001Number [Music] All right, it is 4:31. Just confirming here that our ASL interpretation is up and running. It looks like we are good there. Awesome. Thank you. Um, well, this is President Topp and I am now calling the special board meeting to order at 4:31 p.m. Please note that this meeting is being recorded. Um, we would like to acknowledge that we are on ancestral lands and the traditional territories of the Puet Sound Coast Salish people. For the record, I will call the role. Vice President Briggs >> here. >> Director Clark >> present. >> Director Hersy >> here. >> Director Misarah >> here. >> Director Ranken >> here. >> Director Sarju see director Sarju listed in the participant. So you're not you're on mute director Sarju. >> Okay. I was muted until just this second. I
002could not unmute. >> Perfect. Got director Sarju and and this is President Top. Wonderful. Well, good evening or afternoon everyone. Um heard there's this thing called the Mariners game happening tonight. So, I think we will be able to get out of here before the first pitch, but this is important work, so we'll take as long as we need to do it right. Um, today the board uh is going to be discussing the next steps in our superintendent selection process and identifying the candidates who will move forward into the final stage. Going to just list off a few things and we can move to a little bit of discussion. I want to just start by thanking everyone who continues to follow and engage in this process. I just want to reiterate your participation matters. It keeps
003us board directors grounded in this work and what is really important, our students, our families, and the educators who make Seattle public schools what it is. Um, just from the very beginning, this search has been shaped by community voice. Earlier this year, more than 3,000 students, families, staff, and community members shared their hopes and expectations for our next leader of our public education system here in Seattle. Um through surveys, focus groups, listening sessions, we gathered input and that in input um helped guide the drafting of our leadership profile report, an actual report that outlines what Seattle is looking for in their next superintendent and what our community values most in public education leadership. Once the draft was complete, we went back out to share it with community. And in those engagement sessions, what stood out
004was how deeply Seattle values public education, the hope people have for the future and really the insistence that we can do better and we must strive every day to do better for our students. Um you feel that in every conversation, the pride, the care, the shared belief that our school system are access to opportunity in our city's future. um the remain uh so thank you again to everyone who participated and gave your time, your ideas, your energy to make our education system stronger. We know that comes at a cost. Time away from families, busy schedules and other commitments and we are so grateful. Since then, the board has uh there was an application process. The application process closed on September 15th and um the board out of uh over 40 applicants narrowed it down uh
005to we selected eight for interviews and over two full days we conducted interviews with our narrowed pool of candidates. Um, we had deep and meaningful conversations about leadership alignment to the leadership profile report and what kind of superintendent would serve best the Seattle students um as far as their qualifications and aligning it to our leadership profile report. Um, I was very impressed by the caliber of every candidate, their experience, their readiness to serve, their commitment to students. Um this has been a closed search process which means candidates names have not been made public and I think that decision allowed us to attract a strong pool of applicants including sitting superintendent and other exceptional leaders who may not have applied in the open process um and assured uh we can do the very best we can
006for Seattle. So tonight marks an important step forward. Um we're to where we we've sort of listened, we've learned, and now we're move ahead guided by our community's voice and united in our commitment to Seattle students. So as far as next steps, um we're moving into sort of the final phase here in our superintendent search. uh working with our search firm HYA and board officers, Vice President Briggs and member at large Miserah kind of worked uh to outline the next steps in this process. Um after uh we select final candidates this evening, the board will move into reference checks and background checks with HYA. Um continue to review their leadership records and hold uh interviews with our final candidates. Each finalist will present a 100 day plan to the board um in executive session um
007so we can see how each candidate would approach the work from day one and how they'd set priorities right out of the gate. Um this will help the board um make decisions thoughtful and well informed that align with our leadership profile report. So those are sort of the next steps in this process. I want to open it up to board discussion about those next steps before we move on to the actual action item which is the the naming of those finalists this evening. What what exactly are you asking? >> Just putting on the table >> if there's any discussion about our next steps in this in this process. >> Discussion about next steps. >> Yes, we will um next on our agenda is an action item where we will uh narrow down finalists. I I
008will make a motion and open up for discussion. This is mainly just on our next steps in in this in this process. Um that was work done with HYA and our board officer seeing if there's any questions, concerns um or things that people want to know more about. All right. doesn't mean it's the last time to ask a question or um but we will then move on to the action items in today's agenda. Um so again, because all candidates currently hold leadership positions, their names will remain confidential while the board um continues its uh due diligence. This will ensure a fair and professional process that protects both the candidates and their current districts. Um last week we did do interviews um and we discussed as a board their the qualifications of the candidates. There were
009specifically two candidates that stood out to me in last week's interviews. Um and as board discussion I think uh had similar feeling amongst uh fellow board directors. That was candidate seven and candidate 8. Are there any other candidates that the directors would like to move forward? All right. I'm not seeing any, so I will make a motion. I move that the Seattle School Board select candidate number seven and candidate number eight to advance in the superintendent selection process with their identities remaining confidential during the uh uh final interview and due diligence phase. >> Is there a second? >> Thank you, director. Thank you, Director Ms. Rahi. Um, we will now I will call on staff for a roll call for the vote. >> Vice President Briggs. >> I, >> Director Clark. >> I, >> Director
010Hersy. >> Hi, >> Director. Miss Rahi. I >> director Ranken. >> I excuse me. I >> director Sarju. >> Yes, >> President Top. >> I This motion has passed unanimously. >> I love it. This is exciting, folks. Um and uh that was the one action item on our agenda today. This means that we will move into move these two finalists forward in this process. I just again want to thank everyone who shared their voice and perspective. Um my colleagues for the care and commitment they've brought to this work. I'm proud of the caliber of leaders who have stepped forward in this process and I think we're united in our goal to find the right leader for Seattle public schools. someone who reflects our community's values, builds trusts, keeps all students at the center of every
011decision. So that concludes our work for the evening. As there is no further business on the agenda, the meeting stands adjourned at 4:41 p.m. Thank you all so much. Have a wonderful evening. Go Mariners. >> Go Mariners. Bye.