We are back on the record.
It is 530. It is time for public testimony.
The rules for public testimony are on the screen and I would ask the speakers to be respectful of these rules.
I am not going to read them all out but I would remind you that comments directed by name personnel are out of order.
Please don't make me rule you out of order.
Madam please read the next three folks two minutes each.
When you get to 30 seconds the yellow light will come on.
Please start wrapping up your comments.
Thank you.
First up for public testimony we have Chris Jackins followed by Eliza Rankin and then Robin Landy Amidon.
My name is Chris Jackins.
Box 8 4 0 6 3 Seattle 9 8 1 2 4. On the National Science Foundation grant two points.
Number one the board report has gone from six pages to eight pages since last week.
Adding four principles including changing the culture of science.
Number two multiple board members at the last meeting expressed concern that earlier information should have been provided.
Please delay this item to allow the board to do its due diligence.
On the Loyal Heights commissioning report five points.
Number one a report states quote the emergency shutdown button in the boiler room is reversed.
A boiler was enabled to run when the button was pushed in unquote.
This sounds like a good thing to have gotten fixed.
Number two a circulation pump is still noisy.
Number three.
Is it true that classrooms have gotten smaller because space was allocated to teacher collaboration collaboration rooms.
Number four the playground size has been dramatically reduced.
How is this affecting school recesses.
Number five the district is required on many projects to not use schools in ways that would create or aggravate racial imbalance.
Please discuss this issue on the proposed SEA contract.
Three points.
Number one a report on the contract states that the agreement includes mandatory professional development for principals on the topic of educator diversity.
Number two such a condition would affect employees who are represented by a separate union pass the principal's bargaining unit.
Number three imposing such a condition would appear to be illegal.
Thank you.
Hi happy first day of the school year.
I'm a parent of two SPS students in the far northeast corner of Seattle Public Schools.
My kids don't tell me anything but they seem pretty happy at the end of the day so I think they had a good first day.
My oldest son is a fifth grader so we're pretty used to that controlled chaos that happens on the first day.
We don't attend one of the beautiful new buildings I've been seeing in photos from ribbon cuttings over the past week.
But we have a sweet little mid-century school with a warm patina that can only happen with 60 or so years of use from thousands and thousands of elementary school students.
At Rising Star Elementary though formerly Van Asselt students are welcome today into a construction site and they'll be attending school in a work zone for months.
I have photos that I'm happy to email to you.
Students at Rising Star are over 95 percent students of color 19 percent students with disabilities and 83 percent low income.
These are the students that are centered in the district's new strategic plan.
They're furthest from educational justice.
Families were told that work taking place would be finished over the summer and wouldn't affect school this year.
But construction now is displacing fifth grade classrooms special education and ELL students and there will be ongoing noise and dust that will disrupt everyone in the building.
I'm told that there was unexpected damage found in the roof that's delayed the work but it seems as though the students and staff are the ones paying the biggest price without ample support or communication from the district.
Special education students are crowded into rooms meant for half as many students.
IA's have lost their office space.
The principal the AP and administrative staff are in the copy room so that special education can have de-escalation spaces in what was used to be their offices.
Staff is doing the best that they can but they're already maxed out and stressed and it's only the first day of school.
Please provide a community meeting with Seattle Public Schools officials paid interpreters to answer family questions and share a timeline and a plan to let them know that their students learnings won't be totally derailed.
Please also provide monthly updates to the community until the project is completed.
They'll understand the inconvenience but they just need and deserve to be supported and included and informed about what's going on.
Thank you.
Hi good evening I'm Robin Amidon and I'm here this evening on behalf of the Low Income Housing Institute to take this opportunity to introduce to you all a proposed new affordable housing development in D5 in the Aurora Licton Springs community.
And we hope to have the opportunity to create partnerships with the Seattle Public School System our development site at 86th and Aurora.
is proximate to several great SPS schools and we'd like to invite the school district to inform us of collaborations and partnerships kinds of services that our family support case manager at our building might be able to offer toward the goal of school success.
We will be breaking ground if we get the funding in line in June of 2021 and opening in August of 2022. Our Lake City development the Tony Lee apartments had tremendous support from phenomenal people in the Lake City schools and we'd like to repeat that in the Licton Springs community.
We anticipate also that these units might speak to the housing needs of administrative staff custodial people.
Teachers aides.
Perhaps.
New teachers joining your school system.
Our rents.
Estimated.
Sit.
Quite a bit below market.
And we really are endeavoring to do community outreach locally.
And institute a community preference to help families avoid displacement.
And economic dislocation.
I anticipate with the unit mix that we will probably be adding about 55 school aged children.
To the community and we'd like to do our part.
To support everything that you and your your employees do each and every day.
Thank you.
Thank you for this opportunity.
I'm here speaking.
About minorities in the HCC program.
The HCC program has been an absolute blessing for my son Alex.
In kindergarten.
He was sent to the principal's office.
Almost daily.
He wasn't learning.
And he was hindering the teacher's ability to serve the rest of the class.
The neighborhood school was simply not equipped to meet his needs.
My understanding of the concern of the HCC program is the racial bias.
In my experience the program is not racially biased at all.
The access might be racially biased but the program itself is not.
Don't confuse them please.
If the HCC program were discontinued.
It would harm more minorities than would help.
Let me make two points.
First as a minority boy the social and behavioral issues.
That would have to be addressed if he were to return to his neighborhood school.
would be met with more punishment isolation and medical recommendations than his non-minority peers would receive.
Second the families of means.
Will just send their kids to private schools.
If the HCC program were discontinued.
And the kids from families without the means.
To send their kids to a private school would be left to fend for themselves.
I know this because I've talked to many of the parents.
In conclusion please don't discontinue the HCC program.
If you do it will disproportionately harm the minority children in the program.
You spoke about gratitude earlier.
I am very.
Grateful.
That I live in a place that has this program.
That allows my son to achieve.
Academically.
And more importantly socially.
And emotionally.
Become the person that he can be.
Thank you.
This concludes the public testimony list.
Excuse me if there are anybody else here that wishes to testify please check in.
As soon as you can and you have your opportunity for your two minutes.
Hi everyone.
My name's Elaine Haskell and I'm a proud parent of three here at Seattle Public School.
Sorry for my lateness.
I was just notified of this public testify and I felt so passionate about the subject that I wanted to leave work and just come here and express my experience.
I have three children and two in Fairmont Park one in Lafayette Elementary.
They're all.
Under 10 so I'm very busy household.
However so my daughter two of my daughters are HCC identified and it was unbeknownst to me what HCC event meant when we first stumbled upon it five years ago.
However the experience she's had in this program has been exceptional.
When she first started kindergarten my bright smart amazing little girl.
had a behavioral change.
She isolated herself a lot from her peers.
She was so terrified of public speaking or any sort of social interaction.
She started to revert to having accidents in her pants.
It was very difficult for me trying to understand why there was so much anxiety.
And then a second behavioral issue occurred when she started bullying another little girl.
And I thought, how can my sweet little baby do something like this.
Was it something in my parenting was our environment.
What was it.
So for me it was a difficult time trying to understand trying to work with her and trying to talk with her.
And she was tested later that year and identify as an HCC and I didn't even know what that means.
And I had to do some research and that if we were to accept the HCC program we would have to move to a different school that was outside of our neighborhood which we were hesitant to do because she had just get gotten used to all her peers and the kindergarten teachers and everything.
But because of the behavioral issues that we experienced we thought maybe she needed a different type of support.
Maybe she needed a place where she felt like it was more for her.
Did I go over my time.
Okay so bottom line is I'm thankful for HCC.
It allowed her to be more confident now and she's so happy and she's really you know had a dramatic change in her behavior.
And so I you know I wish this for every parent and I think there are a lot of kids out there that could use the support.
And if you were to take this away I don't know where I would turn to because it's not you know I don't know where I would go because it's not like It's she's deficient in any aspects of her.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I appreciate it.
OK.
We usually do a second round of board comments should folks wish to comment on the public testimony.
Any takers.
Director Mack.
First I want to thank you for.
Advocating on the rising star school and the need for some community engagement and I think that has been heard.
I don't know what is actually been going on but I appreciate that testimony and I want to echo it back to staff too.
I know that they are working closely with the principal but the additional community engagement would would likely be very helpful.
It is a tragedy that that situation is going on right now and I'm glad that they're trying to work through it and.
I look forward to that project being finished and making it through.
But thank you for that.
Also I really want to thank you for bringing forward the Nesbit family housing project to our attention.
Bring you know raising it in our consciousness that this is coming down the line.
I as chair of the operations committee the.
A lot of the work that comes through is the planning around.
boundaries and student assignment and all of that kind of stuff and when we have additional housing being built we need to consider that in those planning.
So I appreciate that you're coming forward with it and that I'd like to connect you to Mr. Podesta in the back to make some connections with the district so you can get tied into the planning work that's going on from that standpoint.
So I really appreciate that.
And.
Thank you for coming forward and giving your perspectives on your experience in the highly capable cohort.
Anyone else.
Seeing none we move to action items.
We are taking first number four from the consent agenda BEX IV resolution 2019 20 — 5 acceptance of the building commissioning report for the Loyal Heights Elementary School modernization and addition project.
This came before Ops August 15th for consideration.
Motion please.
Director Burke I move that the school board adopt resolution 2019 slash 20 dash 5 accepting the billing commissioning report for the Loyal Heights Elementary School project.
Director Harris Second.
Yes.
Just opening up the file.
Chief Podesta take it away.
As we talked about at introduction a commission report is a third party quality assurance assessment done on our building systems.
When this action was introduced one hundred and seventy of the one hundred and seventy one items in the report had already been resolved.
So the things on this list are things that the commissioning agent found and worked with the team to resolve.
There was a gas meter that needed to be dealt with and that was taken care of in August.
So this work is done.
This really ties a bow around the building systems and so I think we're ready to move on.
Unless there are specific questions about the report.
Director Harris.
Comments questions concerns from my colleagues.
Director Pinkham you're the one that moved this off consent.
have at it.
Thank you.
Yeah.
I guess what was brought up public comment.
I think some things seem straightforward but when emergency shutdown button is the opposite of what is supposed to be let it was fixed.
Also the guess was brought up in public testimony is circulation pump.
Do you know if that will the noise generated from that will that be addressed or is it planned to see how we can maybe soundproof the room or.
I believe it has been addressed already I will confirm.
But again if it was on the report it's been resolved.
Other comments questions concerns from my colleagues and I've got chops but I'm not going to bring up a noisy pump to you in a legislative meeting ever.
Roll call please.
Director Burke.
aye Director DeWolf aye Director Geary aye Director Mack aye Director Pinkham aye Director Harris aye this motion is passed unanimously.
We are moving to number six from the consent agenda BEX V and distressed school grant approval of four actions related to the West Woodland modernization and addition project.
This came before Ops August 15th for approval.
Motion please.
Okay take a deep breath.
I move that the school board a.
Authorize the superintendent to execute a slash e contract K 1 3 5 2 with McGranahan architects in the amount of one million six hundred and thirteen thousand two hundred and twenty eight dollars plus reimbursable expenses not to exceed twenty five thousand dollars for architectural and engineering services for the West Woodland Elementary School renovation and addition project with any minor additions deletions and modifications deemed necessary by the superintendent and to take any necessary actions to implement the contract.
and B authorize the superintendent to accept and obligate 2017 distressed school grant funds in the amount of six million dollars for the West Woodland Elementary School renovation and addition project budget and C approve a one time fund transfer of two million five hundred thousand dollars from the K-3 class size reduction grant to the West Woodland Elementary School renovation and addition project and D Approve a one time fund transfer of two million six hundred thousand dollars from the BEX V program contingency to the West Woodland Elementary renovation and addition project.
Take it away.
Thank you.
And I apologize for not being ready to speak to this.
Excuse me.
Second.
There we go.
Sorry.
Thank you guys.
I apologize for not recalling the revisions when you asked earlier.
These revisions were responsive to questions from the board at introduction just about points in the BAR asked us to clarify the total project budget to make sure that the action was clear about that what that was.
And then there was a concern about we're transferring money from the K-3 class reduction grant and that's appropriate because that's what the money is going to be used for just transferring it into the budget the project budget so it can be expended for its stated purpose.
And so we're we added some a lot of this is assembling money to fund a project and that's what we just clarified those points.
Comments questions concerns Director Pinkham.
But yeah since I was the one that pulled this I just wanted to make sure since there was an update for this consent agenda item that it wasn't highlighted.
No and I appreciate that.
I was just looking at the old BAR when you called me up before which of course wasn't going to have the revisions but.
Director Mack roll call please.
Director DeWolf aye Director Geary aye Director Mack aye Director Pinkham aye Director Burke aye Director Harris aye this motion is passed unanimously.
OK C1 action items number one approval of grant from Amazon future engineer to support science technology engineering and math STEM education activities came before A&F August 19th for.
Approval.
Motion please.
I move that the board authorize the superintendent to accept the grant from the Amazon future engineer program in an amount not to exceed three hundred thousand dollars.
Second.
Chief DeBacker take it away.
There are no changes to this bar other than the clarification that Scott Pinkham asked last week about which the other three schools those three schools are still discussing this and considering it.
That would be Maple Rainier Valley Aki and now the world school as well.
We still have three slots open.
Rainier View.
No.
Yeah.
Comments questions concerns from my colleagues Director Pinkham Director DeWolf please.
Thank you President Harris.
I just want to elevate something.
I did some research particularly found some concerning information particularly as we think about the Seattle World School from the MIT technology review.
And it's entitled Amazon is the invisible backbone of ISIS immigration crackdown.
And I think what is concerning to me particularly as we consider the 350 more than 350 students at Seattle World School representing more than 30 countries and 38 languages just want to read a few things at least were concerning for me from an investigation.
I guess it was created by the Intercept.
In partnership with Mijente the National Immigration Project and Immigration Defense Project.
So this report found that Amazon has played as central a role as Palantir in providing the backbone infrastructure for many of ICE's and DHS's key programs.
It has enjoyed a cozy relationship with the federal government particularly in a time where we've seen an increased enforcement of immigration I think what is really concerning to me is that all of the data that the and the algorithms powering the ICM which is run by Palantir are now being migrated to the Amazon Web Services in their entirety.
And this to me is part of one of the reasons I will not be voting for this particularly again in respect for our students at Seattle World School but all of our immigrant refugee students and Seattle Public Schools.
Director DeWolf can you give us please a citation for that article.
I would be happy to send that to you.
I don't see it on this page but I will.
Yes I can give you the citation.
Thank you.
It's MIT technology review the title is Amazon is the invisible backbone of ISIS immigration crackdown.
I will get the citation.
And Chief Counsel Narver when we get that citation can we add that to the record.
Yes please.
Come on up.
Yes we could.
I think there's been an adequate site to that I'm sure we can add the technical site without further board action get that in the minutes of the meeting.
Thank you.
Other comments questions concerns from my colleagues.
Director Mack please.
I think in light of the the article just raised I'm curious to what extent.
Amazon is actually engaging or just donating the funds in this program.
Do they actually have any hands on connection to the running of the first robotics program.
They have with the first robotics program and with the future engineer program they do have mentors that come in and work with the students in those after school programs.
Comments questions concerns from my colleagues seeing none.
I will bite and I agree with Director DeWolf that some of the infrastructure in this country as it addresses our folks of need our folks of color and some of the deplorable shenanigans out of Washington D.C.
are extraordinarily troubling.
I would suggest to you that there are a great many other technology companies that are also embedded deeply embedded and intertwined in the so-called security industry that are deplorable and probably no not probably definitely immoral.
On the other hand my duty sitting here for me and I only speak for myself is to our 53000 students.
Amazon is well aware of my concern about what has happened to our city given their presence and I have to balance.
The greater good for our students as opposed to a national security and other very ugly actions by both Amazon and a great many other technology companies and having First Washington partnering with us is a very exciting concept to me for our students greater good.
I will be voting in favor of this resolution.
Director Geary and then Director Burke.
So in in reviewing the article it appears to me that the connection seems to be that the agencies purchased the cloud service offered by Amazon and could have I suppose offered purchased the cloud services offered by Microsoft or somebody else.
These are government agencies they are our federal government which I think on some level while I don't currently agree with the actions of our federal government I would prefer that our federal government be using cloud services that are American companies over cloud services that we're not and that until we.
If and when we decide as an agency.
That.
We're going to.
Restrict.
Our engagement with companies that are engaging with federal.
Parts of the federal government that we don't agree with to provide infrastructure services before we will engage with them ourselves.
I it seems to me that we need to be consistent because again this is the type of thing that if we're going to be doing it based upon cloud services being offered to federal agencies that are engaging in practices that one or several of us may find given any particular branch we don't agree with what they're doing.
We're going down a rabbit hole of inconsistency.
It seems that the big issue is that.
Our federal government has bought cloud services from Amazon and I'm not prepared at this point to start picking and choosing which of those huge entities be at Microsoft be at Amazon that we're not going to accept services from and and.
And backtrack I mean how many other places are we accepting things from Amazon that are completely unrelated to their cloud services that in order for us not to appear to be hypocrites and or to be consistent with what we're taking for some students and not taking for others and leaving some kids without.
That's it's too amorphous at this point.
We would need we would need more time more consistency.
to understand if those are the kinds of policies that we're going to implement across the board.
This particular grant I went to a luncheon for and saw the difference that these services make in the lives of kids who have access to it.
It can be some of the only times that they get to work in teams around tech and it can be life changing for them.
And so I I. I'm going to accept this money.
I'm not going to say no.
I'm going to accept the grant.
I'm going to.
Hope that it changes the lives of many many students.
And if and when we decide that we're going to come up with a policy as a board that's going to say no to receiving monies from any agencies that are engaging with the current federal government or branches thereof they're engaging in practices that we don't agree with then we need to do that by policy.
Director Burke and then Director Mack.
First I want to thank Director DeWolf for bringing this up because I think this is the type of conversation that.
really helps us as a board get our values out there and kind of work through these these sort of issues because a lot of these aren't black and white.
They're not clean lines of we do this because of you know for particular reasons.
I will be supporting this.
My lens that I'm looking at this from is are we investing in their growth and their infrastructure or are they investing in ours and what is the return on that investment.
I believe that we can have as an educational institution more impact on our students outcomes with this support and they may become future Amazon engineers or they may not.
But.
In either case.
That is a benefit for our students.
That this external funding will provide.
I.
Could potentially be in a different position if we were.
Funding.
Something that supports the expansion and growth of the kind of the Amazon monolith and infrastructure because I do have some concerns about that.
But in this case I will be supporting this action and I'm super excited about what it will allow us to bring to our students.
Director Mack.
I can echo the comments made by my colleagues around the.
The lack of clarity in our policies of denying funds for from large corporations that do all sorts of things and that that level of consistency that's a that's a big question mark for me.
And that the this work and this project is actually it is a really it's an amazing opportunity for a lot of our our students.
So I support it from that perspective but I think.
The article that is brought forward.
Raises a question.
That I need to get educated on.
I think maybe as a board we need to get educated on and we may or may not want to take board action depending on where things lie.
I think that the question of.
What is our policy around.
Because I. I. Apologize for being.
Ignorant about this but what is our policy around ISIS.
Coming to our schools.
I mean Seattle has a safe.
I need to be educated on exactly what.
Right.
So.
So this is.
I need.
And you mean ICE not ISIS.
Thank you.
I do.
I mean ICE not ISIS.
Apologies.
That was a terrible.
Right.
No.
I need I need to be educated as a board as a board member and it would be helpful.
Maybe this is a longer conversation but I would like to get educated as to what our practice and policies are and keeping our students safe.
In regards to ISIS and immigration and the things that are going on.
So hello Mr. Boy.
I don't know that.
I'm asking for.
Tonight to get the full.
Because we're not prepped for it.
But.
I am not going to educate you tonight.
But I do want to briefly say and Ronald Boy a senior assistant general counsel.
That I am happy to announce that.
Not only did we previously have a procedure that protected our kids that are immigrants.
We just did some updates to that procedure that were just signed off by superintendent today which make it make a little bit stronger because we heard that there were issues with.
Warrants from ICE being presented so now we're making it very clear that it must be a judicial warrant and I will send you those procedures tomorrow morning or tonight so you can review them.
And see that we do have really strong protections for our students.
In relation to ICE.
Would this be an appropriate thing to come through one of the committees like Ops at some point.
Yeah I'd be happy to present the procedure.
And any changes to superintendent procedures are attached to the Friday memo correct.
Yeah.
Terrific.
Thank you.
OK.
Thank you.
OK.
Director Pinkham did you have comments questions concerns.
Just some comments.
I want to first thank Director DeWolf for bringing this up because.
I think.
At least daylighting something like that and letting then possibly if our.
Families opt to hey if that's a concern to them then it's daylight to them and let them make the decision what they want to do.
And I. I plan to vote for this because I think what.
It is is supporting our students.
And but the more we can share with our.
Families and communities out there.
I think it's helpful as well.
So thank you Director DeWolf.
Director DeWolf did you have other comments questions concerns sir.
I. If.
This board is really truly committed to that then I hope we work quickly to create a policy that actually outlines this process because what is most concerning to me is that this.
This.
Specific company.
Collects.
This.
These dollars.
That then turns around and does these projects.
That make us feel good and and make us feel like we're going to be getting some money.
To be supporting our students those same dollars that are hurting families across this country.
Are then going to be turned back.
In a positive light.
Supporting a lot of those students Bailey Gatzer Elementary here a lot of.
Immigrant and refugee students there I just was with those that community this summer.
So I think for me that is deeply concerning.
Amazon holds 62 percent of the highest level authorizations.
For this database usually needed to handle data for law enforcement and the tracking.
And I just.
I just I can't support this.
Particularly given the amount of immigrant refugee students not only in our community but.
Seattle World School students that are right in my own neighborhood.
So.
Which is your right.
Thank you.
Roll call please.
Director Burke aye Director DeWolf no Director Geary aye Director Mack aye Director Pinkham aye Director Harris aye.
This motion has passed with a vote of 5 to 1.
Action item number 2 discovery research K-12 DEC R K 12 grant from the National Science Foundation.
This came before A&F August 19th for approval motion please.
I move that the board authorize the superintendent to accept the discovery research K 12 D R K 12 grant from the National Science Foundation which was awarded on July 1st 2019 in the amount of five hundred thousand dollars per year for three years for a total of one.
million five hundred thousand dollars for the three year grant period.
Second.
Director Harris.
Oh DeBacker take it away please.
Just a few additional items from last week's introduction.
The University of Washington applied for this grant.
For three years.
November of 2016 2017 and 2018. And they were awarded the grant on June 21st of 2019. You were informed that we were a recipient or we would be a recipient of part of that grant for professional development for teachers in early July.
The PD funds will not be used to supplant what we you approved in terms of the science adoption.
earlier this spring.
It is really a supplement to and is really around making sure that our teachers are ready to teach to the culturally and linguistically diverse students in our district.
Thus the explanation for why we put additional information into the equity analysis of the BAR.
So in response to citizen Chris Jenkins question about how the BAR grew.
It is around that equity analysis that we thought was very important as we worked with that.
The grant will provide an additional two days of PD each summer to focus on the culturally responsive science teaching.
It is part of a network of elementary secondary teachers principals family specialists and researchers.
It is a grant that is part of a networked improvement community out of the Carnegie Foundation.
And it has been used with Dr. Thompson you met her last week and she is also here today.
She has done this with the Highline Public Schools and other teachers working across Western Washington.
Comments questions concerns Director Burke.
I have a question regarding the funding and how it.
How it is articulates the.
It looks like in the timeline for implementation.
There is 2.0 FTE staff associated with this.
At.
Five hundred thousand per year.
Is they.
Where is the additional funding.
Going.
Is some of that go to University of Washington or does it go to our educators or what is the.
How does the.
Where does where's the money go.
If you're referring to page 7 on the board agenda item.
Under the timeline for implementation I believe.
Is that correct.
You're correct in that there are we two FTE that will be funded through this and then also the professional development that will happen.
There's also point two secondary specialists who will also be working with this program.
And.
For more specifics I do have assistance with Mary Margaret here and also Jessica Thompson if you prefer.
Yeah.
That would be helpful for me because it looks like the 2.0 staff.
Works out to 1.0 specialists and five of point two.
That's correct.
Absolutely.
Director Burke that's exactly correct.
We.
We will not be funding our secondary specialists this year because in that way because it would take a point two.
Release.
And we couldn't do that at this moment.
So we'll be paying our secondary specialists with extra time only for this year.
If the anticipation that the following year.
Will actually hire our secondary specialists as a point to release.
To help assist in the grant.
And you are correct that that adds up to 1.0.
And then the additional funding is for elementary science specialists.
Who will be able to go into the field and work directly with teachers in a coaching and coaching position and collecting data.
Director Burke.
Thank you.
So I guess that that's the root of my question is that looks like that makes you know two hundred thousand plus.
Of the five hundred.
Where is the remaining three hundred.
Allocated.
To the professional development.
You're correct on that as well.
So for the release time for the teachers and for the additional time in the summer.
That will be paid and then there's also.
What we call professional learning communities.
So those are hours after the school day that we also pay teachers for.
So the additional resources will go directly to funding teachers.
Can.
Go ahead.
One more clarification question.
When I was looking at the research around this and you know NSF grants related science work.
It looked to me like there's a lot of.
Sort of grants that fund grants that fund grants there's a.
The research supports.
Future grants in a lot of ways.
So the.
Work builds on itself.
And.
That brings up the question well what is funding.
The.
Is this.
Award directly from the National Science Foundation to us.
Or is it through University of Washington.
So University of Washington is getting their operating costs paid separately.
From this grant.
This is just our costs.
That's correct.
So the total grant is three million dollars.
And this this component of it which is articulated in the BAR is specifically just for us.
Director Burke.
Thank you.
I I. Raised some of my concerns at the last meeting about.
NSF grants and I'm looking more at the.
I can't not.
Accept money for the district but I can in good conscious support this so I will be abstaining on this vote.
Director Harris.
I appreciate the clarification from Ms. DeBacker that this won't be supplanting but I I'm kind of curious why not when.
We don't have the budget for the elementary PD already if I remember correctly.
So this seems to me like this is a it's a it's a windfall of wondrous dollars coming in to pay for.
PD that we committed to when we adopted elementary but we.
Don't have.
Dedicated budget.
For.
In the future.
As I remember.
That.
Discussion.
So I'm kind of curious as to why we're saying this isn't supplanting it should.
I would think it should be offsetting the cost that we've already committed to.
I do.
I'm going to attempt to answer this and then if Mary Margaret has something to add.
Keep in mind that when the University of Washington was applying for this grant over the past three years we did not have the science adoption even on the table when they started this.
This grant is about instruction.
It's not about curriculum and I think that's a difference between it.
So it is about helping teachers get better at teaching And no matter what curriculum is around it.
So I think that the funding is there that we need at this point especially as we think about how we are accelerating our elementary.
Remember we're only bringing a few on in the first year.
So not all elementary teachers are getting the PD around the new science curriculum.
But the approval that was.
The board approved curriculum adoption included committing dollars committing future dollars and it was very specific that particularly for elementary the PD requirements were substantial and I recall voting no on that on the elementary adoption primarily for that reason.
And the PD is the additional cost that we have committed to that we.
don't have revenue for I'm I'm kind of confused as to this is PD for the elementary I'm not I'm really not understanding why it's not actually being used to offset the already committed to costs that we don't have the dollars for.
I don't I understand that the grant was applied for and it wasn't a guarantee that we were ever going to get it.
But to me it seems like it should be.
This is where the funds are coming from to do the PD that we committed for or at least part of it.
So Director Mack the PD funding that was allocated by the board in association with the elementary instructional materials adoption does actually help teachers.
Understand how to use the instructional materials.
So how to set up labs and how to use the digital platform and how to interface with the new texts that are within the context of the curriculum.
And that that funding has been allocated by the board and those resources are available to us which is exactly the monies that we had been used will be using to help teachers understand how to use the instructional materials.
This grant specifically was written to help teachers with their professional learning around culturally and linguistic diverse students.
So students who are furthest from educational justice as is associated with our strategic plan.
So our strategic plan specifically asks us To dig deeper and to think about those children who have not been able to reach and access scientific literacy.
And how are we going to make some adjustments to their practices.
So that every single child will have an opportunity to reach.
And that's the context of the grant.
So although they might look all the same because it's science education one is specifically identifying students.
Who are furthest from opportunities in science education.
and digging more deeply with teachers to help them associate those kinds of learnings with those children.
And the other is more.
Nuts and bolts of this is how you use the instructional materials these are the digital tools these are the books that are associated with it.
And that's the piece that the board did allocate funding for and we are using those funds to move forward.
Director Harris.
Other questions comments concerns from my colleagues.
I'd like to push back on.
Chief DeBacker statement that.
We didn't know we were going to do a curriculum adoption in November.
I could not more vehemently disagree with you and I will appreciate you were not here at the time.
That came from pushback from this board to the blanket adoptions.
That was well underway.
And I again ask when this board.
Was advised.
Of this.
NSF.
Grant.
Application.
We spent.
Dozens and dozens of hours.
Being learned up.
And I don't recall it and I did very specifically ask for that information at intro.
Let me correct my words.
We did not have a science adoption going on.
when the University of Washington applied for this in November of 2016 and 2017.
I did in November 2018 correct.
Correct.
Thank you.
You were the board was informed during the deliberation process of the science curriculum that we were part of that we had been invited to participate in the grant that was being sought after.
I don't know exactly when but Miss Welch did mention that during the deliberations.
Maybe at all more specific were they on paper were they on three by threes were they in a work session.
I'm sorry to push this hard but this was a very very painful adoption.
I think everybody can agree with that and that we can do better in the future.
But when we break trust.
Or we have the perception of breaking trust because then the result is the same perception reality.
It takes us 10 times longer to earn it back.
And I'm hugely concerned by this.
I can state for a fact that you were informed in a Friday memo in July at the beginning of July when it was mentioned in the deliberations.
I believe it was during the work session so.
Thank you.
Other comments questions concerns from my colleagues.
Director Pinkham.
And you had mentioned that this is more regards to instruction not curriculum.
For this.
Although there is a comment in the last paragraph this grant will help us enrich the page 5. This grant will help us enrich the curriculum.
Through professional development incorporates the student's life experience and culture and provide the structure delivered by.
High quality culture responsible education.
So this will impact the curriculum in a way.
Yes.
Yes.
Better instruction will impact.
So that's how you're taking it.
So.
Just want to.
When we say enrich the curriculum.
It's not changing the curriculum it's just adding.
More to it.
Just want to make sure that's.
I would agree.
Yes.
Director Burke.
One of the fun things we get to do down here up here over here is to.
Try to help break down the silos.
So my question.
In light of.
Director Pinkham's.
Comment is.
What is the intersection between this work and our ethnic studies work.
Which should be.
Intentionally building.
On and within and through.
Adoptions.
Or.
Either what is or what could be.
I mean obviously there will be connections between that the ethnic studies work we have a update coming to the C&I committee in in next week and you'll find out that a lot of work has been done on that.
We are waiting for policy 2015 to get through so that we can more quickly move through ethnic studies.
And so there isn't.
Yes the intersections there.
Is there a science work group that's doing ethics on the ethnic studies group.
That can be.
Kind of plugged into this.
So Director Burke that was actually very astute of you to see that because actually the component of this grant is specifically through ethnic studies.
So when we're looking at culturally and linguistically diverse students we are looking at students who have been marginalized from science experiences.
And the intersection is definitely there and the question you asked is the important one.
Will be.
Because the grant.
Hasn't been accepted yet and we were only awarded the grant in July.
And so as soon as we have an opportunity to move forward.
Then those intersections will be daylighted even more.
But as a very specific component of the grant we think about culturally relevant teaching pedagogy.
And we also are looking at ethnic diversity and how to intersect.
Those opportunities every place we can see them within the science curriculum.
May I follow up on that question please.
So does that mean then that we will be working with our our Seattle Public Schools Ethnic Studies Department not with the UW not with some other entity.
That's correct.
Thank you.
Yes.
Director Harris in fact there is an advisory committee that Dr. DeBacker has already helped me to think about internally.
We'll be serving to help inform and help guide the grant as we move forward for those intersections to be more explicit.
And do we have any sense of how much of the money or how much bandwidth we'll be devoting to that.
To the ethnic studies component of it.
Yes ma'am.
I would be guessing at this moment to tell you a percentage of it.
It's a huge piece of what we need to focus on.
That's what it means to be culturally and linguistically diverse focused.
So indeed it's an element that's essential to moving forward with the grant.
Thank you.
Other comments questions concerns from my colleagues.
Seeing none roll call please.
Director Geary aye Director Mack aye Director Pinkham aye
Director Burke.
Abstain.
Director DeWolf.
Aye.
Director Harris.
Abstain.
This motion is passed with a vote of 4 to 0 to 2.
Moving on.
Number three.
Approval of the draft project agreement quote teacher diversity contract end quote between the city of Seattle Department of Education and Early Learning DEL And the Seattle Public Schools SPS to diversify the educator workforce.
This came before Audit and Finance August 19th for.
Approval.
Motion please.
I move that the school board authorize the superintendent to execute the draft teacher diversity contract with the Department of Education and Early Learning and accept funds in the amount of five hundred and fifty thousand dollars for the purposes of advancing diversity among the educator workforce.
Second.
Take it away.
Chief Dr. Codd.
Yes.
So.
Chief of Human Resources Clover Codd.
There have been no changes since introduction.
I've received no questions from board directors or community regarding this board action report.
I did introduction last time if there are any questions I'm happy to answer them at this moment.
I triple dog dare my colleague.
Roll call please.
Director Pinkham aye Director Burke aye Director Geary aye Director DeWolf aye Director Mack aye Director Harris aye this motion is passed unanimously.
Thank you.
Number four and last amendments to Superintendent Denise Juneau's employment agreement to address performance compensation amounts for 2019 20 and 2021 and base salary for 2019 20 to exhibit a performance evaluation compensation criteria to the superintendent's employment agreement to change the bonus payment date from June 30th to September 30th and define previously undefined terms and authorization for future salary discussions with the superintendent.
This came before executive committee August 21st for approval.
Motion please.
I move that the board approve.
Increasing the superintendent's base salary by 2 percent or five thousand nine hundred dollars per 12 months for a new base salary amount of three hundred thousand nine hundred dollars.
I move that this board set the performance compensation amount for the twenty nineteen twenty school year at fifteen thousand dollars for the twenty twenty one contract year at fifteen thousand dollars.
I move that the board approve amended Exhibit A to the superintendent's employment agreement as attached to in this board report.
I move that the board authorize the board president and board board vice president to have salary discussions with the superintendent connected to her salary and bonus increases starting with the 2021 school year.
Approval of this motion authorizes the board president to 1. Execute amendment number 2 to the superintendent's employment agreement as attached to the board action report and 2. Execute amended exhibit A to the superintendent's employment agreement.
which shall replace Exhibit A with any minor additions deletions or modifications deemed necessary.
Second.
Director Harris.
Mr. Cerqui take it away.
Good evening John Cerqui Deputy General Chief Counsel.
At introduction there were no questions from the school board members related to the BAR that you have in front of you.
Subsequently Director Geary did ask that I clarify on the record Two questions so Superintendent Juneau feel free to jump in if you would like.
The two questions are what's the timeline for when the base data will be provided to the school board and what's the timeline that that base data then will be evaluated in this current school year the 1920 school year.
And the second question relates to if the percentage increases.
Examples 32 to 37 percent.
So if say at the end of this year it's the African-American males are at 40 percent.
Do you go from 40 to 45 the next school year and the answer is yes you don't go from 32 to 42. You would start at the new base which is whatever it ends up being which is 40 if it's 40 percent of my hypothetical then you would start She would need to achieve a 45 in year 2 for African-American males and I'll let maybe Denise Juneau jump into the first question.
The way I read the amendment is that there are no time frames put around the increase of improvement and therefore it would be fair to interpret a contract that it is a 5 percent increase from the.
Signing of the contract but it's 5 percent for both years and it isn't saying 5 percent more or 5 percent based upon a given year.
There isn't a start date as to when the measure of the 5 percent and especially in the second year the first year I don't have a concern about it would be the second year.
Is it two years to get to that 5 percent.
And if you manage to get that first 5 percent in the second year you get the bonus.
Do you get the 5 percent.
If you only raise it 5 percent in the second year but not the first year.
There's just clarification around.
The start and the end and the measures.
That I. It seemed so simple and I guess I'm a little.
Perturbed because I raised this exact issue in committee when it came up or at some point when.
I believe there was some discussion about this.
This was the exact same thing that I raised.
Because when I looked at it I saw that it hadn't been addressed.
So.
And at that point there was.
Acknowledgement.
I believe.
That.
What we're looking at.
Is that you need to get the 5 percent and the 3 percent in the first year to get the bonus.
And then whatever.
Then at the starting of the next school year.
It's.
From that point a 5 percent or a 3 percent increase.
Based upon that individual school year.
Correct.
And that is your understanding.
Correct.
OK.
I just wanted that clarified somewhere in a record so that at a future point if there was a misunderstanding we would all be able to look I guess here and not within the four corners of the document which is.
Makes me nervous.
OK so because it's based on ESPA right.
There is a year certain and a time certain when those scores come up in any given year.
And so one of the amendments is we the first contract basically said June would be the measurement of the baseline.
So 30 percent in June say right.
June of that year and so say it's 30 percent The reason there is an amendment to change that is because the ESPA scores actually aren't final final until September October of that year that specific year and that would be great and that would be the measurement and then the next year would be starting from that new baseline onto the next year.
Got it.
Director Mack.
I haven't raised this question with anyone yet.
So it's new.
I know that other folks have been having conversations around it but the issue of the disaggregated data for the second one I'm wondering if it's possible as an information request that even in spite of the fact that the measures based on the aggregate 3 percent If we could please have.
The data disaggregated when it is presented.
So that we can see what's going on.
Not that.
That that.
That I don't think that.
Changes the intent.
Or the.
The actual.
You know what the measure is that it's three point.
Three points on.
Aggregate.
But I think it'd be very informative for us as a district to be able to see that disaggregated data and I know that lots of folks consistently ask for disaggregated data and we want to make sure that we.
Of course I mean if it meets the threshold of being able to be presented publicly we can definitely do that.
Right.
If we don't have too many small student numbers I get that.
But thank you.
Director Burke please.
builds really well on a conversation it's been taking place for the last couple of days and I.
In the last couple of days and then today.
And so I want to thank Superintendent Juneau and staff for helping.
Get to the.
Get into the meat and potatoes of it.
This question around disaggregating data.
We have.
Populations of our of our students.
That.
Don't show up in our data.
And so.
My my feeling was we should be disaggregating the data for this.
Most.
Visible and prominent level.
Of oversight.
You know in our strategic plan our leadership and so I was going to propose an amendment to do that.
When.
In conversing with what that actually meant.
For the.
We have a 5 percent threshold for African-American males third grade.
We then have a third.
3 percent threshold.
For other students farthest from educational justice.
All students farthest from educational justice.
And.
And the.
The.
Part of me focusing on those students that have not been.
Elevated was wow we should not just be doing it as an aggregate we should disaggregate.
But when you think about what that actually means.
It means that well each of those groups has to be above 3 percent.
So.
It's certain that the aggregate is going to be significantly above 3 percent.
Because just the law of averages some of them are going to be 3 some of them might be even higher.
And it's a really big lift.
And then also the fact that.
You know some of the small small end sizes.
Really vary a lot year to year.
So there's a lot of.
Kind of.
Statistical variation as that comes through.
So I appreciate Director Mack's request To have it be part of the discussion and maybe that would be something that in future negotiations if there was a certain threshold or a certain way to do that that made statistical sense.
But I just wanted to elevate the importance of looking at those numbers.
And I did determine after looking at that analysis that it was not would not be in the best interest for us as a district or for our leadership to.
Have that actually be.
An amendment.
Any other questions comments concerns.
Director Pinkham.
Thank you.
Yeah.
Yeah.
It's one of the things that I brought up when I was looking at this one was brought for introduction about OK well what if the other students you know.
Totally the area 3 percent or above but there was still one group that.
Might have declined or.
Didn't improve as much.
So I appreciate the ask if we can share all the data and hopefully we'll learn from that data.
Oh look this one group didn't do as well.
So our next year's.
Strategy we need to make sure we pull those students up that they don't keep on falling behind that we're being more under purposeful.
Here's a group African-American they raised by 6 percent.
Great but there's still this other population that's dropping every year.
Maybe the targeted universalism needs to not working as well as we thought it would.
We need to see what we can do for groups that are still.
Maybe falling behind.
So.
That's why I appreciate.
People asking that we desegregate this information.
We'll stick with the language here that overall 3 percent but if you can see that other data I think it will help inform me.
Better as to how we are doing truly for all of our students.
Director Harris.
Any other questions comments concerns.
I have no doubt.
That we will meet.
These goals.
I have no doubt that.
Our very capable staff.
Will assist the superintendent in meeting these goals.
And I have no doubt.
That.
Implanting a bonus.
Into the superintendent's contract was a good idea then and is a good idea now.
And it is not done by very many districts.
And I'm very proud of the fact that we did do so and that you agreed to same and came to join us in our quest for the future of our children.
Roll call please.
Director Burke aye Director DeWolf aye Director Geary aye aye Director Mack aye Director Pinkham aye Director Harris aye.
This motion has passed unanimously.
And this meeting is adjourned at 6 38 p.m.
Thank you all.