Welcome to the November 6 2019 Seattle Public School Board of Directors legislative meeting.
Before we begin we'd like to recognize and honor the first peoples of the Puget Sound territories by acknowledging that we are in the land of the Coastal Salish tribes.
Also like to welcome our student guest Sebastian Pele-Ox is that correct.
Halle Axe.
Thank you for that.
Who is joining us on the dais this evening from Lincoln High School.
Sebastian will have a chance to give a comments later in the meeting.
And thank you for joining us.
Ms Shek roll call please.
Director Burke.
Present.
Director DeWolf.
Present.
Director Geary.
Here.
Director Hersey.
Here.
Director Mack.
Present Director Pinkham.
Is Director Pinkham online yet.
We expect him to be.
Director Harris here and we'll announce when Director Pinkham comes online.
Those that would prefer to please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.
It is my pleasure to welcome students from the Cleveland STEM high school advanced percussion ensemble class who will perform for us tonight and we'd like to invite directors and folks on the dais to the front row.
And next time we want in on this action because we work with the Meany BWB band at our last retreat.
Okay.
Thank you.
So this is the Cleveland High School drumline.
I'm Caitlin Malarkey.
I'm the music director at Cleveland High School.
And this is our advanced drum line.
So we actually have two percussion classes at Cleveland High School.
There's a total of 40 students enrolled in our percussion classes at Cleveland which is I believe the biggest percussion program in the district at this point in time.
These students work really hard year round.
They do extra rehearsals outside of the school day.
They come in during the summer and give multiple weeks of their summer up to participate in this group and rehearse and get ready for the football season.
And they do a lot of work and they put in a lot of.
Like really really amazing effort.
And this group has come a long way in the last five years since I first got to Cleveland and started really building this program.
And in addition to the percussion program at Cleveland we also have a band program orchestra program and guitar classes.
There's only myself I'm the only music teacher at Cleveland so unfortunately we can't offer any more classes like choir which is really unfortunate for our students and is definitely an equity issue within our district when we see schools in the southeast that don't have things like choir.
which you know really is a fundamental music class for sure.
But these students are wonderful students.
They work really hard and I can't say enough great things about them.
And I understand that at school board meetings a lot of times you like to meet the students is that correct.
So I'll pass the mic around and yeah.
She will get this started I guess.
But oh and one more things of our drums.
These are actually brand new drums they were purchased by our alumni association and our PTSA after seeing how much these students were struggling for so.
For so many years with drums that were just not working for them.
But there's a lot of instruments at our school that still need to be replaced.
So anyway here we go.
You mean yet.
You don't have.
Enough.
Staff.
To do choral and other programs.
I refuse to give up.
So it's yet.
OK.
And my fantasy and I always do the dramatic pause.
Is.
Every student.
Music.
Every day.
Solve your math scores.
I'm going to pass the mic around.
First of all thank you.
On behalf of the board and the folks in Channel 26 land that just had their minds blown.
Tell us who you are.
What grade you're in.
Freshman or sophomore junior senior.
And I want you to know I graduated as a Cleveland Eagle.
Hello my name is Beatriz and I'm a sophomore.
Hi my name is Nathan I'm a sophomore.
Go Eagles.
Hello my name is Raja.
I'm a senior this year.
Go Eagles.
My name is Aaron.
I'm a sophomore.
My name is Cynthia.
I'm a sophomore and Go Eagles.
My name is Nico and I'm a senior.
Go Eagles.
My name is Altea and I'm a freshman.
My name is Sefu and I'm a sophomore.
My name is Nayeli and I'm a sophomore.
My name is Aaron and I'm a sophomore.
My name is Tahir and I'm a junior.
My name is Malia and I'm a sophomore.
My name is Rajanae and I'm a sophomore.
My name is Mateo and I'm a sophomore.
My name is A.J.
I'm a senior.
Go Eagles.
My name is Kira I'm a senior.
Hi my name is Gabby and I'm a senior.
Way to go.
Thanks very much.
Madam Superintendent the floor is yours.
Thank you.
And as always it is very difficult to follow any student performance.
But thank you.
And I you know yesterday was elections and I know things are not yet certified and there's still some votes to be counted but I do want to just make.
sure that we thank the people who ran for school board the candidates who stepped up.
It is not easy to be out in the public eye.
And so I just appreciate everybody who stepped up to run for school board.
It's a very important job.
I think people don't realize the work that goes on by the people who sit up on this dais overseeing a billion dollar budget building schools across the city.
Educating 53000 students having about 8000 staff.
It's a big big job a huge responsibility and for anybody to throw their hat in the ring.
I just have great respect for them.
So thank you.
This is a.
Native American Heritage Month across the country.
And I know that the school district usually also does a proclamation.
And since we have a board member who is a tribal liaison I thought Director DeWolf should read the proclamation into the record this evening.
Thank you Superintendent Juneau really looking forward to not only this proclamation but also tomorrow we'll be at the Centennial Accord with 29 federally recognized tribes and the governor so really grateful to be able to share that we were able to come through on a proclamation so I can just read the whole thing is that right in the record.
All right.
So whereas Washington is home to 29 federally recognized Native American tribes and the city of Seattle is named for Chief Sealth and whereas Native American contributions and values have shaped the social political environmental cultural and economic fabric of Seattle and whereas state law and Seattle school board curriculum adoption mandates since time immemorial the teaching of Washington state tribal history culture and government in K through 12 schools.
which contribute greatly to improving schools history curriculum enhance students identity safety and improve all students cultural understanding.
Whereas Seattle Public Schools Native American education program is dedicated to increasing academic success for Native American and Alaska Native students across the district.
And whereas the state of Washington and Seattle Public Schools have designated the Friday immediately following the fourth Thursday in November a school holiday known as Native American Heritage Day and whereas Seattle Public Schools joins other others across the nation in celebrating Native American Heritage Month honoring the unique heritage of this continent's first people and reaffirming the commitment to respect each tribe's sovereignty and cultural identity.
Now therefore Seattle Public Schools do hereby proclaim November 2019 to be Native American Heritage Month and November 29th 2019 as Native American Heritage Day in Seattle Public Schools and we encourage all people in our district and city to join the district in a special observance.
Thank you.
So I just want to make sure that we did that recognition before starting.
So.
And I guess it's important to recognize I'm from a tribal nation.
Director DeWolf's from a tribal nation.
Director Pinkham's from a tribal nation and so the the representation and I know representation matters and so the people who are seated on this dais seated on this dais.
All have made significant contributions to the fabric of this city and continue the strong tradition of being very proud to be in service to others and to the city of Seattle.
So.
I just always like to start out with a reminder of our strategic plan priorities to ground our conversations and as you all know this is the focus of our work for the next five years.
Specifically we're focused on these three goals in service to African-American boys and students furthest from educational justice.
And so because of travel and other work this month I've not visited school since our last legislative meeting.
But there I have been hosting meetings about the strategic plan with staff at the John Stanford Center.
And so when I first started my listening and learning tour last year in addition to 21 stops across the city with different communities.
A few town hall ish types of meetings visits with young people and students.
I also did meetings with all the departments within John Stanford Center to get feedback about what's going on in the district.
So I'm circling back again.
We've had all staff meeting on an update for the strategic plan and now just diving deeper with our work at John Stafford Center so that central administration also sees their place in the strategic plan and knows that their work matters to what happens out in schools and has a direct link to student learning and a direct link to carrying out our strategic plan.
As I mentioned in the last Friday memo we spent two days last week getting updates about all the great work that's happening in each of the strategic plan work groups.
We've organized ourselves so that each of our strategic plan goals has goal leads or lead or goal lead or leads.
These leads are working hard with community families school and central office staff and other stakeholders and work groups to co-create initiatives.
under each of the strategic plan goals.
I was fortunate enough to sit with one of these groups this past week and just the power the dialogue that's happening in these work groups and the really thoughtful considerations they are making is pretty powerful to be involved with.
And as you can see from the pictures there is a lot of thinking and learning happening.
I think we blew Chief Narver's mind as his introduction to Seattle Public Schools and all the deep work going on.
I'm so thankful for the time and enormous amount of energy that each of our staff and our partners have given to build these plans and they are strong because of these partnerships and we know that we need our partners if we're going to fulfill the promises in the strategic plan that we cannot do this alone.
I hosted a strategic plan update conversation with half of the DOTS division last week.
They asked great questions they're eager to support the goals and the work of the plan and just want to thank Chief Berge for her leadership of stepping up and managing DOTS and the strategic focus that's being implemented throughout that department.
And this team and I on the right went to Louisville Kentucky to continue our learning.
We went to the Council of Great City Schools We focused our learning time in sessions related to our strategic plan.
We attended sessions to learn about what other large districts are doing to diversify staff to train staff to be culturally responsive to hear from other leaders on ethnic studies to hear from them on reading and to learn how other districts are using data dashboards and other technology supports.
Many of us attended sessions focused on African-American boys and young men.
I walked away confident knowing that we are doing the right work affirmed in our commitments to the deep equity work that's happening.
And I was also affirmed that we are doing it well when I was sitting in some of those sessions hearing from other districts about their work particularly around targeted universalism.
deep work of trying to close gaps that we are right in it or we are leading in many of those efforts.
And so that was super powerful to come away knowing that Seattle Public Schools is leading in many of these efforts and that we're doing the right work and that other districts are interested in what is happening.
We had visits about other district strategic plans across the country and although there's mention of equity in a lot of strategic plans and big districts There are none that are as focused as our strategic plan and none that are as laser focused in on the work that has to be done.
And so I think that's another marker to be really proud of the work that's happening here at Seattle Public Schools and next year I do think that we need to showcase some of our work to the country.
And so we'll be talking about what kinds of presentations we might be able to do at the conference next year because I think other districts can learn from us.
And while we know the work to give all students in our schools high quality instruction and learning experiences that's very hard work.
We do also have a lot little fun here at John Stafford Center.
We had our annual John Stanford Center of Educational Excellence chili cook off and costume contest.
There were so many super readers.
This these are just two of the groups.
There was at least one more group of Seattle super readers and of course one must read well to become a Supreme Court justice and role model like Justice Bader Ginsburg.
So there was a group of them as well.
Our friends in archives set up a scavenger hunt to celebrate the event.
If you have not visited archives they have a lot of treasures in there.
Very proud of the work that's happening and it's it's a pretty amazing place.
So you should visit if you have not.
I also want to acknowledge some state award winners on our staff.
Richard Stout and Tina Mead were awarded the Washington schools risk management pools make a difference award.
Ms. Mead was invited to speak about a new tool they are rolling out to all of its school districts.
members titled safety and support response guide.
Much of this guide is based on a protocol developed and being used by our district to respond to sexual harassment and sexual assault reports and is based on our work as a part of WSRMP's Sexual Abuse Prevention Advisory Committee.
Ms Mead wants us to know that this work was truly a team effort.
The information Seattle Public Schools provided to them was created over the past three years through a collaborative effort by current and former district staff members.
That list includes former student civil rights compliance officer Kelly Schmidt former Title 9 coordinator coordinators Christina Ellercon and Warner Santiago Former Senior Assistant General Counsel Andrea Shires and current Title 9 specialist Natasha Waliki.
This is what leadership at Seattle Public Schools look like and it's always great when our staff gets recognized by their peers both at the state and national level.
And again showing that Seattle Public Schools is a leader and our staff work really really hard to make sure that our students are successful throughout every 104 schools.
So thank you Madam President.
This concludes my comments.
Thank you.
OK.
We are at Roman for board committee reports.
Who would like to report out first.
Director Geary chair of curriculum and instruction and potentially legislative feedback as well.
A little bit I'll start and then Director Mack can pick up and go go from there.
OK so we're going to have our next curriculum and instruction committee on November 12th from 430 to 630 here in the board office.
The only board action that will be coming through is bike and pedestrian safety.
Great.
I don't think that will be particularly.
controversial.
There will be an update on the progress of the anti-racist policy.
I know we've received some e-mails about that progression.
So generally I will say that is a policy that has a draft that is being handled now by Dr. Keisha Scarlett and her team in terms of making sure that we're doing the appropriate community outreach and coming up with the plan necessary to do that and get input from all the different stakeholders.
So that's not going to be necessarily a quick body of work but it is in process and first it will need to go and be vetted and get all the input necessary from the different members within the district that it would impact their bodies of work and then we will take it out.
into the community and get more feedback and I suspect it will be an iterative process of going back and forth for a while until we have something that would be ready to come for a vote before the board.
Just sort of giving everybody the idea of the process that it will go through.
We will have reports on our instructional materials with regard to since time immemorial and science.
We will have a strategic plan update around third grade reading and college and career readiness and we will have reports presented by staff on equitable access to programs.
The waiver of instructional materials which might be very interesting to anybody who followed our former science adoption in terms of how waivers are are distributed distributed around the district and whether or not red flags should be raised to staff or the board with regard to those waivers.
So we'll be having that report come through and then an update with regard to how House Bill 1599 is impacting us with regard to the modified high school graduation requirements.
So if those topics are of interest please come and listen in at the committee.
We don't generally take public comments at committees but it is a way to keep keep yourself informed of anything of interest comes before you.
Now with regard to legislative want to say thank you.
We did have Director Mack I JoLynn Berge Erin Bennett met with our delegation which is a handful of the different elected representatives and senators who meet with us regularly to talk about our legislative agenda which is before us today.
And just at this point when we we now will engage in conversation conversations with them as we approach the legislative session which will start in January.
So it's always good to have them come and we talk about what's on our legislative agenda to start giving them ideas about what they can do what they can advocate for that aligns with our our needs as well.
At this point it still remains a pretty broad conversation and then as the legislative session gets going many many different bills will be created that will that may have an impact on Seattle Public Schools.
And at that point our staff continues to look at them feed them to the different departments that would be impacted.
And then as we see necessary we respond back in terms of the appropriate response and Director Mack anything more to add.
Just adding on to the thanks to the delegation that that showed up at the meeting and had really great conversation we had a number of folks there that hadn't been in the past couple of years.
So it was it was a really productive meeting.
I thought it was a great conversation sharing our legislative our draft legislative agenda until it gets approved tonight.
And hearing from them their questions and I know that Erin has been responding to some of those questions and getting back to folks as well.
I also want to recognize that Mr. Podesta was there as well to support the conversation around capital.
So also on legislative as I've mentioned before I sit on the legislative committee for the WSSDA organization and the WSSDA conference is happening in Bellevue in two weeks and I actually wanted to give a heads up to fellow board directors that that is something that.
We should have a conversation about who wants to go and should go.
I have just a small legislative meeting on that Sunday morning.
But there's a lot of really good information that happens at the conference and it's local.
So it's not in Spokane like it was last couple of years.
So and so then on to I guess I'm doing reports on two committees because on Monday Director Pinkham was out And so I chaired Audit and Finance so I guess I'll do that one first.
So Monday Audit and Finance met Director Geary and myself.
It was actually a relatively short meeting we ended within an hour.
We have a number of BARs that are coming forward.
I believe all of them came forward for consideration or approval with some minor like clarifications including some additional costs needed to.
to implement our SAP databases.
The MAN WAN hardware upgrade for elementary schools is actually kind of exciting.
It's going to what's going to happen through that project will increase the gigabyte speed to our elementary schools from one gig to 10 gig so tenfold which will make it more possible for schools to actually do the intersection with the network and etc.
And that'll be rolling out over the next couple of years.
But this is part of what's paid for through I believe was BEX IV.
Don't quote me on that I could be wrong on which levy but thank you voters for supporting that because that's going to support our students in the future.
And speaking of levies the other thing that will be coming forward to the board is that we have to certify.
OK I'm sorry.
Oh I apologize.
I did not realize that I was not getting picked up.
I won't repeat everything that was missed.
So we also have coming forward to the board in a future meeting the certification of our levies that we have to do every year that's a somewhat pro forma thing but it's certifying how much money we will be getting from the levies.
And other than that there was some conversation around the annual hiring report and the annual committee work plan and it was a good meeting and it ended early which was nice.
Operations committee.
Last one was November 7th quite a while ago.
Fully packed agenda.
We have a number of items on tonight.
So I won't go through what those are.
Lots of great conversation.
We are meeting again tomorrow and what's on the agenda includes the BEX BTA oversight committee semiannual report.
So that committee that does oversight work for our capital projects for the levies is going to be presenting perhaps some recommendations to us and their kind of summary of the work that's been going on.
We have a number of board actions coming in front of us a number of final acceptance projects the commissioning reports.
Also some SCAP funding lots of capital building important work moving forward as well as the green resolution we're going to have a conversation an update on our green resolution and have a little bit of policy discussion around What we already have in policy around environmental sustainability and additionally we're going to get a report on the capital project semiannual report and some updates on where we're at in forming our advisory committees the capacity enrollment and facilities master plan advisory committee as well as the task force which I believe is underway and had a meeting today.
So if you'd like to come it'll be tomorrow at 430 and I believe that's all of the liaison reports out.
Thank you.
Any other reports liaisons at this time.
Director DeWolf.
Just two more administrative updates to say City Council is obviously in budget season and have talked to Councilmember Gonzales about picking those back up once that's quieted down as you can imagine similar to our budget process.
You know not a lot to do I guess.
But tomorrow I'll be attending again the Centennial Accord Governor slash Washington State's Centennial Accord with 29 federally recognized tribes and so I will report back at our next regularly regular legislative meeting.
Not had an executive committee meeting since our last legislative session but we have one on November 13th next week from 8 to 10 in the board.
Excuse me.
So more to report then.
This is a good place to.
We're learn about the inner workings of the district.
We have chiefs and department directors depending on what's on the agenda and a number of standing committees standing action items communications family engagement etc..
Now we come to Roman 5 student comments.
Sebastian.
Sebastian is a lifelong student in the Seattle Public Schools and is excited to be a part of Lincoln High School in its inaugural year after serving on the student design team.
He is also quite passionate about student leadership and currently serves as a treasurer in the Lincoln associated student body.
He is also the Lincoln representative to the superintendent student advisory board.
Thank you for that service.
His other hobbies include travel technical theater and playing jazz piano.
Tell us what you think we should know both terrific things and things that need improvement.
Please the floor is yours sir.
Good evening and thank you for the opportunity to stand here today representing Lincoln.
Really excited to be here and I'm really happy to announce the successful end of the first quarter since we reopened.
Reopening Lincoln High School has been an incredible journey and it could not have been done without the amazing support we've had making Lincoln reality.
We want to thank the board staff at central office the incredible alumni association voters of Seattle for approving levies that made Lincoln possible and the staff students and families in the Lincoln community all of whom played a vital part in getting Lincoln off the ground.
These past two months we've had a number of milestones at Lincoln including our first homecoming where we won our game against Ingram and had an amazing turnout at the dance.
Our sophomores took the first PSAT administered at the new school and a bunch of new clubs are being created for students to participate in.
We've also had the opportunity to showcase our school to our local dignitaries such as Superintendent Juneau.
Some of you board members that have come to visit Speaker Emeritus Frank Chopp and Senator Jamie Peterson both from the state legislature and our governor who took a surprise visit last month Jay Inslee.
Most incredible of all has really been getting to hear all the stories of the alumni that attended Lincoln High School before us and before the school opened.
I'd see like I'd see alumni that would just be marveling at the newly renovated building and when they saw me going in they'd tell me like they graduated from many many years ago from the 70s all the way back to the 50s.
And they'd tell me like all these incredible stories of just what they'd done in the school and like just the memories of the small things and the big things that happened when they were there and just how excited they were for the reopening.
And this for me has really exemplified that Lincoln has already become an anchor for the community and the surrounding neighborhood as well as those connected to it both alumni and just the families and the community of those attending Lincoln High School.
Even so I think with all the success we've had in launching Lincoln there have been a lot of challenges.
Lincoln is one of the least racially and ethnically diverse high schools in Seattle and that coupled with the fact that some of the sophomores are upset they were transferred from their old schools is really leading to a less unified student body and an atmosphere that can be uncomfortable.
We've done some things to help unify the student body such as the aptly named project unity program and mentorship classes that gave all students a voice in developing the school culture and help people get to know each other.
But we need all of your partnership to create a school environment where people of all races cultures economic backgrounds sexualities gender identities and formal schools can feel like full and included and respected members of the Lincoln community.
Launching Lincoln is going to be an ongoing process like any other high school and we won't be done for many years.
And we really look forward to looking working with the board and the staff at central office to make Lincoln the best place it can be.
Thanks so much.
Roman 6 business action items consent agenda.
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.
Second approval.
Any person that would like to remove an item from the consent agenda to the action agenda please state that now.
Yeah I'd like to remove that item number 3 2019 20 legislative agenda.
Just it was updated since introduction and just for clarity.
Super.
Any other removals seeing none.
Do I have a motion to approve the consent agenda as amended.
I move approval of the consent agenda as amended.
Second.
All those in favor of passing the consent agenda as amended please signify by saying aye.
Aye.
Thank you.
Thank you.
We heard that Director Pinkham.
Much appreciate.
OK.
We have a half hour before public testimony starts at 530. So this excuse me.
Yeah.
That goes to the action items is my understanding.
Thank you.
So board comments who would like to go first.
Director Burke you're up.
I will tee this off and I'll start by just expressing how awe inspiring the Cleveland drum line was.
It was just an amazing synchronized foot tapping experience and I'm still.
The smiles I'm still it's still contagious.
I'm going to be able to roll with that for a while.
I also want to give a special welcome to Sebastian and I'm going to take a bit of opportunity now to shine a spotlight and maybe embarrass him but hopefully all for the better.
I as a director I had in my second year my term a meeting in February second and a half.
Anyways February 2017 at Hamilton around the Lincoln opening because the community had come to me and said we need to figure out what Lincoln's going to look like and help us understand and help us come together and how do we get a principal soon.
And I was like wow those are all really good questions.
Let's get to get together and talk about it.
And so Hamilton seemed like a good central point.
A lot of the families were there and so we had prepared some content I'd set a date I'd said set the location and I went in to visit the school I was like well I've got a presentation and I've got some audio you know I'd like to be able to to use the the audio video system there and like oh oh that would be Sebastian.
And so they put in a call somewhere and five minutes later Sebastian shows up he's like hi there.
And he showed me where to plug stuff in where the hidden power switches were ultimately helped to make that first meeting a success.
So I just really appreciate his insight his leadership his positive enthusiasm for for starting up Lincoln and for taking on the challenges.
So thank you.
I also want to congratulate my colleague President Harris and Chandra Hampson for strong early returns in the school board election and also as direct as Superintendent Juneau indicated I want to share my gratitude to all candidates.
They're putting their time and their heart on the line for Seattle kids.
I've had people say oh that must be a really thankless job on the board.
And I just want to set the record straight that it can be hard really hard.
But as I as I always tell people it's the best midlife crisis I've ever had.
It's just super rewarding.
It's it's very personally rewarding and it's one of the best things you can do in support of public education the futures of Seattle kids.
So again gratitude to all candidates regardless of where where they ended up in terms of vote counts.
Huge kudos.
A little note I had a meeting with Director DeWolf and the student community workforce agreement task force great that they're getting they're getting going on that work.
They're sort of they're norming and finding out the kind of the key tenants of project labor agreements.
And it's really neat how again and again in the conversation what keeps coming up is how are we putting students in the front of this student community workforce agreement.
How are we helping.
Our students find opportunities to work on our projects.
How do we find places where our academic offerings and pre-apprenticeship programs can align.
It's just really really neat dynamics so I'm excited to see that work go on and take our kids to success.
I've heard from many families about staff about the communication the process and our desired outcomes for advanced learning and highly capable programs and the intersection with the STEM by TAF at Washington Middle School.
So I'll speak more specifically to that issue when it's when it's on the agenda.
But I just want to share a couple of overarching thoughts for the community for the board current and future and for the superintendent.
And that's just really acknowledging that transformation is an enterprise the size of Seattle Public Schools is not an easy task.
People dedicate their entire careers to the study of these things the success and failure of these reform efforts.
So when you look at models of successful transformation there are common elements and there are a lot of different roadmaps.
But I just wanted to mention my favorite roadmap the one that I've used myself and resonates for me is this John Cotter fellow a book called Leading Change lays out an eight step process which it should be guided by.
importance of each step.
And I'm not going to go through each step but I'll say that it starts.
Step 1 is establishing a sense of urgency.
And I feel like we've done that.
We've identified a sense of urgency.
Step 8 when you're all done.
It's about.
Anchoring the new approaches in the organizational culture.
So it really starts from.
The cause.
To how do you make it permanent.
And around the work in advanced learning I feel like we're stuck at step 3 which is developing a vision and strategy.
And step 4 which is communicating that.
So we have a really strong vision which has taken shape with a strategic plan but I don't believe we've sufficiently developed or communicated the strategy and strategies that we'll use to articulate that vision citywide.
So more conversation on that.
I welcome people to look at those steps.
It's it's it's an interesting read.
My other thought which I'll continue to repeat with my final director breaths.
Is that we are stronger together.
When our conversations as adults result in antagonistic blog posts or polarizing narratives.
We just have to ask ourselves how.
That really demonstrates compassion.
And how it demonstrates collaboration to the youth that we represent that we're serving.
So authentically engaging around dissenting viewpoints it's hard.
It feels awkward it feels uncomfortable but it's what makes our own perspectives richer it's what's helped me as a person over the last four years.
I'm grateful for those things and I think it makes Seattle Public Schools a better place.
So regardless of what the issue regardless of your position I ask that you take it on with an open mind and non-judgmental about other people who have opposing views.
Finally my last community meeting is this Saturday November 9th at Greenwood library from 3 to 5 p.m.
Love to see anybody and everybody who's willing to come and share your thoughts.
And that's all I have for today.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Next up director DeWolf.
Thank you President Harris.
First as a citizen of the Chippewa Cree Nation of Rock and Bow Montana I am grateful to live serve and work here in the ancestral homeland of the Duwamish people the Muckleshoot Nation and the Suquamish Nation.
We acknowledge them as custodians of this land since time immemorial and as guests and frankly as for many folks as settlers on this land we extend our deepest gratitude and respect to our elders past present and future.
I am continuously grateful to our staff as Director Burke was saying but our community members and the board here for being so enthusiastic around the student community workforce agreements task force work.
To date we've had three meetings thus far and they will last through January 2020 and we we grounded ourselves first in racial equity.
We then got to witness apprenticeship graduation At a new and then today's meeting we got kind of really familiar with the basic components and functions of a general project labor agreement slash community workforce agreement and so we expect recommendations out for the board by the end of January 2020 for us to deliberate over and start looking at and making it work here for Seattle Public Schools.
I also wanted to just extend thanks and also congratulations to all the candidates for school board.
It is certainly no easy task particularly because it's a citywide race and so you're at the 11th district all the way up to the 46th and sometimes it's on the same night literally at the same time.
So I understand it is incredibly hard work.
So thank you everyone that stepped up to do that.
I do want to highlight one important point which might have been lost in the initiative 976 conversation which is that if it doesn't get voted down the incredible work and activism of the Rainier Beach students that ensured all students high school students get free ORCA cards will end as a benefit we provide for our students.
So that is some of the specific and literal consequences we will experience here at Seattle Public Schools.
This past Monday along with Dr. Concie Pedroza legal counsel Ronald Boy and close to about 40 people which included immigrant and undocumented families all in language attended my my community meeting which was a hybrid of a know your rights as well as a listening session and it was really humbling to be in a community with so many of the families who are often not engaged.
We left with some homework too so I know Dr. Pedroza and I will be starting to figure out those next steps on some of that homework.
Again and just to reiterate tomorrow in my role as a tribal nations tribal nations liaison I'll be attending the governor's Washington state centennial accord meeting with our 29 federally recognized tribes.
And I will report back on that at our next board meeting and then I'll be hosting a community meeting on December 7th at the Capitol Hill library with Director Mack as long as that's still good for you.
And I just Director Hersey is also going to join us and that's from 1 to 2 30 p.m.
and that does not no no more can attend because that would be OPMA.
But yes.
So those are kind of my big things.
I just wanted to read one thing.
Usually at the end of my board comments I.
Read some poetry from our students but one of the books I've just been fascinated by and inspired by.
is from Azure Savage.
They are a student here in Seattle Public Schools and this is one of the most incredible living documents of a student experiencing our educational system right now and for the last well now they're a senior so I guess last 12 school years.
So I'll be reading pretty much this throughout the my time here on the rest of the academic year.
But today I wanted to read just one thing from.
A certain section.
And then as we get into some of conversations particularly around.
The student assignment transition plan I'll read some of the other portions of this but if you have not read this book and if you have not had access to this book please email the board office or I'm happy to email email me too and I'll figure out how to help you get a copy because one of the most inspiring books and I really encourage everybody to take some time to read this.
It's about 150 pages.
It's an incredibly moving read.
But at the very end of the book Azure says.
All the issues that I've spoken on throughout this book need to be addressed.
Nothing is going to change if people aren't willing to do to do the work to make changes.
I have never felt that my school has supported me wanted me to succeed or cared about my presence in the room.
The suffocation I feel while attending has made me lose interest in my education and I have been so close to giving up so many times but I know that it's not an option for me to let the system take away my future.
Everyone needs to really take a step back and comprehend the meaning and the importance of the experiences we've had and particularly as you're speaking as a as a student of color and a queer student of color.
Something must change.
Students need to have more power in an institution that is meant to serve us.
Our input stories and requests need to be taken seriously because while we are in it school is a huge part of our lives and it continues to affect our lives for years.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Next up.
Director Mack please.
Good evening.
In recent past I've been winging my comments but today actually took some time to to jot them down.
So if I'm not looking straight into the camera or at your eyes when I'm speaking forgive me.
First I wanted to I really want to thank all the folks that show up and provide their input in various ways in the district.
In my recent community meeting people that write in those that are taking time out of the evening to come and talk to us about the issues that are in front of us.
We as a board of directors are collectively responsible to you.
And your input is critical in the democratic process and it's necessary for us as a board to do good governance.
Yesterday was election day and I had the pleasure of being with some students at Ballard High for their mock election.
Senator Carlisle was there as well and had a lot of great wisdom to impart.
But one of the things that he said that resonated with me most was that democracy is messy and emotional.
I'm really proud to serve you as a board director and I believe strongly in the power of public education and how fundamental it is to our democracy.
We are at a time in history and in this district where income equality is widening racism and implicit bias are still very much with us individually and systemically and there are all sorts of student safety issues we need to address.
And as Nelson Mandela said education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
He also said it is so easy to break down and destroy.
The heroes are those who make peace and build.
And a real leader uses every issue no matter how serious and sensitive to ensure that at the end of the debate we should emerge stronger and more united than ever before.
We have a lot of work to do in this district to ensure that we're soothing students and families of Seattle and providing equitable opportunities for students to be prepared for college community and career.
And we have an intentional focus on students furthest away from educational justice.
We're all aligned in this mission.
The tricky part is that while we all may agree on the mission there are disagreements on how we get there.
What's our plan.
It is critical for the success that we map out the plans and bring everyone along in the process and even more so to ensure that community members are engaged in the co-creating top down directives without school communities engaged won't be successful.
Quite simply we can't put the cart before the horse and expect to get too far.
And thankfully we're a public democratic institution and we have structures and processes for working together to create our plans and make change.
We have task forces and advisory committees that are on a variety of topics and we need them to we need to continue to support them to do their work.
And we also have the superintendent and district staff developing procedures and processes and at its very core the process of bringing action items through committee into the full board for approval is our democracy in action.
I'm really sad to be saying goodbye to folks that are going to be leaving.
It's been a pleasure to be working with those of you that are stepping off the board a little bit.
But I'm also excited for the new board directors come on and do this work together and I'm As Director DeWolf said our next community meeting is about a month away on December 7th at 1 to 2 30 at Capitol Hill Public Library.
And I will speak to the rest of the topics when they're on the agenda.
Director Harris.
Thank you.
Fantastic.
So thanks everybody for being here.
We have a packed house clearly and I'm so excited to hear the testimony from all the families that are in the room and excited to do more to hear the testimony from the families outside of the room as well because we've got a packed agenda as has been mentioned before and community input is the cornerstone of how we get these things done and how we get them done right.
Congratulations to our future colleagues and congratulations to our current colleagues that are about to transition off.
I know in my short time on the board I have learned an immense amount from each and every one of you and I look forward to continuing to call you.
Your service does not stop here or at least to me.
So be looking for that phone call.
In the process I am currently in the process of scheduling my own personal community meetings for the next month or two.
I'm incredibly excited to join directors Mack and DeWolf at the December 7th meeting.
Looking forward to great conversations with constituents across the city.
Recently I got invited to the NAACP Youth Council meeting which was held at Rainier Beach High School.
So for any of my fellow board directors that might be interested in coming by the next one I will be sure to share that out.
And I heard from some of our district's best and brightest students.
Who had some very honest and candid feedback and inspiring insights and ambitions.
And there's no way that I could share all of that in this setting but I fully intend to do so at appropriate times.
But really what the overarching questions were is what are we actually doing.
We have this amazing strategic plan but what are we actually doing.
How are we directly impacting the lives of students of color especially black and brown students.
And what that really got me thinking about is.
How often are we having conversations.
Versus how often are we centering our students.
In those conversations.
And just let's sit in that for a second.
How often are we centering students in those conversations.
And.
Are we tone deaf to what our students actually need and want.
Because my question is when I was sitting in that space.
Is if we've got this really amazing strategic plan.
And we've got these really amazing plans and ambitions for so many different things across our district.
But yet the very students that we're trying to serve.
Are asking us again and again what are we actually doing.
What do we as a board need to do not only to elevate those voices.
But also value those voices but most importantly how do we get out of their way.
How do we get out of their way.
How do we bring those voices to a place.
Not only of value.
But of care.
And honesty.
To a point to where they do not have to repeatedly ask us the question what are we actually.
Doing.
I'm excited to continue to have those conversations.
Not only with our board directors but with our youth.
And I'm excited to continue to think more about how are we centering.
Youth at the center of every conversation that we're having.
And most importantly how are we doing that in a way that actually does something for our students especially our black and brown students.
Thank you.
Director Harris.
Thank you Director Geary.
I too want to express my gratitude for the Cleveland Drumline.
That was amazing.
It was amazing to see a school.
That.
Has such talent.
And is fundamentally a great school a theme based school around STEM that provides a really high quality challenging education.
To its students.
It's one of our most popular students.
It is.
One that you have to opt into.
But anybody.
Can put their hat in to opt into it.
And they can opt into that program.
And when I visited that school.
I saw how.
They had classrooms.
With science equipment that were amazing.
And that the kids got to do.
Work with.
UW students.
In terms of.
Providing some sort of internship.
Assistance.
And again that is a school that is differentiating around interest based curriculum.
And providing a great education in a general ed setting.
And I guess if I had my way.
We would have a lot more of those schools.
We would have.
More.
Dual language immersion tracks.
That we were fully supporting.
With students with teachers with resources with kids that had high academic drive.
And brought their parents and their resources with them into those schools.
I would have those tracks distributed.
We have two dual language immersion courses sitting right on the Montlake Cut right on the ship canal and we have nothing.
Up in North Seattle.
Where we have some of our poorest.
Communities.
And we have some of our highest immigration communities.
So we keep clumping.
Certain kinds of opportunities in certain places.
While other parts of this district don't.
Have that.
And we label students and we clump them together.
But those students.
Those students bring with them.
A lot of drive a lot of challenge.
A lot of demand both.
From themselves and their parents.
They bring resources.
And when we clump them all in.
Certain schools.
We are depriving.
Other interest based schools that could meet those kids.
Needs.
Of all of that energy.
All of that tension and it is tension.
This room is filled.
With that tension.
That demand.
For high quality education.
For their kids.
They want their own school that's going to provide high quality education that they can keep other kids out of with a test.
And there's no need for that.
We should be able to choose any student who wants that kind of demanding high quality education should be able to choose into.
A school.
That delivers it.
But we need to look at pathways.
And ways to distribute.
The energy of the students their families their resources around interest based education that is available to them in their communities.
So those are my high arching comments because when I look at Cleveland that to me is a dream school and we should have more of them.
And again that's an option school and it shouldn't.
It shouldn't have to necessarily.
We should we should have neighbor schools that are providing that kind of challenging.
Great opportunity.
Everywhere in our district.
That is my goal.
That is my vision.
But as long as we create pathways.
That draw kids out of their neighborhoods.
Into certain schools.
Into certain pathways.
That are defined by academic achievement and not interest based learning that can be spread across.
A wide variety of students as they're identified as they're tested as they're labeled.
We're not going to get there.
So thank you to Cleveland.
Thank you to all the work it is doing.
It is brilliant work and I appreciate that school so much.
The other thing I've been working on is I've been meeting with Dr. Concie Pedroza and Tara Davis with athletics and we are working on really trying to rejuvenate re-energize unified athletics in Seattle Public Schools which is the partnership of a student with a disability with a partner a typically developing partner.
That is an academic or an athletic offering that can also be a social offering throughout our school system.
We need to figure out ways to broaden that opportunity.
Broaden its definition.
Get more resources get more people who are coaching those.
We had it a rather robust program at one point.
But because the people who coach.
tend to age out with their students over time.
The problem is is creating that pipeline.
Of people who are willing to come in and volunteer and support those teams support those students support those programs through our middle school.
And our high school and eventually even start looking at developing that down through our elementary school.
And so that is the one of the things as I am looking to move off the board I'm hoping at least until.
I'm not in Seattle for a while that over the course of this school year continuing to work to build that out and get that message out.
It is a great opportunity that again should be available to every single one of our students in their schools.
And I would hate to think that any students are being funneled away from that opportunity because the students who would be the athletes within those programs just don't belong in their schools.
So but that's one of my goals is to really work on and building up that program.
And I hope that the message gets out on November 17th at the Pacific Science Center which has been a great partner with this program.
The unified robotics will be having its.
Final competition that should be starting at about 9 in the morning.
So if anybody's interested in going and supporting our student athletes at the Pacific Science Center spending the day there again that's November 17th and every family is welcome.
I have participated at the opening ceremonies one year and it was inspiring to see all the excitement around that program.
So I hope that people put it on their calendar and come out and support our students.
There'll be more comments obviously we have a couple couple other issues to address and I'll get to those when they come up.
OK.
I have got 527 let's take a stretch break until 530 at which time public testimony will start promptly.