Katherine Berg

The meeting commenced with an acknowledgment of being on ancestral lands. The Superintendent apologized for absence at a previous special meeting and thanked staff for smooth operations returning from winter break. A significant portion of the discussion addressed operational challenges related to unconfirmed reports of immigration enforcement near school buildings, emphasizing established protocols that require warrants for enforcement on school property and committing to improved centralized decision-making for principals in such ambiguous situations. Key agenda items included a briefing on offering highly capable services and their impact on student assignment policies, the renewal of the student and community workforce agreement with construction and trades labor partners, and a proclamation recognizing Black Lives Matter at School week of action in February 2026. Student board directors provided updates on meetings with the NAACP youth council, the AIC committee, and ongoing work on the student board member website and future communication strategies. Board members also offered commendations to the outgoing Superintendent on their seventh anniversary and service during a transition period. Housekeeping items noted an upcoming special budget meeting and a board retreat. During liaison reports, legislative updates were provided, including discussions on Senate Bill 5906 concerning personal safety protections and Senate Bill 5858 regarding transportation safety net funding. Additionally, there were discussions expressing enthusiasm for the community workforce agreement and expressing concerns that the school year calendar approval process has become overly centered on labor negotiations rather than students and families.

The special board meeting addressed the acknowledgement of ancestral lands and conducted a role call. The session included an introduction of the new Superintendent, who provided remarks concerning two students tragically killed the previous Friday, emphasizing the need for action. The meeting agenda was structured in two parts: progress monitoring on the mathematics goals, followed by a continuation of the budget work session. The progress monitoring focused on Goal Number Two for math, reviewing performance status related to state assessments (SBA) and interim measures (MAP). Discussions highlighted that current strategies are resulting in a 'maintaining' status across key metrics, prompting questions regarding necessary strategic shifts to meet aggressive targets, especially for subgroups furthest from educational justice. Specific updates covered projected proficiency for grades 4, 5, and 6 in mathematics, noting that current practices lead to maintenance rather than expected aggressive growth. The latter part of the presentation detailed district-wide strategies aligned with the draft strategic plan, including focusing on high-quality tier one instruction, expanding the use of curriculum-embedded assessments for data analysis, and improving multi-tiered systems of support.

The special board meeting focused on setting the baseline for progress monitoring related to the 'life ready' goal, which pertains to students graduating having completed Washington state graduation requirements and one of several post-secondary readiness indicators (dual credit, work-based learning, or FAFSA/WASA application). Discussions covered the planned aggressive five-year trajectory for improvement, moving from 84.8% in June 2025 to a target of 94.8% in June 2030. The meeting also addressed district and state policy changes affecting graduation requirements, including grading belief shifts toward standards-based grading. Initial baseline data for interim measures were presented, notably showing that only 52.5% of all 8th-grade students furthest from educational justice have completed the required early high school and beyond plan tasks.

The meeting commenced with an acknowledgement of the ancestral lands of the Puet Sound Coast Salish people and a roll call. The Superintendent provided updates celebrating the Special Education Program achieving Level One status in the OSPI review, signifying compliance with all state parameters, and recognizing the Communications team for receiving multiple awards for their work, including SPS TV content. The Superintendent also discussed transitions in leadership and celebrated a successful partnership with the city to distribute supplemental food during a SNAP benefit delay. Student Directors provided updates on forthcoming meetings regarding revisions to Policy 1250 with the NAACP youth council, communication plan reviews for social media, and plans to reshape the student representative webpage. Board Directors shared takeaways from the Washington State School Directors Association annual conference, focusing on topics such as student cell phone policy implementation, the definition of school safety (including mental and physical health), and the importance of building culture before expecting systemic change. Committee and liaison reports covered the Head Start program receiving its 2025-2026 grant retroactive to November 1st, and legislative concerns regarding the proposed move of Elementary and Secondary Education functions to the Department of Labor, potential government shutdown timelines, and rising fears among immigrant families due to federal actions, prompting a request to reaffirm district policy against requiring Social Security numbers for identification.

This special meeting convened for the purpose of swearing in newly elected school board directors, including Jennifer Lavali, Kathleen Smith, Vivian Song, and Joe Miseri. Following the oaths of office, the new directors made opening comments, expressing their commitment to the students, families, and educators of Seattle Public Schools. Key themes from the directors included focusing on academic rigor, demanding progress, fostering partnership and clear communication, centering human connection, and rebuilding community trust. The board expressed a collective ambition to make Seattle Public Schools the greatest urban school district in the nation.