SHCPA School Board Candidate Forum
October 30, 2019
Shoreline Library
Opening statements:
Candidates for Director Position #5: Joe Cunningham and Sara Betnel
Joe Cunningham has three children:
Among Joe’s past career and volunteer experiences:
___________________________________
Sara Betnel has two children: a 2nd grader and a 5th grader who have attended the Shoreline Children’s Center, Cascade K-8, and Brookside Elementary. They are temporarily receiving homeschooling services due to certain needs that had arisen in their learning. Sara feels fortunate to have been able to explore alternative options of education for her family, and is excited for her kids to return to Shoreline schools next year.
____________________
Meghan Jernigan (running for district #1) is inspired by her lineage as the great-great granddaughter of Jefferson Gardner, who was elected as the principal chief of the Choctaw Nation in 1894. She is a staff scientist at Washington State University, a role that enables her to live among, work, and serve with many of the tribal communities across the state. She shared culturally meaningful phrases throughout her opening statement (via translation):
Meghan’s reason for running for Shoreline school board is so that she can offer her perspective and point-of-view. Per Meghan: “We need lots of voices at the table including native voices and voices of people of color if we are going to build a district that works for all of us.”
___________________________
Question #1: Because many of our Highly Capable students have attributes such as neurodiversity, asynchronous development, and special needs (e.g. twice-exceptional or "2e" students) which may require interventions to support their learning, what is your future vision for Highly Capable services in our district?
Sara- Sara recognizes that each student arrives to school with diverse experiences, backgrounds, and learning abilities, as do our teachers and families.
Sara’s vision for the entire district: “To meet every student where they are, as they are, the moment that walk into the (class)room everyday” by looking at the full spectrum of learning: identifying any learning challenges and also the areas in which they may excel. She believes in bringing solutions together and serving students in every space in which they may be.
Sara also sees the teacher/student relationship as the “heart of deep learning.” She encourages teachers and students to foster trust together, and from there, students can connect with others in the classroom and learn from them.
Meghan- Meghan’s son tested into Highly Capable as a kindergartner. She believes that there is a broader context from which this is question is coming – that districts across the nation are having difficult conversations and making difficult decisions about inclusion and diversity regarding their Highly Capable programs. School districts are exploring collectively: do their Hi Cap cohorts look demographically like the rest of their districts, and if they don’t – why not?
Her vision for Highly Capable: That Hi Cap “remains critically conscious as it is, but that it also is successful with providing services to folks that it hasn’t been reaching or testing.” She is proud of what Shoreline has done recently (e.g. elimination of Saturday testing events and testing in kindergarten) and believes that these are meaningful steps towards equity. She explains that because these are new steps for the district, the data that she has received earlier in the week suggests that the speed for the new processes to impact Highly Capable demographics is slow. This is because Hi Cap testing focuses on early exposure to reading and is reflective of economic status. The district needs to work through professional development with our teachers so that they can identify kids for Highly Capable who don’t typically belong in the traditional sense. This is one way to diversify.
Joe – Joe believes that all educational approaches need to start with the child (child-centered), to ensure that what we have in place serves that child. When families consider service options for their kids, they need to look at the “whole picture” such as transportation, the number of transitions involved over time (e.g. changing of locations), mentoring programs, supports for social relationships, teacher training, services for family members, and working together as a team to build out services. Joe refers to his oldest son: although his son was diagnosed with a developmental disability (autism) at an early age, he also knew his son’s strengths. Joe encourages all of us “to collectively look at our kids, look at their strengths, how can we build them, and how can we work together to bring services to fulfill their needs.” As a Shoreline school board director, Joe’s commitment is to work towards this.
_____________________________________
Question #2: Recently New York City and Seattle Public Schools have discussed dismantling their Highly Capable programs as they are perceived as being racially biased and inequitable. With regards to this topic, what would be your message to Highly Capable families in Shoreline?
Meghan- Meghan shared that she recently read an article written by a Garfield High School Highly Capable student who was reacting to demographic data involving Seattle Public Schools, who in turn, was reacting to the same data (e.g. large disparities with placement involving people of color). She asserted that institutions oftentimes believe that they need to act/react quickly when difficult data in placed in front of them.
Meghan added that getting rid of Hi Cap is not the solution to addressing equity. We need to ask why are there no native kids and kids of color in the Hi Cap cohort. We need to be curious and to bring people to the table to find out why. School districts in Pierce and Snohomish counties have examples of teacher referrals (through school board policy) that can be a strategic way to address equity in Hi Cap programs and to build engagement. This approach can work for many and does not include eliminating a program.
Joe- Joe believes that “we need to start by listening and asking the right questions.” Through his work with outreach and in particular with families with developmental disabilities, Joe has formed relationships within different communities, including communities of color and focusing on those who are thought leaders. He cited a past discussion with a gentleman from Pakistan who explained to Joe that sometimes people just don’t trust the organization or system. For Joe, it’s all about building those relationships and not simply sitting behind the desk as a school board member – but instead, meeting families and community members, circulating, being visible, and building services for communities of color and others.
Sara- Sara believes that this is a vital question, and that that Hi Cap practices are not only perceived as inequitable – they ARE inequitable. This is not a judgment on those families in Hi Cap, but rather, a bigger judgment upon on our system, our assessments and tools, our society – and just how have we arrived to this moment. Sara posed the question: what do current Hi Cap families see as the way forward since they are inside of it? Do families really believe that there are only a few hundred students in our district that are truly Highly Capable? If we answer “no,” then we are all sitting in the same place together to ask – how can we find those students?
Sara is grateful for universal screening and for testing during the school day – these are huge steps. These practices resulted in a 30% increase in the Northshore school district among students of color. Shoreline has not had practices long enough to see “the needle move.” Another historically underserved (testing into Hi Cap) group is our low-income students. It’s not only an assessment of how well students are able to succeed at the moment of the testing but also how successful the tests are to really identify their abilities.
________________________________
Closing statements:
Joe- Joe appreciates the kinship with the Hi Cap parent group. When he ran the Arc of King County coalition, he witnessed the beauty of “parent power.” He added that “bringing our issues and concerns to the decision makers is vitally important.” Joe will aim to work with all families so that their children will receive the services they need.
Sara- Sara recognized many families in the audience and appreciated their advocacy efforts on behalf of their children. Empowering children is important, too, as well as encouraging them to find their voices. She wants the school board to be an entity in a relationship with each family, so that they are heard, understood and answered; desires to find solutions so that all kids thrive and excel.
Meghan- Meghan acknowledged Sara’s words and also commented on the organizing power in the meeting room as being impressive. Meghan has been heavily involved with the Meridian Park school and community, and has served as its PTSA board secretary. The school also serves as one of the Hi Cap magnet sites and also as kindergarten overflow. When her son started kindergarten at Meridian Park, there were 2 kinder classrooms; now there are 11 classrooms. The school has undergone many changes, which has been part of her motivation to act. Big changes have impact on school culture, administrators and teachers. They have caused her lift up her head and think about who’s at the table and who’s missing. She’s committed to driving the success of the district.
Answers delivered to us by Mike Jacobs via email (Incumbent for district #1)
Q. Because many of our Highly Capable students have attributes such as neurodiversity, asynchronous development, and special needs (e.g. twice-exceptional or "2e" students) which may require interventions to support their learning, what is your future vision for Highly Capable services in our district?
A. Our District is fortunate to have in place many resources and interventions to support twice-exceptional students, which other Districts do not have or cannot afford. We need to continue to provide these services and be prepared to add services or adjust the services as future circumstances dictate.
For example, we currently have a Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) devoted to the support of the Highly Capable Program. We also have counselors, family advocates and instructional coaches providing support to the twice-exceptional students and families. We need to continue to provide these services and make sure the services are fully utilized by the students and families and are achieving the results we desire.
We also need to continue to provide professional development for our staff so our staff has the skills necessary to meet the needs of the twice-exceptional students.
Further, we need to continue to provide support and training for our staff and families at the magnet schools and the home schools. The services and opportunities for twice-exceptional students should be the same no matter where they are receiving the services.
Q. Recently New York City and Seattle Public Schools have discussed dismantling their Highly Capable programs as they are perceived as being racially biased and inequitable. With regards to this topic, what would be your message to Highly Capable families in Shoreline
A. We have no plans to dismantle the Highly Capable Program. In fact, the District is working very hard to make the Highly Capable Program more inclusive for all students.
For example, we have recently revised the day and time testing for Highly Capable Students takes place. Rather than testing on a Saturday, we give the test to all students during the school day. Therefore, all kids have the opportunity to test into the program, not just those kids whose families can take time off of work or whose families are aware of the Highly Capable program.
Further, we are working on educating families about the importance of providing their Highly Capable children with the opportunities afforded by the Highly Capable Program.
Finally, we have changed the way Highly Capable Students are identified by staff. The identification process is designed to account for kids of all different cultures, languages, races and abilities. The identification process is designed to remove institutional barriers so that ALL Highly Capable kids have the opportunity to participate in the program.
It is a work in progress to make our Highly Capable Program inclusive for all students. We will need to monitor and be willing to adjust the identification process as necessary, but we are moving in the right direction.
October 30, 2019
Shoreline Library
Opening statements:
Candidates for Director Position #5: Joe Cunningham and Sara Betnel
Joe Cunningham has three children:
- His eldest son currently attends college and experiences autism; he was also a 2016 Shorecrest graduate who had received IEP services and 504 accommodations during his education in Shoreline, and achieved Dean’s List recognition prior to graduation
- His daughter is a sophomore at Shorecrest; she was formerly a foster care adoptee and required special services due to early trauma
- His youngest son is currently a 2nd grader at Briarcrest; he recently completed Highly Capable assessments and Joe considers him a “bubble kid”
Among Joe’s past career and volunteer experiences:
- Arc of King County – Provided training services for those parents who needed services for their children with developmental disabilities and also for adults with similar needs
- Best Starts for Kids – Was a lead staff member who worked to influence “birth to age 24” policy around developmental screening services
___________________________________
Sara Betnel has two children: a 2nd grader and a 5th grader who have attended the Shoreline Children’s Center, Cascade K-8, and Brookside Elementary. They are temporarily receiving homeschooling services due to certain needs that had arisen in their learning. Sara feels fortunate to have been able to explore alternative options of education for her family, and is excited for her kids to return to Shoreline schools next year.
- Advocacy: Sara has been committed to advocating with other families in Olympia in recent times for initiatives such as fully funding education in our state. She also believes that it is vital to obtain alternative forms of revenue, as our current sources in WA state are not sustainable – which, in turn, can impact all students and service expansion, including Highly Capable.
- PTA: Sara’s experience includes PTA legislative chair at Brookside Elementary and also in the same capacity with the Shoreline PTA Council, which is focused on serving individual PTAs and understanding their needs. Through her PTA roles, she has been busy collaborating with families to advocate in Olympia for issues like universal screening for Highly Capable services, special needs support, and identifying areas that need more equity focus.
____________________
Meghan Jernigan (running for district #1) is inspired by her lineage as the great-great granddaughter of Jefferson Gardner, who was elected as the principal chief of the Choctaw Nation in 1894. She is a staff scientist at Washington State University, a role that enables her to live among, work, and serve with many of the tribal communities across the state. She shared culturally meaningful phrases throughout her opening statement (via translation):
- Thanking the audience for their time
- Coming together towards a shared vision – pulling together to accomplish things (per her mentorship with a special trial member named Anthony of the Yakima Nation)
- Offering her perspective and point-of-view
Meghan’s reason for running for Shoreline school board is so that she can offer her perspective and point-of-view. Per Meghan: “We need lots of voices at the table including native voices and voices of people of color if we are going to build a district that works for all of us.”
___________________________
Question #1: Because many of our Highly Capable students have attributes such as neurodiversity, asynchronous development, and special needs (e.g. twice-exceptional or "2e" students) which may require interventions to support their learning, what is your future vision for Highly Capable services in our district?
Sara- Sara recognizes that each student arrives to school with diverse experiences, backgrounds, and learning abilities, as do our teachers and families.
Sara’s vision for the entire district: “To meet every student where they are, as they are, the moment that walk into the (class)room everyday” by looking at the full spectrum of learning: identifying any learning challenges and also the areas in which they may excel. She believes in bringing solutions together and serving students in every space in which they may be.
Sara also sees the teacher/student relationship as the “heart of deep learning.” She encourages teachers and students to foster trust together, and from there, students can connect with others in the classroom and learn from them.
Meghan- Meghan’s son tested into Highly Capable as a kindergartner. She believes that there is a broader context from which this is question is coming – that districts across the nation are having difficult conversations and making difficult decisions about inclusion and diversity regarding their Highly Capable programs. School districts are exploring collectively: do their Hi Cap cohorts look demographically like the rest of their districts, and if they don’t – why not?
Her vision for Highly Capable: That Hi Cap “remains critically conscious as it is, but that it also is successful with providing services to folks that it hasn’t been reaching or testing.” She is proud of what Shoreline has done recently (e.g. elimination of Saturday testing events and testing in kindergarten) and believes that these are meaningful steps towards equity. She explains that because these are new steps for the district, the data that she has received earlier in the week suggests that the speed for the new processes to impact Highly Capable demographics is slow. This is because Hi Cap testing focuses on early exposure to reading and is reflective of economic status. The district needs to work through professional development with our teachers so that they can identify kids for Highly Capable who don’t typically belong in the traditional sense. This is one way to diversify.
Joe – Joe believes that all educational approaches need to start with the child (child-centered), to ensure that what we have in place serves that child. When families consider service options for their kids, they need to look at the “whole picture” such as transportation, the number of transitions involved over time (e.g. changing of locations), mentoring programs, supports for social relationships, teacher training, services for family members, and working together as a team to build out services. Joe refers to his oldest son: although his son was diagnosed with a developmental disability (autism) at an early age, he also knew his son’s strengths. Joe encourages all of us “to collectively look at our kids, look at their strengths, how can we build them, and how can we work together to bring services to fulfill their needs.” As a Shoreline school board director, Joe’s commitment is to work towards this.
_____________________________________
Question #2: Recently New York City and Seattle Public Schools have discussed dismantling their Highly Capable programs as they are perceived as being racially biased and inequitable. With regards to this topic, what would be your message to Highly Capable families in Shoreline?
Meghan- Meghan shared that she recently read an article written by a Garfield High School Highly Capable student who was reacting to demographic data involving Seattle Public Schools, who in turn, was reacting to the same data (e.g. large disparities with placement involving people of color). She asserted that institutions oftentimes believe that they need to act/react quickly when difficult data in placed in front of them.
Meghan added that getting rid of Hi Cap is not the solution to addressing equity. We need to ask why are there no native kids and kids of color in the Hi Cap cohort. We need to be curious and to bring people to the table to find out why. School districts in Pierce and Snohomish counties have examples of teacher referrals (through school board policy) that can be a strategic way to address equity in Hi Cap programs and to build engagement. This approach can work for many and does not include eliminating a program.
Joe- Joe believes that “we need to start by listening and asking the right questions.” Through his work with outreach and in particular with families with developmental disabilities, Joe has formed relationships within different communities, including communities of color and focusing on those who are thought leaders. He cited a past discussion with a gentleman from Pakistan who explained to Joe that sometimes people just don’t trust the organization or system. For Joe, it’s all about building those relationships and not simply sitting behind the desk as a school board member – but instead, meeting families and community members, circulating, being visible, and building services for communities of color and others.
Sara- Sara believes that this is a vital question, and that that Hi Cap practices are not only perceived as inequitable – they ARE inequitable. This is not a judgment on those families in Hi Cap, but rather, a bigger judgment upon on our system, our assessments and tools, our society – and just how have we arrived to this moment. Sara posed the question: what do current Hi Cap families see as the way forward since they are inside of it? Do families really believe that there are only a few hundred students in our district that are truly Highly Capable? If we answer “no,” then we are all sitting in the same place together to ask – how can we find those students?
Sara is grateful for universal screening and for testing during the school day – these are huge steps. These practices resulted in a 30% increase in the Northshore school district among students of color. Shoreline has not had practices long enough to see “the needle move.” Another historically underserved (testing into Hi Cap) group is our low-income students. It’s not only an assessment of how well students are able to succeed at the moment of the testing but also how successful the tests are to really identify their abilities.
________________________________
Closing statements:
Joe- Joe appreciates the kinship with the Hi Cap parent group. When he ran the Arc of King County coalition, he witnessed the beauty of “parent power.” He added that “bringing our issues and concerns to the decision makers is vitally important.” Joe will aim to work with all families so that their children will receive the services they need.
Sara- Sara recognized many families in the audience and appreciated their advocacy efforts on behalf of their children. Empowering children is important, too, as well as encouraging them to find their voices. She wants the school board to be an entity in a relationship with each family, so that they are heard, understood and answered; desires to find solutions so that all kids thrive and excel.
Meghan- Meghan acknowledged Sara’s words and also commented on the organizing power in the meeting room as being impressive. Meghan has been heavily involved with the Meridian Park school and community, and has served as its PTSA board secretary. The school also serves as one of the Hi Cap magnet sites and also as kindergarten overflow. When her son started kindergarten at Meridian Park, there were 2 kinder classrooms; now there are 11 classrooms. The school has undergone many changes, which has been part of her motivation to act. Big changes have impact on school culture, administrators and teachers. They have caused her lift up her head and think about who’s at the table and who’s missing. She’s committed to driving the success of the district.
Answers delivered to us by Mike Jacobs via email (Incumbent for district #1)
Q. Because many of our Highly Capable students have attributes such as neurodiversity, asynchronous development, and special needs (e.g. twice-exceptional or "2e" students) which may require interventions to support their learning, what is your future vision for Highly Capable services in our district?
A. Our District is fortunate to have in place many resources and interventions to support twice-exceptional students, which other Districts do not have or cannot afford. We need to continue to provide these services and be prepared to add services or adjust the services as future circumstances dictate.
For example, we currently have a Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) devoted to the support of the Highly Capable Program. We also have counselors, family advocates and instructional coaches providing support to the twice-exceptional students and families. We need to continue to provide these services and make sure the services are fully utilized by the students and families and are achieving the results we desire.
We also need to continue to provide professional development for our staff so our staff has the skills necessary to meet the needs of the twice-exceptional students.
Further, we need to continue to provide support and training for our staff and families at the magnet schools and the home schools. The services and opportunities for twice-exceptional students should be the same no matter where they are receiving the services.
Q. Recently New York City and Seattle Public Schools have discussed dismantling their Highly Capable programs as they are perceived as being racially biased and inequitable. With regards to this topic, what would be your message to Highly Capable families in Shoreline
A. We have no plans to dismantle the Highly Capable Program. In fact, the District is working very hard to make the Highly Capable Program more inclusive for all students.
For example, we have recently revised the day and time testing for Highly Capable Students takes place. Rather than testing on a Saturday, we give the test to all students during the school day. Therefore, all kids have the opportunity to test into the program, not just those kids whose families can take time off of work or whose families are aware of the Highly Capable program.
Further, we are working on educating families about the importance of providing their Highly Capable children with the opportunities afforded by the Highly Capable Program.
Finally, we have changed the way Highly Capable Students are identified by staff. The identification process is designed to account for kids of all different cultures, languages, races and abilities. The identification process is designed to remove institutional barriers so that ALL Highly Capable kids have the opportunity to participate in the program.
It is a work in progress to make our Highly Capable Program inclusive for all students. We will need to monitor and be willing to adjust the identification process as necessary, but we are moving in the right direction.