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 November Board meeting
The Washington State Board of Education (SBE) held its Board meeting November 3-4, and discussed private school rules, the SBE legislative platform, ethnic studies, elementary science equity, graduation requirements, and more. Special guests included:
- Verónica Vélez, Associate Professor, Secondary Education and Education & Social Justice at WWU
- Jerry Price, Social Studies Program Supervisor, OSPI
- Kimberley Astle, Science Program Supervisor, Learning and Teaching, OSPI
- Brooke Brown, 2021 Washington State Teacher of the Year
Find documents from the meeting and links to TVW’s live stream on SBE’s Simbli page.
Honoring Members Completing Service on the Board – the Board and staff shared their appreciation for the contributions of members Peter Maier, Holly Koon, and Jeff Estes who are leaving the board after completing the maximum two terms of service as elected or appointed members. Chair Kallappa held virtual blanket ceremonies for leaving members.
Private School Rules - SBE discussed amended private school rules concerning rescission of private school approval. The purpose of the amendments is to clarify a process for both schools and the Board if a school appears to be out of compliance with laws and the Board is considering rescission of approval. The Board will consider approval of the proposed rules in December.
Legislative Platform - The Legislative Committee gave a brief overview of the proposed legislative platform followed by Board discussion. The Board’s 2022 legislative priorities center on creating an equitable education system that is responsive to the individual needs of students. The priorities include:
- Center student, family, and community voices in policymaking
- Prioritize student and educator social, emotional, and mental health
- Advance educational equity, diversity, inclusion, and antiracism
- Provide equitable access to relevant and engaging learning opportunities
Ethnic Studies - Board members engaged with members of the Ethnic Studies Advisory Committee about their recent work. OSPI’s Jerry Price, Social Studies Program Supervisor, and Dr. Verónica Vélez, Associate Professor, Secondary Education and Education & Social Justice at Western Washington University shared about the Ethnic Studies Framework and Implementation Tools (ESAC) developed and recently submitted to the Legislature.
Elementary Science Equity - Kimberley Astle (OSPI) presented to the Board on the problem of inequitable access to elementary science learning opportunities, the conditions holding the problem in place, and drivers for system change. Board members Jeff Estes and Holly Koon led discussion about ways the State Board can help advance, accelerate, and amplify educational equity through a statewide elementary science equity focus.
Basic Education – SBE approves school districts for compliance according to Basic Education law. The Board was briefed that 59 districts remain to be approved out of the 295 school districts in the state. Twenty-six school districts have not reported to the state through the survey tool and 33 are under review to resolve outstanding reporting or potential compliance issues. Two hundred and twenty-one school districts were approved during the November meeting.
Graduation Requirements - A brief overview was given about graduation requirements in other states as well as an update on the Profile of a Graduate work of the Mastery-based Learning Work Group. Members reviewed a timeline of Board work on system alignment in 2022 and discussed and identified topics and policies that might need focused attention as part of the alignment work.
2021 Teacher of the Year - Board members heard from Brooke Brown (Franklin-Pierce School District) after spending an entire year as Washington's Teacher of the Year (ToY). She talked briefly about her year as our state’s ToY during a global pandemic. Board members asked questions about her experience teaching ethnic studies, empathy, and more. You can watch her segment on SBE's YouTube channel.
Approval of Private Schools - Five private schools were approved by the Board for the 2021-22 school year.
Upcoming Board meeting
The next meeting is scheduled for December 2, 2021 on Zoom. The agenda and materials will be posted one week in advance of the meeting on SBE’s meetings page.
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