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Friday Memo to the Board Superintendent’s Office for the week of January 25-29, 2021 Happenings: • Small cabinet continued to meet daily as we collaborate and work on continued implementation of Seattle Excellence and in-person learning planning. • Attended an event where Seattle businesses, non-profits, and other organizations heard and learned from the brilliance of Oakland Kingmakers Founder Chris Chatmon and our own Dr. Mia Williams about our work of Supporting Black Excellence in Seattle Public Schools • Met with Lisa Chick to get an update on the work the Alliance for Education is doing in support of SPS students • Held Virtual Townhall to discuss reopening schools in person and outdoor ed-Thank you Benjamin Coulter, Dr. Scarlett and Interagency High School teacher Jay Connelly for joining me • Visited with SPS African American school leaders at our monthly check-in • Attended local superintendent meeting • Met with community leaders to share our work to date • Hosted and all-staff JSCEE staff meeting to share budget updates Black Lives Matter at School Week is next week, Feb. 1-5. This week is recognized as an opportunity to promote racial justice and identity safety in classrooms, and I am grateful for our schools that are participating in this important work. Legislative Updates: This week in the legislature, a number of bills were heard in legislative committees that staff are monitoring. HB 1208 modifies the Learning Assistance Program by removing restrictions on the current use of dollars so they may be used to accelerate learning and mitigate academic COVID-19 impacts. The bill also removes the use of LAP funds on behavior supports and requires future alignment with the Washington Integrated Student Supports Protocol. We worked with partner districts to provide written testimony requesting that behavioral and social emotional supports be added back in as an allowable use for LAP funds so we may support students through the non-academic impacts of COVID and continue programming that has been effective in reducing barriers to learning. HB 1368 provides the requirements for the appropriation of ESSER II funds. The bill would require that by March 1, 2021, districts update their reopening plans for the 2020-21 school year in the OSPI provided template, including a schedule for expanding in-person instruction and the student groups that will receive in-person instruction by group, grade, and school. By June 1, 2021, districts must submit an academic and student well-being recovery plan to OSPI that addresses learning loss by student group, the identification of diagnostic assessment tools, identification of learning and well-being gaps, and how additional time and supports will be focused on students most impacted. Other bills of interest included: HB 1153 requiring language access improvements at the state and district level; HB 1266 convening a K-12 staff salary workgroup; HB 1214 relating to training for safety and security staff in K-12 schools; and SB 5249 relating to mastery based learning and creating a “profile of a graduate.” Another exciting development is the passage of SB 5044 through the Senate. SB 5044 requires training that addresses anti-racism, cultural competency, and diversity, equity, and inclusion for all school and district staff, as well as all school board directors. WSSDA will partner with the EOGOAC (Educational Opportunity Gap Oversight and Accountability Committee) on developing training for directors. This bill will now move onto the House. Discussions are ongoing regarding the distribution and balance of state and federal funding to address learning needs as a result of the COVID-19 crisis and impacts on district budgets due to declining enrollment and transportation ridership. Under the current OSPI proposal “any district that would receive more federal ESSER II funds than they would in state stabilization funds would receive federal funds only. Districts that would receive more in state stabilization funds would receive federal ESSER II funds and state funds in an amount so the combined state and federal funds would equal the total state stabilization funds.” Seattle would currently receive federal funds only under this proposal. Friday Memo to the Board Schools & Continuous Improvement for the week of January 25-29, 2021 Phased-In Return to School Update: District leadership is collaborating with school leaders to plan for the Phased-In Return to school. We have designed two committees where we can operate in a feedback loop for the purpose of co-designing the implementation of established guidelines and protocols. Each committee is scheduled to meet every week. Below is a brief description of each committee. CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION COMMITTEE The goal of the CAI committee will be to provide guidance and input on district procedures and protocols related to the resumption of in-person instruction and the continuation of remote learning pathways. Topics include equity, curriculum, assessment, scope and sequence, alignment and PD. This committee will be tasked with considering all stakeholders in the design of the instructional day (SEA/ teachers, childcare, central office, school leaders, directors of schools, etc.). OPERATIONS COMMITTEE The goal of the Operations Committee will be to provide guidance and input on district procedures and protocols on the following topics: daily schedules, equitable access, recess, meals, health and safety, transportation, school facilities and personnel schedules. Technical information will be exchanged, tabletop exercise to explore the application of possible logistical and operational options and drafting or revisions to current guidance and protocols. Communications and timelines will also be a part of the conversations. Principal Hiring Update: Following up on the request of Director Harris to provide a written description of the hiring process for principals that we send to the community, she requested some additional information. The process in which we have hired principals has remained the same for the last three years. While the process had some differences during Dr. Larry Nyland’s tenure, it had many of the same elements we are using now. We don’t have the three-year record of correspondence on open principal positions readily available but will work with the central office teams to see what, if any records, we have to provide details over the last three years. Currently we are anticipating the following schools to have an opening for a principal position for the 2021- 22 school year: • Coe • Thornton Creek • Garfield • View Ridge • Highland Park • McDonald There are still some school leaders on leave, and we anticipate more openings coming later this spring. We will provide an update in a couple of months as more information is secured and we are able to post additional principal openings. Friday Memo to the Board Equity, Partnerships & Engagement (EPE) For the Week of January 25-29, 2021 EPE Division • Chief James Bush will participate on a panel with Dr. Keisha Scarlett, Chief Academic Officer, and Dr. Mia Williams, Chief of African American Male Achievement, during the January 30 All-District Convening Racial Equity Team (RET) Virtual Institute. They will share their vision, mission and philosophy for drawing a through-line between the work of RETs and the impact on Black students across all points of our system. Department of Racial Equity Advancement (DREA) • DREA will be hosting an All-District Convening Racial Equity Teams Institute on Saturday, January 30, 2021. • DREA supported the development and distribution of the Black Lives Matter at School Resource Guide, sending the guide to Racial Equity Teams, EPE staff, and the Center for Racial Equity during the week of January 25, 2021. This was executed through a cross- organizational collaboration between Seattle Public Schools and Seattle Education Association, including educators and staff from Department of Racial Equity Advancement, Curriculum, Assessment and Instruction, Student Support Services, Department of African American Male Achievement, the Center for Racial Equity, and more. • On January 29, 2021, DREA is meeting with the Center for Racial Equity to discuss next steps in providing 1:1 coaching to Racial Equity Team co-leads. School & Community Partnerships • The Director of Strategic Partnerships position was posted and will remain open until February 3, 2021. The department plans to hold interviews mid-February. Stakeholder Engagement (SE) • Stakeholder Engagement Tour of the Schools | The SE team has introduced our growing body of work and learning about school leadership's joys and challenges throughout the District's 104 schools. This week the SE team met with Emerson K5 Learning Support Team. • January Convening of Equity and Race Advisory Committee (ERAC) | The current group is refamiliarizing themselves with their current charge while exploring possible ongoing focus and desired leadership structure. January's session concluded with establishing an ERAC steering committee to organize and coordinate the ongoing work of the Advisory Council. • Goals 4 & 5 Workgroup | Ongoing development of 9th Grade Success Tracker and Family Engagement strategy. Current goal work is focusing on integrating more African American parent-/community-informed programmatic approaches. • Kindergarten Enrollment | Ongoing development of postcard outreach to SHA families of 4-year-olds; identifying an Early Education Department liaison for Housing and Education to assist with the

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