By Clyde Merriwether
Last week, like many other concerned members of our community, I wanted to listen in on the Seattle School District’s virtual press conference. I was fully expecting to hear of some responses from Seattle’s School District’s Superintendent Juneau in regard to the NAACP’s press conference concerning the systems disregard for African American placement, Black men specifically, and the NAACP’s call to terminate her contract.
Apparently, what was provided and discussed was something quite different. Issues from the status of computer access and learning, special educational needs, the future need for bus drivers, air ventilation systems, and others, although important, took up most of the time allotted. Clarification on the issue of African American male participation within the system was not forthcoming.
Based on what I’ve heard about the press conference, Juneau utilized the first fifteen minutes to give the equivalent of an abbreviated state of the district address. She listed what she felt were the successes under her leadership and plans for the future. She spoke about the problems she inherited upon her taking the lead position and how complicated and large the problems are in a school district this size. She capped it off by stating that resolving problems in a district this size has been hampered over time by not allowing a superintendent the longevity to effectively address issues and make needed changes. In other word, her contract needs to be renewed.
In regard to inclusion and participation of African Americans within the district, Juneau proclaimed that under her administration Black employment has increased by 10% over the previous administration. She said there were more Black principals and minorities hired and being hired in managerial and meaningful position. Even if true, none of these were hires are at the levels of those displaced under her leadership. Further, she provided no delineation in regard to the bulk of these minority hirers are women of color, few being African American men.
When the question of why the seven identified Black administrators were removed, displace, demoted, or leveraged out of the system, Superintendent Juneau said that some left for better positions. I herein ask why? If in fact these men were competent and qualified enough to get better positions elsewhere, why wasn’t there opportunity for their growth within the district.
What was the reason for their displacement? I’ve heard what some of them have had to say in this regard. It doesn’t seem to match what Juneau is saying. To be sure, I have yet to hear any of them say that their motivation was due to being made aware of a better opportunity elsewhere.
In seeking further explanation, when asked about why some of these men were demoted, Juneau said it was a matter of reorganizing the structure of the system. She stated that the men impacted by the reorganization retained their duties and responsibilities, just under different titles. However, when asked if those changes came with salary reductions Juneau said she didn’t know and that she would be willing to discuss that at a later date. In other words, let’s not talk about that here and you can contact me/us off-line.
In point of fact however, one of these reclassified positions did come with a significant reduction in pay, which, according to one source within the district, accounted for a decrease in pay somewhere between $25,000 – $40,000. I’ve also heard that at least two of the Black administrators who left the district were allegedly paid to leave their positions and had to sign nondisclosure agreements.
To be clear, I have yet to get confirmation on this but if true I would find that disturbing and certainly not in line with the narrative presented by Juneau. Whatever happened or how their exits came to be, the net effect remains the same, the removal of the Black male leadership within the SPS system.
With an annual salary of $295,000 plus benefits per year, Juneau makes considerably more money than the Mayor, County Executive and the Governor, and the decision by the school board on whether or not to extend her contract is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly. The claims made by the NAACP, the youth, who participated in the NAACP press conference, and those who work within the district in various capacities should not be diminished for the sake of political expediency, or ignored in order to fulfill political favors/promises to those who look to benefit from the continued and chronic failures of the system to carry out its duties to properly educate our children.
