Seattle School Board Meeting December 6, 2017 Part 3

Director Burke you were making a motion or did you have a point of clarification or.

I have a request from general counsel to restate the motion because there was potentially some ambiguity about it with the conversation that was had.

No.

So I'll try that one more time.

Nate is the tape rolling.

Are we sure of that.

Could we double check please.

I'm sorry.

Thank you.

I move that the school board amend the student assignment transition plan to remove Lincoln High School from the attendance area high schools list linked to the H.C.

pathway as.

I thought efficient.

Did you.

The list of attendance area high schools linked to Garfield as an H.C.

pathway school.

It's also.

Do you have a second for that motion sir.

I'll second.

Director Mack is seconded.

Questions comments or concerns.

My question is then what is the pathway for the linked attendance area.

And the clarification around that would be that the school would be its own pathway because it's not a linked pathway amendment.

The intent is to move that school closer to our our goal in option 4.

Director Geary did you have a comment question or concern.

Any other comments questions or concerns.

Director Pinkham.

Pinkham Yeah and I know the intent is that you know that would eventually come on with our vision that we just passed for the other amendment.

But then again maybe it seems are we being now in the interim too heavy with HCC pathways in the north end and lacking in the south end.

During this transition time.

Mr. Burke I believe that was a question to you since you're the maker of the motion sir.

The intent was was no pathways but I guess in doing so that also makes it its own pathway.

So yeah whether a neighborhood school would be considered an additional pathway by being its own pathway.

Director Mack please.

I think with the pressure of capacity on Garfield and that this would help alleviate that problem that we're talking about by.

Having those attendance area students be attending Lincoln and would help with the overcrowding capacity issue at Garfield and continue to meet the goals that the rest of the five way pathway is intending to meet.

Director Geary.

I think about what we want to do parents in terms of weighing the idea that should we do this now out of fairness or should we and notice or should we put it off in order to think it through more and weighing those and then The Seattle center popped into my head and we'll have that to think about before too long.

So I think sometimes our weddedness to certainty as to the future is an illusion.

And while I think the best thing we can do is sort of grandfather in order to create stability at least for one child.

I just throw that as a comment just for those who are trying to balance.

I'm not sure where I lie on that but there's there seems to be very little certainty for the future as we try to roll out capacity at the high school level.

Assistant Superintendent Berge has come to the podium and I think she's going to put a price tag on mitigation.

I'll bet money on it.

Burke assistant superintendent for finance.

So the Lincoln proposed amendment has me worried about costs.

I'm just going to say that to you and say that could be a very very costly amendment.

And so it may be a good idea to think about it for a little bit longer.

All by.

Can you come back to the podium please.

Can you give us a sense of how expensive that amendment might be and what your best guess is based upon what variables.

So this is this is a guess.

I appreciate that.

We're trying to get the thought process.

So if it's just ninth and 10th graders sitting there and let's say that some of them are one or two grade levels above.

There are no other teachers that are 11th and 12th graders.

You'd have to run.

I don't know six or eight more teachers likely.

And.

Yeah.

So somewhere along there.

So six or seven maybe if it's six or seven teachers it's a million bucks.

If it's six or seven classes obviously that's different.

But you know so that would be a max.

Yes.

OK.

I have another question if I might since we're giving deference to articulate principles e.g.

Dr. Wiley at Franklin.

Have we given deference to Principal Metzger at Lincoln.

Have you given her the heads up.

Have you had her.

Have you had the conversation.

Same question I asked about West Seattle.

We talk a lot about engagement and this is making me real nervous.

I share the nerves.

This specific amendment since it was just created has not been discussed with principal Metzger.

The conversations I've had with principal Metzger have been focused on you know she wants a to build a robust comprehensive high school that serves the neighborhood students.

And when I think of that conversation and I think of a component of that neighborhood potentially being diverted off to another school.

I'm interpreting that as contrary to her vision but it has not been explicitly communicated with her.

And I would love the time to do that.

You had your hand up.

Excuse me.

Director Patu.

Oh.

You have the floor.

I guess since we're on that point I just want to make it very clear there's no dollar sign on Franklin.

But there is you know because Franklin is a school that's already in progress since someone had brought up you know there's that Franklin and Lincoln the difference is that we don't we're not there is no dollar sign.

I'm sorry I need some help with clarity here.

We heard from from Director Burke.

I want to say your name wrong.

That it's going to cost a million dollars for Lincoln.

Well and there was a comparison between Franklin and Lincoln.

Well we don't have to put any money on a million dollars on Franklin because it's already inexistent.

OK.

Thank you.

Other comments questions or concerns.

Seeing none.

We vote.

I guess this would be amendment number four that Director Burke has put forth regarding Lincoln High School.

Director Burke.

Yeah.

Director DeWolf.

No.

Director Geary.

No.

Director Mack.

Yes.

Director Patu.

No.

Director Pinkham.

No.

Director Harris.

No.

This amendment has not passed by a vote of 5 to 2.

We are to the main motion as amended.

Comments questions.

Director Geary.

I want to thank the team for listening to the changes that I made.

Well thank you for all this hard work.

Thank you everybody for being here.

We got through it.

Thank you to everybody here.

But I want to thank the team for listening to my early suggestions and hopes and desires around our special education pathways and giving.

our families the ability to choose between their assignment area or the cohort that we had placed them in according to our need to serve their students so that it gives them that flexibility to protect the relationships that their children have made with their peers.

So that it was a really big ask that was really really important to me.

And so I'm very appreciative of it.

Thank you.

Other questions comments concerns.

Director Mack Director Pinkham.

I do want to thank staff for removing the space available definition and that we'll be working on that over the next few months.

Oh I'm not on.

Sorry.

Apologies.

I wanted to thank staff for removing the space available definition and that we'll be working on that in policy over the next few months and coming to some resolution on that.

So I appreciate that part.

I do want to say that I'm deeply concerned about how this is landed and I'm not certain I can vote yes on the entire thing because of the.

Inappropriateness of the pathways being in this document.

Going back to my policy things I just want to share that thought.

But I do appreciate all the other work that goes into it and recognize that the vote that comes down is the one that.

Passes it or doesn't.

Thank you.

Director Pinkham.

I do want to echo the appreciation of Ashley Flip and Wyeth and what they you know it isn't an easy task when we come here and we share the concerns of the community and they respond to it.

Thank you wholeheartedly for it.

And it just unfortunately oftentimes it's a moving target and we take aim think we got it get ready to pull and no we got to.

Check again and see how things go.

So I just want to say thank you and appreciate the work that you're doing for this efforts and I too and just like gee are we in the right place yet now.

And question would if this doesn't pass do we stick with the old student assignment plan or do you go back and say OK we'll come up with another one in two weeks.

Other questions comments concerns Dr. Herndon.

Just to answer that question.

So if this student assignment transition plan were to not pass we would we would be following the rules of the last student assignment transition plan.

That would be the one standing.

Director Burke.

I'm absolutely grateful for the opportunity to have this conversation.

The counterpoint to that is I wish we had had this conversation two or three or four months ago when I believe we did have the opportunity to have it.

You know we got a lot of great feedback from thought exchange but the five pathways came to us after our first work session so there was not an opportunity to discuss that.

And then it was included as part of our second work session which was unfortunately only one hour because we were time boxed.

So we didn't really have an opportunity to go deep there like we have today.

And so the the the sort of the guiding principles I feel like we've we've got some some concurrence around where we want to go as a destination.

But I'm left wanting on how we're getting there and if what we're doing in the process of getting there is actually going to be a disservice or a disruption.

I'm really really uncomfortable with the level of armchair quarterbacking my own included.

So I apologize for for what that was as I would truly consider it a flail because I absolutely believe that as structured the student assignment assignment plan student assignment transition plan is potentially still damaged goods and the fact that we made a last minute change pulling one school out without looking at how that affects the student shifts.

You know but we didn't consider other possibilities of pulling that out.

Leaves me really nervous so I'm not actually going to be able to support this document as amended.

do believe in the long-term vision reaffirming that.

Director Patu.

I also would like to say thank you to staff I know this is a lot of hard work and to bring it to the board and we are over here dismantling it and trying to put new ideas into it but it's just the nature of the game and also I I just feel like Director Burke I feel like I didn't have enough time to really to study all of this and be able to make some very divisive or either divisive or concrete decision in whether this is really good for our school district.

So I you know and I'm still sitting here thinking with all the discussion that we had tonight I still have not I don't have that concrete feeling of knowing that if I vote on this this is actually something that I want to have implemented.

So I will probably not vote on this also.

And because I feel like I don't know even though we had a long discussion tonight which is something that we should have done a few months back.

And it would you know what actually would have done a lot better if we had more discussion other than what we did tonight and really gave us some good thoughts.

And I just don't feel like I have enough information in order for me to make a concrete decision on it.

So I will vote no on this.

Long term goal I couldn't be more in favor of.

We have to build trust.

This process.

Is not our best work.

I will be voting no.

Ms. Shek the roll call please.

Director Mack.

No.

Director Patu.

No.

Director Burke.

No.

Director DeWolf.

No.

Director Geary.

Yes.

Director Pinkham.

Yes.

Director Harris.

No.

This motion is not passed by a vote of 5 to 2.

OK number six BEX IV.

Adopting resolution number 2017 slash 18 dash 9 imposing changes.

Excuse me I apologize.

BEX IV approval of modification number two to contract P 1 4 8 1 with Redexos LLC for consulting services for K 12 furniture selection.

May we hear from the Ops Committee please.

Ops committee please.

Super.

So that came to Ops on November 2nd and was passed through for consideration.

Mr. Vice President please read the motion.

I move that the school board authorize the superintendent to execute a contract modification with Radix Radix LLC to increase the base contract in the amount of three hundred and seventy three thousand two hundred and eighty eight.

for K-12 furniture selection with any minor additions deletions and modifications deemed necessary by the superintendent and to take any necessary actions to implement the contract modification.

Director Geary.

Second the motion.

Thank you.

And the.

Personal apology for you having to wait through that.

Told you at the break as well but.

We have looked at this agenda 20 times with 20 eyes.

If you see something like that please shout so that we can change the agenda at the beginning of the meeting under OPMA.

Thank you.

Best Director of capital projects and planning for Seattle Public Schools.

The changes that you have in this bar were the changes that were actually discussed with the operations committee.

They were not in the introduction and I don't know the confusion there but they surround the conversation that did occur at the operations committee and Director Geary noted that at introduction.

We are asking for an increase and the company name is Radiox is how it is pronounced.

I think the X is silent.

It is for $373,288.

The rationale for that is articulated in the background, but it is really to get away from the process that we are currently utilizing.

Last year we had eight contracts for furniture, seven of which were above $250,000.

The year prior we had eight contracts above $250,000 for furniture procurement.

There is a cost associated with all the different manufacturers products that we provide.

There's also a cohesiveness in the environment that we're trying to create.

We've engaged teaching and learning.

And so that's one of the things that you'll also see.

There's a lot of specialty groups articulated in paragraph contract modification paragraph number one.

I don't want to cut you off but I want to find out whether there are comments questions or concerns from the directors.

I also want to know out of those 15 contracts that you talked about that were over 250. How many of those were opening the new schools.

They were all for opening new schools.

Director Harris.

Thank you.

Questions comments concerns from directors.

Seeing none.

Excuse me.

I didn't see you.

I apologize.

It's OK I was talking to myself.

Director Patu.

Actually I wanted to ask, didn't we vote on a similar contract not too long ago?

You voted on the furniture contracts for the schools that we opened in the fall of 2017 and you voted on those contracts I'm going a little bit by memory but I think that was in January.

of 2017. And then we had one contract amendment because we exceeded the projected amount that we had estimated on those contracts by over $250,000.

So we brought that back to you.

Spring 2017 timeframe.

Director Patu.

So thank you.

Any other comments questions concerns director Burke.

Just to understand the theory behind this we are investing in somebody to do more as I would consider infrastructure work and is that something that you believe has a payoff in terms of reduced costs either in executing contracts or in procurement?

That this is an investment and can you kind of napkin level a payoff duration?

I can't napkin level of payoff and that was somewhat a question that director Geary asked both at ops and then at intro I can tell you that the Quality of furniture will be of higher quality.

It will last longer.

I do know that we've worked on pretty extensively with the office of teaching and learning and getting their involvement in selection of this furniture.

Make them aware that we're going to put together a catalog so they don't go and buy some of the furniture that we have seen at some of our existing schools that when we move them to the new schools new products that have not stood the test of time.

I can also say that there is an operational cost with having this large group of manufacturers because there's no standardization in furniture repair.

And products do get damaged.

And so what we're trying to do is create some opportunities for our facilities department to implement repairs to this furniture with product standardization so they're not having to carry multiple lines of product parts in order to implement those repairs.

Any other comments questions or concerns from my colleagues.

Ms. Shek the roll call please.

Director DeWolf aye Director Geary aye Director Mack aye Director Patu aye Director Pinkham aye Director Burke aye Director Harris aye.

This motion has passed unanimously.

Thank you.

OK.

Intro item adopting resolution.

2017 slash 18 slash 9 opposing changes to the city of Seattle municipal code SMC 2 3.7 9 to allow charter schools to seek departures from building development and zoning standards.

Approval of this item would communicate the school board's opposition to any changes to the city land use code that would allow charter schools to seek department departures from land use and zoning standards currently available to Seattle Public Schools.

This item was added on 12 5. Director Patu please.

I actually would like to say thank you to Director Harris for coming up with this resolution because two charter schools are actually going up in my district and they are very close to the schools that we already have in existence.

So hopefully that we can stop them from moving forward because there is a middle school and a high school and they are very close.

The middle school is actually very close to Aki Kurose and the high school is like right down the street from Rainier Beach.

So hopefully that we can actually be able to stop this and we don't need any charter school.

We have enough public schools to serve our kids and we do a better job.

Well I would like to extend my thanks to several folks to Nate Van Duzer to Director Jill Geary and to General Counsel Noel Treat.

This was a combined lift.

And to those of you all that called me thank you very much.

To those of you all that didn't I'm going to call you next time probably late at night.

But I really appreciate the collaboration that goes into this and I hope that that foreshadows that kind of collaboration throughout the year.

To me this is a flag in the sand issue.

We need to be loud and proud.

We need to protect our very very limited funds and this is one we're standing up and being very serious about.

We have a month before we can bring it forth to an action item.

That was a personal plea from the executive suite.

I took that seriously.

I put it out to my colleagues.

I didn't hear back extraordinary pushback and I think it's the right way to do it.

I think that we will probably have another packed room on January 3rd because of this and game on.

Now.

The board of unless folks have got additional comments and you want to stay longer.

Director Geary.

I just want to go around this particular one.

I just want to give another shout out to Essence Roberson who came and so shyly testified.

Asking us not necessarily realizing that we had done this but I wanted to thank her for coming and letting us know and letting the public know how our students feel about these schools.

Now the board will go into an executive session.

It is expected to last 30 minutes.

We hope to leave here.

Excuse me sir.

We can adjourn earlier kind sir.

Thank you for everybody that came.

Feedback is always welcome.

Telephone.

Email.

What all.

Thank you.