Seattle Public Schools hired MFR Law Group PLLC (MFR) to conduct an extensive investigation into school board directors Chandra Hampson and Zachary DeWolf. District 5 now stretches from the Central Area all the way to the Montlake Cut, and includes Madison Park, Montlake, Eastlake and all of Capitol Hill. 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. Attorney General Bob Ferguson's office could arrest or civilly commit conservatives for uttering mainstream positions under a terrifying and illegal plan. But you wont find the report on the districts website. The board did, however, vote to take action on the investigation. It still has not been posted on the boards website. They couldnt get to this sooner? Student members will serve as experts through their own experiences and as representatives of their peers. Board Member @ Seattle Public Schools Vice President at Seattle School Board @ Seattle Public Schools President @ Seattle Public Schools see more Seattle school board directors Zachary DeWolf (L) and Chandra Hampson (R). As crime increases, our safety measures must too, GSBA is closing the disparity gap with Ready for Business Fund. 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.. 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.. Dahlia Bazzaz. All current board members still reside in the districts they represent under the new map. Harris is a mother and foster parent who works as a litigation paralegal for Campiche Arnold PLLC. The two staffers attempted to present the policy during the meeting in September but were cut off by board members. 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. 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. Subscribe to thepodcast here. Board members were under pressure to bring the resolution to the board quickly because many other board policies that were in the works hinged on this document, and district staff was pushing back on the urgency. Social Media - Qiong Schlegel. The School Board Office will reach out to interested students with further information and meeting dates. 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 . 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. Greater Giving Administrator - Kelsey Fish. 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. Talk with Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors member Leslie Harris, who represents West Seattle and most of South Park, at 2 pm at Delridge Library. SPS upholds all board policies and superintendent procedures and thoroughly investigates workplace complaints.. (One recently-appointed member is not eligible for recall.). 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. They were accused of waging sexist and . DeWolf engaged more harshly, disrespectfully, and/or rudely with women, regardless of race. But others note hes rude to everyone regardless of gender. Map of the seven director districts. Applications for the 2023-24 student member positions will be open soon please continue to check this webpage and district social media for updates. The new geographical boundaries do not affect student attendance boundaries; their purpose is to make sure each region within the city is represented by a board member who lives in that region. Seattle School Board chooses new board member, approves plan to return to classrooms. BCS is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation. School Board Student Member Application. Board of Directors and District Map. Kirby has served as Board Chair at Special Olympics of Washington, where he helped bring the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games to Seattle. John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence Where were they? 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. A district that I know ardently strives to be a safe, welcoming and anti-racist institution. 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. The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times. Melissa Westbrooks local blog which I just discovered actually covered this story back in October. 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. Kudos to her. Hes no longer in office, with Nov. 17, 2021, being his last day serving on the school board. The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times. Student board members will not be voting members but will serve as advisors to the Seattle School Board. March 8 @ 4:30 pm - 7:00 pm. Your IP: 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.. Have at least a high school diploma or a certificate of high school equivalency. He made these comments several times. Hampson recused herself from voting. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. But given the events of a recent school board meeting, this shouldnt come as a shock. 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.. At least one of the employees was supposed to present a 10-minute update on the anti-racist policy. (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); })(). The findings call his conduct unprofessional.. School Board student members will hold non-voting advisory positions. The experiences of the past year have taught parents a hard lesson just how little power they have in the current system of public education. But the district is doing what it can to keep the report from public view. 11% of the management team is Black or African American. 198.1.97.113 The tension came to a head during an Aug. 28, 2020, phone call between Hampson, DeWolf, the complainants, and SPS staff. School Board student members will receive $17.27/hour for their work in this role, not to exceed 20 hours a month. But the investigation said her treatment of Scarlett and Al-ansi was not based on race or gender, as alleged. 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. The School is accredited by the New England . 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. Once selected, student members will need to obtain written permission to work from their parent or guardian. Since 2013, evolved legal intern program at the Allen Institute into a law school class to teach the practical aspects and soft skills . Hampsons attorneys are seeking to overturn the finding that their client violated the districts harassment, intimidation and bullying policy and say the district has not explained how events that led to the investigation meet the threshold of causing substantial harm to staffers under the policy. Next year, Seattle voters may be voting for candidates in different Seattle School Board districts, the result of a monthslong redrawing of board member districts this fall. He also said that both of the women were not qualified to continue working on the policy. Lets remember, six of the last seven people who had the job ran for re-election. The Seattle School Board recognizes the organizational structure of the district can create a wall between decision makers and the students the district serves. DeWolf did not respond to requests for comment. Sami Al-Abdrabbuh, the chairman of a school board in northwest Oregon, has received death threats. It only requested Hampson and DeWolf review the policy the investigation said they violated. I dont know what youre getting at by sharing yours, Hampson added, according to the witness. Medicare open enrollment is here and SHIBA can help! 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. Mar. The events that took place between Seattle public school staff and board members Chandra Hampson and Zachary DeWolfe . The petition is accompanied by a detailed list of news reports, recorded school board votes and official school board resolutions to back up the recall petitions claims. Scarlett and Al-ansi did not appear pleased with the process. When not harassing Black, female staff, they fought to keep dangerous homeless encampments on school property, including one that housed a sex offender. Capitol Hill's school board seat will have a vacancy this year, and the incumbent has some thoughts for anyone interested in running. 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. Staff involvement was a privilege, not a right, Hampsons attorneys argue in court documents. The attorneys representing the district, Pacific Law Group LLC, referred to the district for comment. Hampson, on the other hand, is in office until 2023 and its unclear if shell run for re-election. Yes, they get reimbursed a little for expenses such as gas and supplies but certainly not for their time. More info. She is passionate about high-quality education for all Washington students and for an equitable education system to help fully equip achievers for tomorrow. Yet here they wont? 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. There was another meeting between the board directors and the complainants on Sept. 16, 2020. District staff thought they knew better and felt sidelined. Believe me, I know. Her online tantrum may have broken the law . 2013 - Present10 years. Theyre always quick to lift other peoples stories and present them as their own. "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 . 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. They were victims of HIB, no doubt. Hampson did acknowledge the group phone call was terrible, the report said, but denied violating harassment, intimidation and bullying board policies. It was only days after Sami Al-Abdrabbuh was re-elected to . They barely got a slap on the wrist. Every 10 years, in accordance with the U.S. census count, Seattle Public Schools board members have the task of approving a new district election map. 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. Hampson did not respond to requests for comment. Leslie Harris (incumbent), 61. All students and the more than 100 full-time faculty members live on the grounds. 1 and International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local No. 1250, School Board Student Members. Hampson declined to comment. And in that letter I heard from two brilliant Black women that worked within our district, Rivera-Smith said. But why did it take the Seattle Times months to cover? 2400 11th Avenue East Seattle WA 98102. 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). 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 . It was public during the September school board hearing. and . Contact the Student Members through Lets Talk. A primary was scheduled for August 3, 2021. Is there a reason you telling me this? Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a2e666278b6291a SEATTLE, WA- Massive homeless encampments have taken over several school grounds in Seattle.Instead of demanding that the growing tent communities be removed, the Seattle School Board president and one of its directors have reportedly urged Mayor Jenny Durkan to not clear them out.. Best believe anywhere else, there would be zero homeless camps outside a school. Its been made available only through a public disclosure request. Hampson and DeWolf are no strangers to controversy. So far SPS has spent $36,238.53 defending the case against Hampson, according to public records. Contact us with questions about applying to be a School Board Student Member. It was an attempt to limit Scarletts contributions to the meeting. Board members raised their voices at staff and the conversation has been described as terrible, heated, and berating, according to interviews conducted by investigators. Please fill out this form by April 3, 2023 if you would like to join the School Board Student Member Selection Committee. Performance & security by Cloudflare. 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. Her attorneys filed a brief on Friday to the appeals court. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. and are the keepers of school policy. Mary Fertakis, Kevin Wang, Patty Wood - At-Large Positions Districts of Seattle's size are also limited by state law to seven School Board Directors. "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. Theres also a federal law, the 1965 Voting Rights Act, with similar requirements that prohibit discriminatory practices when redistricting. Seattle Public Schools hired MFR Law Group PLLC (MFR) to conduct an extensive investigation into school board directors Chandra Hampson and Zachary DeWolf. 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. King County Superior Court Judge Maf Rajul dismissed the case in April and, shortly after, Hampsons attorney filed an appeal in the states Court of Appeals. He was elected twice to the Seattle School Board serving from 2007 to 2015. District 5 - Michelle Sarju. School Board Member Chandra Hampson appealed the outcome of the investigation in September. These meetings are held Wednesdays at 4:15 p.m. at John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence. 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. Northwest for Underrepresented Regions (NUR) seeks to improve access to educational opportunities in . The only somewhat meaningful reporting on this complaint came from the Seattle Times. By. 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. Volunteer to help people understand their Medicare options! School board members Lisa . A list of School Board Members and Superintendents. Hampson had been a last-minute addition to the conference call. The recall petition must be reviewed and approved by Superior Court Judge Patrick Oishi. The two SPS employees believed board members were silencing, undermining, discrediting and discriminating against them based on gender and race, court documents say. 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 report found Hampson worked with DeWolf to limit the impacts and remarks of the district employee. During a board meeting Sept. 9, the board voted to take action based on the findings of the investigation. 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. Some kids are back at Seattle schools, but 2 homeless camps near Meany Middle and BroadviewThomson Elementary have parents worried. 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. Redistricting is required by law. Board members must first be elected to the 40+ member BCS Corporation. 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. The Seattle Public Schools board unanimously approved the new district elections map last week. But on Sept. 9, 2021, a month after the report was submitted, the board voted to waive the requirement that it be posted online. School Board student members should also possess an awareness of challenges and barriers that they or others experience in education and in society. PO Class Reps. Preschool Class Rep - Rojine Rudio. The Stranger, normally interested in amplifying claims of racism, offered the bare minimum in covering the story, only to link to the Seattle Times. 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, at least three days before public meetings. The findings note that four of the 13 witnesses they interviewed opined that Dir. Seattle School Board chooses new board member, approves plan to return to classrooms . November 2, 2021. Consequently, media coverage has been scant and inadequate. Applications for the 2023-24 student member positions will be open Monday, Feb. 27 - March 24. She coordinated with DeWolf in an attempt to limit the complainants from speaking about their work on the policy and from offering input. SPS contracted FLO Analytics, a consulting company with expertise in data analysis and redistricting, to draw new district election maps. Approval of the 2021-2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between Seattle School District No. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Both Hampson and DeWolf, according to the complainants, were upset that they lost control over the anti-racism policy to two Black women. 8. Hampson appears easily slighted and is disrespectful to many people. 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 West Seattle news, 24/7. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Posting comments is now limited to subscribers only. Food, Drink, and Coastal Christmas Anacortes has it all. Board of Trustees - Seattle Preparatory School. School Board student members will participate in committee discussions and are encouraged to question and communicate their opinions, suggestions, and concerns. "It is unreasonable to . 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. 2023 Bonneville International. Population and demographic changes in Seattle cause district boundaries to fluctuate. Seattle, Washington, United States. The board voted on March 24 to move Pre-K through fifth-grade students into in-person instruction starting in April 2021. The superintendent was in attendance. Not be a current employee of the district and/or be related to a current employee in that district. The student school board positions are new positions, created by School Board Policy No. Before she was first elected to the District 6 seat in 2015, she worked on the Schools First campaign in support of district levies. 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. This behavior is always done to Black folks and holds up anti-Blackness. 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. And their commitment to turning an anti-racist policy into a pro-Black anti-racist policy is instructive. The company, which has offices in the Pacific Northwest and New England, created various maps based on legal requirements, community and board member input. Multiple school board members say . Lake Washington Windows and Doors is a local window dealer offering the exclusive Leak Armor installation. I certainly understand that SPS did not make it easy to track this story. 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.. It unnecessarily meddles in the employment practices. Normally, this investigation would be posted online three days ahead of a school board meeting. And it . I have been doing this for 30+ years, and I dont need to hear your qualifications. 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. Selection of School Board Student Members; Approval of the Amended 2021-22 Superintendent . Email the Records and Archives Center archives@seattleschools.org for finding aids for paper records: school board and superintendent's working files, correspondence and meeting materials. 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. And, moving forward, new school board members would be required to take training on HIB conduct. John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence Elected to the Central Valley School Board in Spokane Valley in November 2011, Bolt . The SHIBA program part of the Office of the Insurance Commissioner is ready to help with your Medicare open enrollment decisions. Selection Committee members will review applications for the Student Member positions and collaborate to make final recommendations. Do I need to pull out my resume? she asked, according to witness testimony. 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 . However, DeWolf cut her off before the 10 minutes were up, telling her twice to wrap up her comments, the report said. 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.