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But some witnesses and school board directors got in the way. The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times. More info. 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. Seattle Public Schools hired MFR Law Group PLLC (MFR) to conduct an extensive investigation into school board directors Chandra Hampson and Zachary DeWolf. 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). 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. One year appointment. 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. 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. 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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. 2445 3rd Ave. S, Seattle, WA 98134 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. In the summer of 2020, the two staffers and board members disagreed on when the anti-racism policy should go to a board vote. School Board Member Chandra Hampson appealed the outcome of the investigation in September. 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. Volunteer to help people understand their Medicare options! DeWolf engaged more harshly, disrespectfully, and/or rudely with women, regardless of race. But others note hes rude to everyone regardless of gender. 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. BCS is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation. While I started to look into it then, I purposefully withheld my reporting until now. District 6 - Leslie S. Harris. Leslie Harris (incumbent), 61. Hampson told MFR investigators that she was being disrespected as a school board director. 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. District 3 - Chandra N. Hampson. 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. Board members must first be elected to the 40+ member BCS Corporation. Neither board member had to pay a fine, nor were they disciplined. "It is unreasonable to . Click to reveal 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. City officials and school board members have declined to meet with the group of neighbors, parents and employees who are . School Board Audit Quarterly Meeting. Location. Districts of Seattle's size are also limited by state law to seven School Board Directors. But Scarlett and Al-ansi wanted more legitimate community engagement with the Black community before passing the policy. 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. Washington Democrats are trying to force employers to hire or retain potheads with new legislation. 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. They were victims of HIB, no doubt. 2023 Bonneville International. She repeatedly said she was elected to do this work and appeared upset that her authority and duty were questioned. Yes, they get reimbursed a little for expenses such as gas and supplies but certainly not for their time. 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. MFR investigators did, however, find that Hampson used her position and authority to the detriment of the complainants. Board members accused both employees of inaccuracies in the policy. 1 and International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local No. Follow@JasonRantz onTwitter,Instagram, andParler,and like me onFacebook. School board members in Washington are basically volunteers. 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. Hampson, meanwhile, wanted to vote on the anti-racism policy instead of waiting for more community engagement, arguing its already been done. Try searching for this story on the websites for KIRO 7, KING 5, KOMO News, or FOX 13. So far SPS has spent $36,238.53 defending the case against Hampson, according to public records. Multiple school board members say . Staff involvement was a privilege, not a right, Hampsons attorneys argue in court documents. Some school board directors even declined to be interviewed for fear their comments would become public record. Seattle Public Schools started out the 2020-2021 school year in remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, they seem upset that an investigation would occur and that their claims arent believed at face value. As Scarlett was discussing her desire to ensure the policy is a pro-Black anti-racist policy, she was repeatedly interrupted by DeWolf. 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. Enrollment ('17-'18) 54,573 students. The investigation itself was extensive. During a group phone call in August 2020, the situation took a turn for the worse. 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. Seattle media deserves to be called out on this. 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 As crime increases, our safety measures must too, GSBA is closing the disparity gap with Ready for Business Fund. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. School Board 1971 (PH 007-25) Archives. Any immediate political consequences are unknown. The two SPS employees believed board members were silencing, undermining, discrediting and discriminating against them based on gender and race, court documents say. 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. For details see Revised Code of Washington 29A.56.110. There was another meeting between the board directors and the complainants on Sept. 16, 2020. When Al-ansi attempted to explain why her ties to the local Black communities would help tweak the policy, Hampson interrupted to scoff at the womans bona fides. School Board student members will hold non-voting advisory positions. November 2, 2021. The employees names were redacted. However, the investigation did not conclude Hampson and DeWolf discriminated against staffers based on their race or gender. Posting comments is now limited to subscribers only. The conduct violated SPSs policy against harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB). DeWolf totally disagreed with the allegations and described himself as conflict averse and being careful in this situation.. 2445 3rd Ave. S, Seattle, WA 98134 All rights reserved. Kirby has served as Board Chair at Special Olympics of Washington, where he helped bring the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games to Seattle. Hampson did not respond to requests for comment. Some kids are back at Seattle schools, but 2 homeless camps near Meany Middle and BroadviewThomson Elementary have parents worried. Email the Records and Archives Center [email protected] for finding aids for paper records: school board and superintendents working files, correspondence and meeting materials. 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 . 11% of Seattle Public Schools management is Hispanic or Latino. 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. Selection Committee members will review applications for the Student Member positions and collaborate to make final recommendations. District 4 - Vivian Song Maritz. District 5 - Michelle Sarju. Before she was first elected to the District 6 seat in 2015, she worked on the Schools First campaign in support of district levies. 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. Work. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. But the investigation said her treatment of Scarlett and Al-ansi was not based on race or gender, as alleged. The findings call his conduct unprofessional.. 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. Applications for the 2023-24 student member positions will be open Monday, Feb. 27 - March 24. The current policy doesnt codify any punishment for HIB conduct, so neither Hampson nor DeWolf were punished. When not harassing Black, female staff, they fought to keep dangerous homeless encampments on school property, including one that housed a sex offender. 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. Inspired by the Angela Davis quote that Walls turned sideways are bridges, the board recognizes the organizational structure of the district can create a wall between decision makers and the students the district serves. School Board Special Meeting: Executive Session: Supt Eval Check-In; Work Session: Policy Diet. The seven . Scarlett and Al-ansi outlined the complaints in a memo titled Bullying, Intimidation, and Anti-Black Racism, which was sent to the full board and then-SPS Superintendent Denise Juneau. But why did it take the Seattle Times months to cover? 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. The findings note that four of the 13 witnesses they interviewed opined that Dir. 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. March 8 @ 4:30 pm - 7:00 pm. 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. By. 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. Better yet: Where are they? School Board (1882 present) minutes, indexes, correspondence, email, public hearings and administrative documents. This behavior is always done to Black folks and holds up anti-Blackness. District officials said that number will increase because the case is ongoing. District 2 - Lisa Rivera Smith. Consequently, media coverage has been scant and inadequate. Seattle, Washington, United States. But the district is doing what it can to keep the report from public view. 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. And District 6 in West Seattle now stretches to the other side of the Duwamish Waterway and includes Georgetown and South Park. It only requested Hampson and DeWolf review the policy the investigation said they violated. 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. The student-led Selection Committee will support the Board's selection of three (3) students for the 2023-24 . Her online tantrum may have broken the law . 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.. Not have been convicted of a felony. Seattle school board directors Zachary DeWolf (L) and Chandra Hampson (R). 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. Embattled Seattle School Board President Chandra Hampson deleted critical comments from her Facebook page. 04 Mar 2023 01:18:54 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. Some of the biggest changes: District 2, which incorporates Green Lake and Phinney Ridge, has expanded west to include Ballard and Magnolia. 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. 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 are the keepers of school policy. Self-interested unions, insider political interests and entrenched school officials decide what happens in public schools, not parents. 198.1.97.113 Education. 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. Their feelings about why or how they were targeted do not replace the need for evidence. John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence Have at least a high school diploma or a certificate of high school equivalency. At least one of the employees was supposed to present a 10-minute update on the anti-racist policy. Seattle Times staff reporter. 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.. Currently, Liza Rankin holds the district 1 spot, Lisa Rivera Smith represents district 2, Chandra Hampson represents . This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Students on the selection committee must: Students on the selection committee will be able to earn community service hours for their work. By . Monica Velez. 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. 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. The 2,000-acre grounds are home to approximately 535 students from more than 30 states and 13 countries. School Board student members should reflect the impressive diversity of the district and represent a variety of interests, perspectives, and backgrounds. Seattle School Board chooses new board member, approves plan to return to classrooms . 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.. The report was never posted to the Seattle Schools website. 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. 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. It unnecessarily meddles in the employment practices. The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times. They couldnt get to this sooner? 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. This case highlights that particular problem and ultimately can bring affirmation to the board and the superintendent they hire.. DeWolf did not run for re-election and will suffer no immediate political consequences as a result. 15. 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. He also said that both of the women were not qualified to continue working on the policy. The company, which has offices in the Pacific Northwest and New England, created various maps based on legal requirements, community and board member input. March 24, 2021 Updated Wed., March 24, 2021 at 8:31 p.m. 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. MJ Bolt is an elected Eastern Washington representative to the Washington State Board of Education. Currently, Liza Rankin holds the district 1 spot, Lisa Rivera Smith represents district 2, Chandra Hampson represents district 3, and Leslie Harris represents district 6. Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyers claim Jeffrey Epstein's 15-year-old Florida plea deal should undo her sex-trafficking conviction. They were accused of waging sexist and anti-Black harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB) campaigns against two Black female SPS staff. As a former elected official, its bloody nonsense.. Kindergarten Class Rep - Whitney Qualls. But the Seattle Times has an entire education section of their paper. John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence Raymond Delos Reyes is a first-generation Filipino American, born in Seattle and a native of the Rainier Valley neighborhood, where he continues to reside. Mason Trinca for The New York Times. 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. Elise Takahama. August 3, 2021. 206-252-0000, Distributing Information to Students and Schools, Northwest Coast Art by Andrea Wilbur-Sigo, Squaxin/Skokomish. Yet here they wont? The only somewhat meaningful reporting on this complaint came from the Seattle Times. The recall petition must be reviewed and approved by Superior Court Judge Patrick Oishi. A list of School Board Members and Superintendents. His complaint appears to come from her wanting to work more independently from him. 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. The anti-racism policy has not been adopted by the school board. These meetings are held Wednesdays at 4:15 p.m. at John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence. The judge does not rule on the truth of the charges, only their legal sufficiency under state law. 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. 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. Director Harris has every right to vote yes or no on any measure that presents itself to the board. Hampson and DeWolf are no strangers to controversy. In 2023, voters will choose board members for districts 1, 2, 3, and 6. 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.. The student school board positions are new positions, created by School Board Policy No. Zirahuen Herrejon-Crutcher, a student at Ballard High School, details her experience with sexual assault and how it was handled, to the Seattle Public Schools school board, on Wednesday, December . GSBA, Comcast, and other partners are working to address disparities in access to financial resources with the Ready for Business fund. Paralegal. The Seattle Public Schools board unanimously approved the new district elections map last week. Another Washington community is having to deal with the possibility of rogue sex offenders. I dont know what youre getting at by sharing yours, Hampson added, according to the witness. 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. 68% of the management team is White. 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. Mar. 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. 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. It was public during the September school board hearing. 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. 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.. (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); })().