School Board Meeting February 26, 2020 pt 2

The the annual board director and senior staff ethics disclosure forms have been completed and are posted on the agenda online.

I will also note one adjustment for tonight we'll make into the agenda which is we're moving an action into introduction item the Seattle teacher residency program contract to the very end of the meeting to allow for our presenting staff to be here.

And as we have now reached the.

530 p.m.

public testimony portion of our evening.

We so that we may hear from our speakers tonight.

I ask that speakers who have concluded their testimony and members of the audience please take conversations into the lobby.

The rules for public testimony are on the screen and I would ask that speakers are respectful of these rules.

On the podium there will be a two minute timer.

Please respect the timer and please make sure that the majority of the speaker's time be spent on the topic that you have indicated that you wish to speak about.

So to kick us off tonight as is our tradition I would like to personally invite up our student speaker who is the first on our agenda tonight.

Again each speaker has a two minute speaking time and when the two minutes have ended please conclude your remarks.

Ms. Shek will you read off the testimony speakers please.

First up for public testimony we have Ella Guo followed by Erica Ayojima and then Mia Dabney.

Hello my name is Ella I use she they pronouns and I am from Nova High School.

Thank you so much for having me today.

And yeah student voice is important.

However this term is overused and has lost its meaning.

It's used for stuff like ASB and other committees at schools but that's only a fraction of what it could and should be.

At Nova every student is able to voice their own opinion what they think is great what they think isn't and what needs to be changed through our governing committees.

Every student has the opportunity to share relevant topics such as what needs to be changed in our schools how the school works and the impact it has not only on our fellow students but also on our community.

Nova is a perfect example of what a powerful heard and represented student voice looks and feels like.

For example in our hiring committee half of the members are students.

From my experience as a member of Superintendent Juneau's student advisory board I am proposing an extension as well as an expansion to student voice.

I am proposing we create a student union a union that consists of students that are at the table whenever there is a discussion being made that impacts us.

This would include hiring and reviewing teachers as well as staff that work directly with students.

This would also include rules that students are bound by.

I know this is a bold idea.

Too often adults are looking to better their position instead of the student instead of the people they are impacting students.

So why not have students be part of these discussions.

Students are at the center of your work.

That is why students and adults need to be equal when we share a table for discussion and that is why I'm proposing a union that consists of students and has all the rights and responsibilities of a workers union a student union and that is all.

Thank you.

Thank you.

My name is Erica Ujoma and I'm a senior at West Seattle High School as well as a student representative of the NAACP Youth Council.

The school board's goals for the 2020 year as well as the strategic plan states that the district is working to model anti-racism through policy and to achieve a pro-black agenda.

I am confused as to how putting the point person for ethnic studies on administrative leave is going to help us reach these goals and support the strategic plan.

Ethnic studies has proven to decrease bias increase empathy increases self a sense of shared humanity and community increase identity safety and increase civic engagement.

This is a direct quote from the Seattle Public Schools website.

If we do if we acknowledge the benefits and all the good it will do for our district then why are we working backwards.

Why actively work against someone who has single handedly been holding up our entire ethnic studies department.

Tracy Castro-Gill has been working in a department of one for ethnic studies and wasn't allowed to hire others to help her.

Despite this she continued to make strides for ethnic studies including in creating the framework.

How does the district repay her for this.

With administrative leave.

Our Ethnic Studies Summer Institute is now in danger which had over 100 teachers attending during the summer break.

This will negatively affect our goal to train staff on racial equity.

Please consider the goals you have set for yourselves and the promises you have made for our district.

I cede the rest of my time to Deontay.

How are you doing.

My name is Deontay and I'm I'm a part of the NAACP King County.

I also was a part of the equity study board hashtag love Tracy.

I'm here just to personally talk to you guys today about within this community.

LGBTQ affirming lessons.

We do not talk enough about HIV.

We need to bring back sexual education and HIV awareness back into Seattle Public Schools.

We have AMP AIDS Memorial Project.

They have a video of black leaders Larry Gossett myself who was a proud positive man in this space that talks about HIV prevention.

I love my LGBTQ community but let's not forget about the backs of discrimination that they are off of and we have to provide the tools to our black youth before they've become the statistic that I became.

Thank you.

Thank you.

After Mia we will have Angelina Riley followed by Maria Entrekin and Krista Chan.

My name is Mia Dabney.

I'm 15 years old and I'm a sophomore at Cleveland High School.

I'm here to have you listen comprehend and take action from my words.

Students of color have glimpses of happiness and freedom in school when there's small opportunities to learn about our history and contributions to society.

I feel moments of pride and self-value.

There are not enough of these moments in our education system to make sustainable impacts on our youth of color.

I have dealt with segregation in my classrooms macro and microaggressions on a daily basis.

The effect of implicit bias can be crushing to a student's spirit and passion to learn.

You may not you may not see it but in my classes I constantly feel like the chains my ancestors wore during slavery have been formed into the miseducation for entire generations.

I'm here to demand ethnic studies K through 12 because this will benefit current and future generations to come.

Now is the time not tomorrow not next week not next year.

But now we have been waiting far too long to see ourselves represented in the curriculum.

When ethnic studies is mandated students are engaged in their learning and attentive in class because the truth is being told and we see ourselves and they see the possibilities they will have with their future.

I want to see my friends and classmates passion for learning to be ignited.

I want to see them feel safe when ethnic studies is mandate is fully mandated K through 12 the impact will be reached far beyond the doors of Seattle Public Schools.

Listen to the words and take action.

Thank you.

Hello my name is Angelina and I'm a junior at Rainier Beach High School.

I can tell you're going to be hearing a lot of the same thing today and I hope you guys really listen this time.

I'm here again to address ethnic studies.

Two weeks ago Rainier Beach High School implemented Black Lives Matter at school week which was one of the best weeks of my educational journey.

For this first time I was fully engaged in every single class for an entire week.

Classroom participation increased almost immediately when students finally realized that for once we would be learning about ourselves.

I want to feel that again.

I want to see students faces light up in class discussions.

I want to see ethnic studies implemented in every class every day.

Y'all passed ethnic studies in 2017 and we're still waiting for progress.

We had someone working diligently on making it happen and y'all took her away.

Reinstate her.

Black and brown minds matter and that's on Black History Month and every month.

Maria.

Hello my name is Maria Endrican.

I'm Tlingit and Seychelles.

I am Deshitan.

I am in the 10th grade at Nathan Hill High School.

Black Lives Matter and I am an ally.

Black History Month is a short time to learn such a rich inspiring and painful history.

At Nathan Hill some teachers show movies to educate students about black lives.

One of these films is Hidden Figures.

Part of the truth of the black experience is found in that film that beautiful African-American women are smart.

But the truth is also what happened in Selma where people were beaten and died.

While we need to learn about contributions lessons shouldn't be sugarcoated.

It must be the whole truth the ugly truth even.

In 2018 the Seattle School Board declared that black lives matter at school.

The goals of the board are to reflect the lived experiences of black students families and friends and to help students understand inequities based on race.

I don't believe this has happened at my school the best way it can.

Change needs everyone and compassion for the strong emotions of others is important no matter how uncomfortable it may be.

Compassion is two sided compassion for those who experience racism and compassion for those who don't yet understand.

Some people don't understand their privilege.

They don't know that they are part of the bigger problem.

To understand they need teachings and to be open minded.

Undoing racism is hard because you have to know your place in the problem.

It is hard to admit that you are part of it and it's hard to have compassion for people who don't see you.

They only see myths and stereotypes.

The board needs to ensure all teachers are supported in learning the ugly truth of our American history about slavery about continuing systematic racism.

Some teachers in Seattle might feel uncomfortable talking about or leading a discussion about the truth and racism in the American foundation.

That is why I am asking the board to help teachers especially those who might feel uncomfortable.

Racism is uncomfortable.

We must talk about genocide and white privilege.

The whole truth.

What I really want is to learn the truth and be respected for my experience as a native student.

It feels disrespectful to me to hear a sugar coated truth about race in America.

If you don't learn the truth if the truth doesn't scare you you aren't stepping out of your comfort zone.

Look you have to step out of your comfort zone or nothing is going to change.

The board should make these teachings mandatory in all subjects in all months.

Mandatory just like math and science.

Thank you.

After Krista Chan we will have Chris Jackins followed by Misty Copeland and then John Greenberg.

Hi my name is Krista Chan and I'm a sophomore at Nathan Hale High School.

Last year in my world history class we learned about the Opium Wars and the Chinese Exclusion Act.

At first I was happy to finally learn about my history in class but then I realized it was emotionally damaging to me being an Asian-American.

For example, we would watch videos of people acting out the Opium Wars or the Chinese Exclusion Act.

I would see Chinese people get robbed or shot to death.

Seeing videos of people that looked like me and my family get murdered on screen by white men made my heart ache.

We didn't only watch videos, but we also read articles of what Chinese Americans went through in the 1800s.

Seeing the racial slur CK being written over and over or reading racist quotes directed to Chinese people, I felt uncomfortable during the entire unit.

I felt like my heritage, my background was made out to be seen as something to be ashamed of.

I felt like my classmates could look at my history and only see failure.

If we only have one story one perspective in the classroom it creates a single story and that's not education.

We need to be providing mirrors for our students.

A mirror allows them to reflect on themselves and their identity.

However these mirrors must not be twisted but reflect in multiple situations and positive outlooks.

This is why it's important to have ethnic studies in a positive light.

How am I supposed to know who I am when you only teach the negative side of my history.

In order for this not to happen to me or anyone else there needs to be culturally responsive training.

Like you SPS said in your strategic plan that.

Staff will improve their culturally responsive professional practice.

But then how are you going to put one of our most vital leader on administrative leave.

You are violating your own strategic plans.

If we don't have anyone fighting for ethnic studies that means more education gap more skipping and more students of color feeling unappreciated.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Nice to have everyone here today.

My name is Chris Jackins box 8 4 0 6 3 Seattle 9 8 1 2 4 on the personnel report.

Two points.

Number one the board members continue to say that the board has only one employee the superintendent.

Number two this is not true for district personnel to be hired requires that the board approve the personnel report.

On the annual disclosure of financial conflict of interest for the board and executive administrators four points.

Number one several years ago the board approved a large multi-year private grant for athletics.

Number two one condition of the grant is that the district will not publicly disclose the source of the grant.

Even some board members and senior staff have not known the source.

Number three how can the board and district staff check for conflicts of interest without knowing the source of the grant.

Number four please fix this on approval of instructional materials committee IMC members.

Four points.

Number one IMC members recommend curriculum to the board.

Number two the board report provides no information about the views of proposed members.

Number three do any proposed members have conflicts with regard to the anonymous athletic grant.

Number four if the board has no information on the views of proposed IMC members please don't act as a rubber stamp.

Please vote no.

On the replacement option for Rainier Beach High School three points.

Number one the project budget is two hundred and thirty eight million dollars.

Number two a 2016 district report cites a cost estimate of six point two million dollars six point two million dollars to upgrade Rainier Beach to quote like new unquote status.

Number three Rainier Beach is an historic school.

Please consider renovation.

Thank you.

Thank you.

My name is Christy Copeland.

Today I'm speaking in my capacity as a parent of a first grader and an attendee of the Ethnic Studies Summer Institute.

I cannot speak highly enough of the institute which was planned and professionally executed for 200 educators from all over the district and beyond by Tracy Castro-Gill.

Under Tracy's leadership the ethnic studies advisory group developed a cutting edge push in strategy for ethnic studies using frameworks to guide educators to bring ethnic studies to every subject and grade level from kindergarten through 12th grade.

With some of the best talent in the nation here in Seattle and with a strategic plan focused on serving students furthest from educational justice.

Why don't we have ethnic studies.

It's like the superintendent is confused about who we should support.

On the one hand teachers with egregious acts of physical and sexual abuse towards children are allowed to stay in the classroom and be shuffled from school to school.

While on the other hand anti-racist educators of color are retaliated against for doing their job.

Instead of celebrating supporting and paying our talented advisory group the superintendent is throwing them under the bus and putting their leader on administrative leave on trumped up charges.

The message in the letter to Olympic View was exactly what this school and many other schools need to hear and do to protect the folks actually doing racial equity trainings in hostile white dominant work environments where teachers and administrators aggressively weaponize their white fragility.

Ignoring this allows that same fragility to be turned against students of colors trying to bring their whole selves to the classroom.

Retaliating against Tracy for protecting a black educator on the eve of Black Lives Matter at school week was the perfect way to illustrate how black lives don't matter to SPS.

Now the district is hiring a consultant for ethnic studies.

What a better way to find a yes ma'am employee a temporary employee someone with no ties to our community who has no qualms being scab labor that crosses the picket line of a strike on ethnic studies work.

It is the height of hypocrisy to hire this person for a position to teach ethnic studies a field that is rooted in reflective positionality and solidarity politics.

Substituting a consultant for Tracy and the advisory group necessarily means a whitewashed version of ethnic studies which is co-opting the unpaid labor of dedicated educators of color.

A checking the box exercise where the district pats themselves on the back for delivering some excuse of a program.

I'm tired of listening to progressive rhetoric while actions contradict.

Your two minutes have ended.

Please conclude your remarks.

Do not hire an ethnic studies consultant.

Pay the ethnic studies advisory group for their work.

Protect anti-racist educators so they can do their jobs.

And put.

Next up we have John Greenberg.

After John Greenberg we will have Andrea Corny followed by Susan Stahl and Elisa Marie Aguirre.

What a system we have.

You our elected leaders are our hope to make things better.

But as far as I know you are unpaid with virtually no staff and your primary source of intel are highly paid executives who are the farthest away from the best thing about education our youth.

When abuse in the system happens it extends far beyond those KOW pieces.

Our only recourse as educators is to come to you because so often our bosses are the problem.

And of course the boss of these bosses who you hire sits up there with you.

So for me to tell you in two short minutes the truth of what's actually happening in the classroom I have to risk retaliation and retaliation is exactly what's happening to Tracy Castro Gill.

She is one of the few who embodies the rhetoric of racial justice that you unanimously pass and when she does it you slap her down.

What would it cost you to listen and partner with the educators of color who tell you there is a problem you are violating your own strategic plan.

I cede the rest of my time to you Usana Jordan.

My name is Usana Jordan and I am a product of Seattle Public Schools.

This is hurts me to my core.

I do this work because I care about these babies.

I work.

I'm an ELL teacher.

I work with the brown babies.

I'm a coach for the Center for Racial Equity.

I do BLT trainings for the district.

I do all this if I'm emotional because I I sat up in a staff meeting today where I was kicked out because they don't trust me.

It is a toxic situation.

And when Tracy stood up for me as well as the other people that said they want to support me.

But Tracy is the only one that was put on administrative leave.

I have issues with that.

I wrote a speech today but I have to speak from my heart.

And this is emotionally draining and toxic for me as well as the other people of color that are doing this work and our white allies and the district is not living up to the strategic plan.

The district is not policy following policy 0 0 3 0 and it is not a safe and welcoming environment for teachers of color as well as students of color.

As an ethnic studies educator I'm talking today about some of the barriers to implementation of this work within systems that despite well-crafted words to the contrary the strategic plan continue to uphold racist policies and ideas incorporating ethnic studies into all subjects is one way to dismantle the legacy of racist ideas within our public schools.

But unfortunately the forced leave of Tracy Castro Gill has dealt a blow to the people who have been most instrumental in moving this work forward and to the students who benefit from this teaching.

In other words you are violating your own strategic plan.

Five years ago I testified before the school board in solidarity with students and teachers from Middle College High School as we protested The sudden closure at High Point the dismantling of anti-racist curriculum and the displacement of teachers of color.

Our most vulnerable students were treated with complete and utter disrespect.

They deserve better then and they deserve better now.

I hope you can see what is happening to Tracy Gill is symptomatic of the distress mistreatment of teachers of color especially those doing anti-racist work and we can't build a culturally responsive workforce by mistreating and dismissing teachers of color.

I cede my time to Albert Albinez.

Hi my name is Albert and I am a Proyecto Saber teacher at Denny Middle School.

I'm here to address the 2020 board goals and objectives around ethnic studies training and pedagogy and pro black agenda.

At Denny we have spaces like Proyecto Saber and Kingmakers that have been designed to specifically serve black male students and Latinx students who have historically been oppressed through the traditional school system.

These classes are only possible because of ethnic studies.

In all of SPS there are only three proyectos haber classes since 1975. Although these types of classes are proven to increase student engagement.

Achievement agency in 30 years they have not been allowed to grow to meet the needs of our students.

The removal of Tracy Gill sends a message that growth of these programs is not the priority of SPS.

It feels like a step backwards to be honest.

Given the work that has happened in ethnic studies under Tracy's leadership we need to realize that this work is connected and builds upon the efforts of those who have come before us to fight for educational justice.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

I'm going to cede most of my time but I just want to say that I taught in Seattle Public Schools from 2007 to 2017 and what's happening to Tracy Castro Gill is symptomatic of a pattern that I've seen that I saw the whole time that I was working in Seattle Public Schools where some Teachers of color again and again and administrators of color and people of color who did not feel welcome in their environments were pushed out in favor of white whiteness.

So I think that's shameful and it makes me very angry.

I'm going to cede the rest of my time to Latasha Jones.

Hello my name is Latasha Jones and I'm a parent of two scholars that were a part of the Trailblazers program at Washington Middle School and it was very upsetting to learn that the Trailblazers program was dissolved from the Seattle Public Schools.

The Trailblazers program offered my my scholars a safe place to meet greet and grow in a positive environment.

with their peers where they could discuss issues events and brainstorm on the next best move for their future.

As a parent of children of color I need the extras that this program offers to help influence my children be great in all aspects of life.

I love that when my children are a part of the Trailblazers program that they're being taught and encouraged to speak up about the injustice that they encounter or how to positively voice their opinion in an effective manner in an effective manner or that they're more or that there's more to our black history than the basics that are taught in our schools.

I love that our scholars are encouraged to go to college and that they're even given the opportunity to visit the college campuses that they have this experience.

I would ask you guys to bring back the trailblazers to Washington Middle School because me as a parent could definitely use them.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

After Lisa Marie.

We will have Tracy Castro Gil followed by Sabrina Burr and then Savannah Jamerson.

My name is Elisa Isaguirre and I'm a teacher at Denny International Middle School and a member of the ethnic studies advisory group.

I'm here to address the Seattle teacher residency program contract that cites strategy to recruit and retain educators of color.

The fact that I've had the privilege of teaching ethnic studies of teaching content through an ethnic studies lens for the past few years.

has directly impacted the learning of students of color and white students in my classes because for many of them it's the first time their own ideas are reflected in the content they receive in a formal school setting.

It values and validates the lived experiences of my students as a bilingual teacher of color who is skilled and passionate about this work.

I still receive pushback for doing it.

There's pushback for taking time for professional development.

There's pushback for not teaching curriculum with fidelity even when I know it's not the best thing for the students in my room.

In the long run it's not sustainable for me to continue to work in an environment where my expertise is not valued.

This is in direct contrast to the Seattle teacher residency contract.

Leadership for ethnic studies must come from educators within our district who are already qualified and willing to lead.

We are all in this struggle together for the agency and liberation of the students in our diverse classrooms within a historically racist educational system.

Together with Tracy the ethnic studies advisory group has made great progress in bringing ethnic studies to Seattle Public Schools.

For example the Black Lives Matter Week in school can be seen as an integral as integral to creating a pro-black agenda and normalization of centering black voices in Seattle Public Schools as stated in the 2020 board goals and objectives.

Although this week of action has generated increased interest in ethnic studies it seems that now with the ethnic studies trainings on hold any progress or momentum we have implemented is at best stalled and at worst completely erased.

We can and must do better for all of our students and especially those who are furthest from educational justice.

Gracias.

Thank you.

Hi my name is Tracy Castro Gill.

I am the daughter of Richard Castro and Rita Huss.

I am the descendant of the Mexica and Celtic people.

I am the 2019 PSESD teacher of the year and PhD candidate writing a dissertation on retaining educators of color through ethnic studies pedagogy and curricula.

I am Chicana.

I am chigona and I am pissed off.

In the summer of 2017 I led an effort to recruit educators mainly women of color to the ethnic studies advisory group then called the ethnic studies work group.

Each of the members of the ESAG have since become leaders in their own right.

These leaders go into their schools union community and sometimes beyond the city and state borders unpaid or on their own dime to learn and teach about critical praxis and ethnic studies not culturally responsive teaching.

You know why.

because their skills and knowledge far surpass CRT practices, which should be the floor, not the ceiling.

These leaders are well versed in critical and culturally sustaining pedagogies because they are leaders of color.

They live and embody these practices.

In my role as the ethnic studies program manager I am their friend colleague and biggest fan.

Words cannot express how proud I am of their accomplishments and the growth they've experienced in the three years we've been together.

Our work is garnering national attention and being used in classrooms around the world.

Though I am their peer and equal I hold a place of privilege with the title manager which makes me ultimately responsible for their well-being.

Your actions superintendent Juneau are speaking so loud we can't hear your words.

The word is unapologetic.

The action says know your place.

The words are diversity of staff.

The actions say bendidos.

The word is anti-racist but for educators of color the actions are unfettered harm trauma and abuse.

When it comes for to the well-being of my friends and colleagues and anti-racism I do not come to play.

We drew a line in the sand and district leadership is choosing to cross it.

I wrote a speech but there is no way that I can say those words because listening to Tracy talk brings back the trauma of the Friday before Black Lives Matter at school week when I got a call.

I got a call from Tracy when she described how she was taken out of this building.

And in my head I had a flashback of slaves being taken to market or the ones who did something wrong being paraded in front of the other ones to stay in check.

And my heart hurt bigger than Tracy.

Because I remember Rita Green and I having a meeting with Clover Codd when we talked about principles of color going down and white principles going up.

And we did this implicit bias video that many of you may have seen.

But from then the conditions of our black leaders and our leaders of color and anybody from the cabinet down to the curb our bus drivers our passing guards they have the same experience as our black youth.

So I want to ask you.

If our adults are under that working condition.

How can they take care of the complexity and the needs of the families that we all.

Serve.

Our words are powerful.

In the beginning there was the word.

Words that do not.

Stand in truth.

Create chaos and distrust.

I need words from this district to be aligned in truth like ethnic studies.

Like the work that these amazing educators are coming together.

Do you know how many districts.

Would want this.

I am in this fight for you.

With you.

But for them.

Our children.

We got to get it together.

I'm here to help.

I know I'm over time but I need to say this too.

Each and every one of you have been under fire and I can't imagine what you're going through.

You guys are human.

And I just want to say thank you.

Because I know it's not easy sitting up in the dais.

I know it's not easy being the leader of this district.

So even though all of this is coming at you.

We need you to stand in truth.

I just want to my overtime to just take a minute to pause and say thank you for the things you get right.

Because they are many.

Thank you Sabrina.

After Savannah Jamerson we will have Jennifer Paris followed by Gian Nicolo Rosario and Sonia Lee.

My name is Savannah Jamerson and I'm a teacher at Interagency Academy and I'm also part of the Ethnic Studies Advisory Group.

During our struggle to retain the programming aligned with principles of ethnic studies at Middle College High School the Seattle School Administration showed its true lack of support for both teachers and students of color.

Initially, middle college was meant to be an alternative college preparatory high school dedicated to underserved students of color and other marginalized students.

Teachers of color taught humanities courses modeled on integrated studies at Seattle Central College based on a critical pedagogy that analyzes systems of oppression.

Years leading up to our being pushed out in 2015, we objected to the following.

One, Eurocentric online computer instruction that merely tests proficiency in Googling answers.

And to Bill Gates' big history, tokenism.

Two, we objected to military recruiters holding whole school recruitment presentations to our students.

Three, we objected to SPS privileging the needs and wants of middle college host institutions over those of our students.

Instead, we insisted on training students with the habits of mind for success in college, and providing inspirational, transformative, and relevant instruction.

School administration aligned itself primarily with white staff, who criticized us as inflexible, arrogant about our curriculum and pedagogy, and accused us of teaching the students to be communist, had I traveled back to the McCarthy era of the 1950s.

Strategic moves were taken to get rid of us.

After directing the staff not to accept any new students in the West Seattle Middle College, it closed based on low enrollment.

Two educators of color were placed on administrative leave and escorted out of the school by security as if they were criminals.

Some educators were reassigned to predominantly white schools where they would be scrutinized and made to feel uncomfortable.

Our letters public testimonies were met with the unspoken dismissive message.

This too will pass.

I liken this experience to your current treatment of the manager of ethnic studies.

Anyone publicly critical of deeply rooted systemic racism and oppressions will be met with retaliation and pushed out.

Thank you.

Thank you.

OK.

I'd like to cede my time to Alicia.

Hello my name is Alicia Cunningham and my son is Miles Parker and he is one of the Trailblazers.

I'm here to speak on behalf of all of the parents that have children in the Trailblazers program and how amazing this program is.

This program has helped my son.

Sorry if I get emotional.

Just last week, they were in Washington, D.C.

doing a Black History of Excellence tour with their peers in Washington, D.C., where they got to go to an HBCU, where they got to go and see that house that they built for free, the White House.

That is so powerful.

He sent me pictures from the Lincoln Memorial of himself looking out over all of it.

And I just know that world is his.

To know the powerful that he comes from and to be able to express that on to others and to know that these kids at Washington Middle School two of which he was roommates with that meant the world to him.

Two middle school students that looked after him and took care of him like their own brother.

That is so powerful.

These kids deserve this program.

I'm going to cede the rest of my time to my son.

Hello my name is Miles as my mom has said.

I'm 9 years old and I'm in fourth grade.

I am a trailblazers.

I am a manager and trailblazers at my school.

I have come to I have come today to tell you how important important and impactful trailblazers has been to me my peers and my family.

I realize I only have a short amount of time, but I would like to share a few amazing things that we do during our Trailblazers class time.

But we start off with we start off class with positive affirmations learning adinkra symbols that mean friendship friendship intelligence and peace strength.

How power how powerful is that.

As a young person of color please bring back trailblazers to Washington Middle School and consider expanding it to other schools.

So the kids.

So kids can feel can can feel what we feel.

Thank you.

After Sonia Lee we will have Alani Seals followed by Jennifer Dunn and Dawn Larson.

Sonia.

Okay.

Hello my name is Sonya Lee.

I'm an adopted Asian-American and a sophomore at Nathan Hale High School.

The school system has given so many more opportunities to white people than people of color.

The beginning of this problem is who is in power.

Since kindergarten I have had all white or white passing teachers in class I heard that white teachers tend to become teachers because they've had a positive experience in school while teachers of color tend to become teachers because they want to change the experience they had.

I've had no representation and no one I can relate to that is in a position of power.

I felt ashamed for being a person of color.

I didn't have anyone that I could talk to that would understand me.

As early as elementary school I experienced prejudice prejudice.

I was picked on even though I wasn't aware of it.

It was depressing to think that I was discriminated against and being part of a system that gives white people the room to feel comfortable and safe while I felt alone and exposed.

Feeling ashamed and alone is damaging to teenagers.

If they don't have someone they can talk to, they look up to or talk.

or look up to I feel this feeling of inadequacy can lead to unhappiness and the compromising of making and achieving goals and even lead to avoiding class hiring more teachers of color and creating percentage of teachers of color equal to the percentage of students of color makes the most sense to me.

This would make students of color feel more involved and be able to relate to the teachers they look up to.

It's difficult to challenge.

It's a difficult challenge to find teachers of color.

By definition they are minority.

And like the students they teach they too may feel that they are at a disadvantage.

I wouldn't want to go to work every day and feel powerless.

I'd want to go to work feeling empowered equal and being part of a diversified system that embraces all ethnicities.

This system doesn't change enough for this fast growing world.

But I hope that we can continue to strive to be better.

The fate of all students depends on it.

Thank you.

My name is Jennifer Dunn.

I use she and her pronouns and I identify as decolonizing mixed Chicanx.

I'm a member of the Ethnic Studies Advisory Group, a racial equity team coach for the Center for Racial Equity.

and I teach ethnic studies at South Lake High School.

Two years ago when I was teaching at Nathan Hale High School a member of that school's racial equity team told me that quote ethnic studies is your personal project.

At first I was offended by the comment but now I know that they were right.

First as I worked to get ethnic studies content included in that school I was gas lit gate kept tone policed marginalized name called and ultimately labeled a rogue when I tried to surface and confront the right fragility that is all too present in North Seattle.

I was actually told that I had lower standards for students of color in my classroom as I worked against institutionalized racism and whitewashed curriculum.

It turns out it was true that ethnic studies was my personal project.

Before my two years at Hale I spent 13 years at Franklin High School.

I left my beloved school after reporting harassment both bullying and sexual harassment to administration only to be ultimately told I just wasn't seeing things the same way.

as my harasser excluding administration at South Lake and two supportive vice principals at Franklin and Hale.

My career in Seattle Public Schools has been one where I've had to battle with colleagues and administrators while trying to protect my students and myself from racism and sexism.

So ethnic studies is my personal project because it highlights liberation and resistance and presents people and movements who have successfully confronted their oppressors in all forms.

Another reason I'm invested in ethnic studies because my own white supremacist education in public schools I had no teachers like me Latinx or mixed and no one teaching anything like ethnic studies.

Ultimately I felt I had no choice but to assimilate into whiteness if I wanted to be considered a good student by all my white teachers.

I don't want any student to be gatekept from their own history language or culture for the sake of meeting expectations that have been designed by white institutions and upheld by a largely white teaching force.

In this sense ethnic studies is absolutely my personal project because of its focus on identity and reflection.

The third reason that ethnic studies is my personal project is because it doesn't seem to be the districts.

And once again I as well as my colleagues up here are being tone policed and gatecapped.

In fact we soon will be marginalized once again by an outside consultant.

What a disappointment to have vested almost two decades of my life in a district that will now just like my last two schools tell me that I'm the one who's rogue the one who's out of line.

and decide that there is someone who will do this work in a nicer tone.

I will never give up on what we.

Stop doing and acting.

Even if we have to do it in spite of the district's attack on its own.

If you truly and unapologetically support students of color.

Now ask the next person up for public testimony.

Alani Seals.

Next speaker is Alani Seals.

Thank you.

Mic on.

Thank you.

Hi my name is Alani Seals.

I'm 19 years old and I'm the Trailblazers program coordinator.

I was originally going to speak but tonight I'm going to give my time to Kobe Tran.

Hi my name is Kobe Tran.

I'm 13. I'm a 7th grader and I'm a Trailblazer at Washington Middle School.

Trailblazers to me is more than just a program.

It's more than a class.

It helps students solve real life problems in the world and act on current events happening in the world.

Trailblazers was by far my favorite class at school because it is something students can connect to and open up about.

I feel that it really helped Washington Middle School.

Trailblazers needs to come back to Washington Middle School because it helps with racism implicit bias racial trauma and other things like that.

At Washington I think this would really help because I've noticed that the HCC program and the general education program is very split up between white students and students of color.

Sometimes my peers in general education feel like.

They might not be as smart as the white students in the HCC program or they might not be able to do the same things.

But I know for a fact that they're just as capable as us to do chemistry or algebra or topics like that.

Even with all the positivity Trailblazers brings to myself and my peers we learned there was a possibility of the program being taken away from us due to lack of administrative support.

After learning this possibility my classmates and I decided to come together on our own to organize and peacefully protest making signs linked arms and walking down to our vice principal Mr. Murphy's office.

Once there.

where we then requested to schedule a meeting to talk about how to prevent the dissolution of trailblazers but were denied this request.

Although we remain peaceful security came and removed all of the male members in trailblazers but allowed the girls to stay.

This was so hurtful and against everything we learned in trailblazers which is to come together and know we have a voice and can be heard.

We cannot make change unless we have a seat at the table.

Thank you.

My name is Dawn Larson I would like to cede my time to Doreen McGrath.

I am going to start by finishing Jennifer Dunn's last two paragraphs.

But ethnic studies isn't Jennifer's personal project.

It should be the school board's and the entire.

Oh you got it.

You got it all done.

My apologies.

We just weren't sure we would all have enough time.

My name is Doreen McGrath.

I am the organizer of the Freedom Socialist Party, and I come with an open letter in support of ethnic studies from attendees of Civil Rights, a Black History Month event we had on Saturday night.

entitled The Impact of the Civil Rights Movement on People's Lives Today.

And certainly that impact includes a lot more ethnic studies.

And I want to read you the letter and then I will hand it to you.

We are writing to support the ethnic studies program at Seattle Public Schools and to protest the second class treatment.

You and district management have given this important effort.

Having an ethnic studies program that is led by educators and students that delves into the true and often radical history of people of color women queers the differently abled immigrants all those who face inequality in our society.

is vital to Seattle Public Schools being certainly being able to provide a good education but also to meet your support the goal that you have professed to be in your strategic plan.

Our demands are that you reinstate ethnic studies program manager Tracy Castro — Gill with no further retaliation.

harassment or discrimination against her.

Fully fund the ethnic studies program including funding at least two more full time positions as the ethnic studies board advocates.

You should also be paying the ethnic studies advisory board for their time.

And please hire more educators of color and treat all with respect and the discriminatory treatment of teachers and staff.

And it's signed by 46 people that attended that event.

Thank you.

Don Larson.

No that was Don.

Sorry.

Next up we have Bruce Jackson followed by Milad Masabi and then Sarah Emily Davis.

Now is the time.

Under the leadership of Tracy Casserill-Grill we have been building a road forward for ethnic studies for the past four years.

A road forward that leads our students out of the humiliating humiliating conclusions of the master narrative and into a sense of hope that lies in the road that we have built.

We have much more work to do but that road has been laid.

Now is the time under the leadership of Tracy Castro Gill we have fought back against racism in public schools by creating a curriculum and framework that demands to be heard.

A curriculum and framework that speaks to the student population of Seattle Public Schools a curriculum and framework that expands our understanding of identity our relationship with power and it leads and lends strength to educators parents and students alike.

Now is the time under the leadership of Tracy Castro Gill we have built connections that touch our entire nation.

Through WEA NEA the state and local government.

We have knocked down closed doors and demanded seats at tables denied to people of color since the founding of this nation.

We have opened closed eyes and pointed them in the direction of Seattle.

The nation is watching us.

Now is the time.

Under the leadership of Tracy get Tracy Castle Gill we are flying in spaces designed to make us crawl.

We are teaching in spaces designed to keep us ignorant.

We are creating in an environment of redundancy and denial.

We are becoming more than that environment allows.

Under the leadership of Tracy Castro Gil we are leading this district in a direction of hope.

Open your eyes.

You can see the road we've built.

Walk it with us.

Thank you.

Sarah Sarah Emily Davis after Sarah we will have Asha Tran followed by Angel Daniel Amenobar Valente and Owen Ansley.

Hi my name is Sarah Emily Davis.

Last year I came to the board with the purpose of disclosing the multimillion dollar foundations that were funding PTA funds for white privileged schools.

This year unfortunately we are at a we school where we work together.

We are harmony and we were hired a me I am my principal under her leadership.

There's been discrimination harassment bullying retaliation and anything and everything imaginable.

My one sentence to combine everything is a dead guinea pig with no more compassion than a cancer patient.

I have circumnavigated tried to get to you and I've come here today because I can no no longer tolerate having to hold my colleagues in my arms as they cry.

It is not right.

But there was a bullying incident where I discovered a past history of over six districts of this principal doing the exact same thing.

It is not okay.

We were not at the table.

We were denied access to her hiring.

We will sit and tell you horrible things that unfortunately one of the presidents of a different union called me from his trip in Mexico because he was so concerned about the safety for our staff and our children.

It is not right.

The principles are key to the education of our children and over 12 of them are under review right now by members in their room.

That's one tenth of the principles.

There's something wrong with the hiring hiring process.

And obviously I would like to teach you another word.

Last year it was Nike which means love.

So Connor Kaepernick think about it Nike.

This year it's Quaba.

Quaba means silence.

We will not be silenced.

It is not OK to tolerate this behavior any longer.

Thank you.

Hello my name is Asha Tran.

I'm here today as an educator and as a parent of a seventh grader.

My son attends Washington Middle School and has participated in the Trailblazers program.

I am extremely concerned that this program was recently revoked from Seattle Public Schools.

I would ask that the school board revisit this decision and reinstate the program.

The Trailblazers program in my view represents the absolute best of what Seattle Public Schools aspires to achieve.

This curriculum is strategically designed to inspire underrepresented students to become critical thinkers articulate speakers and informed advocates for change in their communities.

My son's involvement with the Trailblazers has been absolutely transformative.

The program has instilled in him that his voice matters that his insight his insight is valuable and that real change for the better at his school is positive.

As a trailblazer he worked with a group of his peers to research and present a professional development workshop for faculty at Washington Middle School.

The topic was implicit bias in the classroom.

The students shared personal experiences vetted and referenced empirical research and presented a comprehensive workshop to their teachers.

What an incredible affirmation for kids to experience the potential power of their education.

The students were given supportive feedback from faculty.

The experience inspired my son to start to see himself as having a potentially impactful and meaningful role in making his school better for everyone.

As parents we are all familiar with the casual dinnertime question we ask our children.

How was school today?

Before trailblazers my son's canned response was always about recess and lunchtime.

Now as a trailblazer the dinnertime conversations have become so much richer.

He wants to talk about racial and cultural identity his own family's history as immigrants and his grandparents commitment to civil rights.

Public schools can be a place where kids of all backgrounds are heard seen and supported by revoking the trailblazers program we have silenced these students.

As educators parents and members of the board let's show these young people that we're willing to work together with their best interest in mind.

Thank you.

Ms. Shek do we have time for.

Angel.

After Angel we will have Owen Ansley.

Hello everyone.

My name is Andrew Amenabar.

I'm from Nathan Hill High School.

Today I want to talk.

Take a look at a serious topic that we always talk about yet we don't do.

We don't take much action on that topic is microaggressions.

I'm not saying it's the biggest problem ever but it's a big one and we need to fight it.

So this is a question.

What why are microaggressions bad.

Well you make a mic when you make a microaggression you basically alienate that person.

It can cause emotional damage making it hard to learn.

I heard people calling each other names.

I see people skipping because they don't want to stay in that class.

I heard inside jokes connected connected to microaggressions from a teacher.

I see and hear.

students verbally fighting teachers because of a subtle racist comment that a teacher said.

I watch people in friendships start bullying and do worse in class.

I see people slowly breaking down because people make fun of a stereotype they're associated with.

I see people judging others for one thing and not noticing how unique and diverse they truly are.

I see and most.

And mostly and I mostly see this in people of color.

So why is this a problem.

It's a problem because it happens so often it seems normal.

It seems like and it seems and people think it's OK to do that.

So if you don't see what's wrong you're truly blind.

How can teachers help.

I know that no one's perfect.

Everyone makes mistakes.

But they we have to start owning up to it.

Teachers staff and students.

If someone seems offended.

Or if you're mad try to reflect on your words.

Think how it might have affected that person group of people.

Do not do not act defensively or do not tell them to calm down.

Make a sincere apology to that person and not everyone needs to know this.

The small solution could help.

But now the board.

I really want you to open your eyes.

I really want you to know that's what students are going through.

I want you to realize that it's a problem without me or anyone else telling you so.

I want you to make a change.

I'm not sure myself how we can make a change.

But we could start educating teachers frequently on microaggression what microaggressions are how it can affect someone how to avoid it and how to open up how to own up to it.

This is a small idea but I want you to listen to other people's ideas as well.

We work together we can end this problem but we need to take action now.

Thanks for listening.

Hello my name is Owen Ainsley.

I'm a sophomore at Nathan Hill High School.

Growing up at home I've been taught that I have privilege as a white male that others are treated lesser than me based solely on the color of their skin or their country of origin.

And I learned that sadly this reality exists in schools.

Most of my teachers are white men and history is often taught through the lenses of white males reinforcing the white privilege idea and making other points of views and cultures seem irrelevant.

And even when history is taught through another point of view many of my white peers feel uncomfortable learning about relevant subjects like Japanese internment or the history of slavery in America.

When we have class discussions about racism in my school I find the same people talking and engaging and the same people falling silent not knowing what to add.

As a white male I find it easy to connect and talk with my teachers but when a student of color hears a racist comment from a peer and decides to report it to the teacher They just say shrug it off or that's awful I'm so sorry but decides or but makes no action makes no effort to take action and continues class as normal even during practice or even during Black Lives Matter week.

Many of my teachers had 10 minutes in one day dedicated to learning about icons of color because the curriculum doesn't include this.

And worst of all I hear my peers or even my friends make comments they know are racist in school and when they get called out on it they shrug it off and say there aren't black people around so it's OK.

These are solutions.

There are solutions to these issues.

Steps in the right direction.

We need to have specific training for teachers to show them how to connect and make students of color feel heard and understood.

We can also change the curriculum to have time set aside for Black Lives Matter week and have an ethnic studies course to show other cultures and points of view to show not just strategies but also tragedies but also successes.

We can make.

We can make school a welcoming and equal place for all people not just the majority in power.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Last up we have Jennifer Paris.

Jennifer Parris.

OK.

I guess there's no Jennifer.

Hello my name is Samira Billy.

I'm a — Is this Jennifer.

Jennifer.

I'm a student at Washington Middle School and a proud Trailblazer.

The Trailblazers program was kicked out of Seattle Public Schools.

This program is important because it taught me that I can do anything I put my mind to as a black Muslim girl.

I always felt that something was missing after the program.

wasn't in school anymore.

Having the class back will help me continue to work harder and be the best person I can be.

The trailblazers program took me to Washington D.C.

and gave me a really good experience and about black history and black excellence.

I learned that black history plays a big part in America.

Bring this program back and hold administrators accountable.

Thank you.

That concludes our public testimony for the meeting.

Thank you to all who attended tonight to share your testimony.

While we are not able to respond individually to each speaker who has joined us I do want to share gratitude for you taking your time out of your evening to be with us tonight.

And if you were not allowed to speak tonight if you're on the waitlist please send us your comments your testimony whatever you can to our e-mails and those are online but school board at Seattle schools dot org as well.

We also use that as part of thinking about our public comments so please send those in.

We are now to the board comments section of the agenda and for items on tonight's agenda.

I just encourage directors to hold their comments to that portion of the relevant agenda item.

And given that we do have a good amount of introduction items to go over and I'm sure we'll have some very.

Wow there really are 16. Given that we will likely have some very important and in-depth conversations just want to just to encourage board direct board directors up here for your board comments to keep them either focused on specific issues that are coming up or emerging.

And again if there are items on the agenda please hold those into that moment.

I do want to make sure to acknowledge before we begin anything the recent stories of.

employee misconduct and student safety.

I am sorry for the harm caused to your students and your family.

This has been going on for far too many years.

I want to assure you that this board is taking this issue very seriously as a board and that's and the district it is our top priority.

For now we are identifying every avenue available to us as a board to ensure the district makes meaningful and decisive progress on student safety and safe and welcoming schools.

One student harmed in our schools is one student too many.

As one mother who attended my community meeting with Director Hersey a couple of weeks ago before midwinter break said zero is the acceptable number of kids harm neglect harmed neglected and put down in our schools.

I know I am committed to that and I'm sure my colleagues would agree.

So now I would like to open it up to other board directors for board comments and I also see our student would like to speak too.

Do you want to do you want to start Inara.

Yeah thank you.

I think not only is it unfortunate for the students who are at that middle school that they're the opportunity for them to have ethnic studies has been taken away and I completely understand that the first time like I really had like a POC teacher was at Nova and getting the opportunity to not only have a POC teacher but have that teacher teach ethnic studies to us is great.

This semester, last semester, last couple of years, we've had multiple classes.

We've had one just about Frida Kahlo, which is really awesome.

I'm sad I didn't get to take it.

I'm sorry, Melissa.

We had black studies we had queer studies we've had multiple different just each semester different ethnic studies and giving students the opportunity to have discussions about the inequality they have felt and understanding their privilege and understanding that not only do does understanding help but being an ally you can understand for as many days years as you want.

But if you're not being an ally to people you're not really assisting anyone.

There's different ways you can.

Thank you.

There's different ways to be an activist.

You don't have to go out every day with signs and yell at people.

You can write essays to people.

You can do all these other things and all of them are just as useful and just as important as going out and being an activist and having the outlet to do that.

is great and it's so unfortunate that so many people don't have that at school that they don't have the opportunity to have ethnic studies classes or have no matter what you're doing there's an ethnic studies and social justice focus like we all assignments and class projects.

There is a really class project.

There's singular projects for yourself.

So if you're super interested in Islamic math that was my main thing.

I was super obsessed with that.

I was like this is extremely interesting.

There's there was an opportunity for me to go out on my own and put in time to learning about that and writing an essay and getting credit for that and not just doing the basic way of doing things.

I want to do a bunch of math problems and learn and learn that these math problems aren't useful in life.

I'm going to use these when.

in just having applied in multiple ways but also having research and understanding that multiple cultures are used and talked about but are like claimed by.

by Eurocentric views.

If we're talking about medicine in general, a lot of what Western practice is, is stuff stolen from Eastern medicine.

They're like, this sounds really good.

This is a really cool idea.

I'll take that, but I won't give you any credit.

And just being able to learn that that's what happens all the time is is gross and shouldn't be happening.

But that's the lens that we're taught at.

We're taught by multiple teachers who are white.

Just finally getting a POC teacher was insane.

I was like there's not there's not just one there's multiple POC teachers and having someone who.

My my coordinator basically a counselor Brian just taking a moment in validating my experience and being like just because people don't understand what you've been through doesn't mean that it isn't isn't valid.

that just because you're lighter than someone or that just because you're more mixed race than other people doesn't invalidate your experience.

Your experience is your experience.

Your trauma is your trauma.

No one has any right to invalidate you because of that.

You shouldn't compare trauma.

It's not a one upping game of well that really sucks but I used to be on food stamps.

No that's not the point of.

telling people of your trauma so they understand why you're so frustrated because there's constantly being looked at on the bus.

I get constantly looked at the bus.

People asking me where I'm from and that's frustrating.

Why does it matter where I'm from.

It shouldn't matter.

It shouldn't matter what I am.

It shouldn't affect the way you talk to me shouldn't affect the way I'm doing things.

And it's just, that's like my frequently asked question.

Are people like, oh, I've never seen hair like that.

Can I touch your hair?

No.

I spent 45 minutes doing my hair and you want to touch my hair?

And they flatten it.

It's a disaster.

It's never good.

But it's just being able to have people and see people every day who are complimenting you and not even asking about it.

I don't think at NOVA I've ever been stared at or asked what I'm doing or asked why I'm in the hallway or asked any of those things.

It's that you are self-responsible and they understand that if you have to go to the bathroom you have to go to the bathroom.

Bye.

We'll see you.

We'll see you when you come back.

I know I'm going really long.

I could see everyone in the corner being like what are you doing.

All right.

Yes we do.

All right.

But yeah just having that support that I wish everyone would have.

Everyone should have that support.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Are there other directors who would like to use this time to give board comments or we can move into introduction items.

Director Rankin.

Oh sorry.

I don't want to take a lot of time with comments.

So I want to share from between our last meeting and now some things from students.

One is I want to share this is the pink sheep.

It's my background on my laptop.

This pink sheep is the mascot of a Cub Scout troop Troop 177 that asked me to come and talk to them about running for office and nothing is more engaging to a bunch of fourth graders than hearing about that.

But they actually what was great was to hear their unfettered response to when they kind of started to realize what who I what what my position is.

And something that I just wanted to share that they're super excited about is the changes coming to nutrition services.

So I gave Aaron Smith a shout out and when I gave them some examples of some foods that were going to be coming to their schools and I mentioned tamales they all start beating on the table and chanting tamales tamales tamales.

So thank you to Mr. Smith for the work that you're doing to bring.

different foods and healthy food and fresh food for students.

It's it's something that pretty much every time I interact with students they talk about about lunch.

I also just wanted to share that I visited my kids school for Black Lives Matter at school and the assembly was led by the fifth graders.

And they tied the they tied their school principal the fifth graders did this on their own.

They tied their school principals of caring respectful responsible to some of the pillars of the Black Lives movement and shared to their whole school population why participating in the Black Lives Matter at school was how it showed being caring respectful and responsible.

So I just want to shout out to student work there.

And I'm really excited about bringing student voice into curriculum instruction committee.

And that's I think that's all I want to say.

I just want to talk about students.

Thank you Director Rankin.

Director Rivera-Smith.

Thank you.

I really wish the students were all still here.

I think they're outside because I just wanted to tell them all how much inspiring they are and how proud I am and get choked up.

It's really it's it's I feel like we were gone so long we've been a month right.

We were gone forever and this is great to come back to to so many passionate speakers and to so many brave voices coming in here to share their truth with us.

And I thank them all for that and the parents who are still here.

And I I had some stuff I visited schools over the last month I went to schools in my district but I feel like it that that's not what we're here to talk about tonight we're going to talk about some much greater things that aren't on the agenda.

I know it's I'm glad we got to get this out here and hear from students and parents and teachers and thank you for that.

I wish I had the right words right now that would heal those hurts that so many people are feeling and that would Bring some kind of resolution to this because I don't even when I say this which issue am I talking about right.

We've got so many issues going on right now but specifically to the students who are hungering for the ethnic studies.

I don't think I saw a teacher of color until I was probably in middle school or what we call the junior high.

It was my Spanish teacher.

But I know I I know what it's like.

to be them and be in your classrooms and not hear about your history except when it's talked about the negatives and the travesties and you don't hear about the inventors and the doctors and the people who did so much great things.

So we want I don't think anyone up here who doesn't want that for your students and doesn't want ethnic studies now.

I don't know why we can't get that to happen.

I mean I'm not trying to be naive but I mean I know there's a lot more than just snapping and it's in the schools but.

You know I think we all are committed to getting that keeping ethnic studies robust and Tracy I'm glad you're here.

You are maybe too much for you're too powerful right.

I mean maybe maybe that's the problem you're just too much for us.

But I know that your heart is in the right place and your work is so great and these people know that and you know This is yeah there's a situation that I barely know about too but I would love to make sure that all that work you've done continues.

I mean I don't know.

Who's going to be that leader if you're not it.

I can't I can't imagine but I hope that we can all just come together and we're going to make this happen because it's there's too much at stake.

We can't we can't lose the momentum you've got going and the group you've got together and all that work that we want to see happen.

So thank you.

Thank you for that.

And again like I wish I had the right words I wish I could knew what to just inspire us all.

But you know I think that it's inspiring just to hear the students and talk about how it affects them because we were sitting up here again with adult problem adult problems our budget adult problems our HR adult problems are those things and they affect the students though.

So we've got to remember that we've got to center the students.

I remember being in the audience and I'm trying to always remember what it's like to be there and look at us up here and think about what we're not saying and what we're not remembering what we're not addressing.

So thank you for being that voice out there today and keeping us keep kind of keeping us remembering what we're really working for who we're really working for.

Thank you.

Thank you Director Rivera-Smith Director Rankin part two.

I wanted to respond directly to one comment that came up during public testimony which is that the Instructional Materials Committee recommend to recommend curriculum to the board and that's actually not the role of the Instructional Materials Committee the Instructional Materials Committee oversees the process of the curriculum adoption.

So what.

No so they they we the item that we're voting on tonight is the approval of the correction instructional materials committee membership and they are a small body that monitors the curriculum adoption process of the curriculum adoption committee.

To make sure that that everything is being brought to the board properly and that the procedure is followed as it's supposed to be.

So I just wanted to provide that correction since we're voting on that.

And then also I forgot to say thank you so much to all of the students and educators that came tonight and made their voices heard.

Thanks.

And just to clarify tonight's items are all introductions so we won't be voting but yes we will definitely have a very robust conversation and I saw Director Harris with the mic.

Do you want to take a take a moment.

I find sitting up here to be extraordinarily painful.

The last week in this district has been a new low and we have seen some significant lows.

We found out a week ago that previous board prior to this one.

gave H.R.

a million dollars to put together a docketing system so we could keep track of our investigations.

Are we doing a good job.

Do we have trends.

Can we pinpoint you know H.R.

1 0 1. And Sabrina thank you for saying thank you.

Because I know you know that this is extraordinarily painful.

I know that you and I have had heartfelt words not necessarily always kind words because we care so very much and I'm surrounded by folks and I like to say in the banana aisle at the QFC.

who somehow ascribe an extraordinary amount of power to your directors that are elected citywide and frankly treated like crap.

The board was never told that the docket system didn't get implemented or that the million dollars disappeared.

This crabby director has been asking for metrics on human resources investigations for well over two years and I have a very flat nose for hitting the cement wall.

I do not see myself as somebody extraordinarily special but darn it I was elected citywide and I have a fiduciary responsibility And that includes being trusted with information for me to do my job.

And yes I heard people talk about anger.

I have never been this angry ever in four and a half years and I've been plenty angry because I run hot because I care so very much.

The folks that talked about Middle College I was at that podium with them.

I was organizing with them.

We are not throw away kids.

My foster went to middle college.

Those teachers saved her life.

So I can match some of this passion word for word.

What I cannot match is the fact that so many brilliant people can manage to get it so very wrong.

And yes I'm very angry about that.

But mostly I was heartbroken at Quincy Jones auditorium listening to people's testimonies.

I met Quincy Jones when I was driving Nelson Mandela one of the greatest it's the word times of my life.

And I cried myself to sleep that night and I was ashamed to be a part of this district that we would allow our children to be harmed.

My very first community meeting was after a principal botched a extraordinarily difficult rumor of violence and lied to the press.

and lied to the community members and I said then and I will go to my grave saying it our first responsibility is to keep our students safe.

Now do I think that we're doing good things to correct some of these situations.

Yes I do.

But do I think that we need to own some of these things.

Most certainly I do.

I also am devastated by the fact that and so much of this we don't get to talk about.

I remember bringing a roll of duct tape to put on the dais about a year ago so I could put it over my mouth because I don't get to talk about so very much of what we learn because of attorney client privilege because of personal information because of anticipation of litigation and all these really fancy words.

And I see great people working very hard on things like ethnic studies and it's come off the rails and lots I can't talk about there.

Wish the heck that I could.

I hear a lot about healing but I never hear the definition of what does healing look like.

Is it a zero sum game.

Is it all or nothing.

Where do we go in the interim.

We talk a great job about collaboration.

But we continue to be extraordinarily polarized and I don't know how we get there from here.

It's my hope that our labor partners will help us with that.

It's my hope that our families will help us with that.

And to those folks that came to my community meeting and did eat lasagna and it was very good and got to take it home that.

Want the nuclear option to fire the superintendent.

I'm not there.

We wanted a strong superintendent.

We have a strong superintendent.

Do I agree with her 100 percent of the time.

No and Lord knows she doesn't agree with me 100 percent of the time.

Nor would you want her to but.

This board has very few options.

We're working really hard at being straightforward and honest with each other and working together to come up with better options and probably better policies.

And if that means then that we are an aggressive board or if we disagree and we are branded in the press forevermore as a dysfunctional board then so darn be it.

I'm not OK with that.

I worked very hard with the last board to be a collaborative cohesive board.

I think we did pretty good work there but obviously there was a lot we did not know.

My next community meeting 3 to 5 March 21st High Point Library we're back on the one in three chances of lasagna.

And from the bottom of my heart I thank everybody that has written that has testified that has told their truth.

We have 53000 children.

We are in one of the richest fastest growing cities in the country.

And if watching all the debates lately hasn't taught us a little something then there's no damn hope for us.

Thank you.

Thank you Director Harris Director Rankin Part 3.

I forgot community meeting March 14th at 3 o'clock at the Lake City Library.

That's helpful that's helpful.

Director Rivera-Smith let's hear let's hear your community meeting.

I got him.

March 8th 1230 to 230 in the university district library meeting room.

Thank you Director Hersey.

Thanks.

Appreciate it.

First off thank you to everybody who took the time to come out here.

And frankly it's really unfortunate that you had to take the time to come out here.

I as a new board director as an educator and as an African-American man on this dais the only one.

and really confuse us to how we have such a progressive strategic plan but yet we're ending up in the position that we are.

And I mean I.

Thank you.

I'm trying to collect myself because.

The only people who lose when we don't get this right are the students and the children sitting in that audience and the staff.

But the black students sitting in that audience are the ones who are in the biggest position of loss and that is that is the truth of the matter.

We have to do better than this.

Let me let me give you an example of the week that personally I have had.

So last week we hosted a listen and learn for folks to finally come to air their entire truth after all of the reporting from KUOW about the misconduct of staff in our schools and along with Director DeWolf Superintendent Juneau Clover Codd sitting up On that stage was one of the most difficult things that I have ever done because it took everything that I had in my being not to bust out into tears because as I hear the parents give us the perspective of their children I think about my own students.

I think about my scouts and I think about the kids that come and testify to us and tell us repeatedly that we're not doing enough.

And not only are we not doing enough we can't even keep them safe from our own employees.

We have to do better than this.

And then after that meeting just a couple of days ago I hosted along with the NAACP Rita Green and many other community center excuse me community members a meeting on our policies around de-escalation and restraints.

and listen again to parents come and tell us the experiences of how our own policies are not being followed and kids mostly black and brown almost all in special education environments are the ones who are getting hurt in the process.

I have been on the phone for hours.

I have stayed after meetings for hours answering questions to the best of my ability.

And as a young man in this position we have to do better.

We have we can't even fully enforce the policies that we have that in our own district.

We're still talking about desegregating schools.

We're still talking about 0 0 30. We're still talking about ethnic studies.

We're still talking about how black lives matter.

And yet we have black children who are getting hurt in our schools.

We have black children who are getting restrained and not following policy through that.

And we have the audacity to adopt a resolution where we say loudly and proudly that black lives matter.

We cannot wait on bold steps forward.

On top of all that our communication system has left so many families in the dark about what is going on in schools or at the very least when they did receive communication it was not up to the par that it should have been to communicate how much we care about their children.

We are a one point five billion dollar organization with 53000 students the least we could do is communicate effectively.

And that's on us that's on us as a system not us alone as a board that is on all of us as a system.

And as we take steps forward it can't just be more talk.

It can't just be more resolutions it can't just be more policy because we're not enforcing it and implementing it in the way that is keeping students and children safe.

We have to commit in the biggest way possible to do our primary job which is to keep our students safe.

And if we can't do that then what are we in the business to do.

I think moving forward I can't even find the words because the words don't exist for the situation that we're in.

We need change in our buildings we need change in central office we need change on this board we need change everywhere and the capacity to do that we don't have.

So we need to figure out what is it that we are actually willing to commit to because our constituents most importantly our students deserve that and they deserved it yesterday.

They deserved it last year and we need to take actual steps forward.

You were exactly right.

You're exactly right.

We need to do it.

We need to do it.

And it's not just about doing it.

It's about doing it in an institutional way so that we never have to have this conversation again so that we never have to be in this position again.

And that.

We need to take.

Thank you.

I appreciate the feedback.

We need to take bold action now not tomorrow not next year not a resolution not a policy that we can't actually implement.

We need to do it now and I am proud of many of the people sitting at this dais for the conversations that we have had but conversation time is done.

We have to push forward now and I know that we have folks on this board who are committed to doing that.

And it is on at this point frankly the way that I look at it it is on us.

We can the buck stops here.

It has to stop here.

We were elected to do this work and it has to be us because if it's not us then it's not going to happen.

So we need to do it now.

Director Hampson or.

Let's thank you for the translation thanks to the incredibly beautiful folks that came out tonight emotionally very much with where you're at with all this work and the desires for the students I've lived it I've felt it breathed it.

felt sick to my stomach for years over it and it's what motivated me to run for school board but I didn't run for school board to then get up here and point fingers at people and pretend that this is going to work that there's some magic out there that's going to allow this work that we seem to all be pretty progressively in in speech anyway on the same page about.

but don't know how to do and we certainly don't know how to do it together as board community central office building staff.

We are far from where we need to be to make it happen so that our students in their classrooms on their buses in the lunchroom in their after school programs are safe there is no broad definition of student safety that is in our policy.

I can't find it in any policy in any school district in the country.

Student safety isn't just physical safety and there are massive cultural differences about what safety means to different people.

I can't currently have a conversation in different environments where the person sitting across the table from me and I necessarily have the same notion of what safety is.

Parent to parent culture to culture there are very different notions of safety.

We have one of the most the strictest truancy laws in the country that is based on a.

a white notion of what safety is and we have to deal with that every single day in this school system and that is just one of the many aspects of this work and that's that's an interface with CPS right.

That's not even the work that we're doing every day.

So we are digging in and.

Thank you Sabrina for your light and your love because it you just somehow the timing is always right.

All of us are not going to agree at any one point in time about how we're going to move forward but we have an opportunity that we've never had before to do this work and we have to figure out how to do it together.

I would like to get.

really boring right now and talk about some specifics and I hope you'll stay in there with me.

I also want to and just about student safety I want to point out we currently have five hundred thousand dollars in the budget for ethnic studies.

If somebody if you want to talk to me specifically about the work of ethnic studies about my experience as an advocate for Since Time Immemorial in our school district which is an all day every day thing.

I'd love to talk to anyone about that because that's been a process that's been going on for a very long time.

So we're we've had some learnings from that about what that means to get that into our buildings what that means structurally in this really relatively new organizational structure that we have.

Also my phone number has not changed.

Some of you take advantage of that.

Some of you don't but it has not changed and I have been having meeting after meeting after meeting with family after family and community member after community member throughout the last three months that we've officially been board that I've officially been a board member and it's been fantastic and I want more of it.

I'm a phone call away.

I'm not holding.

regular public meetings in my district because I work for the whole city and I get and the people in my district have a lot of access to me and a lot of other things.

So I'm trying to push out into the communities to get as many different voices and I would encourage you and your communities to do the same bring different voices to the table.

I know a lot of you in this room.

I want to give a shout out to the trailblazers because I I don't know I didn't know about any of these issues relative to your program until this afternoon or this morning and so there was some heartfelt words spoken by your students and by your parents and I appreciate it and I will be attempting to learn more about yet another thing at Washington Middle School which which is hard to even about right now but I refuse to let the notion of lack of transparency impact my ability to be responsible for my accountability as a board member for holding staff accountability and just this isn't correct Chris Jackins day but I do want to correct one other thing.

We do we only have two staff people that report to us that we have management authority over.

So that is a correct statement isn't it.

Greg you're I am also aware that we do approve the personnel reports.

I don't have anything more substantive to say about it than that right now.

But that's the distinction.

We don't have any managerial authority and we're not allowed to talk about staff issues but.

There are two the superintendent and the internal audit manager.

So specifics in terms of student safety which is a very very broad area that includes curriculum and instruction.

It includes operations are our student our safety officers are under operations.

They're not under student supports which is another area.

I was doing some math with Fred Podesta about what falls under operations that is related to student safety and there's probably four hours a day that our students are under the influence or the support or whatever the situation of operations department.

Where is our strategic plan relative to those things.

to those areas when our kids get on the bus.

I've recently been dealing with an issue of racism from a bus driver on that bus.

Principal doesn't have control over that.

That's a that's a whole other union relationship thing so that's part of H.R.

and other a couple of and operations.

When we look at what we believe that we have to do and what we can do to improve student safety safety safety it's going to take a really comprehensive look at some at the absolute advocacy part of it which is part of our job is state advocacy that gives us some more authority and ability to hire and fire as we need to to protect our students.

That's real.

We need to look at our H.R.

systems money projects that should have been done but weren't done relative to making sure that information disciplinary information endorsement information.

What's the other area training information professional development information is actually in a cohesive place.

There are quite a few I haven't gotten through the H.R.

policies that falls under my.

A responsibility is audit and finance any changes to HR policies.

So that's a whole other area.

So people are getting bored and walking out.

Talking about policies.

I know that Director Hersey is absolutely right.

We can change policies we have to take action but we need policies so that we can hold each other accountable.

They're absolutely necessary and they need to be good clear policies.

We as a board actually have way more than I thought when I first looked at this and I said what OK what can we do.

There's a lot more than I realized.

There are quite a few policies related to accountability specifically related to internal audit.

I'm talking to our internal auditor and reassessing the priorities in that division reassessing how that that particular department that reports to us is managed.

So that there are some other mechanisms mechanisms of accountability holding staff accountable to policies which is really a matter of just active effort.

Did I talk earlier about my binders.

Thank you Ellie.

These policies must be working in real time for us and that takes real work.

I believe you have in front of you a board that is committed to being a working board but we're going to need all of you working with us because we aren't paid and we don't have staff.

This was a big lift to get these binders of printed paper so that I can constantly review policy.

We have on the horizon a notion about achieving an environment for our students that is anti-racist that is culturally competent where where our students are learning about who they are and not just who their white counterparts are and where they come from.

It's a system that's built for other communities not for us.

And we have the coming months and years to figure out how to do that together and it's it's a lot of hard work.

Thank you.

Thank you Director Hampson.

I don't want to.

keep us up here too long on board comments because I know we have a lot to get to but I just want to share my gratitude for Seattle Council PTSA's President Manuela Sly excuse me as well as the students families and community that attended my and Director Hersey's community listen and learn session.

And during break I was also really grateful to attend One of our students book readings Azure released this book You Failed Us and I was really yes awesome book.

It was really grateful to attend their book reading last Wednesday and if you'll notice one of the metrics in our board goals this year are to make sure that each and every one of us on the board read this book as you can see mine's all marked up here.

And just to clarify around Borton — well I'll talk about that.

I'm some of these conversations we've had today have really made me excited about in the coming weeks I'll be bringing forward I would I believe at least I know what I'm hearing from community is an exciting and student slash community centered resolution that outlines our support for LGBTQ students staff and community and that will be introduced at the executive committee on March 18th.

Yeah there's some really great stuff coming out of that and then additionally that same evening on March 18th we are hosting our our work session on the student and community workforce agreement task force recommendations and so just thank you to Chief Podesta Richard Best of operations as well as our facilitator Nancy Locke and all of our incredible labor and community leaders on creating what I think particularly for the community I want you to know is some pretty historic workforce recommendations and I know that some of the students here that are on our The superintendent student advisory group were able to give feedback on the recommendations.

So really grateful that we were able to get some student voice centered in those recommendations and those will be coming on March 18th.

With that I'm curious if we need to take a few minute bio breaks.

OK.

So I'm going to ask we'll do a recess for 10 minutes and we're going to come back and we will be starting on introduction item number one.

And if you're following along that is our adoption of 2020 board goals and objectives.

Thank you.