2020-05-20 PPS School Board Special Meeting
| District | Portland Public Schools |
|---|---|
| Date | 2020-05-20 |
| Time | 18:00:00 |
| Venue | Virtual/Online |
| Meeting Type | special |
| Directors Present | missing |
Documents / Media
Notices/Agendas
Materials
20 05 20 Index to the Agenda (8b162570a42be4af).pdf Index to the Agenda - Individual Items for Consideration
Minutes
2020 05 20 Special Meeting Overview Final (4bbb25645fb6b12b).pdf Meeting Overview
Transcripts
Event 1: PPS Board of Education Special Meeting - May 20, 2020
00h 00m 00s
this special board meeting of the Board
of Education for May 20th 2020 is called
to order the purpose of tonight's
meeting is to consider complaint number
20 2006 lodged by mr. and mrs. Meighan
against Board Chair Amy constan board
policy four point five zero point zero
three two P sets forth the specific
procedure for a resolution of complaints
against board members the policy states
board members are volunteers serving in
an elected capacity and are accountable
to the citizens in the Portland Public
Schools district for their actions and
policy positions complaints related to
ethics violations or violations of the
law against the board chair should be
made to the board vice-chair or chairs
who will refer these issues to
appropriate governmental jurisdictions
or a third party for investigation if a
majority of the board approves of the
referral sorry will refer these issues
to appropriate governmental
jurisdictions or a third party if a
majority of the board approves of the
referral if a third party investigates a
complaint after receiving the results of
the investigation the board shall decide
within 30 days in open session what
action if any is warranted unquote board
members tonight you will consider the
Macon's complaint number five this
concludes alleged set share constan did
not fulfill her responsibility to
educate herself on the materials related
to their first complaint which was
considered by the board on December 17th
2019 prior to this meeting you received
a number of materials to inform your
deliberations including a copy of the
original complaint in links to two
videos at the end of our discussions
you'll be asked to determine if there is
an ethics or legal violation that should
be reported to a government agency or if
the complaint requires an outside
independent investigator whether the
board votes to refer the allegations to
an external agency or investigator or
not to refer the allegations that would
be the final decision of the board on
this complaint if the board decides to
refer the allegations for
third-party investigations additional
action by the board may be necessary
shere Khan's dam is not allowed to vote
on this resolution so we had been told
by the Macon's who were notified of this
meeting that they were choosing not to
participate but that MS maken would be
monitoring the the meeting online and I
know that she is online now so I just
want to make sure that if she wishes she
has the opportunity to address the board
thank you I just like to just briefly
recapitulate the complaint so we have I
know it sounds like you guys just got
the copy the complaint again and did you
say two videos yes two videos the video
of the board meeting and the video of
the chant thank you I appreciate that so
yeah that's just basically when we were
at home watching the board meeting and
heard that her statement out there was
an outburst it was not organized that
just really struck us to the core of it
was clear to me I don't see how you
could watch the video of the students
and say that was an outburst which you
guys have all seen the video now and as
well the complaint contains email from
principal Kieffer where he acknowledges
he was aware of some sort of rehearsed
thing was going to be presented so to me
that just struck me this not only a
board member not preparing for a vote
but the actual chair the board not
preparing and then on top of not
preparing speaking out and interrupting
someone who was who had prepared
themselves Thank You director brim
adores her for being aware where
specifically what had happened so that
was a complaint that if you are in a
position of power as a leader of a board
it's really incumbent money to be so
prepared and then also not to speak out
either ill-informed or presenting
something they know to be false so that
would just struck us as our due process
to go through the process of a complaint
and have someone speak out in such a way
just see
incredibly egregious to us though we
thank you guys for taking the time to
come around again and consider this
situation thank you okay thank you board
members do you have any questions for
him this is making missus make him this
is director Lowry and I read in the
email that Turk on stem had sent you is
that um her what she is clarifying that
00h 05m 00s
her intention was was to say that the
administration hadn't organized the
chant and and was your sense that her
statement was about the administration
are the students when she spoke up at
the board meeting well what I can hear
in the video in the board meeting is her
saying it was like an outburst and
something about it was not organized so
to me that word outburst sounds like and
I know that we've been hearing other
people trying to recharacterize it as
quote spontaneous right and if you watch
the video can tell it's even
choreographed with the way they hit the
drums but are the buckets um but I think
what what chair costume is that is she
was saying it wasn't that that she was
trying to clarify that it wasn't when
director Burma doors was speaking it
wasn't the principal who had organized
it I think that's the that's the place
that so if she were if that was her
intent to say it wasn't the
administration that organized it is do
you still have a do you feel like the
administration did organize it or do you
feel like it was the bucket drummer
people that organized it I don't believe
the principal organized that chance but
I believe that he knew something was
coming and it seems to me that then as
the leader of the school who knows
something that's going to publicly
happen that he needs to figure out what
it is and take responsibility of that
not to be like oh whatever some little
thing is stirring up over here I'll just
let it play out
when it involves children and the
families in the community so yeah I
don't believe he directed them I don't
think he helped them let's brainstorm
some lyrics but I believe he knew
something was happening and it says rich
humidity news
thing was happening it's a
responsibility that to figure that out
and so when chair con stamp emailed you
all and said this this is what I
intended to communicate did you feel you
didn't it didn't sound like that to you
felt how did you respond to that because
I read her email to you all when she
said what I was trying to say was it
wasn't organized by the principle yeah
her email came across as splitting hairs
and it still didn't really ring true
with what actually seemed to have
happened thank you so much for answering
my questions I appreciate you you taking
the time tonight thank you for asking
thoughtful questions I appreciate that
too
any other question um I just following
up hi this is this is Andrew um
following up on on director Lowery's
comments and thank you for being here
today
who's making also included and I
appreciate that distinction cuz I had it
very similar comment I'm also included
in indirect akan stamps email to you was
a was an apology and and again as I read
it at the time when we got it and just
reread it in preparation for this but
you know sort of noting that she's sorry
that the remark here in the board
session prior to the vote let you
believe she was prepared and and sorry
that it hurt you um and and I just I
will say that I took that as a sincere
sort of effort to to you know again sort
of address what was said and how you
heard it now that that might have that
the you know absolutely could have been
hurtful and I guess sort of a similar
question is how is that how did you
receive that that apology thank you I
mean I appreciate the effort to to reach
out to us and write a lengthy email
trying to get into the real specifics of
what has been happening the timing makes
us think that there is this pressure
behind making an email apology and this
email apology could have come a while
ago and it also came across a bit of an
apology like I'm sorry if your feelings
were hurt not I'm sorry if I did
something you know the there's
anyways an apology can be phrased and it
didn't to me it felt more like sorry
that something's going on with you guys
but I didn't do anything
thank you thank you I guess
I'm following on cuz that was my
question to was how was that how was the
apology received and I agree there's a
right way to do an apology and I just I
was curious also how you received that
it takes a lot for people to apologize
some some people more than others and
when I read it I felt like you know it
was heartfelt and it was sincere and I
think maybe what you're looking for is
that last piece of taking personal final
accountability for for the actions and
I'm wondering if that were to happen now
if you would feel differently about
going forward
00h 10m 00s
you know we keep reflecting on like
Colin Kaepernick and how he gets
critiqued for like now it's all about
yourself and what about the original
issue with him as police violence right
and he's fighting for his own reputation
and so then P like oh you're just
worried about yourself
and so I don't want this to be about we
need an apology but it's more like what
is happening at that school and again
why is the education of black students
still so lacking and if there's
apologies written on paper or in this
limited meeting of a very small number
of people seeing it like that's one
thing and heartfelt apologies are good
and I think they have a place what is
happening to that whole community well
stated in that public board meeting back
in December was we visited Vernon and
it's a joyful learning environment if
you remember that community being like
we're tired of making critiquing this
but even like that as we are my scene of
yourself as a leader of the board things
are fine at Burning and that's what's
left publicly so to put an apology into
an email or to do one right here now if
that's what I know I can offer that on
any Mawson's behalf but do that in a
small group of people still leave that
community feeling like the board has
spoken and the board has stated that
things are just fine in front although
people keep saying there's work to be
done but yet very little changes are
being pushed forward so we're not
looking for an apology to us we are you
don't need that what we need is for
concrete actions to be taken or this
school a piece of it is that they're not
leaving us as these outcasts of the
community continues think if we raise an
issue we are wrong or dis complainers
but we want the school we want children
there to have their education to all the
adults before the carnival we're not
doing enough what more can we do I don't
want to belabor an apology that's really
not that much work to our time other
than for people to say when people
complain let's look at it instead of
trying to wait months and months until
maybe it'll just go away
any other questions from board members
okay thank you Miss Megan for for
appearing tonight and for answering
questions and so will now move on to
check on Stan will not be participating
in the board's deliberations on this
matter but she is in attendance like the
complainants she has the right to make a
brief statement if she wishes or to
answer any questions that board members
may have directed constan would you like
to make a statement
no thank you I just appreciate Ms
Macon's comments and I know that we have
a lot of efforts underway at the staff
level to respond to the substance of the
really important concerns that your
family has raised about Vernon and so
I'm hopeful that in that process we'll
really be able to reach some some
agreements and a path forward about how
to in a meaningful way improve the
culture and the opportunities especially
for black children at Vernon so I'm
hopeful about getting to that through
the consideration of the other
complaints that we have thank you the
board members have any questions for um
chair comes Dan okay the board will not
vote on resolution number six one one
three direction refer vote
I didn't have any questions but I have I
have something I want to say before we
vote on it well I was just gonna put it
on the table sorry
yeah okay sounded sort of including not
yet
so the board will now consider
resolution number 6 1 1 3 to refer
complaint number 20 2006 a complaint
against Sher Khan's dam to an external
agency or a third party for
investigation do I have a motion so
moved in a second second ok ok you're
00h 15m 00s
doing that on purpose to confuse me
director Scott moves director Bailey
seconds the motion to vote on resolution
number 6 1 1 3 is there any discussion
director brunette word so I guess I
think the first thing I would just say
just back to pivoting back to bar
becomes comments about this may not be a
satisfactory forum and I think this is
you know a casualty of the the Cova era
in which this is probably this is the
public forum that we that we have
available to us so it and I realize it's
not the same as one of our regular board
meetings it is what we have at this time
so I just I want to say that our policy
which on complaints which I supports
directs that the complaint is filed
against a board member that the board's
role is to refer the complaint to an
external agency and I think that's the
right approach and I was on the
committee I chaired the committee when
we wrote the complaint I still think
that's the right approach before
speaking to the referral I wanted just
to speak to the underlying event when we
received the complaint in July of 2019
there was a reference into the in the
complaint to a video but they mentioned
that they weren't going to include it
because it portrayed students in a
negative light
they did say if we needed to see it that
it was available you know when I was
looking at the back and forth between
the district staff just in the complaint
in the peer process it seemed like the
video was a significant you know use of
the conversation and part of the
substance of the complaint so I asked to
see the video and when we got to the
meeting in December when we vote on the
complaint I took an opportunity to
discuss a number of issues that the
makings had raised about the complaint
process about the achievement data that
had been shared about representation in
after-school clubs and at the end I
talked about the need that for an
apology to the Macon's as they'd been
the target of the chant at the school
assembly I didn't have any information
other than the video but the background
information about it so I focused not on
who organized the chants or implied the
principal organized or improve it but I
was really trying to focus on I think
the harm that happened by having them
happen at a school assembly and that's I
tried to put myself in the place of a
parent in that situation that I had been
the target of a chant at a school
assembly so my comments at the time were
really focused on that the district that
the blurts didn't meet the fact that the
district asks for that they're just to
be changed and to me implied that they
didn't meet the district standards I
talked about it being done in history
form and I was sorry that that happens
because the district shouldn't be any
party to disrespect or negativity to a
parent and I also said it that it wasn't
scripted or acknowledged or given
approval by the district but I have
another district form and I believe the
complete
deserved an apology and I I do want to
acknowledge because this didn't happen
in a public forum either but in a
follow-up email or communications to the
Macon's from the district after that the
district sent a letter to the make homes
and said this about the events that the
assembly well school and district
leaders are responsible for the
activities that occur in our buildings
and school sites and ensuring that in
appropriate instance and incidents are
not repeated DPS believes this type of
student behavior is unacceptable and we
apologize for this disrespectful action
it went on to say these are not actions
that PPS condones or encourages and we
sincere we are sincerely sorry that you
and your family had to experience this
end of quote so again that didn't occur
in a public meeting but it was conveyed
and I want just for the record to show
that the district did acknowledge that
should not have happened in a school
assembly so I want to thank PS for
expressing that and then direct your
00h 20m 00s
pounced and also for your follow-up
email to the complaint process the
complaint process is in a judicial
process we have a policy framework that
complies with the state statute district
and the CET district staff is
superintendent community members and
parents often bring additional
information into the formal complaint
process each board member brings their
own set of experiences and expertise as
well as information not only continued
with the complaints and the responses
but also from external sources neither
our policy or law dictate the board
members prepare any particular way the
issue of preparation and approach by
public officials for issues that we'll
vote on on issues of vote on is relevant
for most public legislative bodies and
having been around public legislative
bodies for thirty years I can say that
the public might expect or wants public
officials to prepare in a certain way
that there aren't any legal requirements
and we all do it in our own unique way
and I think you know the way in which we
prepare brings a rich
some diversity to our discussions
because we all are bringing our own
lived experiences and different
expertise and information so for those
reasons I don't believe this meets the
standard of the referral to an external
agency so I'm not going to be supporting
of the referral I do want to just
disclose by just once again extending an
apology do you barb into f1 but the
incident that the incident occurred and
the harm it caused and acknowledge that
as part of this process including the
first complaint that the district made a
number of commitments of things that we
as a district we're going to do and I
hope that we follow through and expect
that we would follow through on those
thank you is there any other discussion
[Music]
so I want to say I agree with what Julia
said I don't think this rises to the
need to be referred clearly at least
some of the way that director constant
or or chair constant spoke at the board
meeting did not match what actually
happened and I can understand how that
felt really bad to you Bart and and your
husband and it's clear we still have
some things to work out through this
whole process both on that personal
level yeah so with running school and
really with a lot of our schools but I
don't think this rises to
the case where we need to refer it
we do your ward sorry I'm going to
repeat what I said is there any further
discussion okay we will now vote on
resolution number six one one three and
I just want to read the resolution
language so that everybody understands
what they're voting for the Board of
Education will refer the allegations
against Sher Khan's dam to an external
agency or third party for investigation
all in favor please indicate by saying
yes all opposed please indicate by
saying no no no other any abstentions
okay resolution number six one one three
fails by a vote of 0 to 6
thank you all this meeting is now
Sources
- PPS Board of Education, Archive 2019-2020, https://www.pps.net/Page/15694 (accessed: 2022-03-24T00:57:49.341831Z)
- PPS Communications, "Board of Education" (YouTube playlist), https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8CC942A46270A16E (accessed: 2023-10-10T04:10:04.879786Z)
