A primary was scheduled for August 3, 2021. 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. District 7 - Brandon K. Hersey. So, the actual people who actually do the job clearly like it and want to keep doing it.Mas argued theres a better solution to the fact that the job can be demanding, a solution that doesnt involve paying board members.They dont need to be paid themselves, they need some paid staff to answer those emails, to do some independent data gathering, he said. By Chris B. Bennett Co-publisher/Editor Two weeks ago, The Seattle School Board had a decision to make - who will be the next board member representing District 7, which encompasses Southeast Seattle. Hampson had been a last-minute addition to the conference call. And, moving forward, new school board members would be required to take training on HIB conduct. 2445 3rd Ave. S, Seattle, WA 98134 During law school, I served as a Board Member on the Black Law Students Association, Alternative Dispute Resolution Board, Academic Conduct Board, and Seattle Journal for Social Justice. 198.1.97.113 The School Board Office will reach out to interested students with further information and meeting dates. Better yet: Where are they? Director Harris has every right to vote yes or no on any measure that presents itself to the board. Should classroom learning time be cut down to 4 hours a day in Washington state. Once selected, student members will need to obtain written permission to work from their parent or guardian. 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 . Juneau spoke with students and parents of students in the district, staff, principals, and the Seattle Council PTSA, and gathered feedback from Latinx and Black community members before making the . Northwest for Underrepresented Regions. All students and the more than 100 full-time faculty members live on the grounds. At least one of the employees was supposed to present a 10-minute update on the anti-racist policy. Although the report didnt find clear evidence that Hampson and DeWolf discriminated against the two staffers because of their race or gender, it did conclude that both board members violated board policy 5207, which prohibits harassment, intimidation and bullying. In the summer of 2020, the two staffers and board members disagreed on when the anti-racism policy should go to a board vote. Any immediate political consequences are unknown. 1st Grade Class Rep - Lauren McAlister. John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence 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. 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. March 24, 2021 Updated Wed., March 24, 2021 at 8:31 p.m. They were accused of waging sexist and . 68% of the management team is White. Al-ansi noted that DeWolf was pushing for a HIB investigation because he is familiar with the law and the level of scrutiny that is required around a racial claim., She calls it an institutional tactic where DeWolf is trying to find a different way to discredit their named experiences., The choice to move forward with an investigation is the most institutionally racist way you can do it, Al-ansi wrote, according to the investigation. Population and demographic changes in Seattle cause district boundaries to fluctuate. "Members of the Seattle School Board demanded the mayor's office not sweep dangerous and growing homeless encampments on two school properties," Rantz reported Tuesday . Some school board directors even declined to be interviewed for fear their comments would become public record. The two women who made allegations against Hampson and DeWolf wrote a letter to the board on Sept. 18, 2020 almost a year earlier detailing their experiences, board member Lisa Rivera-Smith said during the meeting. Thats quite clearly the opposite of being an anti-racist. The complainants said that even though they didnt push for a HIB investigation, they will be positive about it. This is my Executive Committee meeting, the report said he told her. The employees names were redacted. According to the investigation, Hampson and DeWolf both denied engaging in anti-Black racism or treating the two district staffers any differently from other employees. Harris is a mother and foster parent who works as a litigation paralegal for Campiche Arnold PLLC. The report was never posted to the Seattle Schools website. 04 Mar 2023 01:18:54 Board of Directors and District Map. The current policy doesnt codify any punishment for HIB conduct, so neither Hampson nor DeWolf were punished. They complained that they were being tokenized in the policys development. Email the Records and Archives Center [email protected] for finding aids for paper records: school board and superintendent's working files, correspondence and meeting materials. So far SPS has spent $36,238.53 defending the case against Hampson, according to public records. Student board members can expect to spend approximately four (4) hours a month on additional work, including reviewing meeting materials, meeting with peers, and meeting with support staff and board mentor. At a meeting earlier this month, Seattle Public Schools board member Liza Rankin pointed out that the upcoming legislative session is a budget year, and called for the state to start paying for . Winner of President's Cabinet for top performance in 2006 and 2008. Seattle school officials declined to comment on the case, although spokesperson Beverley Redmond said the replacement of the harassment, intimidation and bullying policy does not impact the superior courts decision. Board Member @ Seattle Public Schools Vice President at Seattle School Board @ Seattle Public Schools President @ Seattle Public Schools see more The district was also to provide harassment, intimidation and bullying training to board members as needed. In 2023, voters will choose board members for districts 1, 2, 3, and 6. School Board Policy No. It unnecessarily meddles in the employment practices. SPS contracted FLO Analytics, a consulting company with expertise in data analysis and redistricting, to draw new district election maps. Please fill out this form by April 3, 2023 if you would like to join the School Board Student Member Selection Committee. Contact the Student Members through Lets Talk. Tensions began to mount beginning in July 2020 between Hampson, DeWolf and district staffers. Board of Trustees - Seattle Preparatory School. The student positions were created under the recently adopted School Board Policy No. Pawares Pathompornvivat, a 32-year-old teacher from Franklin High School, has been charged with multiple counts of sexual misconduct. DeWolf totally disagreed with the allegations and described himself as conflict averse and being careful in this situation.. This fall, the community can expect three new members to join the Seattle School Board . As crime increases, our safety measures must too, GSBA is closing the disparity gap with Ready for Business Fund. It was dated Sept. 18, 2020. Hampson and DeWolf were required to review the policy, according to the motion passed by board members, and the district was to provide harassment, intimidation and bullying training to all new board members as needed.. The two SPS employees believed board members were silencing, undermining, discrediting and discriminating against them based on gender and race, court documents say. In other words, they are far-left activists who dont practice what they preach on anti-racism, nor do they serve the kids they are supposed to protect. There was also confusion among board members and staff about the timeline of the anti-racist policy, the emails show. The anti-racism policy has not been adopted by the school board. What was provided offered little insight into the total claims and ignored the complainants take on the process. 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. It doesnt help that theyre insufferably rude, either. (function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "https://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })(). DeWolf did not respond to requests for comment. John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence School Board Member Chandra Hampson appealed the outcome of the investigation in September. MFR investigators said DeWolf repeatedly and persistently mistreated the two complainants, violating the HIB policy. Northwest for Underrepresented Regions (NUR) seeks to improve access to educational opportunities in . 206-252-0000, Distributing Information to Students and Schools, Northwest Coast Art by Andrea Wilbur-Sigo, Squaxin/Skokomish. Then Hampson started to berate the staff members and [one of] the complainants with accusations. The witness said that Hampson was lying about some of the allegations made against the complainant. And in a district like Seattle, a $1 billion annual enterprise, its a big job for someone who isnt getting paid.Dont we deserve a higher quality education system for our 50,000 kids, asked Carlyle.Carlyle argues that many of Seattles problems, and many problems in other districts, including the achievement gap, low graduation rates, and high turnover, can be tied to the fact that board members are volunteers, arent up to the job, and dont have much time for it.Carlyles 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.It is unreasonable to expect people to have all of that knowledge and then be full-time volunteers on top, said Carlyle. Map of the seven director districts. And its costing taxpayers thousands of dollars. Mar. 1250, and incorporating student voice into district decision-making. But the investigation said her treatment of Scarlett and Al-ansi was not based on race or gender, as alleged. The judge does not rule on the truth of the charges, only their legal sufficiency under state law. Posting comments is now limited to subscribers only. 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. Mason Trinca for The New York Times. This year's inaugural class was nominated by a student-led committee in May, and was approved by the board in June. It was public during the September school board hearing. School Board Student Member Application. Board members also believe students possess valuable insight and should have a voice in the education received from the district and the decisions made by the board. Jill Geary was a member of the Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors in Washington, representing District 3.. Geary ran for re-election to the Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors to represent District 3 in Washington. Theres also a federal law, the 1965 Voting Rights Act, with similar requirements that prohibit discriminatory practices when redistricting. 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. 11% of Seattle Public Schools management is Hispanic or Latino. Board members must first be elected to the 40+ member BCS Corporation. I certainly understand that SPS did not make it easy to track this story. All current board members still reside in the districts they represent under the new map. The filing deadline for this election was May 21, 2021 . Before she was first elected to the District 6 seat in 2015, she worked on the Schools First campaign in support of district levies. Our safety, legitimacy as leaders, unique and necessary lived perspectives, and material contributions have been routinely marginalized and discredited in accordance with our proximity and alignment with white-centric institutional norms, and these Board Directors views, they wrote in the memo. The School is accredited by the New England . They were accused of waging sexist and anti-Black harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB) campaigns against two Black female SPS staff. The attorneys representing the district, Pacific Law Group LLC, referred to the district for comment. A school board candidate must: Be a registered voter. Its been made available only through a public disclosure request. Multiple school board members say . They say it's not safe. Seattle media deserves to be called out on this. They were targets because the school board directors are rabid left-wing activists who want to play savior to the citys minority communities. August 3, 2021. But the district is doing what it can to keep the report from public view. An accumulation of these disagreements and misunderstandings, according to the emails, led to a group phone call and meeting on Aug. 28, 2020. Have at least a high school diploma or a certificate of high school equivalency. It is widely acknowledged that the Seattle Public School district (with 53,000 students, the largest in Washington) is riddled with weak leadership, overly powerful unions, poor academics and deep structural problems. She repeatedly said she was elected to do this work and appeared upset that her authority and duty were questioned. The two district employees, both of whom are women still working for Seattle Schools, alleged an orchestrated campaign of harassment, intimidation, bullying based on race and gender in response to their work on the anti-racism policy, according to the investigation by the MFR Law Group PLLC, a law firm focused on employment law and human resource services in the Pacific Northwest. Since 2013, evolved legal intern program at the Allen Institute into a law school class to teach the practical aspects and soft skills . This is my Executive Committee meeting if you could please wrap up your remarks, he said, according to minutes printed in the investigation. District 2 - Lisa Rivera Smith. The investigation itself was extensive. School Board 1971 (PH 007-25) Archives. The student-led Selection Committee will support the Boards selection of three (3) students for the 2023-24 school year who will serve as Student Members. Hampson appears easily slighted and is disrespectful to many people. The superintendent was in attendance. 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 Seattle School Board recognizes the organizational structure of the district can create a wall between decision makers and the students the district serves. The board voted to withhold the information from online publication in an apparent move to keep the adverse findings from the public spotlight. Applications for the 2023-24 student member positions will be open Monday, Feb. 27 - March 24. Three seats on the Seattle Public Schools school board in Washington were up for general election on November 2, 2021. 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. MFR investigators interviewed 20 witnesses and reviewed over 5,600 documents. March 7 @ 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm. and . Theyre always quick to lift other peoples stories and present them as their own. Consequently, media coverage has been scant and inadequate. And District 6 in West Seattle now stretches to the other side of the Duwamish Waterway and includes Georgetown and South Park. The Board of Directors is self-perpetuating; new members are elected each year, serving up to two, 3-year terms. As Scarlett was discussing her desire to ensure the policy is a pro-Black anti-racist policy, she was repeatedly interrupted by DeWolf. There was another meeting between the board directors and the complainants on Sept. 16, 2020. BCS is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation. 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. During a board meeting Sept. 9, the board voted to take action based on the findings of the investigation. But Scarlett and Al-ansi wanted more legitimate community engagement with the Black community before passing the policy. West Seattle news, 24/7. Currently, Liza Rankin holds the district 1 spot, Lisa Rivera Smith represents district 2, Chandra Hampson represents . If a superintendent or board member directed staff to get something done by a certain time and the employee refused to and claimed that was bullying, I mean thats just unworkable, said Talmadge, who served as a state senator for 16 years. Seattle Prep. Arizona school board member says district should reject hiring teachers with Christian values: 'Not.safe' https://lnkd.in/gsiKn_qu Explore the Fox News Seattle University School of Law. July 6, 2022 at 6:00 am Updated Aug. 2, 2022 at 4:46 pm. Nothing comes up. During a group phone call in August 2020, the situation took a turn for the worse. Medicare open enrollment is here and SHIBA can help! And I heard them speak of treatment that they did not just want us as their leaders to be aware of but to also act upon.. School Board student members will contribute to discussion by providing student insight and perspective, advocating their positions on district issues or needs, and serving as liaisons between the board and students. 206-252-0000, Distributing Information to Students and Schools, Northwest Coast Art by Andrea Wilbur-Sigo, Squaxin/Skokomish, Posting documents for regular Board meetings at least 3 days in advance of the meeting to allow for public review, Maintaining accurate and timely information on the School Board?s website, Noticing all Board meetings on the District?s website in a timely manner, Responding to and tracking constituent communication, Complying with requirements of the Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA), Providing administrative support to Board members (e.g., travel arrangements, expense reimbursements, and document preparation). SPS board members wrestled with the district boundary lines over the course of various public and community meetings, and debated how race played a role in the redistricting process. Last month, the school board voted to repeal the harassment, intimidation and bullying policy for adults (a student policy still exists) and replace it with civility procedures, citing the extraneous resources it took to go through complaints that often didnt meet the threshold of the policy and prevented more serious complaints from being addressed. Currently the owner of Delos Reyes Law . The district elections map only affects who can run for school board (candidates must live in the district they run for) and which board members people vote for. . MJ Bolt is an elected Eastern Washington representative to the Washington State Board of Education. Neither board member had to pay a fine, nor were they disciplined. Performance & security by Cloudflare. They inexplicably chose not to embed the actual investigation, nor did they examine who made the complaints. 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.. Washington Democrats are trying to force employers to hire or retain potheads with new legislation. DeWolf engaged more harshly, disrespectfully, and/or rudely with women, regardless of race. But others note hes rude to everyone regardless of gender. 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. 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. Scarlett and Al-ansi, who have escaped media scrutiny, should also be called out. School Board student members should expect to spend approximately ten (10) hours a month performing their duties. However, DeWolf cut her off before the 10 minutes were up, telling her twice to wrap up her comments, the report said. Is there a reason you telling me this? Not have been convicted of a felony. That meeting was the focus of the investigation and what triggered the accusations against Hampson and DeWolf.
