If you could read the next three people in batches of three to testify please do so.
And I get to read the rules.
Please don't break them.
I don't like ruling people out of order.
Hate it.
One person speaks at a time.
Comments should be addressed to the board.
Please adhere to the time limit.
When you have 30 seconds left you get the yellow light.
When you get the red light please finish up your sentence.
You can always write to the board SPS directors at Seattle schools dot org.
You can write to the board and senior staff at school board at Seattle schools dot org.
We read every email.
It is impossible for us to get back to you on every email.
The focus of the comments should be on the issues and solutions.
The majority of your time must be spent on the topic that you have indicated you wish to speak of no racial slurs personal insults ridicule or threats will be allowed.
No comments regarding personnel matters and all signs and I don't see any tonight must adhere to these ground rules.
Take it away.
Thank you.
First up we have Maxine Embry followed by Leah Morgan and then Gia Corvino.
Hi I'm Maxine Embry I'm vice president of the class of 2021 and one of the producers of the school bulletin announcements called GTV and also a cheerleader for Garfield High School.
Thank you for having me here today.
I love I love Garfield with a passion and I'm here to talk to you about the things that can benefit our school.
if given the chance.
So the first thing I would like to bring up is Garfield's lack of access to technology.
We have a Garfield app which helps Us get school information and there's also a tip that you can report anonymous anonymously if you're being bullied or any other issues that you want to report.
You can also keep track of assignments and there's also a link to GTV.
GTV is something that I helped create.
It's for school announcements and has given an outlet for students who are interested in pursuing a career in video production and television especially in this day and age where the school revolves the world revolves around technology more and more.
And this is something we need at our school in this new era of technology we've moved from turning work in on paper and turning in our work to teachers online.
These types of resources are not readily available to every student at Garfield.
How can students who don't have access to a laptop or computer at home get the same grades as students who do.
Everyone benefits from having access to new technologies where you are a student or an athlete.
My time's running out I'm scared.
Well Kay due to the current bell time having the access having access to be able to turn in homework online would be helpful to students who are athletes.
They can be productive on the court and productive at home.
Garfield has a great athletic program and great academics and our schedules are very jam packed.
We get out of school at 345 practice at 4 which ends at 6 or maybe a game that starts at 5 and ends at 7. And by the time we get home it's almost 8 and we still have homework to do.
Us Godfrey students have to stay up late to do homework and having access to a laptop might alleviate the stress from having such a long day.
And you might be thinking oh that's all that's all students all students have to stay up.
But no because because of this later start we're tricked into thinking it's OK.
It's OK for me to stay up because I can just make up my sleep.
We're tired and we're drained and sometimes we don't even have the motivation to learn at school.
I believe in changing the bell times.
Back to what is back to what it was before could give us more time and motivation to focus on our academics.
In conclusion technology is the future and investing in our future will be the difference between the success of our education.
Also please consider the belt.
times with the potential of ending daylight savings which will also benefit to the success of our students.
Thank you again for your time.
And if you haven't subscribed to GTV on YouTube to stay updated.
At my school, the library is one of the most popular places to read, do homework, or just hang out and talk with friends.
There are hundreds of students who flock the library every day, and I am one of them.
I come to the library because I feel safe within the community that gathers there.
Middle schools often have the reputation of being some of the most terrifying years of your life.
And to a certain extent that's true.
It can be stressful and frustrating to look out at the cafeteria and choose a place to sit.
Navigating the social dynamics and rules can be nerve-wracking.
That's why I am so grateful for the library.
Instead of staying in a loud, crowded lunchroom, I can come to a safe haven where I feel comfortable to learn and grow into a better person.
If I can only come to my library three times a week, I don't know what I'd do those other days.
That is why I've come here today because anyone going through some of the roughest parts of their life deserve a safe place like libraries.
Thank you for your time.
After Gia Corvino we will have Amina Adams followed by Stacia Bell and then Chris Jackins.
Hello my name is Gaia Corvino and I'm also a seventh grader at Madison Middle School.
When I heard that the school board was deciding to make the library open only 2.5 days a week I was saddened and disappointed.
Although some might think that the youth of today would much rather be on their phones than reading actual books.
I would argue that the library is more than just a place to read.
Personally the library is the first place I go when I get to school.
I go to the library at lunch when they need somewhere quiet to be.
Sometimes if my teachers let me I even come into the library during class if we're working on a big project.
But I'm not the only one who cherishes the library.
Kids from all different backgrounds and lifestyles athletes coders thespians and more gather in the library to do homework meet with friends and of course read.
The library also has a whole bunch of art activities and even has computers for us to research on.
I know I speak for my fellow students when I say that all of us would be devastated if the library was closed on the days we need it most.
Please keep our libraries open in such a quickly paced world.
We need as many places as we can as we can to slow down and think.
Thank you.
Amina.
Station.
My name is Stacia Bell and I am a librarian at Madison Middle School in West Seattle.
Over the past month we have heard a lot about the incredible impact closing library doors will have on some of our most vulnerable youth especially those that do not have access to books and technology outside of school.
Today though I want to talk about another population of students whose needs also must be considered when we talk about closing library doors.
And this is those students that rely on the library as a safe haven.
As you heard some of my students already mentioned for many students the school library is that safe space.
For some it is the only safe space during the school day where they feel at ease or they can grow and develop.
In fact each day just at lunch I have around 150 students across my three lunches that choose to spend their lunch period in the library because it has become their smaller safer community within a very large school.
Your decision to make librarians part time will close the doors of these safe havens 2.5 days a week and deny thousands of Seattle Public School students the opportunity to learn and grow in these nurturing spaces.
I recently received an email from a past parent whose two twin daughters are now thriving at Brown University.
They were both amazing creative students at Madison HCC identified but they really struggled at my school socially and sadly dealt with a lot of bullying.
But as their mother describes it the library was what saved them.
She wrote to me.
I just want you to know how important the library was to both of my girls.
Having you on their side and providing them a place to seek quiet refuge during the school day helped them survive their two years at Madison.
I honestly do not know how my two would have survived let alone thrived without a couple of caring adults like you who accepted accepted them for exactly who they were and let them be exactly who they needed to be.
Fourth through eighth grades were really quite traumatic for them socially with bullying and exclusion and humiliations that were never addressed properly by schools without safe harbors like libraries provided.
I think they could have easily gone down a very different path.
Creating the safe refuge for kids is one of the many reasons I go to school each day and why I believe that school libraries need to be open each and every day for each and every student.
Thank you.
After.
After Chris Jackins we will have Tuesday Chambers followed by Tina Buster and then Jeffrey Trishman.
My name.
Is it on now.
Thank you.
My name is Chris Jackins.
Box 8 4 0 6 3 Seattle 9 8 1 2 4. On the network upgrade.
What are the numbers that indicate an exponential increase in usage.
On the purchase of library collections.
What portion of the collections are accessible to blind and sight impaired individuals.
On the real estate item scheduled for a secret executive session later tonight seems to have been postponed.
Four points.
Number one a previous real estate deal involved buying a school bus lot and a warehouse site in Renton.
Number two I objected that the district had not included the cost of constructing warehouses.
Number three the last superintendent replied that it was such a great deal that it did not matter.
Number four please publicly discuss any financial losses from that deal before heading into your next secret meeting.
On school board elections for board positions are up for election in 2019 in districts 1 2 3 and 6. The candidate sign up period is May 13th to May 17th.
On the personnel report.
Three points.
Number one the report notes the retirement of David Westberg a custodial engineer and the decades long business manager of the operating engineers union local 609. Number two the board in its own way has recognized David Westberg many times when the district has been required to publicly read statements acknowledging that the district committed an unfair labor practice.
Number three I wish to thank David Westberg for his service for his representation of an important group of district employees and for his efforts to improve Seattle Public Schools.
Thank you very much.
Hello my name is Tuesday Chambers I'm the Ballard High School librarian and I right now am ceding my time to Colleen Carlson.
Hi I'm Colleen Carlson librarian at West Seattle High School.
I am reading this letter on behalf of Theodore Greenleaf a junior at West Seattle High School and he could not be here tonight.
He says when I first arrived at West Seattle I was a skittish kid.
I didn't live near there and I didn't know anyone.
My freshman year we cycled through three librarians in a three month period.
Every time I would come begin to get close to them they would leave.
That is until Ms. Carlson arrived.
She brought a breath of fresh air.
You could tell that she was dedicated unlike the librarians who knew they were temporary.
She helped to bring me out of my shell.
She talked to me and encouraged my reading.
If you look around in our library in the mornings and at lunch and after after school you'll see so many students in the library every single morning she's there before most of our teachers ready for those of us who are panicking about the upcoming test or the latest essay or a project due before lunch every lunch.
She's there for those of us who need to study more or those who need a quiet place with their friends or alone every day after school.
She's there.
If you cut our librarians to part time, when will we study?
Where?
You will displace the children who spend their morning time working hard or trying to brace themselves for the day.
You will displace the children who need that time at lunch to do homework so they can actually sleep at night after work or extracurriculars.
You will displace the children who need access to computers because their homes have none.
And those who are trying their hardest to maintain their grades for sports and you will displace those of us who love the library.
Thank you.
Hi I'm Tina Buster and I'm ceding my time to Kanae Yod.
Sorry.
Hi I'm Kenai Yod and I'm also a 7th grader from Madison Middle School.
Many of you may know this already but the libraries in the Seattle Public School District are about to be closed for two and a half days of the week meaning that students would only get access to them for about half of the school days we have.
Libraries are important an important part of learning for me and many of the other students at my school.
And I can say on behalf of those who aren't here that none of us want to close.
People disregard the importance of libraries thinking that they can just be thrown away.
But the library isn't just a place to find books.
It's a place where students can access the computer to do homework or just have fun with their friends.
It's a place where we can do cool arts and crafts projects like making buttons or bullet journals.
It's kind of ironic because the reason I'm here speaking to you today is because of the library.
Me and my friends set up a group where we can talk about topics we don't usually get to talk about otherwise like racial equity LGBTQ plus and most recently school slash education.
We were told about the news and we thought it would be a great idea to speak.
Having our library open all of the weekdays encourages us to speak our mind be creative and to learn.
Another reason the library matters is because it's a place where people who might not like to read can find a book that they really love.
In middle school people start losing interest in books and drifting towards Instagram or Snapchat forgetting about the power that a good book holds.
We need those days to make sure every student in our school can be shown the importance of books.
Thank you for the time you've given to me today and I hope you understand the remarkable influence of libraries.
After Jeffrey Treisman we'll have Manuela Sly followed by Melissa Westbrook and then Sabrina Burr.
Hi my name is Jeff Treisman I'm the librarian at Denny International Middle School.
I'm back to talk to you.
I tweet this morning I wrote this when 34 state studies confirm the positive impact of library programs why would a district cut the most effective efficient and flexible personnel with the proven ability to impact student achievement.
It is not logical.
We have many studies.
I have an article here I will forward it to you.
It's from Lance and Cockle it's called Why school librarians matter.
Why.
What years of research tell us.
But to illustrate this I'm going to read from a statement I got from a special ed teacher.
And the first part is personal.
about herself as an immigrant entering the U.S. in elementary school, librarians in their space were my refuge when I was struggling.
I built close relationships with each librarian at every level.
They fueled a love of reading that I have to this day and is directly linked to my success as an adult.
Every student needs this opportunity.
Then she goes on to talk about her students.
My students are three to five years behind in all academic areas.
Socially, they're at the same level as their grade level peers.
My students have historically been reluctant readers because reading is a struggle.
When you have to labor to sound out all words, reading becomes a chore and not something they would choose to do on their own.
In addition, they don't want their peers to see them reading what they call baby books.
When I discussed this problem with my school librarian, he recommended books that were grade-level interests but easy readability, such as graphic novels.
He paired my students with books specifically for them and their interests.
He also helped me secure grants so that I could purchase these same books for my classroom library.
So you see, librarians are problem solvers.
And regardless of the building, we're going to solve problems.
Thank you very much.
Good evening.
My name is Manuela Sly.
I am a member of the strategic plan steering committee.
I went through the process of submitting my application presenting my letters of recommendation for my community and I was finally and ultimately selected as a Latino community representative.
Most importantly I am a parent of four children from elementary to high school from special education to advanced placement.
So I walk the walk and I can tell you during the process of the strategic plan.
Passion and conviction was evident every step of the way as we community members and Seattle public staff public school staff came together to draft a plan that will ensure that communities of color are included validated and given the chance of better education.
And now I cede my time to Emijah Smith.
My name is Emijah Smith.
I too was a member of the strategic planning steering committee and I am a parent of children here in Seattle Public Schools parent of three children my daughter who is an aspiring judge.
One day she will be one.
Also graduated here from Seattle Public Schools and the UW as well.
And I'm here to share my support for the strategic plan and just want to share with you the process a little bit.
I want to say as an education advocate primarily out here in the community for the African-American community and our what's in our best interest.
I have never experienced a process as harmonious as aligned.
As founded in the value of racial equity with Seattle Public Schools.
I personally was amazed.
So I'm supporting this because it's real.
It's saying a lot about the district and our growth.
It's saying a lot even about the board when you guys have reviewed this plan.
And we do have a long ways to go but this is a wonderful start.
And I want to also say the representation that was on the steering committee was across the district.
And when I say harmonious we were not in there fighting back and forth about who's this who's that.
I mean people were just in line and there was a lot of great intelligence and expertise on that board.
Thank you.
Or in that advisory.
Good evening.
I'm sorry I just lost my place.
I have some thoughts on the strategic plan.
It's less of a plan than a group of ideas and this previous strategic plan was 30 pages versus the six short pages here.
I agree with the theory of serving those who have been historically underserved and needing more resources.
However, Oakland's school district lists many funders for its targeted universalism program.
Where are yours?
Gone is the wording about helping every child, regardless of race, gender, socioeconomic status, ELL, or disability.
The plan purports that if you eliminate opportunity gaps every student will get a good education.
That statement supposes that every school is good and that the district is operating well and neither of those statements are true.
So that previous statement is false.
Our schools are limping along despite what happens in this building or in Olympia.
Our librarians our teachers our nurses our principals our IA's strive every day with a sword of Damocles over their heads.
Where to start running down schools that used to be great like Washington.
And who is it that gave teachers raises without identifying a source for that.
This district.
You can't blame the legislature for that.
And at the work session on the budget we were told BEX VISE we're going to expand buildings we're building buildings and then we're told.
The enrollment is going down.
There's no one from enrollment there.
The idea of charter competition was ignored.
Parents tell me that when they leave the district they are not asked why or where they're going.
I introduced myself to Mr. Podesta the other day and I told him I was equal parts cheerleader and critic for this district.
I changed that today.
From now on I'm your critical critical friend.
I cannot support this district as it is currently being run.
Board.
This should not be the case.
And the only people who can change that are the seven of you who sit up there.
Be the change that you want to see.
After Sabrina Burr we will have Kent Koth followed by Robert Cruikshank and then Chandra Hampson.
My name is Sabrina Burr and I'm going to cede my time to my daughter Rena Mateja Walker Burr.
Thank you superintendent for meeting with NYC regarding the strategic plan and other topics students needed to discuss.
Thank you Leslie Harris for agreeing to meet with NYC to have a human two way conversation with NYC to discuss the disrespect and implicit bias in the NYC family we experienced during some school board meetings.
We look forward to a deeper understanding and positive solutions.
Much appreciation for the committee's work as well as the school board and the superintendents on the strategic plan.
We wish the language was more strongly stated but this is a good start.
There should be not there should not be changes to weaken the language of this policy.
Our actions must be unapologetic.
Our demands for getting it right for all students especially those further from justice must be unapologetic.
We have come here time and time again.
We have told our stories.
We have witnessed our emotions even a few tears.
Every day students go home in tears that become tears of families.
This plan helps us to turn tears into hope voices into voiceless.
It gives a more solid foundation to build on.
It is time to change the narrative.
and time not to.
It is time not to see black and brown children as broken just because our brilliance may look and show different does not mean our brilliance does not live inside of us.
Build a district that sees me and students who look like me as a whole being of possibilities.
Do not single stories us embrace who we are help us to our highest God give giving purpose create a teaching force that teaches not only our brain but also our hearts.
See me fully see the see other students that look like me fully.
If you recognize our ancestral trauma then also recognize our ancestral bands resilience and strength.
Adopt the plan.
Let us unlearn the lies and build the truth of the families and students we serve.
This strategic plan is a good start.
Thank you.
Good evening I'm Kent Coath I am the executive director of the Seattle University Center for Community Engagement.
For the past eight years through what we call the Seattle University Youth Initiative Seattle University has focused its community engagement efforts in support of children.
youth and families living in the greater Yesler Terrace neighborhoods immediately south of our campus.
This includes a pathway of schools including four preschools Gatzert Elementary School Washington Middle School and Garfield High School as well as Middle College High School at Seattle University.
Through our efforts we connect and convene with dozens of organizations offering after school and summer learning opportunities family engagement programs affordable housing and access to high quality health care.
These partnerships benefit the university as they provide service and learning opportunities for hundreds of university students and faculty opportunities to apply research and teaching to make an impact.
We're excited about Seattle Public Schools proposed strategic plan as its emphasis on students of color who are and its emphasis on students of color who are farthest from educational justice.
The proposed plans focus on racial equity family engagement and the whole child and culturally responsive professional practices parallel our commitments and our beliefs.
In fact our recent strategic plan for community engagement includes very similar a very similar emphasis.
Focusing on students of color who are farthest from educational justice will benefit our entire school system and city and help us live out our nation's values of equity and justice.
Seattle University looks forward to deepening and expanding our partnerships with Seattle Public Schools and implementing this important strategic plan.
I urge you to support the strategic plan.
Thank you.
Hi, my name's Robert Cruikshank and I'm going to cede my time to Summer Stinson.
I'm Summer Stinson a mom of a middle schooler in SPS.
Thank you for your work on the strategic plan.
I do hope that you further define the important requirement of high quality instruction.
My middle schooler is currently taking amplify science with a strong teacher but amplify is a fully online science curriculum that has killed his love of learning of science.
There is no hands on learning which is crucial in science.
Also to be able to implement the strategic plan Seattle Public Schools needs to equitably invest in students.
That does take money.
I am working to organize and advocate to the legislature to increase the all school districts levy authority and to get new progressive revenue like capital gains tax to fully fund public schools.
I am gravely concerned about the cuts to secondary schools to librarians assistant principals and class sizes.
I was really touched hearing all these students talk about seeking refuge in the library and I will out myself as somebody who was bullied in middle school and high school and went to the library very often at lunchtime when I didn't have people to sit with.
And I think I turned out OK.
So I say that libraries are crucial and important.
And for my middle schooler who's already been through a few situations.
We've had to have some problem solving with his middle school which has worked out really well because I was able to contact either a librarian or an assistant principal and those people matter so much in these schools.
They really step up and they are just incredibly crucial to these middle schoolers.
And so I I know that we need more money.
I ask you to join us in advocating for more money and raising your voices as loud as you can.
I ask parents to do the same and I ask you to ask parents to do as much as they can because we need to be able to equitably invest in all of our students.
Thank you.
After Chandra Hampson we will have Darren Hoop followed by Lowell Bander and then Blaine Parse.
Hi everybody.
I'm Chandra Hampson.
I am just take this off.
The vice president of the Native American Parent Advisory Committee otherwise known as Huchoosedah.
I have two girls third and fifth graders at Sandpoint Elementary.
I was selected to be a member of the of the strategic planning committee which was a great honor for me as a representative of the native community.
And I have to echo Amijah's comments in that it was a surprising I've been through a lot of strategic Planning sessions and different types of organizations and different scales.
And I was pleasantly surprised at how deeply committed every single member of that committee was to doing this work and doing it well.
And so for everyone that was on that committee it was a surprisingly great experience and I hope that the community can come to understand that there is great value in that work and that.
What is really important about it is that the plan is a focused attempt to help the district learn how to actually work for our students that are furthest from educational justice.
For me personally as a representative of the Native community I wanted a plan that would recognize the need to disrupt the colonial mindset of our educational practices to focus more so on academic intellectual health rather than academic achievement.
I think that this is a great step in that direction and I encourage you to support it.
And I hope that folks that do have deeper questions about this plan will seek us out as committee members and talk to us and ask us questions about what that process was like and how we can build on it.
And I thank you everyone who contributed to that.
I know we'll talk about it more later but I do appreciate all the good hard work and the acceptance of all the pushback that those are the community members gave because there was a lot of good solid pushback.
Thank you.
Hi, my name is Darren Hoop.
I'm a sub at Rainier Beach.
I cede my time to Masih Fuladi.
He is the Executive Director of the Washington State Chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations.
My name is Masih Fuladi I'm the executive director of CARE Washington through our policy legal advocacy media relations work our organization works to protect the civil rights of Muslims throughout the state.
A central part of our efforts is to proactively advocate for legislation and policies that support religious accommodations in schools and to protect Muslim students from harassment intimidation and bullying in schools throughout through our legal representation.
Members in our community brought to my attention a letter that was sent to parents at Thurgood Marshall Elementary informing them that standardized testing would take place during the month of Ramadan.
For younger students students that will be most impacted by fasting there is flexibility in the administration of this test which can be given any time between April 16th and June 7th.
That means that accommodations could have been taken to at least for students between fifth and eighth grade to take the WCAS before the beginning of Ramadan.
appears that this option was not taken into consideration by Seattle Public Schools.
Given the recent work.
Our recent work with Seattle Public Schools to honor religious holidays of all minorities.
Efforts that originated from the school district's disregard for the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah earlier this year.
I'm incredibly disheartened to learn that better accommodations and communication weren't made for students during the holiday of Ramadan.
When the issues like this arise we try to take a proactive approach and therefore felt it necessary to partner with other faith groups in showing our dismay.
In light of our efforts earlier this year the letter sent to Thurgood Marshall Elementary is all the more concerning.
It seems that our concerns and the concerns of other minority faith groups were not heard.
Not only does the content of the letter border on infringement of students First Amendment rights.
The school district must also understand the impact of these decisions when they're coming from people in places of authority.
Thank you.
Hi my name is Lowell Bander.
I cede my time to Virginia Bethea.
Hi I'm speaking on behalf of the Rainier Beach High School PTSA community as I'm a parent of three children and grandparent of six who've attended Rainier Beach High School.
I would like to thank Leslie Harris for speaking up for an earlier completion date on the RBH renovation.
We really really appreciate that.
Thank you.
I also like to thank the board members for being behind this project and making sure that equity was raised by making Rainier Beach High School one of the renovated schools for the BEX V. Thank you for standing behind a school that has been distressed and oppressed by prior hidden agendas.
And we just want to say thank you.
I am thrilled to hear that the strategic plan includes specific language providing equitable services and academic intervention support targeting African-American males.
With that being said Rainier Beach High School houses a large percentage of African-American males and a great initiative to align with the CSEP goal is to renovate the school sooner than later.
The sooner than later the 2025 completion date is unacceptable.
We need a healthy learning environment now.
Richard Best and his team met with our community members on several occasions to talk about ideas of various phases of the project so we are able to execute an occupied renovation.
Please stop making excuses to delay this project as your first projected completion year was 2022. You are able to choose from diverse groups of contractors and community partners to attain this goal.
It took you no time to renovate Lincoln to address your overcapacity issues in the north end.
It wasn't even on the original renovation list for BEX IV.
We were given BTA IV funds for an earthquake upgrade.
Go figure.
So once again.
We need your support to push this initiative through prior to the 2025 completion date.
And we thank you for your support.
God bless.
After Blaine Pars, we will have Lee Micklin followed by Alex Zimmerman.
Blaine.
Good evening school board members.
My name is Blaine Parse.
I'm an enrolled member of the four pick tribes in Montana.
I am currently a parent and guardian caregiver of four students in Seattle Public Schools.
Three at Ingram one at Licton Springs and soon to be one at Roosevelt.
I am here about the draft strategic plan for Seattle Public Schools.
There was just a number of things that I I seen wrong with the plan that there was no real open communication about the selection process paid to some of the marginalized families like myself.
I'm a low income.
I'm a I'm a voter I'm a taxpayer.
You know school board levies passed and those are coming out of you know our dollars and.
So just to see the plan that doesn't fit for some of our children who are free and reduced lunch special ed also IEP kids there's no outline for this on the strategic plan for special education students.
Also our native students are left out here.
There was a little bit of a mess.
Just there isn't there isn't an equity that we face here in Seattle Public Schools and we just you know I'm here tonight to hopefully you guys hear me as you know a parent guardian taxpayer voter city of Seattle resident that some of these changes need to be made.
Thank you.
Macklin.
Sorry Lee is next.
Yeah.
And then you're after.
Hello I'm Nellie Micklin Cleveland STEM high school librarian and I'm advocating that libraries be placed at the top of the restoration plan.
Washington state codes and the collective bargaining agreement make it very clear when librarians are not there libraries are closed.
With the cuts recently approved eight out of one hundred and two schools will have access to full time librarians.
That means eighty nine percent of our schools will have libraries that are closed half the week.
True piecemeal individual schools may cobble together enough funds to save their libraries.
We are already hearing reports that some schools in the wealthier neighborhoods are using funds from PTSA or alumni foundations to keep their libraries open.
But this means we will not be serving the vast majority of students half the week including those who are at risk learners low income children and students of color.
So these cuts are hurting precisely the students the Seattle Public Schools mission statement aims to serve.
Quoting Seattle Public Schools is committed to ensuring equitable access and closing the opportunity gap.
A large body of evidence correlates high quality library programs with student achievement higher reading scores higher graduation rates greater mastery of academic standards.
How is closing libraries half the week ensuring equitable access.
Finally is there not a cruel incongruity between our city's boom economy and closing libraries for public schools children.
In October 2017 UNESCO a branch of the United Nations designated Seattle a city of literature.
We are only one of only 20 designated cities of literature in the world and we are — Press for this designation stated the world is looking at Seattle as a cultural leader.
I'm asking the school board to place Seattle Public Libraries at the top of the restoration plan or use rainy day funds to restore funding to the library.
Let's show the community and the world we're truly worthy of the designation UNESCO City of Literature.
Thank you.
Hi, my name Alex Zimmerman.
I am president of Stand Up America, and I think I have six election before.
Guys, I have very good news for you, very unique news.
I think this happened first time in American history.
All America right now from East Coast to West Coast, from the Atlantic to the stranger, all 300 million people recognize right now, so Seattle looking country, number one fascist city in America.
Guys, what has happened now is very interesting.
You are a fascist.
And I go and speak about this every day, more than 2,200 times in every place that I can.
Situation what is we have right now so critical and so unique because you all belong to one party system.
And one party system is always fascism, is exactly what is I want to explain to you.
But you're not only fascist, like fascist, playing games.
You are real fascist with Nazi-Gestapo principles.
That's exactly who you are.
And I give you classic example, additional example, one more.
Three consul Seattle consul in court recognized as is broken a constitutional law open public meeting act and consul Gonzalez five times.
Few years ago is in all newspapers.
I come to Seattle consul chamber every day speak two three times sometimes per day.
No one.
No one consul.
No one man.
No one woman.
No one Seattle citizen come and talk to Consul Gonzalez.
You violate constitutional law five times.
You need go out.
Nobody talking about this.
What does this mean.
You mean you're acting like a Nazi.
Social democratic mafias is exactly who you are.
Because when somebody violate constitutional law five times he supposed to be moved out from council chamber by tomorrow.
It's never happened.
Thank you my Fuhrer.
And lastly for public testimony we have Jessica Logan.
Hello thank you.
I was on the waiting list so I didn't know I was going to get called.
So here I am.
Hello.
My name is Jessica Logan.
I'm a parent of a Dearborn Park third grader who is sitting back there and she's so glad I'm here because she's really bored.
And.
I'm here because I really want to feel like the board is on the same team with our schools with parents with us.
And often I haven't felt like that I haven't felt like there's transparency in the decision making.
In.
What parents and schools want and what the board does.
And so part of what's concerning me and why I'm here today is that.
There are some district policies and zoning that is specifically affecting Dearborn Parks enrollment.
And we want to be a part of that discussion because there's been some enrollment issues that have come up that we have not been allowed to be a part of parents or the school in terms of drawing the lines of what borders are our schools enrollment area.
So, we would also like to, there's some steps that I was asked to talk about.
We'd like to, our waitlisted students to be considered longer and a bigger waitlist.
For example, I was on the waitlist for three years for Dearborn Park, even though there was always space, the waitlist was always dissolved before I got in.
So we'd also like our we have a immersion program yet families who are heritage speakers who live close by are often not allowed to come to the school and those heritage speakers would really improve our program.
So we'd like to ask for a geo zone for heritage speakers that would be around our school which we don't have at the moment.
And I think let's see.
Yes that's it I guess.
So thank you so much for listening and I'm super excited about the new superintendent and I hope that we can work together.
Thank you.
Thank you.
This concludes the sign up list for public testimony this evening.
Thank you.
OK board members if you wish to make comments about public testimony that you've heard now is the time.
Please do keep them short.
Thank you.
Director Geary.
I always want to give a special thanks to all the students who come and participate.
It is that I'll just say that again it increases over time and I think that that is a good sign.
It's a healthy system.
We have our critic who comes now regularly.
But I think overall it's really great that we have students coming and talking and that means the future of our city is brighter for it because you're engaging you're creating an example you're going back your communities I hope are celebrating the fact that you are here.
You should have school announcements letting everybody know that you came and talked to us.
I know that's embarrassing once you're back in your own school but I hope that that becomes a part of our system as well.
I spoke about librarians before and I think I spoke last time so I won't go into that again.
And so the only other thing I wanted to say is that a heritage geo zone is a really interesting idea and I like it a lot.
Other directors.
Director Burke.
I also thank folks for sharing their their time and their thoughts with us for public testimony around the librarians.
The you know we are in a really challenging position as in at the board level because.
We basically have yes or no approval on the budget.
I would like to think maybe this is arrogant but I would like to think that we have influence beyond that.
And so if that's the case I would hope that the.
Community of librarians can also work with SEA.
the with PASS with the weighted staffing standards team to help put together what feels like a more equitable or student focused recommendation to the board.
I would love to see that.
The other thing that I wanted to speak about the strategic plan because I expect some folks want to leave so I just want to make one brief comment about it.
And this sort of builds on a conversation that we had at at at my community meeting.
I'm hearing from from my community.
The a lot of the concern around if we're talking about each student or every student.
People don't necessarily see themselves in this plan.
If we're focusing on African-American males where do I see myself in this plan.
And I'll be honest that it's been a little bit of a struggle for me as a board director to say you know I haven't been as involved in the development as the committee and the great work that's been done.
And so I've been trying to figure out what does that mean.
What is what is our implementation mean.
And I've boiled it down to an example which I think is really illustrative.
I've been working to try to improve math.
It's been a passion area for me for years before I came on the board and years since I've been on the board.
And one of the elements of math that I think we're under delivering on is just areas of basic skills knowing your math facts knowing your fluency being able to to do arithmetic.
And I asked a group of people at my community meeting if they have provided support for their kids either through tutoring or instruction at their kitchen table.
And I can tell you that the vast majority of hands went up and I can say that about mine as well.
So my question to them and to everyone in the district is how many of our African-American males are young boys have that same opportunity of getting that same support at home.
And so the idea that our strategic plan provides that intentionality of our system provides that for African-American boys.
It'll provide them for my child for your child for everyone's child.
And that time that you used to spend at the kitchen table you can spend doing something else you can spend doing something that's you know building family that's helping us out at the district with other areas.
And so I just really wanted to put a concrete example in front of people about what this you know this idea of targeted universalism.
Which comes off as a buzzword a lot.
What that actually could mean in practice.
If we can put that level of focus and say this thing that we're providing many of us are providing our students at home.
That's our job in the district is to provide those those services to our students.
So I just wanted to put that out there.
Before we bring that item up.
Thank you.
Director Harris.
Other comments.
Director Mack please.
I think I've said it before but I'll say it again.
I think public comment is my favorite part of the board meeting because I learn new things I hear new stories and I'll echo the appreciation for the students that are coming in and raising their voices.
Public speaking is a.
Skill that is.
Really important to learn and.
Appreciate your voices and.
Just some amazing writing and what I heard tonight so appreciate that.
I also want to respond to Jessica Logan and the questions around Dearborn Park and the process of boundary changes and so forth.
I don't know if she's still in the room but just for overarching clarification we go through a process every year of adopting the student assignment transition plan and any boundary changes that are needed.
That process starts.
Now with kind of identifying where changes might need to be made and we should be starting soon with the conversations around which boundaries might need to be changing what other solutions might need to be on the table.
And we already know of some of those hot spots and some of those conversations are started but that's a that is something that we'll touch on tomorrow at Ops because it's part of our overarching capacity management conversation.
And I was not aware that there were issues with Dearborn Park and I wasn't aware of a boundary change imminent.
So I appreciate that coming forward and I'm interested to learn more about that.
And again all the other comments that have been brought forth especially I want to echo the concerns The comments in the emails around our sensitivity around religious religious observances and providing accommodation and being clear that we do do that and we are going to be doing that and not asking students to change their religious practices but instead that we can appropriately accommodate especially when these these tests have such they can have such high stakes individually and for the school community.
I appreciate the response that Superintendent Juneau made earlier and the accommodations.
And.
Thank you for the thank you from the Rainier Beach PTA for the work that we've been doing around BEX and the planning.
Another point of clarification is that the implementation plan is not totally finalized.
It's not something we yet vote on but that I think is still in conversation as to how some of those things can be flexible because as we know planning needs to be flexible.
So with that I will say thank you for coming and.
Director DeWolf.
Yes thanks President Harris.
I just wanted to quickly reiterate the gratitude to our students.
It is seriously one of the most important aspects of the public comment to have you as our end user our most important customer if that's what you want to call yourselves.
So thank you for coming out on your Wednesday night and speaking up on behalf of something you care deeply about.
I will say particularly as a.
As a queer person in high school I needed libraries too.
Those were my safe space.
So I really understand the deep importance of our libraries in our system.
I think part of that I would just want to encourage to continue advocating to your state legislator.
You our neighbors fellow taxpayers and voters approved a levy that goes much higher than the state is allowing us to collect.
And just opening up that levy by five hundred more dollars is a huge increase in the funding that we have.
So please continue to advocate for your state advocate to state legislators.
And the only last thing I wanted to say was particularly Kent Koth from SU.
I noticed you said Bailey Washington Garfield and Middle College and I hope we can chat about maybe potentially working with Nova High School.
They have two thirds of their funding for their health clinic that they still need.
We voted as folks on the city's FEPP levy for one third funding for their health clinic but we still need support for that last two thirds.
I hope we can have a conversation about supporting our students there.
It's a it's a large LGBTQ population and they're deeply critical to our of our our school community.
So that's all I have.
Thanks.
to say thank you.
I just want to say thank you for everyone who actually.
I just want to say thank you for everyone who actually came here tonight and spoke your truth.
I think that it's actually a great process for everyone to come and let us know what your needs are or what your complaint is because Working together it's what's going to make a difference in our schools for our kids.
We you know we all make mistakes but I think that when we keep each other accountable we tend to make less mistakes and be able to look forward in really making sure that we provide the best education that we can for all Seattle Public Schools students.
It's really amazing to actually to hear from everyone and be able to come in and just tell us your truth because if you don't come and tell us, we would never know what's going on because we work together as a team in order for us to provide opportunities for every one of our children.
So I'm really always very pleased to be here tonight and be able to hear what.
Communities and parents have to say because you keep us accountable.
And that's how we do a better job is when we.
Know that we're doing something that we shouldn't be doing.
But at the same time we're here because we care about each and every.
Students in Seattle Public Schools.
And we want to make sure that our kids in Seattle Public School get the best education that we can provide.
So thank you for your truth and please continue to keep us accountable because you know sometimes we miss a step or two but it takes all of us to make a difference so we can be able to help our students to be the best that they can be.
Thank you.
Thank you.
OK.
Last hopefully not least.
This Saturday March 16th High Point library 3 to 5. You have a 1 in 3 chance of getting lasagna.
You also have 100 percent chance of visiting with Chief Podesta our new chief operating officer is that correct COO.
And those of y'all that don't know Chief Podesta comes from a very impressive career last at the city of Seattle.
Ramadan SBAC testing at my kitchen table where fairly snarky people live.
It was suggested that what we really need to do is have the SBAC testing on Christmas because after all the Muslim religion is the most popular religion in the world.
And that that took me up short.
That took me up very short and that analogy though snarky is pretty darn profound.
So more respect.
We've made apologies.
We're trying to do better.
Last Saturday was a busy day.
It was with the Alliance for Black Educators at Meany Middle School.
Superintendent Juneau was there.
She gave the keynote.
Chief Jones wave please.
was there served on a panel.
Our principal Mia Williams was there served on a panel.
We had the assistant OSPI superintendent talking about ESSA.
Whole lot of PowerPoint slides but help me with ESSA.
Oh busted.
Acronym acronym foul.
Every student succeeds at.
My buddy Betsy DeVos.
Unfunded mandate to the extreme at best.
It is the successor to the No Child Left Behind Act which allows us to try and do our job with handcuffs behind our back.
And if you have been following the news you will see the extraordinary deep federal education cuts and more coming apparently but but The room was full of inspiring and inspired folks and a great great many of our teachers and our staff from front office to IA's to principals to teachers across the board.
And I double dog dared them because I can get away with saying more than sometimes our superintendent can to write a one pager.
about what these cuts mean to our students and make it real and go to the legislative town halls in two weeks when the legislators all come home and invite their comments and make it real.
And then when the legislature ends triple dog darem to spend three days in our schools side by side.
Let's make it real people because the actions we've taken to date have not gotten the attention of the folks that are holding the purse strings.
We got to do something different because the old ways aren't working.
After that came down here to the John Stanford Center and shout out to Dr. Clover Codd human resources chief.
Could you wave please.
Thank you.
With Ray Kay of the Seattle Education Association that put on.
A Saturday interview training.
We packed the room.
It was really well done and it allows people that can't get off of work during the middle of the day to come down here.
and get their training so that they can participate on hiring committees at the schools.
Hopefully again to make the circle bigger and the table longer.
There are other trainings that are being offered on the website from 4 to 5 p.m.
several times but let's get a larger pool of folks to pick from.
The educators deserve it.
The future of your schools deserve it.
And if we are going to build a more diverse workforce we've we've got to do this.
And it's appropriate that we have training and that the folks that serve on our committees have training.
So thank you very much for making that happen.
Much appreciate it.
Seattle World School participated in a learning session with Director DeWolf and they'll be coming for the rest of the directors to talk about theory.
and philosophy and it's extraordinary.
This is where refugee students come to acclimatize learn language be successful in a safe space and extraordinary educators and a beautiful new facility in the restored T.T.
Minor building.
If you haven't had an opportunity to to sit in up there I strongly recommend it.
Frankly some of the comments out there in social media blog land emails we're getting hurt like heck.
No question about it.
Do we read them.
I do every darn one of them.
And I believe that most of my if not all of my colleagues do as well.
We hear you.
Science adoption.
Critical stuff.
We are asking for a work session on that so that we can all get the same information at the same time because it's such an important issue.
Restoration plans.
We started that conversation last Wednesday at Garfield High School.
Transparency in enrollment.
Absolutely a critical issue and I believe that that will hopefully be coming to both the A&F committee and the ops committee because money follows bodies.
Staffing follows bodies follows money.
And it and it seems very trite to make that equation.
Arithmetic Director Burke.
But really critical arithmetic.
Our students and our staffs.
Families all depend on that.
Thank you.
A shout out to Dahlia Bazaz and Neil Morton for today's front page article on special education statewide.
And I made the mistake last month of saying that they had done a fairly adequate job to which Dahlia tweeted But she forgot to mention how thrilled I was that there actually was a wall between the reporters and the editorial board who accused us of breaking the law.
So we had a good laugh at that at Garfield.
But when you watch this if you're not watching this Dahlia.
Thank you for that because I think it it brings the underfunding and the critical nature of our special ed funding home to the voters.
And it's and it's it's a difficult complex subject and they did a good job on it.
And I and I appreciate it immensely.
And yes I will speak for the board to say thank you on that one.
David Westberg's retirement.
Thank you for pointing that out Mr. Jackins.
David Westbrook has worked very very hard to make this district a better district and we thank him for those efforts.
Absolutely.
And I thank him for making me think harder and smarter.
The concept of the strat plan.
the strategic plan.
I cannot say enough good things about the committee that works so very very hard to put that together.
I admit to being a little cynical about mission statements and vision statements because I'm old and I've sat on too many committees that work on vision statements and mission statements and strategic planning and haven't delivered in the long run.
So I'm a little pragmatic on that.
I want to see results.
I want to make sure we stay on task and and the proof's in the pudding.
Are we disciplined enough.
And when I say we I mean staff I mean board I mean community to keep our focus and to analyze it.
We've had strategic plans here before.
I'd like to think we've made progress.
Enough progress.
No fast enough.
No but it's a heck of a start.
And and I appreciate that very very hard work.
The concept of trust is a difficult one.
We've heard from the community that we have been breaking trust and frankly Seattle Public Schools has a long history of doing so.
And then we have to triple down and earn it back.
I would like to believe that we as a board have been more transparent in the last two years in doing our business than any board previously.
I'm sure that there are those that would disagree with that but I can assure you and again I will speak for the board.
It is a core principle of everybody sitting up here as well as the staff.
It's a question of bandwidth.
It's a question of style but we're working hard on it.
Last it is my job since Director Pinkham who is the chair of audit and finance to read the following.
At the March 5th quarterly audit and finance committee meeting the Office of Internal Audit presented two internal audit reports accounting and record keeping for fiber sharing products projects and Seattle World School.
All findings and recommendations are discussed at a public audit and finance committee meeting and the completed reports are available online at the office of internal audits public web page.
Click on departments and services under the directory tab then click on internal audit.
It is beyond a privilege to serve up here and to serve in this building with such great folks and with such a great staff in the Seattle Public Schools and that means every staff and 104 schools soon to be 106. Action items number one purchasing the opening day library collections for Lincoln High School and Magnolia Elementary School and the capacity library collections for Ingram High School and Queen Anne Elementary School.
This came before exec February 15 for consideration.
Motion please.
Mr. Burke.
I move that the school board authorize the superintendent to execute a contract With Follett school solutions not to exceed five hundred and fifty thousand dollars for new or expanded library collections for Lincoln High School Magnolia Elementary School Ingram High School and Queen Anne Elementary School with any minor additions deletions and modifications deemed necessary by the superintendent and to take any necessary actions to implement the contract.
Thank you.
I see the chief academic officer at the podium.
Would you like to give us a brief overview.
Diane DeBacker chief academic officer President Harris and distinguished members of the Board of Education.
It is my pleasure to answer questions about this particular BAR as your materials reflect.
This is for.
collection for our two new schools coming on board this fall.
Lincoln High School and Magnolia Elementary School.
And it's also to expand the collections at two existing schools as we've had added capacity at Ingram High School and Queen Anne Elementary School.
You had one question last time as this was introduced it was about if these materials would be available to visually impaired and blind students.
Yes they will be as needed of course that will happen through the through Follett and also will happen through a partnership that we have with Washington talking books and Braille library.
I stand for questions.
Questions comments concerns from my colleagues.
Director Mack please.
When this came in intro I didn't think of this question but as I'm reading this the motion just for clarification.
The total amount for all of those schools is five hundred and fifty thousand not per school.
That's correct.
The total amount is five hundred and fifty thousand.
OK and how what what exactly is the process for deciding which schools need how much.
We've got a couple of schools that are.
brand new and will be starting completely fresh.
Lincoln and Magnolia and Ingram is an existing school with an existing library as well as Queen Anne Elementary.
And so what's the process for deciding proportionally and appropriately between those schools what they're getting.
The process as I understand it and we do have Marion with us if we need to ask for clarification on that but the process is obviously with the two new schools that makes sense with the schools that were expanded capacity those were prioritized as needing additional collections.
I guess I guess I see here in the bar that more specifically there is specific line items for each of those schools.
So there's 300000 for Lincoln Magnolia is 153. So there are already specific budgets that are identified and that makes sense.
As was requested by the executive committee members.
Thank you.
Other questions comments concerns.
Seeing none roll call please.
Director Burke.
Aye.
Director DeWolf aye Director Geary aye Director Mack aye Director Patu aye Director Harris aye.
This motion is passed unanimously.
Number two purchase of student and staff technology for new BEX IV schools and BTA IV projects for Lincoln High School and Magnolia Elementary School and the capacity projects for Ingraham high schools high school.
Queen Anne Elementary School and additional portables and capacity classrooms district wide.
This came before Ops February 7th for.
Says approval here.
OK.
Mr. Burke motion please.
I move that the school board authorize the superintendent to execute purchase orders through various vendors for a total not to exceed four million three hundred thousand dollars plus Washington state sales tax during the fiscal year 2018 19 and to take any necessary actions to implement the purchase orders.
CIO chief information officer John Krull.
Take it away.
Good evening John Krull chief information officer.
Since I brought this to introduction we made slight changes based on board feedback.
We changed the title so it matched the previous item having the names in the same order.
We included a link to the education specification that we're fulfilling.
We did some minor fixes to the numbers.
And that's it, I'll take any questions.
Comments questions concerns.
Director Burke please.
One kind of clerical editorial.
Thank you for putting in the link to the ed specs.
I just wanted if if if it's possible for us to edit this the link is actually broken.
It's got a little gap in it.
So people that are watching and if they want to find them you can just search online Seattle Public Schools education specifications and you'll go to this website.
But if it's something that we can clean up that would be awesome.
just for the record.
And then on the on the actual purchase items the numbers like quantities have been adjusted but the dollar amount hasn't.
So is that are those adjustments that still fit within that budget that was essentially just reconciling or is there a change in the dollar amounts?
No dollar amounts stayed the same that was.
some small reconciling to make sure we had the right numbers doing checks on making sure we were following the ed spec.
And then I do think there was a clerical error in one of them.
Mack.
I'm curious just briefly to hear about what specifically the ITAC committee had to say around this.
Do they.
Did they take this specific bar in this plan and consider it and have discussion or was was it says here that the ITAC committee has actually discussed this but I'm curious to know what they discussed and what their recommendations were.
If I remember correctly we just discussed it briefly.
We did not go deeply into this.
I guess just for clarification the ITAC committee is it is part of the charge to help oversee.
Yeah the information technology advisory so part of their charge is to help oversee the technology.
plan and is part of the agenda is typically to have these sorts of bars or proposals come to them for discussion and then recommendation and is there a formal process in that committee.
Yes there's a formal process and we have an agenda.
And that meeting was before we brought it to operations committee.
So I'm trying to remember back exactly what we covered but they were in support of it and moved it forward to operations committee.
So that was you know a couple of months ago.
OK thank you.
I just if you wouldn't mind finding them the minutes to that and sending it to me or pointing in the direction.
I'm just looking for.
The minutes are uploaded on the website.
OK.
And I'm sure that his staff who has been very what's the word I want to say forward looking with respect to the ITAC agendas etc. will assist you.
Yeah I appreciate that.
The reason why I'm belaboring the point a little bit is that we have these amazing committees that we put together and their job is to support our processes and vetting the information and they're formal.
And so if there's a formal recommendation or something like that it would be helpful in the future.
I'm not going to ask for it to be changed here but it would be helpful in the future to perhaps even date the meeting that that happened in in the bar as if there was a recommendation that just to be more clear that this other body did in fact have the discussion and make a recommendation.
We are making sure that we have that brought to ITAC before it goes to operations committee.
Well and if we're going to start having committees vote as opposed to sending us recommendations we probably need to take a look at policy and procedure because goodness knows I want input from as wide a swath as we can get.
But I also appreciate very much that it's our job to do this heavy lifting and it's your job to keep us very well informed.
Director Burke.
I just I'm thinking in light of the testimony we heard from our student speaker today and I just want to highlight for everyone it's awareness that our high school ed spec does call for a one to one.
And I think that's something that we have to be really thoughtful about.
You know in the case of a new high school or in the case of an addition to an existing high school.
Or in the case of our current high schools that aren't on this list.
That's a conversation that we have to continue to put policy 0 0 3 0 first and foremost.
And my understanding is that we have eight hundred thousand dollars set aside for Cleveland High School because it's a STEM high school and as a one to one is that correct.
Yes.
CIO.
OK.
No other school has that set aside do they.
Not not specifically.
Is it in the tech plan.
In the tech plan we have enough money to for for high schools to do the same thing that we're doing at Cleveland.
Is that part of the tech plan.
That option is part of the tech plan and that's something that we'll be bringing forward this spring.
OK probably want to elevate that conversation because it's a very important conversation to have.
Director Mack.
And to that point the capital budget conversation is happening in Ops tomorrow which includes the tech plan and the line items of what's going to be what's planned for 2019 20. So is there an intention to implement one to one in next year's budget for high schools.
There is budget in the in the plan for that many or computers that could lead to that.
It would just be a matter of how we distributed the computers.
It's more of an educational choice than a budget choice.
But the good thing is the what we're presenting tomorrow at the Ops Cabinet or the Ops Committee.
The budget that we're presenting actually is mirrored in the tech plan.
So I skim those materials and I didn't see anything in those materials that said high school one to one and I sat down and worked with you on the tech plan and it was a delight to do so and I really appreciate your responsiveness and I appreciate immensely the work that's being done by the ITAC.
But nowhere have I seen incoming one to one and we shouldn't have to work this hard to see a change in philosophy potentially.
So if we can daylight that and work together because one to one is controversial whether or not it should be is a whole different conversation.
We and that's outside of this discussion but we are doing engagement for that is scheduled for ITAC.
There's been engagement with all the high school principals whether this is a possibility.
On the budget standpoint which is in the tech plan what we realized that actually the amount of computers that we're rolling out it's it's an educational decision because it's the same number of computers and cost either way.
If we do carts in all the classrooms which is the current ed spec it's about the same amount of money.
If for instance if you look at our in the back of the tech plan that you saw the.
amount of computers at our newer schools is pretty close to one to one.
But again whatever we do we wouldn't be calling this a one to one program.
Because one of the one of the key things is we don't really want to be thinking about ratios.
We want to think about hitting the educational needs.
So the one thing we're looking at in high school is what are the educational needs where they need the computers.
You know especially as we're talking adoptions in the future and we will never be able to have a full choice on our adoptions unless we have enough computers in the school.
So.
One thought is to have enough computers in the school so we can students have enough.
And again please appreciate I'm not trying to play gotcha on it but but this is really a big deal.
And speaking to ITAC and speaking to principals is not community engagement.
And that's one of the reasons I'm so hot about getting community engagement rolling again.
So that said we are off track.
Director Mack and I did it.
I admit it.
But if you see an opening you got to take it.
Director Mack more comment questions concerns and then hopefully we can roll this through to a vote.
I just want to make a point of clarification that the board is our job is to oversee the budget and to provide oversight.
Budget is.
Directing programs.
So for us to be able to make good decisions we do need to understand the underlying budget assumptions and decisions like are we implementing a program where we're going to be providing a computer to individual students in all schools is an important thing for us to understand.
I'm not going to weigh in right now whether or not I like that or don't like that.
But I will say that it is incredibly important for me in our conversations to have full transparency on the intention of those dollars and that I'll just that I'll leave it there.
Just to clarify that is not in this bar.
We kind of got sidetracked to something that might be coming in the future.
But a very important issue nonetheless.
Director Geary please.
I'm not criticizing the need for the oversight or the desire for the information.
I am however I think that it is important and appropriate that these conversations be started in committee so that our staff is not standing up being put on the spot.
And so I am I'm just going to express my sort of surprise that you as the head of operations.
I mean I would love to hear you come and talk about the conversation that you had in operations because you had a really good discussion.
But to start this here makes me feel very uncomfortable for our staff members.
So please committee members try to try to flesh it out so that we can have a real conversation with real information here in front of everybody so that it It is helpful to the public.
Thank you.
Noted.
Any other comments questions concerns seeing none roll call please.
Director Mack aye Director Patu aye Director Burke aye Director DeWolf aye Director Geary aye Director Harris aye.
This motion is passed unanimously.
Can you turn mine up.
I just can't really hear it but maybe I have.
Can you just turn the I can't even hear it but maybe that's just because I have really bad left here.
OK.
Number three BTA IV approved purchase of Fortinet network firewall equipment software and five year support with Zylogic LLC in the amount of one million seven hundred eighteen thousand five hundred fifty five dollars and fifty five cents came before Ops February 7th for.
Motion please.
I move that the school board authorize the superintendent to execute a purchase order through RFP number 0 2 8 4 9 with Zylogic to provide Fortinet firewall equipment software and five year support for a total not to exceed NTE amount of one million seven hundred eighteen thousand five hundred and fifty five dollars and fifty five cents plus shipping costs per the attached quote.
Second.
Comments questions concerns.
CIO Krull can you talk about what was updated since introduction please.
Yes.
Since introduction we made it more clear that this is actually a purchase of equipment.
We attach the quote per Director Burke I believe and the breakdown of all the items being purchased.
Comments questions concerns.
Director Patu.
Are these new equipments or are they just replacements?
This is for new equipment.
OK.
Director Mack.
We had an incredibly thorough conversation around this item and the next item in committee with lots of great information and I appreciate the responsiveness and updating.
For clarification is this the one.
Is it this bar that is getting the rebate from the federal agency that provides grant funding or is it the next one.
It's it's the next one.
OK thank you.
Director Geary please.
Request much in the same way that I really appreciate it on the capital side when for these really really big expenditures and these big project things things like a firewall.
I'm assuming it's replacing a former firewall.
It replaces a former firewall with.
And I guess just a little bit of historical information in terms of those really big purchases when we're entering into a new contract that is a five year contract for.
a large amount of money.
Is it possible to just have a historical line replacing firewall purchased however many years ago at such and such expense because I have no basis in terms of my oversight of putting this in any type of context.
I don't know if five years contract is reasonable.
I don't know if the last contract was two years 10 years.
The last one we bought was three million five hundred thousand.
And so it's just a little historical perspective is helpful to me just as with the roofs like did we replace what was a 20 year roof are we replacing it in 10 years.
Why.
Those kinds of questions.
So I'm not criticizing this particular bar now but just ask perhaps that could be considered and if it's too burdensome that's fine too.
But that would be my request.
Director Mack.
Director Geary has brought up this point multiple times over and I think it's a really good one because actually the historical aspect on our capital projects and these projects if we don't have if it's not able to be tracked or at least have some line item that you know something in the BAR.
So I think what I'd like to propose in relation to that because it's been brought up so many times and it's not formally a part of the BAR.
template is that perhaps it be referred to the exec committee and or our board office policy staff to add that topic area to BARS if appropriate to provide historical information.
information into the bars so that it's a it's a it's a trigger every time that these come forward that that information needs to be provided just like we say title purpose etc.
I would like to make that recommendation that that be referred back to exec committee and staff to to work on for the template.
I personally think it's important because I look around the length of time any one of us have been sitting on this dais other than Director Patu and we can't expect Director Patu to hold all the information of all these decisions and even the staff can't say that I negotiated that contract five years ago.
So I think it is a helpful piece for all of us that knowing that this board doesn't necessarily have deep longevity because of the burden of the work and the demands that it makes unpaid on its members.
So I think that that would be a good thing and helpful to all the leaders in our district.
Ellie you got that.
Thank you.
Roll call please.
Director Geary.
Director Mack aye Director Patu aye Director Burke aye Director DeWolf aye Director Harris aye.
This motion is passed unanimously.
Number four BTA IV approved purchase of metropolitan wide area network man when.
Upgrade and five year support with Dynetics Inc. in the amount of one million nine hundred fifty three thousand three hundred ninety three dollars and 16 cents came before Ops February 7th for.
Consideration.
Motion please.
I move that the school board authorize the superintendent to execute an agreement with DynTac Inc to provide a metropolitan wide area network hardware upgrade with five year software and hardware assurance warranty for a total not to exceed amount of $1,953,393.16 plus applicable Washington sales taxes.
Second.
Mr. CIO.
John Kroll chief information officer.
Since this came to introduction.
We.
Excuse me.
My son was calling me.
One time he was at a board meeting and did that on purpose.
We fixed the numbers to be more accurate just a slight change there.
We fixed the recommended motion to be more clear.
We added the exact quote with the breakdown of equipment and we fixed the E-rate impact and then Mr. Jackins Asked about the exponential increase so that was we used to be at about one gigabyte in 2015 and at eight and we're predicting about eight gigabytes in 2021. So our bandwidth is going way up so besides the equipment wearing out we have increased exponential bandwidth.
Comments questions concerns from my colleagues.
Seeing none roll call please.
Director DeWolf aye.
Director Geary aye Director Mack aye Director Burke aye Director Patu aye Director Harris aye.
This motion is passed unanimously.
OK.
Question for my colleagues.
Do you all want to take a 10 minute break before we walk into information.
Excuse me introduction items.
We have three issues.
The first one I believe will take a good bit of time so it might be worth our while to take that 10 minute break.
I see consensus 10 minute break.