And, moving forward, new school board members would be required to take training on HIB conduct. Embattled Seattle School Board President Chandra Hampson deleted critical comments from her Facebook page. Hampson did not respond to requests for comment. Last week, the Seattle School Board approved two measures involving African Americans males by a vote of 5-1, with the lone no vote on each measure cast by senior school board director Leslie Harris. Emails and meeting notes appear to back this claim. 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. Board of Directors and District Map. 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.. They were accused of waging sexist and . The superintendent was in attendance. Hampson and DeWolf are no strangers to controversy. They were victims of HIB, no doubt. Population and demographic changes in Seattle cause district boundaries to fluctuate. The board voted to withhold the information from online publication in an apparent move to keep the adverse findings from the public spotlight. 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. Its not considered harassment when an elected board member reprimands staff for failing to follow board directives, Hampsons attorneys argue in court documents. 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 . As Scarlett was discussing her desire to ensure the policy is a pro-Black anti-racist policy, she was repeatedly interrupted by DeWolf. 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. District 3 - Chandra N. Hampson. 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. Enrollment ('17-'18) 54,573 students. The anti-racism policy has not been adopted by the school board. But the investigation said her treatment of Scarlett and Al-ansi was not based on race or gender, as alleged. Is there a reason you telling me this? They were accused of waging sexist and anti-Black harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB) campaigns against two Black female SPS staff. The law targets boundary lines drawn with the intention of diluting votes based on race or political party a tactic known as gerrymandering. The Board of Directors is self-perpetuating; new members are elected each year, serving up to two, 3-year terms. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a2e666278b6291a That meeting was the focus of the investigation and what triggered the accusations against Hampson and DeWolf. District 7 - Brandon K. Hersey. 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. The investigation is damning both for the directors who misbehaved and the complainants who use their wokeness to prove any investigation into anti-Blackness would be futile. The report noted that it seemed [DeWolf] felt the need to put them in their place. One of the accusers tried to raise that there must have been a misunderstanding, but DeWolf was relentless in his negative admonishing and chastising tone, which set the stage for a terrible conversation., Hampson berated staffers, the investigation said, and the conversation became very heated and spiraled out of control.. Ironically, the complaints came out of work on a draft policy concerning anti-racism. Education. 206-252-0000, Distributing Information to Students and Schools, Northwest Coast Art by Andrea Wilbur-Sigo, Squaxin/Skokomish, School Board Student Member Selection Committee. 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. District 4 - Vivian Song Maritz. One year appointment. School Board student members should expect to spend approximately ten (10) hours a month performing their duties. 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. School Board Member Chandra Hampson appealed the outcome of the investigation in September. The six officials parents are seeking to recall are Chandra Hampson, President, Brandon Hersey, Vice-President, Zachary DeWolf, Liza Rankin, Leslie Harris, and Lisa Rivera-Smith. I found out about this a week or so before my vacation, thanks to a listener tip. School Board student members should also possess an awareness of challenges and barriers that they or others experience in education and in society. 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. Kirby has served as Board Chair at Special Olympics of Washington, where he helped bring the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games to Seattle. 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.. Posting comments is now limited to subscribers only. The employees names were redacted. . The seven . Nothing comes up. While serving, School Board student members must be enrolled in courses that ensure normal progress towards graduation and maintain the number of credits necessary for advancement to the next grade level. He was elected twice to the Seattle School Board serving from 2007 to 2015. City officials and school board members have declined to meet with the group of neighbors, parents and employees who are . 1250, School Board Student Members, Share a commitment to elevating the voices of students of color furthest from educational justice in district decision-making, Be currently enrolled students in Seattle Public Schools, Be currently enrolled in high school grades 9-12, Be able to meet once a week during the months of April and May 2023, and spend up to 15 hours on meeting and application evaluation, NOT be applying to be a School Board Student Member. They say it's not safe. Its unfortunate that another story like this has surfaced. But the district is doing what it can to keep the report from public view. Try searching for this story on the websites for KIRO 7, KING 5, KOMO News, or FOX 13. The conduct violated SPSs policy against harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB). 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. The 2,000-acre grounds are home to approximately 535 students from more than 30 states and 13 countries. Students on the selection committee must: Students on the selection committee will be able to earn community service hours for their work. The Seattle Public Schools board unanimously approved the new district elections map last week. 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. The School is accredited by the New England . The two staffers sent the board a memorandum in September 2020 that said Hampson and DeWolf orchestrated a campaign of bullying, escalating intimidation, gaslighting, and retaliation, according to court documents. But why did it take the Seattle Times months to cover? 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. Thats quite clearly the opposite of being an anti-racist. They complained that they were being tokenized in the policys development. 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. 2400 11th Avenue East Seattle WA 98102. Pawares Pathompornvivat, a 32-year-old teacher from Franklin High School, has been charged with multiple counts of sexual misconduct. I have been doing this for 30+ years, and I dont need to hear your qualifications. Indeed, they seem upset that an investigation would occur and that their claims arent believed at face value. District staff thought they knew better and felt sidelined. District 5 - Michelle Sarju. According to the investigation, both complainants claimed that HIB investigations are not good enough to uncover implicit bias and anti-Blackness. Codd, Superintendent Denise Juneau, School Board President Zachary DeWolf and Hersey heard from community members at a Thursday evening meeting on the issue at Garfield High School. The Seattle school board voted unanimously Wednesday to fire Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson over a $1.8 million financial scandal involving a district business development program. School Board Audit Quarterly Meeting. BCS is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation. So far SPS has spent $36,238.53 defending the case against Hampson, according to public records. John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence (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); })(). Email the Board of Trustees . 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. Come celebrate Anacortes 11th annual Bier on the Pier! Part of the reason that I personally chose not to run is that it is such a huge commitment, particularly for someone who has a full-time job, and we have three board members who have full-time jobs.Smith-Blum said that there are good quality candidates who dont ever run because of the fact that its so overwhelming, with no compensation.But others doubt that board pay is a panacea.I dont think we are going to get a better corps of board candidates for that level of pay, and I dont think anybody who is doing it is doing it for the pay, said Charlie Mas who writes for the Save Seattle Schools website. Applicants must be a Seattle Public Schools student entering their junior or senior year of high school at the time of selection, on track to graduate, and continue to be enrolled in Seattle Public Schools through the school year of their term. The Seattle School Board believes students possess valuable insight and should have a paramount voice in the education received from the district and in the decisions made by the board. The controversy began about two years ago, when SPS hired a law firm focused on employment law and human-resource services in the Pacific Northwest to investigate claims that Hampson and DeWolf violated a board policy during meetings that took place in August and September 2020. The campaign also builds on the Clean Schools Resolution passed by the Seattle School Board in February, which commits the district to being fossil fuel-free by 2040. Some board members thought historic redlining maps should have been taken into consideration. 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. Paralegal. Seattle Prep. 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. The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times. Did you like this opinion piece? Other indicators of failure are Seattles extraordinarily high private school attendance rate, dangerous homeless encampments adjacent to school grounds, the persistent learning gap for black, Hispanic and Native American children, and the fact that hundreds of families have left the system since March of last year. 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. I wanted it to get out afterThanksgiving, as stories printed the week before the holiday tend to get lost. The number of hours a month may vary, but should not exceed 20 hours. But Scarlett and Al-ansi wanted more legitimate community engagement with the Black community before passing the policy. Applications for the 2023-24 student member positions will be open Monday, Feb. 27 - March 24. The recall petition must be reviewed and approved by Superior Court Judge Patrick Oishi. It only requested Hampson and DeWolf review the policy the investigation said they violated. 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. The board did, however, vote to take action on the investigation. GSBA, Comcast, and other partners are working to address disparities in access to financial resources with the Ready for Business fund. And their commitment to turning an anti-racist policy into a pro-Black anti-racist policy is instructive. The two staffers attempted to present the policy during the meeting in September but were cut off by board members. West Seattle news, 24/7. However, the investigation did not conclude Hampson and DeWolf discriminated against staffers based on their race or gender. They were targets because the school board directors are rabid left-wing activists who want to play savior to the citys minority communities. It was dated Sept. 18, 2020. March 8 @ 4:30 pm - 7:00 pm. A district that I know ardently strives to be a safe, welcoming and anti-racist institution. Map of the seven director districts. And in that letter I heard from two brilliant Black women that worked within our district, Rivera-Smith said. 2445 3rd Ave. S, Seattle, WA 98134 School Board 1971 (PH 007-25) Archives. Northwest for Underrepresented Regions. A school board candidate must: Be a registered voter. Work Session: Building Relationships with Youth Continued (with Kings) . Be a resident of the district she is running in. Tensions began to mount beginning in July 2020 between Hampson, DeWolf and district staffers. Believe me, I know. Seattle Public Schools hired MFR Law Group PLLC (MFR) to conduct an extensive investigation into school board directors Chandra Hampson and Zachary DeWolf. A list of School Board Members and Superintendents. Elected to the Central Valley School Board in Spokane Valley in November 2011, Bolt . Scarlett and Al-ansi did not appear pleased with the process. Students will also have opportunities to participate in outside training, such as through the Washington State School Directors Association. Dr. Keisha Scarlett, the SPS Chief of Equity, Partnerships, and Engagement, and Manal Al-ansi, the Director of Racial Equity Advancement, alleged an orchestrated campaign of bullying, escalating intimidation, gaslighting, and retaliation that lasted for months. There was another meeting between the board directors and the complainants on Sept. 16, 2020. Board members raised their voices at staff and the conversation has been described as terrible, heated, and berating, according to interviews conducted by investigators. Hampson appears easily slighted and is disrespectful to many people. Apr 2013 - Jan 20162 years 10 months. 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 Times staff reporter. Theres also a federal law, the 1965 Voting Rights Act, with similar requirements that prohibit discriminatory practices when redistricting. The School Board has not yet voted on the policy. Posting comments is now limited to subscribers only. The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times. If youre retired or getting ready to retire and looking for new ways to stay active, becoming a SHIBA volunteer could be for you! Currently, Liza Rankin holds the district 1 spot, Lisa Rivera Smith represents district 2, Chandra Hampson represents . 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. The events that took place between Seattle public school staff and board members Chandra Hampson and Zachary DeWolfe . Student members will serve as experts through their own experiences and as representatives of their peers. Contact the Student Members through Lets Talk. What was provided offered little insight into the total claims and ignored the complainants take on the process. She is the Seattle School Board president. 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. Yet here they wont? Approval of the 2021-2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between Seattle School District No. Location. Greater Giving Administrator - Kelsey Fish. With just a week before the Seattle School Board is scheduled to vote on a plan for instruction this school year, which begins Sept. 2, some members including Chandra Hampson say the district's . The district's 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. This behavior is always done to Black folks and holds up anti-Blackness. In 2023, voters will choose board members for districts 1, 2, 3, and 6. The Jason Rantz Show, 3pm-7pm on KTTH. 206-252-0000, Distributing Information to Students and Schools, Northwest Coast Art by Andrea Wilbur-Sigo, Squaxin/Skokomish. Geary did not file to run for re-election in 2019. Facebook Parent Group Moderator - Kaye Smith. School Board student members will have the opportunity to participate in district policy development processes and counsel board directors on the impacts of potential district actions on students. The investigation itself was extensive. This is my Executive Committee meeting, the report said he told her. Then listen to the Jason Rantz Show weekday afternoons from 3-6 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). It still has not been posted on the boards website. Currently the owner of Delos Reyes Law . 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. The district was also to provide harassment, intimidation and bullying training to board members as needed. 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. Seattle Public Schools started out the 2020-2021 school year in remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Performance & security by Cloudflare. 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. Elise Takahama. Hes no longer in office, with Nov. 17, 2021, being his last day serving on the school board. Arizona school board member says district should reject hiring teachers with Christian values: 'Not.safe' https://lnkd.in/gsiKn_qu Explore the Fox News They inexplicably chose not to embed the actual investigation, nor did they examine who made the complaints. This case highlights that particular problem and ultimately can bring affirmation to the board and the superintendent they hire.. A primary was scheduled for August 3, 2021. At least one of the employees was supposed to present a 10-minute update on the anti-racist policy. 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. Miles Hagopian, a student at Mercer International Middle School, applauded the Seattle School Board's unanimous vote in June 2020 to indefinitely suspend the district's partnership with the . Kudos to her. 198.1.97.113 RT @mrandystevens: We need to replace the activists school board members with parents whose only agenda is to ensure a good education for our kids. Dahlia Bazzaz. 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. Kindergarten Class Rep - Whitney Qualls. Posting comments is now limited to subscribers only. Theyre not against racism; they want to favor one racial group over others. The lack of choices and the disrespectful treatment of children and parents by those in power will have to change if officials are going to be accountable, or have any chance of earning back the publics confidence. 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. Seattle media deserves to be called out on this. The Seattle School Board recognizes the organizational structure of the district can create a wall between decision makers and the students the district serves. In the summer of 2020, the two staffers and board members disagreed on when the anti-racism policy should go to a board vote. The tension came to a head during an Aug. 28, 2020, phone call between Hampson, DeWolf, the complainants, and SPS staff. Committees meet monthly. 11% of Seattle Public Schools management is Hispanic or Latino. He also said that both of the women were not qualified to continue working on the policy. A criminal history does not automatically disqualify an applicant from serving as a School Board student member. This year's inaugural class was nominated by a student-led committee in May, and was approved by the board in June. Greetings from the Admissions Director; Prep At A Glance; Explore Prep; Open House; Panther For A Day; Apply to Prep; . According to district policy, the investigation was compulsory since they did not successfully mediate their dispute. 2445 3rd Ave. S, Seattle, WA 98134 She is passionate about high-quality education for all Washington students and for an equitable education system to help fully equip achievers for tomorrow. 1st Grade Class Rep - Lauren McAlister. And it . Sami Al-Abdrabbuh, the chairman of a school board in northwest Oregon, has received death threats. By. Student School board members will receive an orientation from staff and board directors and will be paired with a School Board Director mentor and staff mentor for ongoing support. They barely got a slap on the wrist. Before she was first elected to the District 6 seat in 2015, she worked on the Schools First campaign in support of district levies.
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