendments and my perspective that this is you know A pretty masterful job at tokenizing a really small group a really small community of color within the existing cohort to preserve an option for families that quote unquote are wary of TAF.

and the ability of TAF as a model which you've just stated Director Mack that you think is fully capable of meeting the needs of highly capable students which having spent hours and hours with TAF staff at the school down in Federal Way.

I'm incredibly excited about the opportunity for Seattle Public Schools to be really investing in project based learning as a way to provide proven differentiated education that will in fact meet the needs of our highly capable students and all students in that building and do it in an integrated fashion which is the obligation that we have to our entire educational community.

And I it's very difficult to listen to some of the length that there's a lot of co-opting and appropriation of equity language for this purpose that I find deeply troubling.

Thanks Director Hampson Director Harris.

Senior advisor Cox what kind of space is available at Robert Eagle Staff Middle School do we know.

Director Harris I have that number in that orange folder over there.

And while she's looking that up I would ask whose responsibility is it to help do community engagement.

Is it the board members responsibility or is it staff's responsibility to assist the board members as elected public officials and did any staff ask to assist whether they agree with an amendment or not.

It's a question of resourcing and part time volunteers etc. with respect to community engagement.

That's not a rhetorical question.

It's a very deeply held question for me.

Well not to butt in I think we have two staff.

We have a superintendent and Andrew Medina who are our employees.

So I don't we don't necessarily have the ability to direct staff to do our community engagement for us.

That's outside of our — Was it offered — legal authority as a board member.

What I will say is.

If I'm looking at the presentation of the community engagement I think we've done a pretty thorough job of trying to be thoughtful about community engagement.

I think that while certainly if people are not happy with the result we did what we said we were going to do which is go out and be really thoughtful about targeting universalism in our conversations and making sure we're speaking to families of color or making sure we're having these targeted groups so.

I think that's a model to go off of and we don't have any staff.

We have the superintendent and Andrew Medina that's our our employees.

I'm ready.

I don't have a precise answer but in consulting with my experts over there we believe that the light actually I know this the capacity at Robert Eagle Staff Middle School is a thousand students and we believe that with the removal with moving Licton Springs into its own building and also the decline in enrollment we will have approximately eight hundred and fifty students at Robert Eagle Staff Middle School so.

That's approximate numbers.

And again that only takes into account space that does not take into account staffing.

And are there policies and procedures specifically to mitigation of schools and staff and consolidating boundaries e.g.

Cleveland Rainier Beach etc. the same concept that was just brought up here.

Is that I'm not sure what we do quote unquote our practices.

I don't think I understand your question.

Director Harris could you repeat.

Are there specific policies and procedures for protecting school staff and mitigation moving from one school to another.

That was brought up in the earlier conversation about impacts of other schools that Director Rankin so well put out.

My recollection from two or three years ago quote unquote it's just how we do it.

But it's not in policy and procedure.

I'm not aware of any policies or procedures and I look to my brilliant colleagues along the wall who may have a different understanding.

I do know that sometimes when you all make decisions to move growth boundaries you.

will sometimes grandfather students in but I can't recall any of those times where there was a clause to protect the staffing at the other school.

So I can't speak with certainty.

I can only speak to the best of my memory and understanding that.

So I don't think I probably did a great job of answering your question but I don't see anybody offering to come to my assistance either.

And while.

So you're on your own.

Yes.

And I just want to be mindful it is 7 56. We've been meeting about this for 45 minutes almost.

So I want to be thoughtful if there's any final questions comments or concerns about the amendment.

Director Rankin.

With with the the sorry just had a.

Staff Lynch just like Director Mack did earlier.

I totally blanked.

With the.

So eight hundred fifty students.

I know that right now Robert Eagle Staff is over capacity and there are portables at a brand new school.

Yes.

Does the the the move of Licton Springs and the relief of that many students on the building Given that it's over overcapacity are there neighborhood students.

that I'm wondering about.

Would we be squeezing them out.

Yeah.

How that.

We've never turned away an attendance area or a neighborhood student.

So that's why we have beautiful brand new buildings like Robert Eagle Staff Middle School with portables is because we are committed to serving the attendance area students.

So we have also committed to removing those portables from in front of those beautiful murals Superintendent Juneau has made it very clear to Chief Podesta over there that those portables will leave the Robert Eagle Staff campus this summer.

And so the thousand number that I gave you is is the actual building capacity not including the portables.

Now it's not to say that should our enrollment be off and should this amendment pass that there would not.

be a need for portables to come back onto that campus.

Thanks Director Rankin.

Anymore.

Director Hampson.

I just wanted to add that I think the 53 percent students of color in the rising sixth grade class while factually correct is not consistent with the breakdown we look at is not as relevant we break it down and look at students furthest from educational justice.

And it's particularly in fact when students who are furthest from educational justice are those that are that are not well represented not even close to proportionally represented in the HCC cohort that that is not a good representation of that rising 6th grade class.

Thank you Director Hampson.

Any final comments or questions before we move on to the vote.

All right Ms. Shek roll call please.

Director Hampson for the vote on Amendment 1 nay Director Harris abstain Director Hersey nay Director Mack aye Director Rankin nay Director Rivera-Smith aye Director DeWolf nay.

This amendment has not passed with a vote of 1 to 4 to 1.

I think it was 2.

Was 2 approved.

Sorry 2 2 4 to 1.

Thank you Ms. Shek.

OK.

Now we will return to the original motion.

So if directors have any final.

final burning comments questions or concerns.

Thank you very much.

Sherry for sticking through this tonight.

So I want to just open it up again before we vote on the original motion.

If there's any comments or questions or concerns to elevate those now.

This is the original underlying motion which Chandra read at the very beginning.

Director Rankin.

Yeah I have.

I mean I know we're already getting late and I don't need to go into a whole thing.

But I do have some questions that you have yet to be answered I think I want or would ask either either how or that we do include or is there something in place to include the current Washington Middle School teachers in the planning and implementation.

Should this go forward.

I know that well okay I'm going to go on a tangent for a minute.

I testified in front of the board.

In 2015 it was when my student was a first grader.

He's now a fifth grader and I have a second grader also.

I and I testified that my observation was how often we have situations in Seattle Public Schools where the issue isn't as much the what of the issue but the how.

And these fires go up because of the way communities are treated or not engaged or feel blindsided.

And as a very new board member.

I feel really frustrated to be put in the middle of a decision making process to be at the tail end of it where the decision is being made knowing how many people have felt hurt by how this has rolled out regardless of the merits of the program.

And I think that that hurt and harm done to our communities has overshadowed us being able to have the discussion about this agreement and this program coming to Washington Middle School.

And.

So and I've over the last several weeks have had the opportunity well we've gotten a lot of e-mails both for and against and nuanced in between.

But I've also had the opportunity to talk to teachers at Washington Middle School and.

They I think the priority for them is to be included as this rolls out and I think that not only to honor that community but also because they're the experts on their students and they they see the harsh segregation between the two communities they see the struggles They know but they also know where all those students strengths are and the strength of their community and they want they want what's best for their students and for their school.

And so my ask is can we have something that assures everybody that educators that and I know maybe they won't all decide to stay but the educators that do stay will be part of how this rolls out into their school.

And I think it's not only in the best interest of the teachers and the way that they've been treated but also in the best interest of the success of this should it go forward.

Thank you for all of that Director Rankin and I I I tried to make it clear last time and then at our committee of the whole that we know we blew it especially with our educators at Washington Middle School as far as the process goes.

We we I committed then we will commit to you again that we still have some healing to do with that with the teachers at Washington in particular.

I do know that TAF TAF's model will not be successful if the teachers at Washington Middle School don't lift this work with us.

And what I shared last time and I'm sorry.

is that President Tamayo in the audience here spoke in one on one conversations with Washington Middle School staff and they are for the most part in support of the TAF model.

They're still really angry at the district.

And so we have healing to do but.

TAF is committed to working and building the model at Washington Middle School that best serves the community of Washington Middle School and I mean the whole community.

So for example I know you visited TAF at Sahale which looks very different than some of the other TAF models because the the work is built with the community to make it the strongest.

It's going to be the strongest in the state TAF.

services possible and so they will not only be part of like a token part of the process they will be the process that goes forward to build what TAF at Washington Middle School looks like and we've got an amazing new principal at Washington Middle School who will is committed to doing whatever the superintendent asks of her.

And so while TAF was not necessarily her idea to come to the school she is excited for this fraught process to be done with so that she can build this amazing model at Washington Middle School to best serve.

all students in a rigorous rich project based learning environment.

So I hope that answers your question.

Kind of I maybe would like to see it in writing but the in terms of the healing I know a lot of us have talked about that.

I would just respectfully ask that that somebody takes ownership over that that we're not saying oh yes yes there's going to be healing.

The superintendent and I are committed to own that process and give us an update about.

about it.

We're committed to and then the last thing that I want to address is so I did have the opportunity to have they very graciously allowed me to visit yesterday morning because I was.

sick when my colleagues visited and I took it.

I invited to go with me a highly capable Washington Middle School parent and and we both were really excited about what we saw and it was really fun to go with her even though on the drive down I was like what if this was the worst idea ever.

But what I would like to ask is that our our state State directed mandate is that we identify and serve highly capable students and in paper that's going to happen.

And as I saw at TAF my own student who is highly capable I think would love this model but I would like to ask and I think that it's not unreasonable that we have and I know that I talked to a teacher at TAF who was teaching seven math level so she did say she preferred not to do it that way but that she did in this one class have seven levels and one student in particular was quite accelerated and actually chose to do some independent work and stay with her cohort because she really enjoyed some of the collaborative work and that was a choice made with with the child and parents and So that kind of flexibility is really exciting and I know that we've heard here that we will not have a span of that big of levels in our math classes that there won't be more than two I believe.

But I would ask that as it is our direction from the state to identify and serve highly capable students that we still have some kind of.

I don't want to say tracking but reporting back that we are providing that still because we're all saying that that's what's going to happen.

And I know in the ideal situation everybody will do you know differentiation and you know I saw at TAF how engaged students were at all levels and really excited and not in front of computer screens as I've seen talked about.

They were engaged together with with some of the most enthusiastic instructors honestly that I have seen and I've been in and out in and out of a lot of a lot of schools.

But I do think that given that changes to the highly capable cohort are being proposed the beginning of that process is happening and is going to be a long slow process except for at Washington Middle School.

I think that it's kind of only fair and responsible of us to find some way to say what level of math or acceleration students are getting in the subjects that they're currently getting and that we.

say we're providing access to so I don't know what that looks like but I am the chair of the Instruction Committee so I think that's really important to our families.

I couldn't agree more.

And so there's a couple of things there's a formal way that every year we report back to OSPI and the state how we are serving our students who require highly capable services across our system.

So that report comes to you.

I don't remember the month but it's a backwards look at.

how we serve students.

So that's kind of an official way.

But I think more importantly and to your point is Deanie Berry in our advanced learning department is sitting back there and what we're one of the things with TAF that we as a learning organization are most excited about is to learn how are they serving highly capable or students with highly capable service needs in that blended model.

So what is it about project based learning.

that we can expand across the system as we are looking to make other changes possibly to the cohort.

And so we're really enthusiastic about TAF for multiple reasons but our advanced learning team is excited to dig in and do this work alongside of TAF to learn from the experts at TAF to bring our expertise.

I mean we are experts as well.

And so how do we learn from each other to again build the strongest.

TAF at Washington Middle School program.

I just really want to know that our particularly our parents of color who have testified that their students did not get recognized did not get access in their neighborhood school that we are that we can show that we're not figuring it out with them that we can say this child is getting math two years ahead as is appropriate for them.

I'm more meant figuring out like the best instructional strategies.

But I understand what you're saying.

Yes.

With my parent ears that sounds squishy.

So I just I I really think that this has the capability to do right by all of these students and I just want to make sure that we have a way to to show that.

We are doing right.

They're doing they're getting that access and we're committed to that.

Thank you.

Okay.

Director Hersey and Director Harris and it has been an hour officially so I would love us to get to the vote by 25 after.

Thanks.

I do want to make a very clear and public request that we have some form of lessons learned after this that we share Not only internally but externally because a lot of families whether they are pro or con against TAF coming into our buildings the Southeast does not win when we mess this up.

And I need to say that again.

The Southeast does not win when we mess this up.

This process especially walking into it as a new board director was wildly unacceptable.

And I know that we've all had these conversations but I just want to make it very clear that this is an area of our city that has been historically marginalized in numbers of ways.

And I am sitting here looking at families in my community and in my district and my heart hurts for them because from their perspective truly things are changing and it feels like yet another opportunity for the district to take something away.

That said I am not in favor of moving forward without a very clear plan with how we are going to do that healing because healing as Director Rankin said in another capacity it's very squishy and I want to make sure that we are having thoughtful conversations about what that looks like and moving forward because again the Southeast does not win when we mess things up.

Thank you Director Hersey Director Harris.

I'm going to read a statement because this has cost me a great deal of sleep and probably added to my high gray hair factor.

And I would say to Director Hersey the Southeast does not win.

Respectfully call you out the Seattle public school system does not win when we don't do it right.

And we break trust.

You'll recall that I as the former board president signed the initial memorandum of understanding to bring TAF to Washington Middle School.

TAF is an extraordinary program with an extraordinary team.

I emphasize team.

It is not just about Trish Jouzeko but her team a team I very very much respect and have watched closely for over 10 years and certainly respect their grace and tenacity.

These folks have put up with no end of bureaucratic stumbles.

As you know we blew our date of September 2019 to have a joint operating agreement and had not really explored or transparently gave the reasons that Washington Middle School was chosen including that it's next door to opportunities for community based organizations in Seattle Central College.

The issue has also been conflated with the delivery of the highly capable cohort services and the dismantling of that program ostensibly over the next six years to disperse the cohorts back to neighborhood schools.

Unfortunately the ramp up in communication with affected communities families potential students teachers at Washington middle schools and indeed taxpayers was less than was it intentional.

No I do not believe that.

But as an elected citywide board director I am very disappointed and frankly angry that the board was not kept as apprised as we should have been and had several false starts.

Let me be clear this is not a takeover or a charter school and my apologies on the record for my violent language at the last board meeting talking about doing away with those incorrect names appropriately called out by President DeWolf and a couple of email corresponders.

This issue has become extraordinarily polarized but what remains is all communities disappointed with our communication and timing.

I am not convinced that we have the resources for professional development to disperse all of our HCC students.

And again I detest those phrases HCC labeling to neighborhood schools and will continue to insist on budget numbers for this six year plan.

Indeed thus far we have systematically destroyed advanced learning programs and AOL ALO programs and walk to math and other school based opportunities one school at a time in the dark without community input over the years.

And somehow folks are surprised at the HCC cohort ballooned and our teachers our extraordinarily talented teachers will have as many as five grade levels in one class without additional staff.

And ironically HCC has no special curriculum but only two years of acceleration.

Does that mean that if and when with this six year plan our HCC students will be dispersed will have to re-hear and re-listen for two years what they've already been over.

For 20 years several task forces have studied this issue and.

Suggested different ways to identify and coach more students of color and lower socioeconomic status to gain entry to the HCC formerly known as the APP program.

Yet we have not changed our ways.

Perhaps yes.

Finally at long last the recent recommendations of the advanced learning task force will this time be listened to and implemented.

There's been a great deal of polarity in the communication in this issue both with respect to the HCC cohort dispersal and the TAF Washington Middle School and unfortunately is set up as a win lose proposition and there is much on the continuum of public comments and input.

The devil is truly in the detail and to require SBAC testing a culturally inappropriate test as a gatekeeping test is wrong and unjust.

And then to the press columnist taxpayers text from the mayor's bills submitted in the legislature that are ill drafted and unfunded and incorrect information out in the blogosphere and Facebook land all extraordinarily distressing and depressing.

Frankly this choice to me pales from our conversations and my vote on amplify science adoption and please know that I have paid heck every day for that vote.

A Hobson's choice is a free choice in which only one thing is offered.

The phrase is said to have originated back in 1544 1631 with Thomas Hobson a livery stable owner in Cambridge England who offered customers the choice of either taking the horse in his stall nearest to the door or taking none at all.

So all that said what is Harris going to vote.

I was going to vote yes for Amendment 1. I changed my vote based on the comments from my colleagues to abstain because for the Southeast Central Quadrant not to have the same opportunities as the rest of the city feels to me unjust.

But we are against the wall on timing for the student assignment plan and planning is well underway for next year's and next year and these decisions cannot be delayed.

I will vote yes for TAF Washington Middle School BAR.

Why.

Because we what we are doing now is not working and we have to do something different.

And I believe this is a bit of a pilot plan much like the advanced learning task force has suggested.

What works what doesn't work.

We can learn from this.

And with respect to your lessons learned I could not agree with you more.

Director Hersey.

We have much to learn and how we rolled this out.

Excuse me.

I'm speaking.

Thank you.

But TAF will have additional teacher training additional funds smaller class size.

The Institute this summer mentorships internships and they'll teach differently than just two years of acceleration.

And I have to tell you the atmosphere at Sahale Middle School is extraordinary and exciting.

TAF is well aware of the microscope on it as is the leadership at Washington Middle School our staff at Central and indeed this board well appreciate a great deal of trust has been given us.

And recall that Washington Middle School is coming off a very very difficult 2018 19 school year.

But I do have faith that we can and we will do better.

I believe this is ultimately better.

Please know I've read every email and I am happy that we are going to be taking a look at the different neuro diverse needs of each and every one of our children in the future.

My hope is that we discuss these difficult issues we focus on growth for all students not test scores and we change the paradigm in our arc of opportunity.

Thank you.

Thank you Director Harris Director Hampson.

So I just wanted to follow up on a couple of questions that I had during the introductory period for this action for this BAR.

I had.

Sorry just flag we are at 8 21 just to keep your.

How many minutes do you need.

I was hoping we'd get to this by 8 25.

How many minutes do you need.

I need a few moments.

So my concerns were about sustainability of the program about capacity of the TAF organization.

So I spent a lot of time with the organization looking through their audits their financials and spending time with the program itself at TAF at Saheli and was very well satisfied looking all the way back to their new markets project that actually built an incredible building.

that houses multiple other tremendous organizations and which is free and clear and provides them a really nice asset base.

And from a fiscal standpoint was well satisfied that this is an organization that not only has an incredible ability to transfer to transfer actual monetary capital meaning they're not they're they're creating revenue sources that are being transferred into the school environment.

They're not keeping them for themselves so they're not enriching themselves as an organization.

as a as a byproduct of doing this work all of that work is going directly into the schools and their operations are pretty minimal their income statement is actually pretty pretty minimal but that's not because of lack of capacity but because of how they do their work.

So I was very impressed by that and also talked a lot about fundraising.

that they would need to do to maintain it.

And I believe that they will not only bring that with them in terms of the their capacity with respect to their relationships and industry and thereby connecting our community finally in the city of Seattle to industry but they will also provide some additional social capital that we desperately need in Seattle Public Schools and that.

that this is an incredible opportunity for us to have a truly good working partnership which I think is something that we need to greatly improve upon within this district.

I think one of the the biggest challenges that remain ahead of us that were brought up earlier have to do with professional development.

However that is not unique in this environment that the as we get into ethnic studies since time immemorial.

Implicit bias all of those topics require an incredible level of partnership and cooperation with our teachers union among other unions that we have and are lucky to have partnerships with in the school district and we have a lot of work to do there and it's not unique to this situation but we are going to have to learn how to work together as a board board working with with union waving at you back there Michael Tamayo.

To make sure that we can come together.

Schools are successful when they come together as school communities and we need to be able to provide the support for them to do that.

And we also are morally and legally required to provide advanced learning opportunities.

And I'm incredibly excited about this as an opportunity to help us learn how to do that in this district in an equitable way because thus far as everyone has pointed out we have failed.

And I think that's the end of my comments.

Thank you.

Thank you Director Hampson.

Are there other directors with comments questions or concerns.

Director Rivera-Smith.

I don't know if anyone else here did but I actually did reach out to the Federal Way School Board because I wanted to inquire how that relationship works with TAFT.

I didn't hear back from anybody but that's OK because what I was going to ask and though same I'll make this request now is I do want to like you know I think like Director Hampson was saying we want to.

Make sure that we're still engaged because we want this to be successful definitely.

And I I I'm pretty confident that our staff and teachers there can make that happen.

I just want to make sure that we are still because I was the question is how does that school board or federal way kind of how is the relationship with the TAF organization and the school.

Maybe there was nothing to take.

Maybe that's why I didn't hear from anybody because there wasn't any like nothing really there was no there there but.

I want to make sure that we are still kept engaged especially since this is going to be a huge learning curve for everybody and how we can support that what we can do even as far as like like Director Harris was saying earlier how we can do our community engagement help be a part of that process as we go forward.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I just have three things.

When I was elected to the president of this board the two things I wanted to at least speak very clear about to the community particularly for my decision making was the seven generations principle which says that what we do now must create positive sustainable and meaningful solutions for today and seven generations into the future.

I believe this does satisfy that for me as far as being long term thinking and thinking you know how will this affect seven generations in the future.

The other thing.

Again in my decision making is is our alignment to and centering of our strategic plan.

I think that this work does that and I see that that is why another reason why I would support this.

And I think the last thing just to say is to me the headline for it you know if this passes.

Headline tonight or tomorrow should actually be that Seattle Public Schools in our commitment to our innovative strategic plan have voted successfully to desegregate a middle school in the central district.

That is the headline.

So I'm looking forward to this vote.

I'm going to stop talking and Ms Shek roll call please.

Director Hampson aye Director Harris aye Director Hersey proudly aye Director Mack abstain Director Rankin aye Director Rivera-Smith aye Director DeWolf aye.

This motion is passed with a vote of 6 to 0 to 1.

Thank you.

Thank you directors.

I would like to invite Trish up to the podium please.

If you'd like to provide any comments or remarks maybe a glass of water for how long we've been talking about this.

I stepped out a couple of times and got water.

I actually wrote two speeches depending on how you vote.

So I'm glad I get to read this one.

First of all.

Team Taft which is everybody that came here to support staff please stand up.

Yeah.

You raise your hand to wow.

Thank you.

I want to thank you guys for for hanging this long for this moment in history for us.

This is very cool.

So thank you for approving the partnership between TAF and Seattle Public Schools.

We are excited to dive into planning with all the stakeholders.

to transform Washington Middle School into a school that will encourage innovation push the limits of what's expected deliver curriculum in a way that is relevant to the real world needs and goals of students and create an environment that promotes academic success for all students particularly those furthest away from educational justice.

Through these eight months we have had ups and downs moving this forward.

But what remains clear today is that everyone involved kept equity and student growth in the forefront.

The Seattle Public Schools staff has been great to work with.

They are thoughtful professional sometimes brutally honest and TAF is proud to officially be called your partner.

On behalf of TAF I want to thank the board for taking the time to learn about the STEM by TAF model to learn about TAF and our team for being honest about where we fell down in this process and your willingness to keep going and acknowledging the enormous amount of work the district has in front of it to ensure equitable practices throughout the system and we're really proud to be a partner with you in that.

And as I'm known to say sometimes too often This is the work.

So let's get going because our baby shouldn't have to wait another day.

Principal Hunt.

I'm glad you're ready because it is time.

Let's go.

Thank you.

We're just going to break for about a two minute recess to do the signing so we can officially do it.

So excited and certainly excited about the celebrations but I do want to make sure we can get to the rest of our action items so for directors please return to the dais.

OK we're returning from recess at 835 p.m.

I am going to call for a motion on action item number two and I just want to elevate something for our audience.

Action items number two.

If conversations could move outside please.

Thank you everybody for action items 2 3 and 4. These did not go through committee.

They were presented to the executive committee and we move them out of executive committee and just straight to the agenda tonight for introduction and action.

So that's why you're seeing these on here as introduction action for numbers 2 3 and 4. So I will turn it over to Vice President Hampson.

I move that the school board approve the 2020 to 21 school year calendar as attached to the board action report with any minor non-substantive additions deletions or modifications deemed necessary by the superintendent.

Immediate action is in the best interest of the district.

Second the motion.

OK Chief Berge is oh and the again these did not these did not come through committee so there was no recommendation.

They're here for us to stew as intro and action tonight.

So I'll turn it over to Chief Berge for your comments.

Thank you.

JoLynn Berge standing in for Chief Clover Codd tonight.

So by way of background the district is required under its collective bargaining agreement with the Seattle Education Association to bargain the school year calendar.

A general framework for when we begin school or have designated breaks is outlined in the CBA agreement.

However each year we must still come before the board to receive official approval for the final dates.

The attached calendar provides all of those dates as outlined and holidays.

So the first day of school according to the CBA key dates formula which was approved by the board when the CBA was ratified in 2015 that originated this language states that the first day of school should be the first Wednesday in September.

This year the first Wednesday in September will be September 2nd 2020 which is before Labor Day.

The key dates formula was originally bargained in the 2015-18 CBA as a tool for families.

and staff to provide guidelines for the calendar and so that dates weren't arbitrarily made.

This calendar has also been shared with all 13 of our bargaining units and no concerns or objections were raised by our labor partners.

We do have a labor group that talks about.

religious holidays and cultural observations and practices.

I that group has created supplemental materials and guidance to schools that will go out with the 2021 calendar if approved and those are attached to the BAR.

At this point I'll take comments.

Thank you Chief Berge.

Are there any questions or comments from directors.

Director Rankin.

You're always you're right in that perfect eye.

I have a question or a comment.

This is I guess just a comment because I think I know that this is in the CBA that's a three year agreement that was decided

This is the term carries forward in the current agreement.

So the original language happened in the 2015 18 bargaining agreement.

The language has carried forward.

So I guess the issue at hand really was the communication out to families that there were some assumptions made that school started the Wednesday after Labor Day when in fact it says in the CBA.

It's the first Wednesday of September.

My question is I know that other districts I guess I'm wondering why it's part of the collective bargaining agreement.

I know that in other districts there is it comes before the board.

For example in Issaquah School District there's a process where they approve a calendar approve and publish a calendar three years at a time.

And there's surveying that goes out based on what the you know what the holidays are what the set dates are and the number of of school days goes out to I know at least to teachers maybe to families too I'm not sure.

And then it's it's decided by the board and then published three years in advance.

So I guess that's just sort of a general like could we explore doing something like that so that family so that just we all kind of have more more notice than.

six months ahead or nine months nine months ahead.

I believe that my understanding is that Chief Codd intends that conversation to happen in executive committee.

I'm sorry could you repeat that.

Chief Codd expects for that conversation about the three year perspective outlying of the calendar to be discussed in the executive committee.

OK.

Thank you.

Were there other questions.

or comments on the.

I just had one clarifying question.

Do you is the the culturally.

The cultural notes are those.

Is that the extent of the work group that was set.

I thought there was a work group that was to be formed for the CBA that was going to have a broader discussion about how to make our calendaring more culturally responsive.

And but I don't think this is that because I thought that was due at the end of the month.

I'm going to let Michael Tamayo president of SEA answer that.

Director Hampson.

So out of this bargain came an agreement to put together a workgroup around creating equity for lack of a better better title equity calendar that didn't have to do with specific observances or dates dates of school that more had to do with what what culturally appropriate accommodations could we recommend to schools based on based on religious groups that aren't part of the traditional Judeo-Christian calendar in regards to testing school school events and other kind of high impact school times of the year.

And so this had nothing to do with the actual school calendar starter end dates.

It had more to do with developing recommendations for accommodations to mitigate any impacts that that not that not non-traditionally represented religious groups may need to consider during those high impact times a year.

Testing being the primary focus.

And so thank you for that answer.

That's very helpful.

And while we have you because we've got a surprising number of comments about the Labor Day pre Labor Day start date which is just a function of when the day falls in the calendar which is twice every 10 years that it's before that that's the first Wednesday is is before Labor Day.

Any rationale as far as you're aware of from the teachers union in terms of.

Why a calendar based system versus a federal holiday based start date.

And if you don't know.

I understand.

This agreement came out of the 2015 bargain which was memorable for many reasons.

I can't remember the specific interest or value that came within within regards to this provisions of the calendar.

I do know that we did have a shared interest in having a mutual foundation to start the calendaring at but.

Other than that I don't recall.

OK.

Thank you.

Thanks Director Hampson.

Other directors have comments or questions concerns.

OK.

Seeing no further comments questions or concerns Ms. Shek roll call please.

Director Hersey aye Director Mack aye Director Rankin aye Director Rivera-Smith aye Director Harris aye Director Hampson aye Director DeWolf aye this motion is passed unanimously.

All right.

Item number three.

We move that the school board that the board approve resolution number 2 0 1 9 dash 20 dash 3 sorry 2 0 1 9 slash 20 dash 3 a resolution of the Board of Directors of Seattle School District Number 1 King County Seattle Washington to declare that the lives of black students matter as well of the lives of all of our underserved students that we affirm the demands of the black lives matter at school movement and that we encourage participation district wide and National Black Lives Matter at school week from February 3rd to 7th 2020 is attached to this board action report.

Immediate adoption is in the best interest of the district.

Second.

Thank you president.

So used to calling you President Harris.

Dr. Harris.

I. That's true.

I I was just wanted to open it up to directors Rivera-Smith and Director Hersey.

Who would like.

I actually have a point of clarification and legal advice please from Chief Counsel Narver.

It was stated during some of the comments tonight they've run together frankly that we had to reintroduce this every year.

Now I looked over at you and I said no.

And I got the distinct impression this is not a year by year resolution.

Would it be illegal and out of order to say in support of Black Lives Matter.

February 3 through 7 2020 and thereafter.

So we don't have to do this every year.

So we can take a much stronger stand than we have already.

So I'm not aware of anything that would restrict that restricts the board to only doing this on an annual basis.

This resolution as drafted pertains to this particular week in 2020.

And thereafter as an amendment would be out of line.

If you said the first school week in February or something like that.

I don't believe there's any prohibition in our policies any restriction on doing that.

This has been this was drafted to apply to this particular week but I don't think the board would be prohibited from making it an ongoing.

Well then I make a motion for an amendment to put this into perpetuity until it's.

Withdrawn and we have a second.

Well I would need specific language to be added to the existing motion so that the record is very clear on exactly the language of the board.

And can we backfill that as a Scrivener.

Can I can I just ask a question too particularly because Director Rivera-Smith and Director Hersey created you know did a ton of the legwork on this to see if first to get your thoughts but also if there's anything to add to what you're describing because.

I want to be thoughtful that they were the ones that led this, so.

Yeah absolutely.

So I have no problem with that.

I think that my first inclination is that there is also a benefit to talking about this every year so that we don't forget about it.

More than happy to put thereafter but I would also like to see you know let's also have a conversation about what we can do annually to reinforce it because I think we heard very clearly from our student representatives that they want firm policy change.

And I think bringing this up while it is tedious from year to year.

is also incredibly important to remind us and help us center our work especially as it relates to our strategic plan.

Do not disagree but do want to find a way so that we can have this conversation annually.

So so likewise I think it would be super duper awesome to make this for perpetuity.

My only slight concern is because this year is a little different.

We changed it this year.

It's not the exact same as the last two years which was was very intentional and we threw in the that we affirm the demands of the Black Lives Matter at school movement.

Those.

will change every year.

So we would automatically approve them without having seen them.

I mean I don't know that we would disapprove with them but we'd have no way of knowing what will be a year or a year.

Those parts will change.

I feel responsible now because I think I was the one who said hey we should put these in here because I was really excited about that.

But that might muddy that up a bit just because that clause in there would help us reaffirm something we haven't seen yet.

Yeah but maybe maybe we do a new one later that you know isn't that isn't changing every year.

Other director comments questions concerns Director Hersey.

Just wanted to speak to the resolution.

Thank you.

I appreciate it.

So this was a real honor to work on especially because it was the first actual policy that Director Rivera-Smith and Director DeWolf and I got to work on together.

There was a lot of workshopping that went on to it.

And I think that especially for me there were a couple of really key changes that we placed into the resolution this year.

First including the names of individuals who were killed and murdered in fatal altercations with police.

I think that that really humanizes this piece of legislation and is not just lip service and it actually lends to the idea that we are trying our hardest to not only see But to also engage with our community in that way and by putting the names of those black individuals who met their face at the hands of police violence for me at least and I know for a lot of our students really pushes us to the next step in really trying to figure out how do we understand and how do we engage and how do we honor and how do we respect The purpose behind saying Black Lives Matter.

Right.

And I think the other piece that Director Rivera-Smith alluded to is also including the demands of the National Black Lives Matter at school movement within the resolution was also very key.

And I think that it takes a step not a full leap but definitely a step toward what our students were telling us earlier.

And I really do want to think about ways whether it comes through you know the demand is directly related to a policy that could be put forth through the operations committee or the curriculum instruction committee thinking about how can we continue to work with those students specifically and students across our district.

in thinking about tangible ways that we can meet this because I am not interested in letting this be lip service.

I think it does a disservice to all of our black students and all of our students furthest away from educational justice.

We owe it to them to do better.

We owe it to them to figure this out.

But most of all we owe it to them to have them at the table while these decisions are being made especially because truly holding us accountable they show up.

More so than almost any other student group and honoring that voice and centering that voice is something that I am willing to make a major priority not just for me but I encourage our board to do so as well.

All right.

Any final comments questions or concerns.

I have a question for Diane actually Diane DeBacker because as we were doing this one question I had in this was we have a clause a part of it that says I'm in front of me right now but says about how our our staff have been working with towards a curriculum and I wanted to change it to we have created a curriculum but I hadn't really got clarity and did we in fact create a curriculum and how have we gone about sharing that with our schools.

The ethnic studies advisory group under the direction of Tracy Castroville they do a curriculum for the week and then that is pushed out to schools via school leader communicator.

So it's only done for that week and it's done.

It has been it's it's been lifted up by the advisory group at this point.

I believe it should expand and go much beyond that group and have others involved including students.

A follow up question to that is that related.

I know that you know this is before my time as a board director but I know that there was also some work done by Jesse Hagopian and others.

Is that aligned.

Is it the same.

I'm just making sure.

I personally can't speak to that.

That was before my time.

For both of us I guess.

I wrote a resource guide that ended up being distributed to the teachers.

Great.

But it wasn't official curriculum.

It was like it was it started as an FAQ for parents and then Jesse and I worked together and distributed it but it wasn't.

That was the first year that it was Black Lives Matter school day.

But it wasn't it wasn't adopted curriculum.

And to just create a public record I would be interested in seeing what does that look like to have that conversation more than just within Black History Month because again I think that that does a disservice that we couch and compartmentalize when we think about black excellence to one month out of the year and the fact that it's the shortest month doesn't add any you know substance to that for me either.

So you know as our new curriculum and instruction chair that is something that's very important to me and hopefully a conversation that we can have going forward.

All right Ms Shek roll call please.

Director Rankin yes absolutely.

Director Rivera-Smith yes.

Director Hampson in honor in honor of Charlena Lyles yes.

Director Harris aye Director Hersey in honor of all the black men and women who came before me and laid down their lives.

Aye.

Director Mack yes Director DeWolf aye.

This motion is passed unanimously.

Congratulations.

or if we move on can I just say it really feels good as the one of many African-American educators across the state African-American board directors across the state to be a part of a district that loudly and proudly affirms that black lives matter.

And I am very very thankful to be a part of this board and to sit on this dais with individuals who agree that our students especially those furthest away from educational justice but especially our black students matter.

And that to me just makes my heart sing.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

Action item number four.

I move that the Seattle board authorize the superintendent to take all necessary actions to resolve the claim for damages dated March 26 2019 brought by a former student and his mother against the district which would include payment of district funds in the amount of four hundred and seventy five thousand dollars in exchange for a waiver and release of all claims following any necessary court approval.

Immediate action is in the best interest of the district.

Second the motion.

I'll turn it over to you.

Good evening John Cerqui Chief Deputy Legal Counsel for the district.

What you have before you is a board action report where we're requesting authorization to settle a claim that was filed with the district.

We have carefully reviewed the claim over the last eight months.

I also want to let the community know that we did have two executive sessions with the school board to inform you of the facts.

So the purpose of this meeting is not to go through the facts in detail.

We did that in an executive session since this is a claim and it could result in a lawsuit if it is not approved and signed off on.

So that's why the brevity and the background information about the claim but it does involve a student who was potentially released to the wrong parent who was therefore injured and sustained damages.

This was a difficult settlement that went back and forth, but we do believe that the dollar amount, although high, is warranted in this situation to compensate the family for the injuries that were sustained.

So it is our recommendation from the general counsel's office chief counsel Narver and myself that you approve and authorize the superintendent to sign a settlement agreement with the family.

At this time the former student is still a minor so we will be asking the court for guardian ad litem approval so there will be some review before it is finally approved.

But we need to get your approval to move forward with the court.

If I can answer any questions I'm happy to do so.

I'm working in this business and always on the side of victims and plaintiffs.

I want to applaud you personally and our legal department for availing ourselves of alternative dispute resolutions specifically mediation with gifted mediators without going to expensive painful for the victims litigation.

I this feels like a substantial change and the level of detail conversation and input from our legal team and executive session is highly appreciated.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Any other director comments questions or concerns.

Thank you for all your work on this.

Ms Shek roll call please.

Director Harris aye Director Hersey aye Director Mack aye Director Rankin aye Director Rivera-Smith aye Director Hampson aye Director DeWolf aye this motion is passed unanimously.

All right.

Thank you.

Number five.

I move that the school board authorize the superintendent to accept the U.S.

Department of Education school climate transformation grant in the amount of three million seven hundred nineteen thousand nine hundred thirty six dollars across five years.

Second the motion.

This came to A&F on December 9th for approval.

So I will invite.

No.

If you'd like to come up if anybody has any questions or comments or concerns this is the time.

Yes we had this at introduction at our last meeting.

Any burning questions comments concerns from directors.

OK Ms. Shek roll call please.

Director Hampson aye Director Harris aye Director Hersey aye Director Mack aye Director Rankin aye Director Rivera-Smith aye Director DeWolf aye.

This motion is passed unanimously.

Thank you for sticking around.

Nothing huh.

OK action item number six.

Number six.

I move that the school board approve the new course additions for the 2020 to 21 school year as attached to the board action report.

Director Harris.

OK Chief DeBacker any updates revisions or anything else we need to know about.

There have been a few updates to the BAR from when we were here two weeks ago.

We have visited with the requesters of the courses to make some of the suggested changes.

All references to ethnic studies were removed and that was in consultation with Tracy Castro-Gill.

We have also updated a couple of the titles in the visual and fine arts to more accurately reflect those courses.

We have changed wording as a result of Director Hampson's concerns around some of the wording within the descriptions and with that we have eight courses to recommend for addition to the new course catalog for the next year.

One in career and tech ed.

One in a pre-apprenticeship which will work very nicely with the community workforce agreement.

Two in language arts and four in fine arts.

With that I stand for questions.

Thanks Chief DeBacker.

Any directors have comments questions concerns.

And this came through C&I on December 10th for approval.

Director Harris.

Was this just with consultation with the ethnic studies manager or with the advisory group as well.

For these specific changes to these two courses that were in question it was with the program manager Ms. Gill.

Thank you.

All right.

Any more comments questions or concerns seeing none Ms. Shek roll call please.

Director Rivera-Smith.

aye Director Rankin aye Director Hersey aye Director Harris aye Director Hampson aye Director Mack aye Director DeWolf aye this motion is passed unanimously.

Thank you.

All right.

Final number seven.

I move that the school board accept the work performed under contract P 5 0 6 8 with Pacific Mobile Structures Inc. for the provide move and set up portable classroom modules at multiple school sites project as final.

Immediate action is in the best interest of the district.

Thank you.

And this came through Ops on January 9th for approval and I just wanted to update one thing.

This would have been on our February 5th legislative meeting and it would have been the only item in action and or introduction.

So we move the executive committee move this from the 5th to today.

So that's why you're seeing it today folks as an introduction and an action item.

Again this was brought forward from Ops for approval.

Do folks have questions comments or concerns about this final acceptance.

Director Mack any important things we should flag.

Just just to give context this I'm thinking of a different one.

This is for the 2015 portables placements.

So this was the year that we had how many portables.

It was kind of out of control.

19 19 portables 19 classrooms were added.

Yeah.

OK.

So anyway this is a number of years late to get the final acceptance done but.

Yay.

Final acceptance.

This is great.

It's all over but the tears.

Confetti.

If there are any other questions comments or concerns from directors.

All right Ms. Shek roll call please.

Director Hampson aye Director Harris aye Director Hersey aye Director Mack aye Director Rankin aye Director Rivera-Smith aye Director DeWolf aye.

This motion is passed unanimously.

The board is now immediately recessing the regular board meeting into executive session to consider the selection of a site or the acquisition of real estate by lease or purchase when public knowledge regarding such consideration would cause a likelihood of increased price and to consider the minimum price at which real estate will be offered for sale or lease when public knowledge regarding such consideration would cause a likelihood of decreased price RCW 4 2 dot 3 0 dot 1 1 0 1 B C the executive session is set is said.

The executive session is scheduled for 30 minutes within an anticipated end time of nine thirty three p.m.