Scarlett and Al-ansi, who have escaped media scrutiny, should also be called out. School Board student members will receive $17.27/hour for their work in this role, not to exceed 20 hours a month. Come celebrate Anacortes 11th annual Bier on the Pier! John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence Hes no longer in office, with Nov. 17, 2021, being his last day serving on the school board. The 2,000-acre grounds are home to approximately 535 students from more than 30 states and 13 countries. The school board members did not publicly respond to the recall effort. He will decide whether there is reasonable cause to show these board members committed an act or acts of malfeasance or misfeasance while in office or that such person has violated an oath of office.. He made these comments several times. Posting comments is now limited to subscribers only. Follow@JasonRantz onTwitter,Instagram, andParler,and like me onFacebook. The district has improperly employed [the harassment, intimidation and bullying policy] to rebalance the power between elected directors and staff., Board members are elected to advise and approve policies, Talmadge said. Is there a reason you telling me this? If you feel you are being discriminated against, you need to prove it with the highest level of scrutiny., According to the investigation, both DeWolf and Hampson felt it important to move forward with an investigation so that it was clear they were not being held to a different standard or process than other SPS staff.. I wanted it to get out afterThanksgiving, as stories printed the week before the holiday tend to get lost. For details see Revised Code of Washington 29A.56.110. July 6, 2022 at 6:00 am Updated Aug. 2, 2022 at 4:46 pm. Apr 2013 - Jan 20162 years 10 months. March 24, 2021 at 5:12 pm Updated March 24, 2021 at 9:35 pm . The complainants said that even though they didnt push for a HIB investigation, they will be positive about it. Melissa Westbrooks local blog which I just discovered actually covered this story back in October. Seattle University School of Law. Mary Fertakis, Kevin Wang, Patty Wood - At-Large Positions But the district is doing what it can to keep the report from public view. Population and demographic changes in Seattle cause district boundaries to fluctuate. The only somewhat meaningful reporting on this complaint came from the Seattle Times. A Seattle school board member has gone to court to fight the outcome of a district investigation that concluded she harassed, intimidated and bullied two Seattle Public Schools employees. Do I need to pull out my resume? she asked, according to witness testimony. The school board attempted to bury the report. Both Hampson and DeWolf, according to the complainants, were upset that they lost control over the anti-racism policy to two Black women. But the investigation said her treatment of Scarlett and Al-ansi was not based on race or gender, as alleged. Leslie Harris (incumbent), 61. And its costing taxpayers thousands of dollars. A Seattle school board member has gone to court to fight the outcome of a district investigation that concluded she harassed, intimidated and bullied two Seattle Public Schools employees. The Seattle Public Schools board unanimously approved the new district elections map last week. A district that I know ardently strives to be a safe, welcoming and anti-racist institution. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence Did you like this opinion piece? What was provided offered little insight into the total claims and ignored the complainants take on the process. In an emailed statement, the district said its not able to comment on personnel matters but that Seattle Public Schools is committed to nondiscrimination in all our educational, employment and staff endeavors., We firmly believe this commitment to anti-racism increases student success, the statement continued. Some of the background facts for malfeasance include the U.S. Department of Educations civil rights investigation against Seattle Schools for not serving disabled children, the long-term closure of schools during COVID-19, and the districts inadequacy in providing children with at-home instruction. It doesnt help that theyre insufferably rude, either. In the summer of 2020, the two staffers and board members disagreed on when the anti-racism policy should go to a board vote. By . The anti-racism policy has not been adopted by the school board. Some school board directors even declined to be interviewed for fear their comments would become public record. Student board member terms run . And in that letter I heard from two brilliant Black women that worked within our district, Rivera-Smith said. The board vacancy came on the heels of Director Betty Patu announcing her departure from the school board, and without enough time to [] She repeatedly said she was elected to do this work and appeared upset that her authority and duty were questioned. Two Seattle School Board members violated the board's harassment, intimidation and intimidation policy last year when they worked on an anti-racism policy with two black district employees, an external investigation showed. The Seattle Public Schools Board Office has two main areas of focus: Supporting the Board in the preparation and planning of Board meetings to ensure they run effectively and allow for public awareness and participation, Supporting Board members in their role as Directors, John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence Scarlett and Al-ansi did not appear pleased with the process. "You will not see me supporting your business and I find it intriguing you think that crime is just in Tacoma, said a Tacoma Councilmember. WA to end masking requirement in health care, correctional facilities, Fire on Lake City Way in Seattle raises smoke, flooding concerns, One Seattle business is taking a stand against tipping mania, Chef Ethan Stowell buys a historic Seattle dive bar, Amazon shutters some convenience stores, including 2 in Seattle, concluded she harassed, intimidated and bullied. Seattle media deserves to be called out on this. Tensions began to mount beginning in July 2020 between Hampson, DeWolf and district staffers. 2023 Washington Policy Center All Rights Reserved Terms of Use, Closer look at Superintendent Reykdal's dig at WPC has me missing "Better call Saul", Washington state students to get less classroom time under new Dem-backed plan, Proposed WA bill would cut student's classtime by 4 hours a week, Tutoring bill to help students with school-shutdown learning loss blocked in Senate Ways and Means Committee, Bill reducing WA classroom learning by four hours a week working its way through Senate. Harris is a mother and foster parent who works as a litigation paralegal for Campiche Arnold PLLC. And District 6 in West Seattle now stretches to the other side of the Duwamish Waterway and includes Georgetown and South Park. The districts decades-long record of failure helps explain why three Seattle mothers, Emily Bramwell Cherkin, Jennifer Rebecca Olson Crow, and Beverely Diann Goodman are leading a broad coalition of concerned parents asking voters to recall six out of seven Seattle school board members. Its unfortunate that another story like this has surfaced. The findings note that four of the 13 witnesses they interviewed opined that Dir. That meeting was the focus of the investigation and what triggered the accusations against Hampson and DeWolf. Board Member @ Seattle Public Schools Vice President at Seattle School Board @ Seattle Public Schools President @ Seattle Public Schools see more By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Believe me, I know. Arizona school board member says district should reject hiring teachers with Christian values: 'Not.safe' https://lnkd.in/gsiKn_qu Explore the Fox News Mar. August 3, 2021. A school board candidate must: Be a registered voter. In a series of emails, DeWolf and Hampson accused staffers of inaccuracies in district meeting minutes and claimed the district staffers didnt do the work they said they did, the report said. Two Seattle School Board members violated a board policy against harassing, intimidating and bullying staff members last year when they were working on an anti-racism policy with two Black district employees, an outside investigation has found. District 7 - Brandon K. Hersey. Posting comments is now limited to subscribers only. Geary won in the general election on November 3, 2015. The investigative report was submitted last August and concluded that Director Hampson used her position and authority to the detriment of [staff] in violation of [the harassment, intimidation and bullying policy], according to court documents. SEATTLE -- As Washington schools continue to face huge challenges with test scores and student achievement, theres a new proposal from one state lawmaker to help kick-start public education: Pay school board members, he argues, and thereby attract better leaders.We cant demand that our kids and our teachers improve their quality, and not improve the quality of our management as well, said state Rep. Reuven Carlyle, D-Seattle. School Board Special Meeting: Executive Session: Supt Eval Check-In; Work Session: Policy Diet. The School Board Student Member Selection Committee is a student-led committee that will recommend three (3) Student Members to the Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors for selection. 8. Board members must first be elected to the 40+ member BCS Corporation. This is my Executive Committee meeting if you could please wrap up your remarks, he said, according to minutes printed in the investigation. District staff thought they knew better and felt sidelined. Students will also have opportunities to participate in outside training, such as through the Washington State School Directors Association. Kindergarten Class Rep - Whitney Qualls. Specifically, the recall petition itself reports that Seattle school board members have: Delayed reopening Seattle schools to full-time, in-person instruction, compared to the great majority of other districts; Violated their legal duty to provide special needs students with access to in-person instruction; Given away school property in West Seattle in violation of legal standards; Failed to correct a 2015 school board decision to take $2.7 million in private money while keeping the donors name secret; Approved contracts on planned Rainier Beach High School and Northgate Elementary construction projects which involve conflicts of interest and violations of environmental review laws; Failed to protect student privacy online; Failed to consult the Duwamish Tribe regarding environmental review of the Northgate Elementary project; Failed to provide adequate school-day recreational areas for students; Sold school property to a favored buyer without holding a public hearing; Discriminated against students by canceling the Highly Capable Program at Washington Middle School; Violated the rights of Kimball Elementary School students by improperly changing the attendance area. Their feelings about why or how they were targeted do not replace the need for evidence. During his tenure on the Seattle School Board, he served on the Council of Great City Schools board of directors and the Council of Urban Boards of Education (CUBE) steering committee as its vice-chair. Seattle school board directors Zachary DeWolf (L) and Chandra Hampson (R). The Jason Rantz Show on KTTH has a staff of one when it comes to reporting and research: Im the one. And it . The report further concluded Director Hampson and Director DeWolf violated [the policy] because they intended to and did degrade and humiliate [staffers] in their workplace.. March 8 @ 4:30 pm - 7:00 pm. GSBA, Comcast, and other partners are working to address disparities in access to financial resources with the Ready for Business fund. School Board student members will hold non-voting advisory positions. Seattle Times staff reporter. Paralegal. According to the investigation, both complainants claimed that HIB investigations are not good enough to uncover implicit bias and anti-Blackness. Embattled Seattle School Board President Chandra Hampson deleted critical comments from her Facebook page. Gross: Residents step up to hold government leaders accountable, Tacoma councilmember vows to not support departing local business, Rantz: AG pushing most dangerous bill in legislative history, Rantz: Union-backed bill gets friendly, misleading media support, Rantz: Washington Democrats to force businesses to hire potheads, Franklin HS teacher charged on multiple counts for having sex with student. 2023 Bonneville International. They say it's not safe. 15. MFR investigators did, however, find that Hampson used her position and authority to the detriment of the complainants. I think the investigation was correct in noting there was no evidence to suggest Hampson or DeWolf targeted Scarlett or Al-ansi for their racial or gender identities. At least one of the employees was supposed to present a 10-minute update on the anti-racist policy. Its a bridge too far.Carlyle says the quality and diversity of the board would improve if members were compensated.Retiring Seattle School Board Chairwoman Kay Smith-Blum agrees that its time to start paying some kind of salary.This is a job that averages, I believe, anywhere from 20-30 hours a week, Smith-Blum said. 2445 3rd Ave. S, Seattle, WA 98134 Each district needs to meet certain criteria set by state law: having nearly the same population size, being as compact as possible and not favoring or disfavoring a political party or racial group. Hampson did acknowledge the group phone call was terrible, the report said, but denied violating harassment, intimidation and bullying board policies. Theres been an issue on whether the staff of Seattle Public Schools runs the district or if the superintendent and board do, said Hampsons attorney, Philip Talmadge, a former Washington State Supreme Court justice. Students entering their junior or senior year are eligible to apply for a one-year term that will begin August 2023 and conclude at the end of the 2023-24 school year. A hearing is scheduled for April 16th. School Board (1882 present) minutes, indexes, correspondence, email, public hearings and administrative documents. Contact the Student Members through Lets Talk. One witness called it worst meeting she had ever experienced., Another witness said that DeWolf began raising his voice and accused [the complainants] of being dishonest about their collaboration on the policy. She said that it seemed he felt the need to put them in their place., When one of the complainants wondered if a miscommunication could have led to the belief that they were working independent of the school board members, the witness said, DeWolf was relentless in his negative admonishing and chastising tone, which set the stage for a terrible conversation., DeWolf told MFR investigators, according to the report, that he was not scolding [the complainant], because he does not like conflict, and he was trying to be super-intentional and gentle with his language.. Board member Zachary DeWolf will not be running for re-election to the seat representing District 5, which covers the bulk of Capitol Hill, the Central District, downtown and the area near the stadiums.. It's a tumultuous time for Seattle and the city's . I dont know what youre getting at by sharing yours, Hampson added, according to the witness. Once selected, student members will need to obtain written permission to work from their parent or guardian. As soon as the call began, DeWolf raised his voice at the two women who made the allegations and accused both of them of being dishonest about their collaboration on the anti-racist policy, according to the report. Posting documents for regular Board meetings at least 3 days in advance of the meeting to allow for public review. Subscribe to thepodcast here. All current board members still reside in the districts they represent under the new map. Other government bodies, like the City Council, also have to redistrict every decade per the Washington Voting Rights Act, which requires redistricting after each new census count. Greater Giving Administrator - Kelsey Fish. The conduct violated SPSs policy against harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB). Carlyle's plan would pay board members, starting in the biggest, most complex district in Seattle, a salary in-line with state legislators, which is $42,000 per year. Lets remember, six of the last seven people who had the job ran for re-election. The student school board positions are new positions, created by School Board Policy No. But they are also fringe partisans who set up their complaint to fail when they claimed concern over the process not being able to weed out implicit bias. Selection Committee members will review applications for the Student Member positions and collaborate to make final recommendations. Pawares Pathompornvivat, a 32-year-old teacher from Franklin High School, has been charged with multiple counts of sexual misconduct. They complained that they were being tokenized in the policys development. Earlier this month, in response to the school board's proposal, Washington Senator Jamie Pedersen introduced Senate bill 6282, which would require school districts to create individualized . Seattle reporter Jason Rantz noted that, in leaked emails, the school district actually refused to request the mayor's office sweep the camps for illegal activity. The student school board positions are new positions, created by School Board Policy No. School Board student members will also attend the regular meetings of the School Board of Directors on a roughly once-per-month rotation and will have an opportunity to report on the work of their committee, offer opinions on the motions and resolutions before the board, and communicate other topics of student interest or concern. School Board student members are charged with engaging students and student groups for feedback and with carrying forward the diverse perspectives of Seattle Public Schools students. Hampson declined to comment. DeWolf engaged more harshly, disrespectfully, and/or rudely with women, regardless of race. But others note hes rude to everyone regardless of gender. If youre retired or getting ready to retire and looking for new ways to stay active, becoming a SHIBA volunteer could be for you! The School Board has not yet voted on the policy. But the authority over direct policy lies in the hands of the governing directors, not staff. School Board Audit Quarterly Meeting. The events that took place between the Seattle Public Schools employees and board members Chandra Hampson and Zachary DeWolf happened in August and September 2020 during meetings and discussions about a draft of the districts anti-racism policy. The seven . But on Sept. 9, 2021, a month after the report was submitted, the board voted to waive the requirement that it be posted online. Food, Drink, and Coastal Christmas Anacortes has it all. Two Black women staffers who still currently work at SPS were working with Hampson and DeWolf on developing an anti-racism policy, but as disagreements started, contentious conversations followed. Admissions. Theyre always quick to lift other peoples stories and present them as their own. Better yet: Where are they? She was elected in 2019 to represent District 3, which encompasses Northeast Seattle, including Sand Point, View Ridge and Bryant. It was dated Sept. 18, 2020. In 2023, voters will choose board members for districts 1, 2, 3, and 6. The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times. As the inaugural class of student members, students serving during the 2022-23 school year will play an integral role in designing the scope and focus of these positions, advising the board on implementation of newly adopted Board Policy No. Beginning with the 2022-23 school year, the board will annually seat School Board student members to represent student voice through board committees and regular board meetings. But given the events of a recent school board meeting, this shouldnt come as a shock. Ghislaine Maxwell has appealed the conviction and 20-year prison sentence she received for trafficking girls to Jeffrey Epstein for sex, with her . Seattle School Board President Chandra Hampson threatened volunteers with trespassing who were distributing leaflets on Monday regarding a homeless encampment on campus and school officials' refusal to address it. As a former elected official, its bloody nonsense.. In 2023, voters will choose board members for districts 1, 2, 3, and 6. Board members accused both employees of inaccuracies in the policy. Its been made available only through a public disclosure request. The Board of Directors is self-perpetuating; new members are elected each year, serving up to two, 3-year terms. Email the Records and Archives Center [email protected] for finding aids for paper records: school board and superintendents working files, correspondence and meeting materials. Seattle Public Schools started out the 2020-2021 school year in remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Approval of the 2021-2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between Seattle School District No. But the Seattle Times has an entire education section of their paper. She coordinated with DeWolf in an attempt to limit the complainants from speaking about their work on the policy and from offering input. March 7 @ 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm. The report found Hampson worked with DeWolf to limit the impacts and remarks of the district employee. Your IP: Her attorneys filed a brief on Friday to the appeals court. But attorneys representing SPS are arguing a thorough investigation was conducted, and that the outcome is supported by 20 witness interviews and thousands of documents. Greetings from the Admissions Director; Prep At A Glance; Explore Prep; Open House; Panther For A Day; Apply to Prep; . She is the Seattle School Board president. Mason Trinca for The New York Times. District 5 - Michelle Sarju. 206-252-0000, Distributing Information to Students and Schools, Northwest Coast Art by Andrea Wilbur-Sigo, Squaxin/Skokomish. They expressed concerns about the expected Public Records Act disclosures after the investigation concluded., The report also notes that some witnesses asked MFR not to take notes during parts of their interviews.. The student positions were created under the recently adopted School Board Policy No. Each School Board student member will be assigned to one of three board committees: the Audit & Finance Committee; Operations Committee; or Student Services Curriculum & Instruction Committee. School Board student members should also possess an awareness of challenges and barriers that they or others experience in education and in society. They were accused of waging sexist and . Click to reveal In order to be compensated, students will be considered district hourly employees subject to standard onboarding and criminal background check requirements with parent/guardian consent. Her online tantrum may have broken the law . As a result of the SPS investigation conducted by the MFR Law Group PLLC, Hampson, who was elected in 2019, and board member Zachary DeWolf, who has since left the board because his term expired, were required to review the board policy that prohibited harassment, intimidation and bullying. Medicare open enrollment is here and SHIBA can help! School Board student members will be provided agendas and other materials in preparation for meetings and are also encouraged to attend board work sessions and other special meetings of the board. Committees meet monthly. Seattle Prep. Elected to the Central Valley School Board in Spokane Valley in November 2011, Bolt . 11% of Seattle Public Schools management is Hispanic or Latino. 206-252-0000, Distributing Information to Students and Schools, Northwest Coast Art by Andrea Wilbur-Sigo, Squaxin/Skokomish, School Board Student Member Selection Committee, School Board Policy No. The estimated total hours of board meetings that student board members will attend in a month is six (6) hours. Students on the selection committee must: Students on the selection committee will be able to earn community service hours for their work. By Chris B. Bennett, The Seattle Medium. Winner of President's Cabinet for top performance in 2006 and 2008. Enrollment ('17-'18) 54,573 students. Student members are encouraged to utilize course credit, service hour, independent study, free periods, or other opportunities, as available and appropriate for their own academic schedule, to modify their class schedule to accommodate committee meeting attendance.