Seattle Public Schools Report Timeline | Southeast Seattle Education Coalition

Left to Chance: Student Outcomes in Seattle Public Schools

To understand why we can be optimistic about the future of public education, we must first recognize how our understanding of educational improvement has evolved over the past several decades. The journey of Seattle Public Schools, like that of many urban districts, reveals a progression in our collective knowledge about creating effective educational systems that serve all students well.

With better knowledge, new technologies, and deeply committed educators and families, we have the tools to create learning environments where all students thrive. The path forward won’t be simple, but with sustained focus and shared purpose, we can build an education system that meets the needs of every student, now and in the future.

Learn more about the report through these resources below!

16:1 Education Podcast: Seattle’s Search for School Equity feat. Vivian Van Gelder

South Seattle Emerald: Seattle Public Schools Has Long Failed South End Students — Now Is the Time for Change

League of Education Voters: LEVinar: Left to Chance – Student Outcomes in Seattle Public Schools from 1990 to 2024

1970s – 1994

1978: SPS Begins Busing for Desegregation

After years of experimenting with voluntary alternatives, Seattle becomes the only large city in the US to desegregate schools without a court order after NAACP and allies threaten lawsuit. Mandatory busing begins in 1978.

The Dawn of the Education Reform Movement

An expert panel assembled by US Department of Education strongly criticizes quality of American K-12 education and sparks widespread push for radical reform. Informed by neoliberal philosophy that encourages the introduction of market competition into public sector organizations, proposals for reform include standards-based learning and testing, decentralized schools, and empowering teachers as skilled professionals.

1990: Audit Finds Systemic Problems Within SPS

State-ordered audit finds that SPS “does not have an effective system for district-level management and support of schools”, that district finances are precarious due to a failure “to reduce costs to match declining enrollment over the past 10 years,” that public confidence in SPS had eroded due to a chaotic School Board, and that racial disproportionality in outcomes continued to be a problem. It recommends that the School Board implement a policy governance model, that the District improve its oversight and management of schools, that schools be consolidated and that the Legislature increase funding for districts “with a high proportion of disadvantaged students.”

Download the Report

The educational foundations of our society are presently being eroded by a rising tide of mediocrity that threatens our very future as a Nation and a people.

– A Nation At Risk, 1983

1986: Carnegie Foundation Task Force on Teaching as a Profession

Carnegie Foundation Task Force on Teaching as a Profession urges the decentralization of educational bureaucracies and professionalization of teaching. Listen Now.

1988: SPS Abandons Mandatory Busing

Responding to widespread community discontent, including from communities of color, the SPS School Board moves away from mandatory busing of students to a “controlled choice” student assignment plan. The plan allows families to choose schools within “clusters,” with guardrails for preserving racial balance districtwide.

1990: Citywide Education Summit Launches First Education Levy

Seattle mayor Norm Rice convenes a citywide summit on education, that brings together broad range of stakeholders and results in the first City Families and Education Levy, unique in the nation.

1994: Workgroup Recommends Radical Decentralization of SPS

Workgroup on SPS restructuring (drawing from schools, community and District administration) advises radical decentralization of schools; Superintendent Kendrick announces 18-month phase in of plan to “transfer power downward” to principals and teachers and provide a stronger voice for community.

1995-2007

1995: John Stanford Hired as Superintendent

Retired Major-General John H. Stanford becomes Superintendent of Seattle Public Schools; says he will “bring a business leadership approach to solving educational problems.” Stanford appoints Joseph Olchefske, an investment banker, to be his Chief Financial Officer; together they design a “market-based system of schools” that eliminates busing for racial integration and emphasizes consumer choice and power for families.

1998: Death of John Stanford

In April 1998 Stanford discloses that he has been diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia; Joseph Olchefske appointed acting Superintendent. Stanford passes away in November 1998, with little of his reforms implemented into schools. Olchefske is appointed permanent Superintendent in 1999 and commits to full implementation of Stanford’s market-based model.

2002-2003: Stanford’s Reforms Implicated in Unexpected Budget Shortfall

Amid rising discontent with the rollout of decentralization reforms, Olchefske announces unexpected $35 million budget shortfall. An external audit later partly blames the reforms, noting that “central Office administrative processes became disconnected from schools, which further contributed to a loss of budgetary control.” Olchefske resigns.

2005: External Committee Recommends Rollback of Stanford’s Reforms

Superintendent Manhas appoints a Community Advisory Committee on Investing in Educational Excellence (CACIEE) to “develop recommendations on establishing short- and long-term fiscal stability in support of academic achievement for Seattle Public Schools.” CACIEE engages in extensive community outreach, including community meetings, postal and email surveys, and “objective market research.” It makes 28 recommendations for major changes to leadership and management, academic investments and fiscal viability, including “system-wide curriculum consistency and rigor,” aligning spending to academic goals, and closing underenrolled schools.

Download the Report

1996-1997: Teachers’ Union Joins Reforms

Stanford and SEA Executive Director Roger Erskine design “Trust Agreement” between SPS and SEA, committing both parties to negotiate the details of reform in an environment of mutual trust (1996). Historic Collective Bargaining Agreement between SPS and SEA enshrines principle of collaborative site-based decision-making through new Building Leadership Teams; permits site-based hiring of staff (1997).

Learn More About SESEC

2002: No Child Left Behind Era Begins

Federal No Child Left Behind law takes effect – requires States to uniformly raise all students across all schools in all districts to 100% academic proficiency by 2014. Continued Federal education funding will be conditional on demonstrating “adequate yearly progress” (AYP) at all levels toward this goal, and states are required to impose increasingly draconian consequences on schools and districts failing to demonstrate the required AYP.

2004: Superintendent Presents 5-Year Improvement Plan for SPS

Incoming Superintendent Raj Manhas presents 5-year plan for SPS focused on student outcomes with associated costs of up to $100 million. Goals includes increasing the effectiveness and relevance of instructional and support services for all students; eliminating the achievement gap; eliminating all systemic barriers to student achievement; building leadership capacity for accountability, inclusivity and effectiveness; and managing resources and set priorities using principles of equity and sustainability.

2006: School Closures Roil SPS

After District officials concede that “there’s no revenue source that can reliably finance that other than changing the system’s basic structure,” School Board directs Superintendent Manhas to identify underenrolled schools for closure. The Superintendent recommends closure or consolidation of up to 24 schools and programs. After strong community pushback, closure proposals are altered multiple times and School Board votes to close 7 schools. Manhas announces intention to step down from superintendency following tumultuous 6-hour School Board meeting at which Directors elect to table further school closures.

2007-2011

2007: SPS makes landmark commitment to racial equity in education

School Board appoints Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson of Charleston, SC to the Superintendency following a national search after all other candidates withdraw. Dr. Goodloe-Johnson, the first educator to lead SPS since 1995, indicates that addressing the inconsistency of the student learning experience across the district will be her primary priority. She notes that “the way the district is set up now […] you have no quality control . . . and that leaves student learning to chance.” Her observations are backed up by new external audits of multiple District programs showing that the reforms of the 1990s led to “100 plus separate school systems”: “individual school sites with little central control or coordinated centralized efforts,” as well as a “culture of autonomy” that has “fragmented the system and diluted accountability” for ensuring quality education for every student.

2008: First SPS Strategic Plan Launched

School Board approves first Strategic Plan for SPS, “Excellence for All,” including coordinated strategies for reaching specific goals for 3rd grade reading, 7th grade math, and high school graduation.

Read the Full Report

Board Approves First Accountability Structure for SPS

School Board adopts Policy A0.200: Performance Management Plan, which would create an accountability structure for SPS modeled on the No Child Left Behind law;. In November 2010, SPS publishes its first District Scorecard, assigning each school a rating of 1-5 based on student performance, student growth and racial opportunity gaps.

2007: School Board Approves Removal of Key Pillar of Stanford’s Reforms

School Board approves shift from Olchefske-designed Student-Weighted Funding formula to one based on allocation of staffing (Weighted Staffing Standards) to be implemented starting SY 2008-2009.

Learn More About SESEC

2009: More Schools Closed

2009: Amid community outrage, School Board votes 5-2 to approve closure in SY 2010-2011 of 5 schools (Cooper Elementary, TT Minor Elementary, Mercer Middle, Summit K-12 and African-American Academy) and relocate all or part of 8 other programs.

2009: SPS Returns to System of Neighborhood Schools

After U.S. Supreme Court holds that the District’s use of race as an enrollment tiebreaker is unconstitutional (Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1 et. al.), School Board approves new Student Assignment Plan to return Seattle to a system of neighborhood schools starting in SY 2010-2011 (2009). This represents the removal of another key pillar of Stanford’s market-based schools reforms.

Superintendent Under Siege

The WA State Auditor expresses concerns about lax financial oversight and controls in SPS. SEA passes no-confidence vote in Superintendent Goodloe-Johnson over budget cuts, attempts to tie educator evaluation to student test scores, and conflicts of interest over the introduction of the MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) test. In March 2011, the School Board fires Superintendent Goodloe-Johnson for oversight failures after discovery of $3 million embezzlement by employees of District procurement program. SPS Chief Academic Officer Susan Enfield is appointed interim Superintendent.

2011-2022

SPS Makes Landmark Commitment to Racial Equity in Education

In 2012, the School Board passes Policy 0030: Ensuring Educational and Racial Equity, committing SPS to the goal eliminating racial disproportionality in education and ensuring the success of all students. The Superintendent is directed to “develop procedures to implement this policy, including an action plan with clear accountability and metrics,” and to report at least annually on progress toward the goals.” In 2013: School Board adopts new five-year strategic plan focused on three goals: (1) ensure educational excellence and equity for every student; (2) improve systems district-wide to support academic outcomes and meet students’ needs; (3) strengthen school, family and community engagement.”

Learn More About SESEC

2018: Audit Identifies Continuing Problems Caused by Stanford’s Reform Model

An external audit of the SPS Teaching & Learning Division finds that “the District’s siloed, reactive operating environment impedes efficient operations” and recommends mutliple strategies for improving alignment and coherence districtwide, starting with the implementation of a policy governance framework by the School Board.

Covid-19 Pandemic Creates Severe Learning Disruptions

In March 2020, all SPS schools close in response to Covid-19 pandemic. In the fall, schools reopen in remote learning mode. Students will not return to fully in-person school until September 2021, resulting in major declines in academic progress and larger gaps in outcomes between student groups.

2015: Union and District Move to Implement Racial Equity Commitments

The Seattle Education Association strikes for the first time in 30 years over salaries and working conditions. The union secures a commitment from SPS to implement Racial Equity Teams in every school to address disproportionate discipline, starting with 30 schools. Later that year, Superintendent Nyland releases Closing Opportunity Gaps: An Action Plan for Accelerating Achievement by African American Males and Other Students of Color 2015-2020, building on the African American Male Scholars Think Tank’s work.

2019: SPS Launches Targeted Universalism Strategy

In 2019, the School Board approves new five-year Strategic Plan, “Seattle Excellence,” with a focus on African American male achievement informed the by theory of Targeted Universalism. The plan’s priorities include high-quality instruction and learning experiences; predictable and consistent operational systems; culturally responsive workforce, and inclusive and authentic engagement. The District creates a permanent Office of African American Male Achievement based on a similar initiative in Oakland, CA. Former principal Dr. Mia Williams is appointed as lead.

2021: School Board Attempts Long-Overdue Governance Reform

In 2021, the School Board launches an effort to implement policy governance in the form of a Student Outcomes Focused Governance model, as advised by three decades of expert recommendations. Pushback from multiple stakeholders and from within the Board itself results in uneven momentum toward full implementation that continues in the present.

Download the Report