Seattle School Board Meeting April 4, 2018 Part 1

So I'd like to welcome our student representative from the Seattle World School.

I'll do my best with the name Khalil Budrisa.

Nice.

Mr. Budrisa will have an opportunity to provide comments regarding his school later in the meeting.

Mr. Ramirez the roll call please.

Director Burke.

Here.

Director DeWolf.

Present.

Director Geary.

Here.

Here.

Director Mack.

Here.

Director Patu.

Here.

Director Pinkham.

Present.

If everyone would please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

I will now turn it over to Superintendent Nyland for tonight's recognition.

Thank you.

We're going to have a great opportunity tonight to recognize the Seattle Council PTSA.

I have the opportunity to meet with them weekly and weekly sometimes monthly.

And they've also been a great partner for us in terms of coordinated meetings this year and last with regard to budget and a whole host of other issues as they come up so.

I very much appreciate the work that Seattle Council PTSA does to support and engage our schools and our students.

So with that I'd like to introduce James Bush director of school family and community partnerships and he'll introduce Sabrina Burr Seattle Council PTSA and then after that we'll invite the board down to take a picture and give a certificate to the Seattle Council PTSA.

Thank you and good afternoon.

So I'll do a brief introduction and pass the mic to Sabrina.

Since 1972 the Seattle Council PTA has supported empowered and engaged Seattle schools families and communities in advocating on behalf of their children.

Seattle Council offers trainings to parents after school enrichment programs for youth and numerous other school supports.

Seattle Council is a key partner as SPS engages in student centered transformational work across the district with support of their local PTAs and boards.

Their equity work supports SPS's efforts to eliminate opportunity gaps and ensure opportunities for greatness for all of our students.

Please join me in welcoming Seattle Council President Sabrina Burr to the podium and the other PTA parents here in our presence.

Thank you.

Good evening.

Thank you.

James I appreciate it.

If all of the members of PTA PTSA so parents students teachers all of you if you can come up.

This award belongs to all of us.

It is the Seattle Council board who meets with the superintendent and his cabinet members and key district leaders.

but the work is done in our buildings in our communities and through our children.

So this is a small representation of what PTA is.

On this day especially 50 years to the day of the death of Martin Luther King.

I think it's befitting for the equity work that this district has championed and the equity work that happens in our buildings, through our teachers, through our parents but most importantly through our amazing students who are being the voice of tomorrow.

What people do not realize is since 1908 Seattle Council well actually the National Mothers of Congress has been working a lot across color lines working with Selena Sloan Butler the founder of the National Council of Colored Parents and Teachers.

And in 1970 after Brown versus the Board of Education the two organizations merged.

So I want you to know and today I want to honor those who we stand on the shoulders of for the National Council of colored parents and teachers.

I was just in Washington DC for a national legislative convention and it was befitting that the room that we held our reception in is the very same room that 2000 people stood strong in America for children.

It was very befitting.

That very same room is where we had our reception under President Roosevelt.

So I am very honored to work with Seattle Public Schools and this important work.

I'm very honored for us to be elevating our family engagement.

But most importantly I would like to thank Dr. Nyland because I worked both on the strategic plan and the equity toolkit This is the first time in more than a decade I have seen my work come to action.

So I want to thank him.

I want to thank all of you.

I want to especially thank Dr. Brent Jones in the equity department and for what's going on in family engagement through James Bush and what amazing work will do.

And so Yeah.

So that's what I want to say for that.

And so we honor the diversity of this district and we work to elevate those voices that we need to hear from.

And that's a partnership.

That's all of us working together to make sure we shift from people in positions to kids in classrooms.

Because with this group of children that we are educating our future is very bright and we need to do what we need to do to give them the tools and resources not just to survive but to soar in life.

So thank you.

Thank you for all you do.

So I'll invite the board down and we'll invite all of the our PTA friends up forward to take a picture.

So before you come down keep coming down in addition to this we have two certificates that we would like to present as well.

And that is for Dr. Nyland.

So in addition we will come down.

We have two certificates.

Dr. Nyland came out to Van Assel to Mother's Night Out and we didn't have the certificate ready and I think that was a universe aligning.

So we do have a certificate for you from Mother's Night Out.

I'll let Hodon give that to you.

And additionally, for our partnership and especially for our work around family engagement and equity, we have another certificate for you.

We have a beautiful portfolio for you to put that in.

We also have a document of the Somali mothers night out.

But one of the things that we worked together in was formula for success.

I think you were sitting at the table along with James Bush when the name came so I thought it would be be fitting to have in your memory book as well.

So we have this.

And then we have a small gift that has to do with a lot of these things for you as well.

Are you guys ready?

Thank you.

Let's see.

So we have a student presentation scheduled but we don't have it all coordinated yet I don't believe.

Or do we?

So we're going to go to superintendent comments and allow the students a little bit more time to collect their.

Yeah we'll go to superintendent comments.

All right.

Celebrations.

This is school librarian recognition day April 4th.

And actually we have quite a few of our librarians on the schedule to testify later today.

Appreciate the work that they do each and every day and as I put in my comments out to staff today given my passion for reading and I don't know I must have five or six library cards.

I very much appreciate the work that our librarians do to make sure that we have great collections.

They've really worked hard to make sure that we have more diversity represented in our collections to represent the students in our schools and kind of give that excitement for lifelong learning to all of our students.

So thank you to our librarians.

and all that without much money yes.

National school volunteer week is coming up next week or the week after April 16th through 20th and again wow.

I don't know that we have a full way to keep track of all of the hours that our volunteers put in, but starting with PTSA and moving to all of the many, many, many roles that our volunteers play, we're so appreciative of that.

As Sabrina mentioned today does mark the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King and five decades later Dr. King's influence continues to resonate.

As many of you know he gave an eloquent speech the day before he died.

And I have a few quotes here in the.

in my report.

Let us rise up tonight with a greater readiness.

Let us stand with a greater determination and let us move on to make America what it ought to be to make America a better nation.

He goes on to say like anybody I'd like to live a long life.

Longevity has its place but I'm not concerned about that now.

I just want to do God's will and he's allowed me to go to the mountain.

And I've looked over and I've seen the promised land.

I may not get there with you but I want you to know tonight that we as people will get to the promised land.

So definitely not as eloquent as Dr. Martin Luther King but eloquent words and unfortunately made even more poignant through his tragic assassination.

So good reminders always of the work that we do and why it's so important.

As I always do I give an update on some of the aspects of our strategic plan.

Our strategic plan has three major areas.

Goal 1 excellence and equity.

Goal 2 effective systems and goal 3 engagement.

Under goal 1 we've continued to work on eliminating opportunity gaps and ensuring opportunities for greatness for our students.

We did receive notice recently from the city of Seattle through the family and education levy that they would be funding five of our high school programs through their innovation program next year that's been part of their work to continue to ramp up high school work.

So we very much appreciate that support.

At the last board meeting the board talked about preschool and asked us to look further into I think it was three of the seven new sites which staff did do and looked at the number of students that would be impacted.

It was a relatively small number of students that would be required to transfer from one school to another.

And we have been in communication with SEA to put together a planning leadership, program leadership team to try to work through the details and make the transition as smooth as we can.

And we also have another interim report from the international schools do language immersion task force and some of their recommendations as we move forward.

Goal 2 is improved systems.

The board held a work session on the budget last week and we are appreciative of the fact that we have.

We really need to find a clever way to say this.

The legislature did come through with their bump in funding to in their view satisfy McCleary.

We don't think that they are quite there yet but for one moment in time we will have adequate resources for our budget going forward into 2018-19.

And then we go back into the slow hemorrhaging part of the process where we get less funding than we need to maintain our programs each year.

So more work to be done in terms of sustaining, getting sustainable funding from the state.

City of Seattle is getting ready to announce the family and education and preschool levies for November of next year.

And then the board also held a work session last week around our capital and operations levies that will go forward in February.

Seattle Public Schools capital and.

operations levies that will be on the ballot in February of 2019. So there's a series of community meetings being held with the goal of board decision sometime June summer no later than early fall to give the election campaign time to plan prepare and get the word out to the voters.

And then goal three is our engagement goal.

It was a launch luncheon that was held recently with regard to supporting programs in 10 of our locations across the district.

And I appreciate that work.

South Lake High School is busy working on a home visits project which is part of the engaging families in high school success which we heard about from Addie Simmons a few board meetings ago.

And SHA is also working on the family visits project.

And Andrew Lofton from SHA and Dr. Brent Jones from our staff held a webinar this last week or so ago.

We had 900 people from around the nation looking at the partnership that we have that's pretty unique in Seattle between the school district and the Seattle Housing Authority with regard to improved attendance.

And we've seen notable success with that partnership.

So in fact tomorrow night there's many many many many things going on and one of those hopefully I can get to is a SHA recognition of students who have excelled in terms of attendance over the last several portion of the school year.

Good news around the district.

Lots and lots and lots of students at Hamilton performance and seeing the connections between identity safety and the Hamilton play.

And I guess all of our 40 46 of our teachers who had projects I guess 38 teachers who had 46 projects and donors choose along with everybody else around the country were fully funded by Ripple.

And so that resulted in almost forty four thousand dollars in donations for projects that our teachers had put up.

Unified physical education has a featured video from the SPS media operations and continuing to work on a more inclusive environment.

Congresswoman Jaye Paul recognized Concord Elementary in a floor speech with regard to their arts impact project.

And we had a delegation from Singapore visiting teachers at McDonald International Elementary School and Nathan Hale High School.

And finally one of our former school board members Harry Martin Morris was recently appointed by Governor Inslee to serve on the State Board of Education.

So we wish him congratulations and nice to have a Seattle voice on the State Board of Education.

That concludes my comments for tonight.

Thank you.

Is our student performance ready to go.

Outstanding.

I would ask that the board members come down front so we can watch and enjoy like everyone else.

OK.

OK, so we did Little Shop of Horrors for our winter musical.

It was a lot of fun.

I played the plant.

I was Seymour.

So yeah, it was a lot of fun.

So this is Get It from Little Shop of Horrors.

All right.

Feed me.

Does it have to be human?

Feed me.

Does it have to be mine?

Feed me, Seymour.

Feed me all night long.

That's right, boy.

You can do it.

Feed me, Seymour.

Feed me all night long.

Because if you feed me, Seymour, I can grow up big and strong.

You eat blood, Audrey II.

Let's face it.

How do I feed you?

Kill people?

I'll make it worth your while.

What?

You think this is all a coincidence, baby?

The sun's success around here?

Your adoption papers?

You're a planned and inanimate object.

Does this look bad to you, punk?

If I can talk and if I can move, who's to say I can't do anything I want?

Like what?

Like, deliver, pal.

Like, get everything your secret, greasy heart desires.

How'd you like a Cadillac car?

Or a guest shed on Jack Par?

How about a day with Hayden Lamar?

You're gonna get it.

How'd you like to be a big wheel?

Dining out for every meal.

I'm the plan.

You can make it all real, so go get it.

I'm your genie.

I'm your friend.

I'm your will and slave.

Just take a chance.

Feed me.

You know the kind that eats the counter bread hot.

Sweets the kind that licks you thinking you should stop.

Crave.

Come on, Seymour.

Don't be a putz.

Trust me, your life will surely rival King Tut's.

Show a little initiative and work up those guts, and you'll get it.

I don't know.

I don't know.

I have so many strong reservations.

Should I go and perform mutilations?

You didn't have nothing till you met me.

Come on, kid.

What will it be?

Money?

Girls?

One particular girl?

How about the Audrey?

Think it over.

There must be someone you could 86 real quiet like and get me lunch.

How'd you like a room at the Ritz?

Wrapped in velvet, covered in glitz.

A little nookie gonna clear up your zits and you'll get it.

She act like a Harley machine, tooling around like Alice James Dean, making all the guys in the corner turn green.

So you'll get it.

If you wanna be profound, you really gotta justify.

Take a breath and look around.

A lot of folks deserve to die.

Wait, wait, wait a minute, wait a minute.

That's not a very nice thing to say.

But it's true, isn't it?

No, I don't know anyone who deserves to get chopped up and fed to a hungry plant.

Aw, sure you do.

That dentist friend of yours?

He's been beating up on Audrey.

Would you like to get your revenge?

If you want a rationale, it isn't very hard to see.

Stop and think it over, pal.

The guy sure looks like plant food to me.

The guy sure looks like plant food to me.

The guy sure looks like plant food to me.

He's so nasty, tweeting her up.

Smacking her around, oh, he's talking so tough.

You need blood, he's got more than enough.

I need blood, he's got more than enough.

I need blood, he's got more than enough.

So go get it.

So can you introduce yourselves.

Tell us how long you've been practicing.

Tell us who's been coaching you and tell us where you're going next if you would please.

My name's my name's Leona.

We've actually like we haven't practiced in about like three months until like until this week.

But we had we were working on it for about three months.

And the lovely Miss Pritchard who has left us recently.

She was our director and a lot of like what she did was amazing and she was an amazing teacher.

My name is Yosa I have been with the center school for four years now and I've been with the drama program for three years.

I am choosing colleges right now between Columbia NYU and Sarah Lawrence.

And for me I think I'm going to stick to community college right now and that's the best option for me.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Do we do a picture here or not?

Guess you don't get a picture.

Lucky you.

Without question the best part of our meetings is seeing our students rise to the challenge and perform.

And my fantasy again every day every child music and our math scores will be off the charts.

We can have short board committee reports.

Who would like to start?

Director Mack Director Pinkham.

Good evening.

So operations committee has been super busy.

Last meeting we had a month ago we had 14 items come through operations committee and we had a work session last week on BEX V on March 28th which was really Three and a half hours of good information around our enrollment and capacity issues our building condition and the process going forward.

We have we had great conversation around the guiding principles that the board needs to adopt and those will be discussed again tomorrow at our operations committee meeting.

And hopefully we'll be passing those at the next board meeting on April 25th.

The agenda for Ops is posted and if you're interested in operations related things it's pretty exciting.

We've got report on policy 30 31 30 student assignments.

The financial report committee work plan and that's all happening tomorrow here at 430.

Director Pinkham.

With Audit and Finance we actually haven't met since the last meeting.

We won't meet again until after spring break.

But one thing that's definitely come up on our calendar is our three year annual lease and rental review and it'll be the first time for me as well as first time for JoLynn since she's joined us.

So that's what's on our radar for now as well as making sure we are looking ahead as far as when those levies is going to be reduced and the impact that will have on our budget and our families and our schools here.

So I will have more after our next finance meeting to report.

That's it for now.

And that meeting is open to the public in the boardroom and that's on April 16th at 430 430. The next operations committee meeting is tomorrow 430 in the boardroom.

Director Burke C&I please.

Curriculum instruction policy committee has also been busy.

I think everyone in this building has been busy and thanks for that.

Looking backward we had a meeting March 13th.

A lot of the topics that we covered there you're seeing here either for intro or for action.

One of the topics that was covered there that's not to the full board was we started doing work on the highly capable and advanced learning.

Programs trying to weave together some of the great feedback we've heard from the community trying to understand what's the definition of the services we have and trying to chart a path forward.

Staff has been working on that both as a work plan and are looking to start up a task force to help carry that building on the work of previous task forces research evaluation team.

So there's a lot of pieces to knit together there.

It's pretty complicated and fairly charged as a topic for all the reasons that education is can be fairly charged.

It's a passionate topic.

We all want our kids to have the highest level of academic challenge and rigor and social emotional support and all of the things that that.

We wish for every child.

And I think that's sort of the nexus of it in that conversation.

So I hope people will continue to engage in that.

It's going to be easily a full year potentially an 18 month process so that you'll hear more about it.

But I'd say it's it's it's kicking off in earnest now.

And so I invite directors to.

Contact me about it.

Also the public can contact me.

This is being run primarily you know the team that Wyeth Jesse has put together around this is going to be doing a great job.

So I'm excited.

Looking forward to April 17th meeting for this month.

We have a few items.

The career and technical education annual plan.

This is under policy 21 70. This is essentially charting our course for CTE and career connected learning.

Essentially for the next year building on the previous plan that you might have you might recall from Dan Gallagher before he moved on to a different district.

But.

Some really great stuff there.

I've seen a draft but I think it's it's improved even further from there.

Really exciting pieces and school board policy 2090 program evaluation and assessment.

which has also come before the board.

But this is at the policy level.

How are we weaving together program reviews program summaries program evaluations data at the policy level.

This is Eric Anderson and his team doing that work.

We have three standing agenda items.

One is the formula for success which we used to have on the wall.

We should have the formula for success on the wall.

Note we should have formula for success on the wall.

There's a 24 credit update and high school work and then a standing update on instruction materials as far as what adoptions are underway or plan to be underway for the year.

The final point I'll bring up at that meeting we have a special attention item where we're getting an update on the annual approval of schools or the CSIP process.

And as directors recall this has been a governance item of importance which essentially is intended to be like the strategic plan for schools where this is a living document that guides the work that they do in the schools and helps them identify their priorities for funding and focus.

And we're trying as a district to keep important elements front and center in those CSIPs and provide the school's autonomy to put the important work they need to do in it.

And then we have to be responsive to those needs.

So we'll be looking forward to hearing what Mike Starosky has to say around that.

Director Geary please.

So I just wanted to share that Director Mack and I will be meeting tomorrow.

The Washington State School Directors Association is in the process of putting together their legislative agenda for next year's legislative session.

And so the process will be now they're calling for anybody to put in new agenda items.

So we will be working on that.

Then just to give everybody an idea of how that works in the fall all the school directors get together the legislative representatives from all the different school districts get together and review the legislative agenda and vote on which items to elevate to the highest level and then in the early part of the year when session is back in all the school directors the legislative representatives go to Olympia and present that agenda as a unified statewide organization.

And so while Given that we have so many rural districts we don't always get the urban needs elevated to the top more and more around funding you see that there's a lot of commonality in terms of how public education is being funded.

It's a great opportunity for Seattle to learn about the needs statewide and to join in and bring our sophistication around urban issues as other districts grow unite together and present it to our legislative legislators.

So if anybody would like to provide us any input on that or talk to either Director Mack and I we'd be we'd welcome the input.

Thanks.

And Director Mack.

Thank you for coming back to me because I had forgotten to mention and I don't I'm not sure if I got mentioned in Dr. Nyland's comments either about the community meetings that are happening around BEX right now.

There's going to be a couple sets of them so there's some now and then some in the fall.

Two of them happened already on Monday and Tuesday.

I got to go to the one at Madison and it was great to hear from community members what their priorities were what they were thinking.

Staff gives a great presentation about the challenges that we're facing around Building conditions and capacity issues and how things are being prioritized.

So I would encourage if you have the time the next ones there's three more of them around the city on April 23rd will be at Seattle world school.

And on at 630 to 815 they're all at 630 to 815 in the evening.

Tuesday April 24th Jane Addams Middle School and April 26th at Salmon Bay K8.

So I would encourage you to attend those.

Also if you are interested in and have any thoughts around the levies you're more than welcome to write to us at capital levity excuse me capital levy 2019 at Seattle schools dot org.

Or you can always write school board at Seattle schools dot org.

Or if you want it to go just to the directors it goes to SPS directors at Seattle school board dot org school board at Seattle schools dot org goes to all senior staff plus the directors.

OK.

Executive Committee we are still working on BAP back mapping some of our big initiatives with Superintendent Nyland Deputy Superintendent Nielsen and other subject matter expertise folks come in depending on the topic.

Blending braiding coordinating collaborating is our watchword setting goals because if we don't have a goal and a deadline we're never going to get there.

And it's it's good tough work.

I believe the next executive committee meeting is at three o'clock on April 17th.

And again that meeting is open to the public.

Executive committee meetings work on setting agendas moving policy issues forward and serves as a sounding board for updating in our strategic goals and our SMART goals.

Again you're all welcome.

I think the transparency is pretty darn good on all of these committee meetings and.

There's a lot to be learned.

What you see here at the legislative meetings are just the tip of the iceberg for all the hard work that goes into this.

Next up is you.

Could you introduce yourself your school your thoughts and your plans.

Please do and please bring it up close to your mouth and you can take it out of the stand.

Welcome.

Hi my name is Khalil.

I have been in Seattle World School for five years since like 2013 around this time.

I guess my school is focused on teaching second language students who don't know English to know English.

And when I came when I first came I didn't know any English and so far look at me.

I'm speaking in the board.

Yeah that's I came from Dubai.

I came with my father.

I was around 13. And yeah thank you for having me.

Oh my plan is to graduate this year and go straight to central.

Yeah.

Any questions for me?

How many of your fellow students are doing as well as you are?

I know a lot of students there are like around 30 students graduating with me this year.

Before that there were not a lot but I can see the potential that our school could grow.

I have there is I could name some Cielo Gustavo Salvador Hamza.

They're not really here but one of my friends is coming soon.

So yeah.

Thank you so much for being with us today.

I just had a question.

What are are there any issues or concerns that are coming up from you from the student body that this is a unique opportunity to be speaking with the board directly or is there anything that you feel like needs to be raised or elevated for us to be mindful of or paying attention to.

No I think our school is yes it has some flaws but it's proving every year it's proving and proving so I don't think it's really having any trouble with teaching students yeah.

OK you are welcome to stay as long as you wish this evening.

And when we take director comments questions and concerns for various policy issues either action or intro we invite you to speak up.

You don't get to vote but we would very much like to hear a student's perspective.

Thank you very much.

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

May I have a motion for the consent agenda please.

I move approval of the consent agenda.

I second the motion.

Approval of the consent agenda has been moved and seconded.

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

Hearing none.

All those in favor of the consent agenda please signify by saying aye.

We have reached the point of board comments.

Who would like to go first.

Director DeWolf and then Director Pinkham.

I'm sorry.

Slap me.

Director.

OK.

OK.

Thank you.

Director Harris.

I first actually want to just express some gratitude.

This last month we've I don't know if you know this but your Seattle school board particularly if they have a full time job have been relentless and and here I would say almost every day working on the superintendent search process.

So I just wanted to use a portion of my comment today to extend a special bit of gratitude and thanks to our staff Nate Aaron and Michelle for all of your hard work.

Long nights and dedication to ensuring that this I did say that this process is thorough comprehensive meaningful ethical.

So thank you for all of your tireless support in that in that work this last month.

I'm not going to talk too much on it because I know we have more of that coming up later.

The second thing I wanted to elevate is the fact that April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

As a victim of sexual assault this month holds special and personal meaning.

I look forward to working more deeply on this issue in Seattle Public Schools because it is up to us to take the initiative to eliminate sexual harassment and assault.

First by acknowledging that these problems persist and exist and then by tackling curriculum policy and the very fabric of school culture and community.

And I want to make a special highlight of the incredible students and staff at Nova High School for hosting a consent day on March 22nd and making sure that we're elevating this conversation.

The next thing I want to do is just also again give special thanks to our librarians.

Today is your day but I have a special place in my heart for librarians as a queer kid in elementary school that was a place I could find solace and safety so I share special thanks for our librarians.

Yes.

Seriously.

I also just want to affirm yes I also just want to affirm something.

In the last couple of months the NAACP youth coalition have been really vocal and persistent in making sure that we are including their voice in our work and I just want to say a special thank you to them.

Many of their questions were embedded within a superintendent search process.

So when it came to making sure that student voice was included they were there.

So I think the NAACP youth coalition for being a part of that process in the way that they were.

On Monday April 23rd as director Mack mentioned the Seattle World School will be hosting one of the BEX or the levy conversations I'll be there.

Hopefully you can come out to that.

It's on April 23rd at Seattle World School.

I'm hosting my first community meeting next Monday April 9th at 5 p.m.

at the Riveter at Capitol Hill.

And I'm actually finalizing details for my second event my second community meeting in the Chinatown International District kind of was just working on some logistics with interpret interpreters so that will be forthcoming and I'll have some details probably online if not before our next regularly scheduled board meeting.

That's all I have today and looking forward to our great discussion and culmination of some long long weeks and days of hard work.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Director Pinkham who's going after Director Pinkham Director Burke Director Geary.

Good afternoon.

I want to thank all the students that were here Khalil and our two presentations of Little House of What is it?

Little Shop of Horrors.

I just watched it on Netflix the other day too.

I'm more of the dentist fan I like Steve Martin when he was in that one.

But thank you I appreciate your performance and appreciate your input.

Looks like he's still here so if they can stick around and share your views and perspectives it would very much be appreciated.

I want to thank Sabrina Burr and the rest of the Seattle Council PTSA for coming here and we couldn't do our work without you as well.

Raise my hands to you.

Qeˀciyéẁyéẁ thank you for all the work that you do.

And ditto on all our staff around the room here with the search that we're going through right now.

Appreciate all the effort that you've done for it and the support you have shown for this process.

I also want to announce that the Clear Sky will have its fifth annual student conference good medicine conference April 13th and 14th at Robert Eagle Staff Middle School from 9 a.m.

to 3 p.m.

And I apologize last time because I pronounced her name wrong but Matika Wilber and Slick Watts will be two of their presenters and includes other presentations from Northwest Indian College come down just to do some cultural activities, ropes course, building leadership and trust between participants.

It is targeted for middle school through high school students.

Seattle Public Schools students and students associated with the Clear Sky Native Youth Council are free.

Other students are asked to pay a $50 registration fee.

If you want more information just send me an email at scott.pinkham at Seattle schools.org and I'll try to get that to you.

Also the UW's 47th annual spring powwow is this April 7th and 8th that's this Saturday and Sunday at Heckhead Pavilion.

Grand entry times on Saturday at 1 p.m.

and 7 p.m.

and grand entry on Sunday at 1 p.m.

So please attend and see some of our native culture and songs and dance and regalia there.

It's not just for native students it's for everyone here in Seattle area to come and enjoy and have some fun.

My next district community meeting I do have a tentative date waiting for confirmation from the library is set for Saturday April 28th from 1230 to 2 o'clock at Northgate library.

As far as May and June my schedules are pretty solid May through June.

I find it hard to find a date and time for community meetings in May and June but I will keep you posted if I'm able to find something to put in for those months.

And I believe that's all I have for now and wait for public testimony and add more later.

Qeˀciyéẁyéẁ.

Thank you.

Director Burke.

Good afternoon everyone.

So some of this has already been mentioned but I want to touch a couple of them again.

Khalil great having you think five years that's amazing.

I'm in awe as somebody who tried for three years to learn a foreign language and have forgotten all of it except for un peu which is that's all I know in French.

And Superintendent Nyland mentioned it.

I want to not.

Let it go by honoring the work and life of Martin Luther King Jr.

You know I think his vision has shaped the perspectives and the outlooks of four generations of students.

And when we talk about students in school generations that's 13 years.

So that's about four generations of students because our students become adults our adults become leaders.

And they're the ones that are going to shape the world.

So that's why we're doing this work.

And I think that's absolutely amazing.

A word of thanks and gratitude to Sabrina Burr and Seattle Council PTSA and the team.

You're a passionate inspirational leader.

But the the impact of the work that everybody does around PTA PTSA is felt daily in our schools.

So I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart.

And when I was a PTA co-president it was probably enough of a kick in the tush that I ended up here.

So I warn you all.

and challenge you all to try to try to take it to the next level.

It's really fun.

I had the pleasure also of joining a whole lot of kids and adults in the March for Our Lives which was I'm not much of a marching person and it kind of made me feel like a young kid again and inspired to.

I don't know to go out and make some trouble in a really really good way.

It's such an amazing event organized by our youth for our youth but in a way that impacts our entire society.

I had another meeting last month where I was invited to the Robert Eagle Staff Middle School by the staff.

And this is a point that I think has been brought up a couple of times already that we recognize that that's a school that's impacted in terms of space.

Our board and previous boards have made.

Have made decisions to co-locate schools.

The Robert Eagle Staff Middle School and the Licton Springs K-8 in the same building.

And both of them are wonderful programs and.

We have a challenge making both of them fit and operate effectively and serving all students.

And so I had met with the Licton Springs community earlier I believe the beginning of March and this was hearing some from the Robert Eagle Staff community to try to understand where are the places where we can we can find solutions that meet as many folks needs as possible.

So this is a this is a work in process and I think the community understands that it's been it's been coming for a while.

We were notified around that when we were doing boundary work.

And I think the.

It's pretty clear that we have to have a structural solution in place for fall of 2019 that provides solutions for for both of those communities.

I had a community meeting last month.

Two topics were covered there.

One of them was exactly what I mentioned the Robert Eagle Staff Middle School capacity and the other was revisiting the science alignment.

There are still folks in the community that are trying to understand or the sort of the theory of action or the why behind the work we're doing in realigning high school and how that relates to actual courses instructional materials teacher training student experience.

And so I think there are still some good questions out there that we have to get to the bottom of and I know staff is working on that.

I do not have another community meeting booked but I will get something lined up in the next week or two scheduled but it will probably be later in April or early May.

The other meeting that I want to put on everybody's radar is April 23rd 630 to 830. This is a Lincoln High School community meeting.

And I'm hoping to attend that but I have some work travel that's right around that time depending on where I can book flights.

I may or may not be able to attend that meeting.

That's all.

Thanks.

Director Geary.

Hello.

Hello and thank you everybody for coming out tonight.

Yes as you know we have been engaged in the superintendent search and it has been exhausting and we've spent a lot of time together.

And I will say that I'm so proud to be part of a board that has worked such long hours together and I think well and respectfully.

And so thank you to all of you.

Thank you Khalil and our students from the center school for showing up today and all of the students that are here.

We hope to see more and more of you as director DeWolf mentioned.

And so we are going to be going out into the schools and trying to find out the pathways to get you all more involved.

And so.

Speak out talk to your principals let them know that you want to do that and we'll continue to try and connect the dots for all of the different students so that you guys can organize.

And one of the pleasures that we had in going through this interview process is to get exposed to lots of different ideas and one that came up both in the history of Seattle Public Schools and that we've learned about happening in other places are student advisory committees of some type.

And that's something that we definitely need to resurrect here in Seattle so that students can talk to each other and bring your concerns to us.

Because I think what we will find is that a lot of times we have the parents come and testify and I think the students could inform their parents testimony as well in terms of what will actually work for you because we are we are facing reinventing high school in many ways.

And I think your voices are the voices that we need to hear in terms of what you think is going to work and how it's going to look.

I think you see images on TV and in movies of some 1950s ideal of high school that just doesn't feel very relevant to you.

And so we need to hear your voices because we're trying to figure it out for the decades to come.

and you are our best source of information.

I was joined by council member Rob Johnson or excuse me I joined council member Rob Johnson and Mayor Durkan at Sandpoint Elementary since our last meeting where Sandpoint Elementary was demonstrating to our city leaders the benefits of the family and ed levy money that that school has been receiving.

And so It is a time that we reach out to our city and we tell them how much we appreciate the support that they've given our schools as they're trying to figure out how to divide resources between our universal preschool program, our elementary schools, our middle schools and then off to the 13th and 14th guaranteed year.

And so I think it's just it's a continuum that we don't want any of our kids falling through the cracks at any point.

It's all such important work and it all needs to be supported and we need to make sure that we're being very fluid in that.

So thank you to the city for coming out and talking to Sandpoint and giving them a chance to show show you how much they appreciate your support.

Libraries.

Yay.

Yay.

There they are.

You know again I think I think we children of single working parents somehow end up really understanding and appreciating from our childhood how important libraries are.

They're safe.

They're magical.

They're cool and air conditioned.

There's a lot of great things about libraries and those people that always have a suggestion for a new book for you.

And I've had recent opportunity just to appreciate how hard your job is because while there's so much work around equity you are dealing with libraries that were put together decades ago and you have to navigate for your students what some of the messaging in those books are.

as you try to make sure that they are equitable that you have the resources not to ban or censor but to highlight and teach and make sure that they are well stocked and have everybody represented with fair stories.

And so we need to support you more.

There's just no doubt about it.

The dangers that can happen for a child to be exposed inadvertently to something That you know I don't even remember maybe reading something from my childhood and I don't even remember something that could potentially be devastating to a child today given what we know and what we're trying to do.

So yes we need to continue to be really sensitive and support you in your work.

Yes you are equity warriors.

Thank you.

PTSA wow you're going to play a huge role.

As you know we have engaged in the superintendent search and I know that we have seen incredibly strong candidates and their success is going to depend on you.

And all of us.

But you're the ones who are going to go into our schools because what we heard over and over and over is that equity is at the foundation of this.

And I think we all know that our schools are at different places around that work and we need to make sure that we are bringing all of our schools and parents along in equity work so that as our superintendent Whoever it may be they have all said they want to hit the ground running in terms of equity work and that's the person that we were looking for.

And we need to make sure that our parent groups and our parents are out there to support that work as well.

And I know from the group of people that I see in front of me that that is where your heart is.

And I know it is so important to you.

And so thank you.

It is your role is going to be immensely important in moving us forward on this work.

And thank you for recognizing Dr. Nyland in that work as well because that's it's in our hearts and it is so important that we elevate that all the time.

Thank you.

Special Olympics is coming and we're working here in Seattle Public Schools to try and figure out a good way for our families to access all the different volunteer and participation opportunities.

I just want to say over and over again I had the pleasure to talk to Duane Chappell today around preschool.

And we just need to make sure that our preschool families know and our early learner families know that from July 2nd and 3rd there will be activities at the Seattle Center for families with children with developmental disabilities.

It's not only going to have fun things for the kids to do and participate in but there is going to be a real push around networking and resourcing for those families.

And I think it's really important that we know we let our families know that they are more than welcome.

They must come and they must have a great time and get connected and find support in their community.

And we at Seattle Public Schools are going to continue to figure out ways to make that process as easy as possible.

Enjoyed March of our lives.

There's just so much going on around this work.

It's really great.

And then I Tuesday I still am holding my coffees at Zoka almost every Tuesday.

I probably won't do it next week because we're on break and but check my Facebook I may wake up and decide that I need to get out of the house.

And it's so fun because just different people we get together.

Webb Hutchins came today.

He's a civics for all champion and so he came and once again told me why aren't we.

Why aren't we holding elections for all of our kids so that they can participate in that process democracy or civics is the cornerstone of democracy.

And I couldn't agree more.

And as you know we just got to keep at it.

Lately Stephen Sulzbacher who is a retired children's neuropsychologist has regularly been attending my meetings and I couldn't be more honored to have such a wonderful person come and listen and still continue to care so much about Seattle schools and and want to participate in and learn about what we're doing.

So you never know who's going to show up at my meetings.

You can learn a lot.

And I welcome everybody.

So Tuesday mornings 8 to 9 30 at Zoka check Facebook to see I post both on my web page my school board page and my regular page to let people know I'll be there.

Thanks.

Director Patu.

I want to say.

I want to say thank you to Sabrina Burr and the team who represented PTSA and all the positive work that continue on happening in our schools.

It is your caring and influence that brought many positive within our schools.

We as a school are very fortunate to have you in our schools because I know many times when when things are not working out.

PTSA and their influence always make things go better because without you I think we would be pretty lost.

So thank you for all the hard work that you continue on to do and your presence in our school.

Thank you to Khalil for your presence.

It is always a breath of fresh air to have our students up here to be able to be part of our team and It's also good training for young people to actually to who knows to be on the next board you know when the time comes.

So it's good.

It's good training.

Congratulations to our librarian because you are very much needed.

in order for us and our children to know our books and what kind of books is it that we need to read and continue to influence because reading is good for the soul they say.

And thank you for all the hard work that you do.

Also thank you to our students who actually performed.

That was a great performance.

And I believe that if we continue to have one of those at each one of our board meeting actually helps our meeting go a little faster and also it's great to see the various talent that we have in Seattle Public Schools.

I mean Seattle Public School has the most amazing talents of every students that we have and I think it'd be great to always feature our students here at our board meeting so we can see all the talented students that we have and which we are very proud of.

Thank you very much for coming tonight.

I know without you we wouldn't be up here.

We're here because we want to do the best that we can for your children and we lead upon you to tell us whether we're doing right or whether we're doing wrong.

But we want to be able to be the best that we can be so we can provide all your children the best education that we can.

And I want to thank all my colleagues because I know that we do a lot of hard work.

You know every one of us are always thinking of ways of how we can make things better for all our students here at Seattle Public Schools.

So thank you for being here tonight.

Have a great evening.

Director Mack.

I'm not feeling I'm not feeling particularly eloquent tonight.

I think my fellow directors covered everything really well.

Actually I'm a little bit for Clint with Seattle Council getting the award of course because I'm so proud and amazed and grateful for the work that you do and keep engaging.

So thank you.

I want to echo everything else about the staff support around the superintendent search and the amount of work that's gone into coordinating and organizing and I'm just really grateful to that.

In particular I had the opportunity to tour with one of the candidates and go around some school buildings.

It was a it was a great day.

Queen Anne welcomed with open arms that students toured us around.

It was it was just amazing to see everything in action.

Cleveland.

Wow.

Like wow.

What's going on in that building.

The amazing learning is just it's impressive.

And Aki Kurose as well.

Though I have to admit that I am concerned about the condition of their building.

And for me buildings matter.

Our educational environment where we are matters a lot.

So I'm super excited about the BEX levy coming up and I hope everyone will get on board and be supportive of it as well.

And.

I had my community meeting on the 31st and I had only a couple three people that showed up but they brought some really good topics.

Some questions around special ed.

Of course the superintendent search was a topic our BEX levy and planning for downtown school etc.

And the other topic that is has been top of mind for a lot of us is increased safety and security in our buildings.

As you all know we passed a resolution around safety focused a lot on gun safety and.

But one of the issues that I that is kind of risen to the fore and came to my community meeting I think we might want to consider is.

A lot of our buildings don't actually have locking doors and windows and students you know that the coming and going of people in the buildings is a little too free.

So that's something that was brought to my community meeting and it's you know a little bit more top of mind for me as well.

My next meeting will be May 12th from 1 to 3 at the Magnolia library.

I plan to also attend the April 23rd Lincoln High School meeting and was super grateful to join with my fellow board directors on in the march for our lives.

That was a powerful time together.

So thank you very much for being here tonight.

Thank you for your engagement.

As always you can email us and reach out.

I'm going to go as fast as I possibly can so we can start public testimony at 530. My next community meeting is this Saturday April 7th.

The High Point library 3 to 5. Next meeting is April 28 3 to 5 at the Delridge library.

The next meeting after that is May 26 3 to 5 at Delridge.

I keep hearing promises from staff that they're going to join me and you have a one out of three chance of getting lasagna at those meetings and our community members bring treats and coffee.

Cahill thank you for being here.

If you'd like to come back up to ask questions please feel free.

If you don't that's fine too not a problem.

It's at your discretion.

I want to thank our labor partners as PTSA and our staff and other community partners for taking two days out of their life for pretty intense superintendent interviews.

Unfortunately they've signed a non-disclosure agreement until they're dead so they can't tell you what happened.

But they gave us extraordinary feedback and we heard you and we hugely appreciate your assistance.

on the note of thank yous and I'm sure I'm missing someone so call it out if I did.

With respect to this very heavy lift in choosing a new superintendent Michelle Rodriguez, Nate Van Duzer, Aaron Bennett, John Cerqui, Rachel Nakashima, Sherry Cox, Kerry Campbell, James Bush, Y'all are amazing and awe inspiring.

And I think one of the best collateral benefits was getting to know y'all better.

And you're all keeping me out of the soup is hugely appreciated.

Which might be a little challenging at times.

To the librarians.

I was one of those funny duck kids.

who got thrown out of class in junior high a lot.

So they'd send me to the library and the librarian would challenge me to go deeper to go higher to explore different worlds.

And my book budget is already out of control now.

And I attributed that to the Denny junior high then librarian.

The Southwest district library for the city of Seattle was one of those awesome places where I could go anytime I wanted.

And the hundreds of dollars of overdue book fines were the best investment in my life.

And my 97 year old Aunt Fran who would clock me if I didn't mention this was a career librarian in Cincinnati Ohio.

And she is the coolest.

The most up to date person you ever met.

And when I think of the thousands of lives that she touched she's my hero.

And librarians have always been my heroes and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

The fact that we don't fund you.

The fact that we don't give you book budgets.

Hurts my heart deeply and we have to change that.

We have to change that.

And anybody that believes in libraries needs to call your local librarian and ask them how you can help.

I'm this is an exciting night guys.

I'm just tickled.

We have on our agenda the Seattle teacher residency program the grow your own program in collaboration.

The Alliance for Education the Seattle Education Association the University of Washington and Lisa Chick the executive director of the Alliance for Education.

Could you stand and take a bow please.

Phyllis Campagno the president of the Seattle Education Association.

Thank you ever so much.

And Dr. Clover Codd.

There you go.

Our retention of teachers in high need schools with these cohorts is astounding.

The diversity that we're bringing in as role models and teachers for our students is extraordinary.

This is a leading national program.

And I'm very pleased to be able to support it.

The Satterberg foundation grant is up for a vote tonight and that's the elementary school feeders to the Nesholm foundation.

And without those two foundations many of our high needs schools would not be performing as well as they are because of the additional funding for teacher collaboration, school collaboration and it's huge.

And they're leading the way and to all y'all companies out there and other foundations we can use more.

Thank you very much and we'd like to pick your pocket.

The playground fund.

Dr. Flip Herndon Richard Best thanks for finding a solution to a sticky situation in terms of bridge funding for our high needs schools that do not necessarily have PTSA's or PTO's to deal with outrageously beyond their life playgrounds.

My hope is that that's going to pass as well.

March for our lives.

I was lucky enough to march with Director Geary and director Mack and we lost director Burke someplace along the way but I saw photos so I know you were there.

It was profound.

Four million additional 17 year olds will be old enough to vote in the November elections.

And you all can change the world and I hope to heck you do it and you do it quickly because this has to stop.

Thanks to my fellow director Rick Burke for collaborating on the technology advisory committee and thank you to Nate Van Duzer for putting together about 10 red line drafts in one document.

Hugely appreciated.

This is an extraordinary idea.

We need to tap the voices of our experts and build a bigger circle to do the right thing with your money.

And I see that Seattle Education Association Michael Tamayo just walked in.

Mr. Tamayo.

We were recognizing folks on the Seattle teacher residency.

Thank you so much.

Levies.

We had a great meeting with our city partners.

Working on the.

November signed memorandum of understanding with the city.

We also had an opportunity to speak with Mayor Durkan recently.

And I did ask them the question about what happened with respect to the city charter and the zoning variances that were issued last year to the Green Dot Middle School without the Seattle Public Schools at the table in violation of the city charter.

Remind you that this was not Mayor Durkin's administration that did that and they promised to get back to us.

I want this behind us so that we can really really collaborate.

We need each other.

Levy fatigue and confusion is foremost on this person's mind.

And we talk a lot about BEX V but we don't talk enough about the operations levy which is 20 percent of our general fund.

So next February after the city's Department of Education early learnings levy which will combine the Seattle preschool partnership and 13th and 14th year funding a short three months later we'll be going to the polls.

It is absolutely incumbent upon us to do the very best with what we have to make sure those levies get passed.

Schools first will be coming your way as will we.

And on that note let's go to public testimony.

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

And if you're not we'll turn your microphone off and ask you to stop.

We do not take public comments on items related to personnel or individually named staff.

The majority of the speaker's time must be spent on the topic he or she has indicated they wish to speak about.

I would also like to note that each speaker has a two minute speaking time.

You'll get a yellow light on the podium when you have 30 seconds left and it goes very very fast.

When the two minutes have ended please conclude your remarks.

The roll call please for the next three speakers.

First up for public testimony we have Atifi Fishbin.

Followed by Ali Shin and Gian Rosario.

Not yet.

Okay.

Hello.

Mercy came out of Davos County in Banja.

The light basically said thank you for inviting me to speak.

My name is Atife Pishpin and I'm a senior at Seattle Water School.

I'm originally from Iran and I also spent four years living in Turkey.

As a student who has attended both the Seattle Water School and to comprehensive high schools I want to share with you a few things I think that are important to know about Seattle water school.

First our school has over 300 students currently attending.

The students come from all around the world and there are more than 40 languages spoken there.

I first attended Ward school at 2013 as an 8th grader.

Seattle water school provided the support I needed and made me feel like I had a place where I fit in.

Almost immediately after studying at Seattle school I felt like I belonged and I wasn't an outsider.

There are other students that understood my emotions and I was feeling and they were feeling what I was feeling that how difficult it was to move to another country and learn a new language.

After attending to a larger high school I returned to Seattle border school again.

The support I received from Seattle border school allowed me to finish my graduation requirements attending an ascending running start and make a plan to attend at Bellevue College next year.

Without the Seattle border school my transition to the United States would have been a lot more difficult.

Thank you for.

Continuing to support Seattle Board of School.

It is very important school and I would like you to to invite you guys to our school and see what we do on our daily basis.

Thank you.

Okay.

Hi.

Before I start I want to remind everyone that we are standing on the land of the Coast Salish people and unless we are native to this land then you are on stolen and occupied land.

I have a couple observations to make.

On March 16th the NAACP Youth Coalition sent a proposal to all.

sorry all of you via email that outline what a student forum could look like in the superintendent search process.

That was then forwarded twice and the only person we ever received a response from was Director DeWolf and thank you for that.

And I understand that you want to have student voice involved but that doesn't send that message.

there's a lot of it looks to me that you guys are doing a lot of community work but as a student we aren't seeing that.

So you are showing up for students it sounds like but we don't see very much of that we don't know that.

If we want to put equity and justice at the center which it should be there Then we have to view every single thing we do with that lens and you have to realize that the district isn't really accessible.

In order to speak in front of you tonight for two minutes I had to call or email on Monday morning get in a car directly after school and then sacrifice time that I could be doing other things in order to speak to you.

It is a privilege that I have that I can do that.

What about the students who don't have internet access or a phone?

What about the students that can't afford bus money to get here?

What about the students that have to take care of their younger siblings because there's no one else to?

What about the students who have to work the night shift because they are their family's only source of income?

What about the students that are just trying to make it work and just trying to graduate because they know that they don't have many other options?

There are students who are slipping through the opportunity gaps as we speak and I understand you are busy and I understand that there's a lot of work that you do behind the scenes to make things happen and I appreciate that.

But what I also see and what I also know is that there are students who are failing and that need you to show up for them.

The district has caused damage and it has its practices and policies or lack thereof have perpetuated cycles of segregation and racism.

And you also have the power to change that.

And I wholeheartedly believe that we just need to see you show up for us.

Thank you.

Geon.

Chris Jackins.

After Chris we will have Gail Marie Kickhefer followed by Sabrina Burr and Lucille Beretson.

My name is Chris Jackins.

Box 8 4 0 6 3 Seattle 9 8 1 2 4. On the proposed six million dollar increase on the Webster construction project.

Five points number one the plan calls for squeezing in a new adult size gym on top of the playground.

Number two this is a costly mistake.

The levy funds were meant to serve students not to build an adult gym.

Number three there will be a loss of 23 percent of playground space.

Number four the district report states an alternative quote to remain within the project budget and on the project schedule.

The district would not build the gymnasium unquote.

Number five please support this alternative.

Please vote no.

On the Wing Luke construction project two points.

Number one the district plans to throw away six million dollars by demolishing a building that was constructed only 12 years ago.

Number two this sets an example of how tax money will be spent or misspent if the public approves a new capital levy in February 2019. Please vote no.

On the superintendent candidate selection two points.

Number one on May 20th 2015 the school board voted to accept a 2.7 million dollar anonymous athletic program matching grant.

Have superintendent candidates been asked to publicly disclose potential conflicts of interest related to the secret grant.

Number two the board should take action on issues regardless of who the superintendent is.

The board has been ignoring cost overruns and has been approving projects that reinforce racial imbalance.

This needs to change.

Thank you.

Gehl?

Sebrena?

We'll have Gehl go first followed by Sebrena.

Sebrena?

After Sebrena we'll have Lucille Bredson.

Good evening.

Couple of things that I want to say about the superintendent search.

So I want to thank the school board directors for what we experienced.

But my heart is sad especially on a day that we remember Dr. King of what I'm hearing in social media.

that I think is very racist very passive aggressive about our African-American candidate.

One of the hardest days of Seattle Public Schools is when I watched the superintendent get lynched when she had stage 4 cancer and all of a sudden her name is starting to come up again and tied to a candidate in this race.

And I say we can do better.

And I hope you as school board directors will see through that.

Because I as an African-American woman see it as racist.

And I think we can do better.

The next superintendent needs to keep us on track on what we're doing around the African-American male agenda and around the race and equity work and making sure we are engaging families and listening to the most underrepresented people in this district.

Now I want to talk about the world school.

Flora and I.

along with Sharon Rogers a part of our board went to a community meeting about what's going on in the world school.

What I heard hurt my heart.

I'm sure it was a strategic plan to have people here from the world school.

The letter that I got from the district just today after my name showed up on the testimony list.

Let's me realize that we have work to do.

Whatever is going on in the world school it is important for us to use our equity lens and look at every single voice going on.

Listen to the voice of the kids.

Listen to the voice of the staff and their climate survey shows different.

Look at the evidence.

But that is our most vulnerable school and we need to take care of them.

I was in Washington D.C.

with international students with Maria Cantwell.

I thought of the world school and the gifts that are there.

What I see in the world school is John Stanford is failing them and we all need to get together and we need to do better because we are failing that brand new school that it took 25 years for us to build for that community and they engage different and we need to do right by them.

And Zachary DeWolf I hope you meet with that community.

But we need to use our best practices dual capacity framework and get it right for every one of those students and families who have come here and give them their promise.

Thank you.

After Lucille we'll have Van Rankin followed by Christopher Robert and Nancy Fisher Allison.

My name is Lucille Berenson and I'll be sure to bring the microphone up close.

I'll be short.

My name is Lucille Berenson.

I've never done this before as a struggling taxpayer and a longtime resident who lives in very close proximity to the proposed Webster school project.

I sincerely hope.

to see that all our taxpayer funds are spent wisely and in ways that both protect and enhance our neighborhoods for residents and children.

I strongly oppose action number 10 to increase spending on Webster school project.

However I think existing funds would be best spent by not building a gymnasium on this relatively small site and therefore making it more likely to keep other issues within zoning code.

I would like to emphasize there isn't anything so-called typical a term that was used quite often by the project managers about the proposals for this site in relationship to other areas of the city.

not building a gymnasium and thereby reducing the scale of the project in our tight little neighborhood would help mitigate the expected issues of congestion parking and safety while preventing unforeseen costs that may arise for the city.

I urge you to please reassess the need for elementary school children to have a gymnasium that's built for adults.

on this property and possibly use the funds for other more important purposes.

Thank you.

Rankin.

Hi my name is Ruth Ann Rankin.

I'm a halftime librarian.

at Greenwood Elementary and I am also a safety conscious teacher.

I would say at Greenwood we've taken safety at our building not not close to as seriously as we should have until last week.

Last week a woman who is known to our community walked in our open unlocked front door.

went to our office made a request of our secretary.

The request was politely denied.

This woman took her cup of coffee and threw it at our secretary hitting her smack in the chest ran out the.

The school.

drove off in her car.

And since that time the next day our front door has finally been locked.

The police are involved the police have presence at our school now.

Seattle Public Schools security is also involved.

It has consumed our staff.

Our staff meeting today was supposed to be short.

It was extra long talking about real safety concerns.

For example you walk through the front door of our previously unlocked building which has been unlocked since Columbine since Sandy Hook since Spokane and you walk 16 stairs up this up the stairs and across the hall to the library.

open the library and there I am to direct people wherever they want to go.

Well I've since locked those doors.

We need safety precautions in every building every building and they need to be paid for by the school district.

Locked doors.

And it doesn't mean we're unfriendly it means we're keeping our student body and our staff safe.

Our staff is very unhappy this week it's been very difficult to be there.

And I want to say that an important I'm going to go over just a few minutes because I want to link in my colleagues back there.

One aspect to being safe in a building is to keep.

full time counselors in every building because counselors are able to detect when things are a little bit off.

Full time librarians also know every student.

They know many families.

And when you when buildings have reduced staff that know all families and all students we become less safe.

So I ask you to please advocate for our safety.

It is it is far and away the most important thing that you can do.

Thank you.

Hello my name is Chris Robert.

I'm the librarian at two title one elementary schools in West Seattle.

I work mornings daily at Rocks Hill and I work afternoons daily at Highland Park.

Next week is National Library Week and so I'm here to talk about the need for a full time librarian in every school.

But before I go on I have to say this to Director DeWolf.

Kudos to you for opening a school library during your Peace Corps years in Belize.

I began working as a full time librarian at Roxhill in 2014. My funding was 0.5 librarian and 0.5 PCP teacher working in the library.

I saw Roxhill students weekly for 70 minutes and the library was never closed.

In September 2016 Roxhill's enrollment decreased.

We lost the 0.5 PCP funding and I became a halftime librarian.

I now see Roxhill students weekly for only 40 minutes and the Roxhill library with over 10,000 books sits empty every day from 1130 to 225. I began part time at Highland Park in September 2016. I see those students for only 35 minutes weekly And the Highland Park library with over 11,000 books sits empty every morning from 755 to 1050. Superintendent Nyland has said relationships matter and they must be meaningful and sustainable relationships with at least one caring adult in the school.

I see every student at Roxhill and Highland Park each week albeit for only 40 and 35 minutes respectively.

When students tell me that the library is one of their favorite times of the week I know I've established a meaningful relationship with those students despite the short time that I see them weekly.

The American Association of school librarians has noted that studies show that test scores are significantly higher in schools with a full-time certified librarian.

I cannot help but wonder about the impact of having only a halftime librarian at my two Title 1 schools which have both recently received a targeted school designation from OSPI because of students struggling academically.

The importance of a librarian at every school in the district the relationships that librarians foster with kids and the love of books that they cultivate with students should be considered worthy of full time status in every school.

Thank you.

After Nancy we will have Kathleen Eads followed by Jeff Treisman and Elizabeth Ebersole.

My name is Nancy Fisher Allison.

I am the librarian at John Rogers Elementary a Title 1 school with many bilingual students from immigrant homes.

Growing up I often saw the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor.

Her torch raised in welcome to immigrants and refugees.

My own grandparents had sailed past in flight from persecution and found opportunity in public education.

As a teenager I read Emma Lazarus's poem engraved on the on the statue's base with its stirring line.

I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

What was the golden door.

How did one pass through and what lay beyond it.

For today's children and especially for our immigrant students school libraries are that golden door.

The passageway to a treasure house of books magazines information online resources answers to burning questions nourishment for passionate interests.

All of our students crave library resources but none so strongly as students from immigrant households.

These children have intense book hunger.

Typically their families have not yet built home libraries nor have they ventured into the public library.

For now these students homes are book deserts but the children see so clearly the power of literacy and yearn for books.

Our school library is often the only point of access where perhaps in contrast to the classroom library freedom of choice reigns.

When our dismissal bell rings I can expect visits from Josue, Sesina, Abdullahi, Robel and many others.

They're supposed to head for the bus but they always want to fill their backpacks with new reading material for the evening.

This year due to budgetary constraints and a misguided staffing formula my golden door is closed 40 percent of the time.

Next year it will be closed 50 percent of the time in the name of equitable access to critical resources and on behalf of the immigrant children who will build our national future.

I urge you to ensure full time library programs staffed by by trained librarians.

in all of our schools.

And if need based funding is imaginable please pursue it.

You will help to bridge egregious gaps in resources.

Do whatever you can to keep our library doors golden and wide open.

Thank you.

Pathway.

Followed by Jeff.

Hi I am.

My name is Kate Eads.

I am the librarian at Northgate Elementary.

Wow.

Nice for Northgate.

Yes.

Last night I was honored to join my principal and family support worker at North Beach PTA meeting.

We accepted a ten thousand dollar check for the Northgate library.

This was.

This was the North Beach community building on the partnership we started last year with building the Mary's Place libraries.

The gift will reach every single Northgate student.

As grateful as I am for this gift that was raised at the North Beach auction I can't shake the thought that they shouldn't have to do this.

The disproportionate funding of our libraries has resulted in disproportionate access to education that leaves our students of color and our students outside of wealthy school communities in the lurch.

For a district committed to equity why in the world is this garish example of privileged ignorance still left unresolved.

We know the data we know the evidence and librarians continue to plead.

Please fix this mess.

Last year only 27 percent of our school libraries received library materials funding from their building budgets.

And of those contributions they only averaged two dollars and eighty four cents per student.

That covers about 15 percent of one library book.

We now have education funds set aside by the state for our library materials destined to meet the needs of all our students.

Please help ensure this funding reaches us.

Until then I a teacher with a master's degree and a decade of experience will continue to stop my Northgate library using my sixteen hundred dollar paycheck.

I work a full time job in a half time position.

I grew up in this district.

I teach in this district and I now raise my children in this district.

I know we can move mountains together.

Please stand with your librarians and the students we serve.

We work for every single one.

Thank you.

Hi there.

My name is Jeff Treisman I'm the school librarian at Denny International Middle School in West Seattle.

And I like to give just a little illustration of why funding school library is so important.

I'm handing I'm holding here a report and this report is called the top patron statistics.

I have here the 50 students who check out books most frequently.

And when I look at this and analyze this using my race and equity lens what I'm seeing is immigrant families.

I'm seeing home homeless families.

I'm seeing children with IEPs.

I'm seeing more immigrant families.

I'm seeing people of color.

I'm seeing people from all over the world on here.

People that are under resourced.

and I'm providing a resource to them.

So I have a direct, I have a direct pipeline where I can do things like, I can unleash Nanobots, right?

These things called books, they're specially designed and they can go and fix things about our kids' education that only they can do.

And I can provide that.

So I know that is why it's a good buy to provide the resources to librarians because librarians deliver the resources where they are most needed in the most efficient way.

That's all I have to say.

Thank you.

After Elizabeth we'll have Craig Seasholes and Allison McLean.

Hi thanks for listening.

A 2012 school library journal report from Colorado reads in schools with the equivalent of at least one full-time equivalent endorsed librarian students average significantly higher advanced reading scores and significantly lower unsatisfactory scores than students in schools with less than one FTE librarian.

A 2016 school library journal report from South Carolina reads studies in more than a dozen states have shown that higher spending on school library programs has been linked to better results on achievement tasks for all students.

Higher total library spending was associated with more students showing strengths and fewer showing weaknesses on the writing standards both overall and on content and organization.

Higher spending on school libraries was also associated with more students having exemplary results on English language arts standards and fewer students not meeting those standards.

As a new librarian to Seattle Public Schools I'm at McClure Middle School.

I have enjoyed a full time position at a middle school that also maintains a healthy library budget funded entirely by the school's PTSA.

In many ways I represent the privilege that Katie speaks about.

My school's budget though does not even include a line item for the library.

And considering which positions to apply for I had to limit my applications to schools that were offering full time employment.

I know that our elementary schools have wonderful librarians and so it pains me to see communications from colleagues who now during contract season are struggling to maintain their current positions and are being forced to make tough decisions because they need to divide their time between two schools in order to be employed full time.

Walking into a healthy library budget was a bonus for me.

And I also have seen communications from colleagues who must keep up a library program with zero budget.

Nothing from the school.

Nothing from the PTSA.

All of them find ways to get new books through grant funding donations and too often by spending their own money.

Needs must and all that.

But it's not how it should be.

The stress of both of these conditions send many librarians fleeing to districts outside of Seattle where full time jobs and generously funded library programs exist.

To those of us who remain, warriors though we may be, we are vigilant and hopeful that our new library services manager, Marion Royal, and the signing by Governor Jay Inslee of SSB 6362 on March 21st, allocating $20 per student statewide, will help us.

to meet the needs of our students.

We're also hopeful that you the board members will consider the importance of full time librarians at all Seattle schools as well as making sure that all district librarians are involved in planning for the budget for the $20 per student line item for library materials.

Librarians are born advocates usually for our patrons well all the time for our patrons.

We are here because we need you to be advocates for us so that we can continue to build a strong library program for our children.

Probably an Amen corner here somewhere.

So I'm Craig Sechols.

I'm a school librarian at Dearborn Park, but I'm also president of the Washington Library Association.

And in both roles, I'm pleased to be here on Librarian Day, but this is School Library Month, and I encourage everyone to visit libraries throughout the month.

The most significant piece of legislation was signed with this pen Senate Bill 6362 earmarks $20 per student to every school library budget.

Now that is real money that's over a million dollars for our district that has been spent and will be spent in conversation with curriculum with the needs of the students of the building and with individual librarians and principals.

But some of that equity work just got done last week.

I was there.

The legislation is creating tremendous opportunity for incoming supervisor Marion Royal to make connections with principals librarians and district leaders to ensure this equitable funding connects curriculum and student needs.

I urge the school board to find creative new ways to ensure that Washington's largest school district takes the lead in delivering this golden door opportunity.

It's already in the national news.

People are looking to our state and I'd be proud to say looking to our district on how we deliver on the promise of equity.

I urge everybody to get into a school library this week.

Today was library snapshot day in my school.

But I urge you to get to a school library and see the magic because it's a library and information technology portal to the next generation of American citizens.

Thank you.

After Allison McLean we'll have Emily.

Hello I'm here today without a school to claim because we had to take my daughter out of school and we are appropriately here at sexual assault awareness month.

It seems we're sorry I lost my note.

Last year I was here and spoke about how important it was for the children to not have to change schools and how important it was to count the children on Stevens Elementary's waitlist and not get rid of a teacher.

I am here today because your failure to do that and you firing the staff due to poor counting practice has resulted in my daughter being bullied out of school at the ripe old age of six and the right to carry her very own Me Too sign.

You see unfortunately because of the severe understaffing at Stevens she was put in a room with 29 first graders.

There are also 29 students in a one two split and 31 in second grade.

Because of this staffing shortage the children have been left with not nearly enough supervision at recess.

My daughter has been constantly harassed bullied and assaulted since this year began.

She's had goose eggs on her head.

She was pushed down the stairs.

She was held down and physically assaulted including in her private areas.

The exact same student who did this did the same to her friend, grabbing his private areas, hitting him, and also bullied him out of the same school.

These events happened because these children do not receive adequate care.

The teachers and principal bla- victim blame, claim bully children bring it on themselves, call them tattletales when they try to report violent assault or death threats.

The district has a policy of simply paying some of these teachers more to have an oversized class rather than hiring more teachers.

What has this policy bought for my daughter?

A me too sign?

Nightmares?

The misery of having to leave her friends because she isn't safe in her school?

What does she get out of this policy that allows you to dodge the limits on class sizes?

Why isn't the safety of these children a top priority?

The last thing I should have to worry about is whether my daughter will get stabbed in the neck with a knife like one boy threatened.

The last thing I should worry about is my daughter being molested at school.

You need to change this policy because children have already been permanently hurt by it.

You need to fully fund classrooms and train teachers and principals to take bullying seriously.

If any of you were assaulted this way you would call the cops.

You wouldn't be ignored and forced to sit in a group or stand next to the people who continue to abuse you.

Please change this fund more teachers and playground staff so that more first graders don't have to stand here and say me too.

Thank you.

Hi there I'm last.

I'm just here to support my friend Allie.

My name is Emily and I'm a parent and my son is Loic who was the friend that she spoke about.

I'm here because this kind of behavior was not acceptable last year it's not acceptable this year and it's never going to be acceptable.

Unfortunately for Stevens I think it provides a ripe environment for bullying and I'm going to just go into my experiences so you know that she's not the only person and I really want to make it, I just want to make sure you understand.

Lerwick was targeted by the same boys that are targeting Evelyn.

He's a sensitive child who's not afraid to dress how he wants and express his emotions making him an easy target for toxic masculinity.

As soon as I found out that Loek had been bullied it had been happening for already six months and the only reason that I did find out did find out was because he told me he had also been hit in the private area.

When I approached the teacher she minimized the event alluding to the archaic notion that boys will be boys and the bullying continued.

We can't talk about specific personnel.

OK I won't nobody by name.

Not even by position, please.

Okay.

Thank you so much.

Okay, so then I escalated the situation, and I was told that my son brought bullying on himself because he was, quote, annoying, which led me to believe that his idiosyncrasies were equated and were justifications for being bullied.

Bullying in the form of name calling, hitting in the privates, pushing down the stairs, destroying his property, clothing and class projects and ripping off a costume during a school performance in front of the entire school body.

We're talking about kindergarten and grade one students.

The supervising adults should be the ones that should be addressing this.

Smaller class sizes, more adult supervising at recess and better training for teachers I believe will help this not happen anymore.

Loic left that school and I was told they would have training and whether or not that happened it obviously wasn't sufficient as Evelyn and other female friends of Loic's have been targeted this year.

Lowick left that school.

Evelyn is about to leave that school.

So who is going to be the next target.

The cycle is not only unhealthy for the victims but also for the aggressors who are learning that this kind of behavior is acceptable.

I know.

So my question is what are you going to do to fix it for both parties.

Thank you.

This concludes the sign up list for public testimony.

OK directors have an opportunity to make short comments to the testimony.

Then I would suggest we go to number one on our action list and we take our 15 minute break after we pass number one on the action list.

Do I have consensus from my colleagues.

Seeing so who would like to speak about what they've heard.

If you wish to speak not required obviously Director Burke.

I would like to thank everyone who comes out and is willing to spend their evening sharing their stories with us.

It it shapes what we do what we think how we approach our decisions.

So I want to express that as sort of a global gratitude and then a special message for our librarians.

My colleagues have already thanked you.

I will I will ride on those same coattails but I have a request for you.

In today's agenda we are approving the information technology advisory committee.

And so I'm asking.

Librarians.

Begging to consider applying to participate on that.

All the more reason the more reason.

So help us figure out how to shape our levies how to make technology decisions how to balance best practices of technology with print material.

There are so many elements of technology that we need to figure out how to use for student benefit.

And so I'd be grateful to get your voice as part of that discussion.

Any other directors wishing to speak.

Director Pinkham and then Director DeWolf and then Director Patu.

Thank you all.

Thank you to all the librarians that are here today.

For me looking back and going to school and I was fortunate to go to a smaller school where we didn't have 90 or 100 and some odd buildings.

So getting our budget aligned and that's one of my goals to hope that every comprehensive school that we have here does have a full time librarian has a full time counselor and also full time nurse because our students need that kind of support as well.

And people ask where you can get the money for a while if that's what we as a board decide that's our priority if that's going to help close the education opportunity gap.

That's something we need to explore.

That's something we need to propose or ask maybe JoLynn what would it cost us to do that?

What is the actual impact on us?

So you're sitting over there giving me more work.

But it just you know I thought that's neat because I was fortunate to go to school where we did have that.

But I know it's challenging here at Seattle schools were so large and our students are spread out in so many schools.

But one school having a full time librarian isn't equitable to another school that does not.

and our school that doesn't have a full time counselor.

So we need to definitely support the social emotional well-being of our students as well.

And.

Libraries are a place to hang out.

Where you can go and.

Learn so much more than their students.

Well I don't want to go out at recess.

I want to stay inside and read books.

I want to stay inside and do something else.

So we need to allow our students to expand their minds expand you know whatever their health and fitness whatever they choose to do.

Let's make sure that libraries become one of those viable options for each and every student.

So thank you for coming out here and sharing your voice.

And also to other presenters you know thank you for coming here and letting us know that we still have a ways to go.

We're going to be up here make sure that we make again the Seattle Public Schools the best schools in the nation.

Qeˀciyéẁyéẁ Thank you.

Thank you Director Harris.

Again thanks so much for coming out tonight.

I want to just quickly touch on a few things particularly as it pertains to our library libraries and librarians.

Thank you for the work you do.

Special I guess what it reminded me of was that when I was a kid I remember my.

my library Mrs. Lineweber and she read us a book called the Rainbow Fish.

And like I said as a queer kid it was the one book that I felt like I'm not a fish obviously but it did make me feel a little bit seen this unique fish that still found community and their purpose and that they were not invisible.

So thank you for the work you do.

And what I'm about to say is pretty pretty global I think all of these issues that you've brought to our attention and that you will continue to bring to our attention and things that we need to focus on.

I challenge you to this.

Our state has not amply or fully funded our schools.

I know you know this.

It's it's easy to see in the papers or the words that they use that somehow say that we are fully funded.

We're not.

So every time you email us my one challenge is this.

Please email your state legislators CC them because these issues are critical to us but they're not going to understand the critical issue the deficit and the ways that we are not fully funded.

And unless you're telling them every time these issues come up because they're important to us at the schools.

But we it's hard for us to get that same message to our state legislators who are deciding these budgets.

So please CC that's my challenge to CC them on these exact same issues that you're sending to us because I would love them to be flooded with the same amount of information to see how how far they have to go to actually amply and fully fund our schools.

And the last two things are this particularly to our students.

Thank you for being here and thank you for calling us in.

As you know we are trying to do the best I can continue to work with you and find ways to make sure that your voice is included.

And so you know how to reach me.

You have my direct line and I look forward to coming up with opportunities for your voice to be included in our work.

And then the last thing is this like I said as a victim of sexual assault myself this issue is of critical importance to me so thank you for bringing that to my attention.

To the parents that spoke I'd love to give you my card and it didn't get to happen this year.

I just started about four months ago.

In an ideal world I would have had some some work around some policy and procedures because there are some gaps around sexual assault.

education in our school.

And so I'm looking forward to kind of the long runway to make sure that we're including that as we're moving forward.

So make sure at the break to give you my card.

Thank you.

Director Patu and then Director Mack.

I just want to say thank you so much for everyone who's come out tonight and to support your heart to us.

And I really want to say to those that actually are are really working on coming together to to make things better for all our kids.

I think that you know working together is actually the main thing that we all have an opportunity or responsibility to all our children in Seattle Public Schools.

and working together as a team is what's going to help us to really make a difference in the lives of all our students.

So I say thank you to those parents who are actually who volunteers and gives above and beyond to make sure that all our schools are safe and also providing all our students opportunities so they can have the best education that we can give them.

And I also wanted to say thank you to.

the students who actually who are there to make things better.

You know without them there will be no school.

So we want to say thanks students for doing the best that you can and that as we work together we provide the best education that we can for all our students.

So no students will be left out.

Thank you.

Ditto what Director Patu and Director DeWolf just said.

I was going to say similar things and I won't repeat them except for the contact your legislators part and the fully funding aspect that is incredibly important.

I want to also add on that.

Getting engaged.

It's moving to me to see the engagement.

and the action and the clear vision of you know we we want to move the ball forward.

And I'm grateful for that.

And I also want to point out that Seattle Council PTSA needs volunteers as well for leadership and that's another great place to.

to potentially put some energy to work on a district level.

The task forces getting engaged in those ways actually do help us.

And coming here to tell us your thoughts as well as sending them to us an email or it is in fact invaluable.

We're we're listening we're incorporating it and we share the value of wanting every child in the district to have an excellent educational opportunity.

I also want to mention that I I particularly do appreciate the questions around the Webster project and kind of bring some things to my mind that hadn't been there yet.

So I appreciate that there are folks that are paying attention to all of that because it helps us do our due diligence.

So I your your testimony is is appreciated.

And again yay librarians.

Yay.

Thank you.

And yay to the state for the 20 dollars per student.

I'm super excited about that.

That's all for now.

Thank you.

Harris.

OK then.

Approval of this final candidate selection and authorization to commence salary and contract negotiations discussions for superintendent.

This came through the executive committee March 15th for consideration.

Approval of this item would select a superintendent finalist and authorize the board directors Harris and Burke to engage in contract discussions with the final candidate.

This item is for introduction and action at this meeting.

Therefore based on the entire search process including candidate interviews I move that the board select Denise Juneau as the finalist for the position of superintendent for Seattle Public Schools.

I further move that director directors Harris and Burke be authorized to A engage in contract discussions with Denise Juneau for the position of superintendent and B Bring a negotiated contract to the full board for introduction and action on April 25th 2018. Immediate action is in the best interest of the district.

Second that motion.

And would Justice Philip Talmadge please come close to the podium to keep us in line please.

OK.

Comments.

questions without breaking executive privilege.

Director Burke.

So I'll try to start this off.

I'll try to stay in line with confidentiality.

So we had three amazing candidates each with unique qualifications.

Three amazing individuals and we were privileged to have them.

So I just want to thank each of them and express appreciation.

Dr. Spencer Dr. Andre Spencer.

I had the personal pleasure of being the board participant on school tours.

And I was able to sit on the floor at Rainier View Elementary and count coins with him and I thought.

This could work.

This could really work.

Dr. Ginny Swift.

I got to participate in several rounds of interviews and experience her energy enthusiasm and vision in the public forum which many of you did as well.

and hear heaps of praise from the work she had done at Ann Arbor.

And I thought to myself wow this could work.

This could really work.

And so in addition to that we got to meet Denise Juneau and hear her story and her passion for education through through our interview process and the public forum as well.

With Miss Juneau I got to be a fly on the wall.

while she was interviewed by our labor partners.

And I really enjoyed being that fly but I can't tell you about it.

So.

In this in this process I'm particularly thrilled with our selection of Ms. Juneau as as our future superintendent.

I think you'll hear and have already heard amazing things about her.

A couple of the things I just want to touch on is that the work that we do is based on trust.

And what I heard from so many people was the Ms Juneau was already coming in with a high level of trust and could get right down to that work because we all know there's a lot of it.

The other thing is that I learned I heard a lot of broad support from across the city which supports that and builds on that idea of trust and then of personal passion to me.

She was able to describe from the top of her mind what the value of three CTE classes do in terms of graduation results for students.

And I thought that was kind of cool as well.

So.

Wrapping that up I want to go with a love fest.

So anybody who doesn't like sappy stuff you know turn off your TV or plug your ears now.

So this was common for all three candidates.

So each of them applied to Seattle not because They felt like it was a career trajectory springboard or because they had to.

They applied to Seattle because they wanted to.

They picked us just like we picked them.

This was a mutual selection process.

And what we heard from them is how excited they were about the work going on in Seattle and how innovative we were and how our vision and our focus and our priorities.

Really resonated for them.

And so this is where I want to thank.

The people out there.

our families our teachers our students our librarians and our staff our administration staff principals that have have made this district the amazing place that's it's a destination district.

And I want to look over at Superintendent Nyland that has charted that course for multiple years helping us put those pieces together helping us align those arrows to truly make this a destination district.

that that encourage this type of superintendent talent to apply and help us in the long term through that journey.

And then to my colleagues and also those that we stand on their shoulders because so much of what we've done in this district came before my time.

I think all three candidates went home after their interviews and said wow that board is pretty intense but they're funny as heck.

But you can't share the jokes.

Who else would like to speak next.

Director DeWolf please.

Thank you Director Harris.

I first just want to say thank you for all the folks that were involved and engaged in this process and for giving feedback and sending us e-mails.

Every single one of those was really critical to how we were discerning who to pick.

The title might be the Seattle Public Schools superintendent but I actually think what's really important here is that this is our community superintendent.

So it's going to actually take all of us each and every one of us students teachers folks from the Seattle Council PTSA librarians every single one of us that in this city to to be engaged with making sure that your voice your concerns and your needs are heard and that we're able to create conversations.

in relationship with our with our next superintendent.

The last thing I'll say I really was grateful for all three exceptionally well qualified and exciting candidates as a queer native person.

I am particularly excited to be able to be a part of a district where for the first time I would say maybe a rare time at least many of our young kids whether they are young girls whether they're queer queer folks or native kids who will finally feel visible and seen and represented.

And so thank you for the board for your hard work and your leadership.

But also thank you to the community for keeping us focused on the right issues.

So thank you for that work.

Director Geary please.

I will be brief.

It has been.

It has been exhausting because every one of these people that came to us and I want to thank our candidates so much.

We in some ways had to open ourselves up to the possibility of them.

And we had to listen to all of you and see them through your eyes and hear them with your perspectives.

That took a lot of energy.

It took a lot of energy to do that work and we did we did the best we could while maintaining obviously the privacy and the confidentiality that we needed to do so.

I just want to say thank you to the candidates who came and shared so much of themselves with us.

They are truly amazing people who are doing great work and welcome to Ms. Juneau to come and be our new superintendent.

Such an exciting possibility.

So I said it earlier.

It is up to us as a city.

We put our priorities out to these people and we have to honor what we have said is our priority and support them in moving the forward the work forward.

It has been.

We have all recognized Roseblocks as we have begun this work.

led by our current superintendent.

And we've all felt the pressures when it required us to break through the status quo.

And we're going to have to continue to do that work.

And it's on us all to support our new superintendent in doing it.

But it'll be exciting.

And we are all really looking forward to that work and being poised on what I have seen when I go to the national conference as being continuing to be recognized as a district who does this kind of great work.

And we are in the forefront.

So.

Here we go.

Director Harris comments questions or concerns.

Director Pinkham.

And then director Patu.

First off I want to thank all my fellow board members and actually got to know each one of you just a little bit better over this process because I've been on other search committees where it's been like OK you're a search committee of three but we had seven minds up here really going through this and I appreciate this is a journey that I'll remember and look back upon the hey there was some growing moments that happened here.

Three exceptional finalists that the community got to meet and discuss with and it wasn't an easy decision.

You know but I appreciate having such a luxury to have that type of a challenge.

You know who would be the best person to come in here and carry on what Director Nyland has Superintendent started and and still make Seattle the best school in the country.

And it just I feel honored that too that it turned out to be as we did went through the process a Native woman.

because it wasn't that long ago they're touting me as the first Native American person on the Seattle school board.

And then Zachary DeWolf who joins us as the second Native American and also first gay person to come out and be on the school board.

We are going in the right direction.

I feel and feel honored to be part of this process.

Thank you to all the candidates that that applied and definitely to those that made it to the finalists.

Thank you for spending time with us.

Director Patu.

As a longtime board director actually going through my fourth superintendent search each time is different.

But I felt that this one was actually was a more a little bit more personable.

We had a chance to actually do be more.

Straightforward.

I guess that would be the word in terms of what we really wanted to see as the superintendent for Seattle Public Schools.

In my mind I wanted someone who actually would come on and just start running and doing the things that already we know that's been done.

I think Director Superintendent Nyland has done a great job in terms of moving this district forward.

and getting someone to actually to continue on the good work that he's already have done.

And that was important to me.

Someone who had a lot of knowledge but also had compassion.

And and so I felt that all three candidates that we had were great.

But you know the overall when we come down to it you need to pick one of the best that will actually be able to come in and serve our district the way we want to see happening.

So I'm you know I'm looking forward to actually to getting the right person for Seattle Public Schools and and hopefully I think this is my last superintendent search as my term continued.

I have three more years to serve and I think that Every year being on this board has been a lesson learned and it's wonderful to be up here making a difference in the lives of kids.

As someone who actually came from my country who spoke no English and tried to be able to survive especially in the days that I came here.

No one knew how to speak my language no one knew how to help me.

You know it's great to actually to be where you know that there's support for students that actually come and don't speak English so.

I feel really blessed and I think that being on this board also gives me an opportunity to actually to reach out and make a difference in the lives of our students that that really you know that really needs the support that they need especially someone who has worked with students who actually student needs.

And so it's been a great experience and I think that I Making the right choice for this next soup.

It's very important.

And I think we're going in that right direction.

Director Mack.

I think they all said it very well.

I ditto everything I'm not going to add to it other than it was exciting that three amazing candidates and I'm excited for our future and appreciate my fellow board directors and all of you.

Last but I hope not least.

It has been an extraordinary lift.

Every one of my colleagues has taken this extraordinarily seriously.

Hours and hours and hours arguing testing pushing back pushing back on our buttons even to pencil whipping.

Each of the 30 questions in the first and second round interviews and I might add we did that in public.

I feel extraordinarily lucky to be a member of this board of directors.

I feel extraordinarily honored that 66 people filled out the application to come work with us.

I didn't say for us I said with us.

And I think words are important.

We're looking for a leader for the next 10 years to leverage off a foundation.

That has been built.

by extraordinarily talented.

Valuable staff and community community partners are PTSA and our Seattle way.

We may.

Talk things in to the ground.

In this city.

But we are capable of extraordinary things and it is our job to deliver and it is the job of the next superintendent to help us get there.

And I can tell you this this board is going to hold hands.

and work hard as I know all of the Seattle Public Schools staff is.

And I'm going to take a point of personal privilege here because I'm the president and I can.

Superintendent Nyland there have been awkward moments in this and they really suck.

But I cannot tell you.

How much I appreciate your professionalism and your dedication to this district.

We got you out of retirement and you have worked hard and you have assembled a good team and you have given us a platform to achieve greatness and I thank you.

The roll call please.

And after the roll call we'll be taking a break.

Director Burke.

Yes.

Director DeWolf.

Absolutely yes.

Director Geary.

Aye.

Director Mack.

Aye.

Director Patu.

Aye.

Director Pinkham.

Aye.

Director Harris.

Aye.

This motion is passed unanimously.

And to all of our candidates that are watching on streaming.

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts and to Denise Juneau.

Welcome to wonderful.

We're taking a break for 15 minutes.