March 19

A Personal Note from Pat

After much thought and conversation with friends and family, I have chosen not to run for a second term as President of SEA. It has been an honor to serve in this capacity for the past 18 months and I look forward to continuing this work through the end of my term, June 30, 2018.

Your exemplary commitment to each other and your students is inspiring. I have always known that Shoreline teachers are remarkable and I have been witness time and again to the highest caliber of instruction. The educators in Shoreline are thoughtful and creative. Your activism as union members provides the backbone for the SEA and energizes me as I represent and advocate for you.

Thank you for your support of me, our union and our students.

Sincerely,

---Pat

SEA Executive Board Nominations

SEA Officer Elections

Nominations for two (2) SEA At-Large Executive Board Representatives will open on at the March 27 Rep Council meeting (SEA By-Laws, Article V, Section 4.b).

Nominations for SEA Officer Elections will open at the April 24 Rep Council meeting and will close at the beginning of the May 22 Rep Council meeting. In accordance with the SEA By-Laws, Article IV, Section 1, the following positions will be open for nominations:

• President
• Vice President
• Secretary

A Candidate's Forum will be held on May 22 during the regularly scheduled Rep Council meeting. Voting will be conducted by secret ballot at each school from May 23 - May 30. On May 31, the ballots will be counted by SEA Nominations and Elections Co-Chairs, Lisa Witzel (RC) and Dustin Cole (PW). Final results will be announced to the SEA membership after all candidates have been informed.

The nomination form will be available later this week.

Eloquent Members at School Board Meeting

On Monday, March 12, the school board listened to approximately 25 SEA members who spoke to the need for gun control and a partial release model.

SEA members at Shorewood High School read a letter requesting that the school board adopt a resolution calling on our representatives in Olympia to student safety by raising the age to purchase assault weapons to 21 and eliminating private gun said loopholes, among other actions. In a show of solidarity, members wore orange to represent safety and all spoke with passion and conviction. They were joined by a half dozen SW students, two of whom spoke at the microphone. The other students held up signs with the chilling question, "Am I Next?"

Other members went to the microphone to speak to the need for a partial release model that would allow them time to improve student achievement through collaboration and training. Again, members, some of whom are parents to Shoreline students, were forthright and fervent. Members mentioned that collaborative time would ease a sense of isolation and failure as they sought the advise and counsel of their colleagues. Others talked about the need for consistent, on-going professional development that would assist them in effectively implementing curriculum that would meet the diverse academic and social/emotional needs of the students in their classrooms.

The next school board meeting is Monday, March 26.

March 16

Student Walk Out - March 14

I had the privilege of marching with students from our secondary schools. Their energy and passion was inspiring. The adults, who included community members and district and building administrators, were supportive and respectful. The Shoreline Police Department helped maintain safety throughout the event, first by blocking intersections during the march from Shorewood and then Shorecrest and then remaining vigilant while the students rallied at Cromwell Park.

Students spoke of their fears and frustrations. A young woman explained that she very carefully chooses her seat in her classes so that she is facing the door. There was a call for increased mental health care. Several students asked their peers to remain committed to the movement; that this was not a one off event, but the beginning of a long-term action. All were reminded to vote in the mid-term elections and students with voter registration forms milled through the crowd. A petition was circulated. It called for a resolution from the Shoreline School Board to lobby the legislature for stricter gun protection legislation.

As I listened and cheered, I was overwhelmed with both pride and sadness; pride in the strengthen in their convictions and sadness because of their heart-wrenching stories. Still, they are organizing, finding their collective voice and participating in peaceful acts of civil disobedience. They are our future and I feel hopeful.

March for Our Lives - Saturday, March 24, 2018

Let's join our students as they march with thousands of their peers!

On Tuesday, March 13, our SEA Executive Board authorized me to ask SEA members and Shoreline administrators to meet at the Shoreline Center on Saturday, March 24. Our goal is to join students in the March for Our Lives event that will begin at Cal Anderson Park.

We will meet at the Shoreline Center at 8 AM and form carpools. From the Center, we'll drive to the Northgate Transit Center and board route 41 at 9 AM, which will take us to the Seattle Convention Center. From the Convention Center, we'll walk 0.9 miles to Cal Anderson Park. We will join the march from Cal Anderson to the International Fountain at Seattle Center, which is approximately 2 miles.

Click here to view trip plans from Northgate Transit Center to Cal Anderson Park.

Click here to view trip plans from Seattle Center House to Northgate Transit Center.

March 8

Partial Release Recommendations

On Monday, March 12, the Shoreline School Board will hear information gathered from the participants at three community meetings held Feb. 26 and March 1.

I attended all three meetings. Our SEA committee members who were present spoke eloquently and descriptively about the importance of a partial release model to the education of our student and our colleagues. District leaders assured participants that they were doing everything possible to meet parents' needs for childcare.

SEA members have consistently been asking for support in the form of time for many years. Our members need more time on a regular, on-going basis to analyze student data, reflect on and modify our practice in our classrooms and collaborate with each other to meet our students' diverse academic and social/emotional needs. This model has the potential to be a monumental shift that can change the teaching and learning outcomes for generations of students and staff in the Shoreline School District.

Student Safety

Currently, there is a grassroots organizing effort in process to present to the Shoreline School Board, on Monday, March 12, a letter encouraging our School Board to adopt a resolution calling upon our state legislators to draft gun safety legislation to make our schools safer. I applaud and support this effort and encourage members to attend Monday's meeting to show unity and solidarity.

The past month has been fraught with equal parts sadness and frustration. The school shooting in Parkland, Florida has again brought to the forefront the need for increased protections for our students. Emotions are running high as we seek ways to engage in meaningful actions that meet our need to act and to protect our schools and our students.

I have discussed the possible student walk-out on March 14 with district administrators and have shared with you the guidelines from the National Education Association. In an email I sent yesterday, I stated I was frustrated with the school district's parameters. What I should have said is that I am frustrated with the situation as a whole. Shoreline School District's parameters are in keeping with the guidelines from the NEA, which also advise that, as public school employees, we are limited in the actions we can take while in our role as educators.

If you are unable to attend the meeting, you may contact the entire school board at school.board@shorelineschools.org.

SEA Bargaining Team Values Your Input

On April 3 beginning at 4:15, the SEA will sponsor a "salary event" designed to inform members about legislative changes and seek SEA members' input in advance of negotiations.

Your SEA Bargaining Team values your input and insights! Please put this important event on your calendar and register here. As a member-driven organization, it is imperative that we gather information from YOU!

Please plan to attend!