Shoreline school board contemplating eliminating almost all funding for extracurriculars

Band students playing while people line up for tonight's school board meeting. Photo by Kim Clasen.

Standing room only. Photo by Kim Clasen.

How can you help?

1. Share this information with colleagues, families, and people in your networks. Talk about this topic often and as much as you feel comfortable with. This is information our community needs to know and should be front and center in public discourse until we are able to once again offer our students extracurricular opportunities.

2. Attend or speak at a Board Meeting on behalf of preserving extracurriculars. The next one is April 4 at 6:00 pm and you can attend in person (Shoreline Center, Shoreline Room) or on Zoom. You can sign up to speak in person or online for up to two minutes. If you would like to provide written public comment for the Regular Board Meeting, you can do so by filling out this online form by 12:00 pm on Tuesday, April 4. Public comment can also be shared during the meeting in person or via Zoom.

Link to attend via Zoom:

https://ssd412-org.zoom.us/j/81446872766?pwd=a2tEazladWFiczFMWU1xSjl3cl…

Webinar ID: 814 4687 2766

Passcode: 918880

Dial-In Phone Numbers: 1-253-215-8782 or 1-669-900-6833

3. Write to your legislators and representatives to urge them to better fund schools. The Shoreline PTSA Council is coordinating legislative advocacy.

April 3, 2023

To Whom it May Concern-

We are deeply saddened by the decision to eliminate funding for the work supporting student extracurricular activities at the elementary secondary levels in the recently ratified agreement between the Shoreline Education Association and the Shoreline School District and we urge the District to do everything possible to restore funding to these programs vital to the student experience across the entire district.

Schools across our district can each paint a picture of how vitally important activities and extracurriculars are to the success and engagement of our students. Activities are the core of a school's culture. Schools are a place of education, but at best, it is an education that extends beyond the classroom walls. Many students find their calling, their "why,” or their joy in extra-curricular activities and athletics. It could be an aspiring actor in the spring musical, a violinist performing at an evening concert, an ASB leader just finding their public voice, the new student who found met their first friends at club meeting, the swimmer earning a college scholarship or the 3rd string football player who is happy being a part of something bigger than himself. In particular, the high school experience doesn't stop when a student walks out of the classroom. It's so much more, and never in a person’s life is there a 4-year span quite like that. The current proposal eliminates extracurricular opportunities for our students for two years. Is that what we're willing to jeopardize for our kids? We can do better than what's being proposed.

Whereas:

Activities and extracurricular opportunities are the heart of school climate and culture. They help us build an inclusive and compassionate community, mindful of equity, that inspires all students to lead. Participation in activities is an integral part of student success in school. Extensive research shows that student participation in activities:

* Boosts academic performance

* Reduces dropout risk (strongest positive effect is among at-risk students)

* Leads to college and career success

* Sets students to make better choices and reduce high risk behaviors

* Builds social and emotional skills.

We need to maintain funding for extracurricular opportunities for our students in order to best serve their needs.

Whereas:

Almost all Extended Learning Opportunity money for stipends has been eliminated from the Shoreline Education Association Collective Bargaining Agreement (Summary of Changes Document) (Full Document) approved on March 30, 2023 (see sections 62.6 (elementary schools), 62.7 (middle schools), and 62.8 (high schools). Eliminated was the “pot” of money given to each school to allocate via a site-based decision for extended learning opportunities for students. All of that money is eliminated for the next two school years. At Shorecrest, this money had historically been used to fund club advisors and special once-a-year events such as Senior Academic Awards Night, Senior Graduation Speakers, and the Art Expo. At every school, the loss of these funds will be profound. In addition to the site-based ELO pots of money, the stipends for particular positions, that were deemed so essential to our student experience as to merit a guarantee from the district to be funded, are almost all eliminated. Thus, there is no compensation available for staff to complete duties related to anything extracurricular outside the contract workday. There is a provision that the district may decide to staff some of these positions, but not all positions are included in that list and how would certain selections be prioritized over others in an equitable way between programs and across the district?. Please note that this document is in regards to only the provisions of the SEA CBA with the District and does not include other things outside its purview ex: contracts for coaches (SAAA contract) or classified staffing (SESPA contract).

Whereas:

No staff person should be expected to work without compensation. Compensation in the form of stipends and/or extra work days over the course of the year for extended learning opportunity work is a basic minimum requirement for making sure that these activities happen safely for our students. The solution to this problem is to restore funding for ELO rather than to expect staff persons to work without pay.

Whereas:

It is not acceptable to pick and choose which of these critical positions to fund. It is not fair if some get funded at some schools while other students do not have access. It is entirely inequitable to fund some programs that conceivably have a privileged and well-funded or well-connected group of parent supporters but not to our programs that lack that access, power, or equal notoriety. We need to restore ALL ELO funding for the sake of our students!

Put yourself for a moment in the shoes of an incoming high school freshman in September 2023. Here is how the year will start for the class of 2028 in accordance with what has been agreed to:

* No Kick-Off Event/ Activity Fair

* No Link Crew / New Student Mentorship Experience

* No First Day Assembly or Celebration

* No Marching Band performances at Football Games

* No Homecoming Competitions

* No Homecoming Halftime Show

* No Homecoming Dance

* No Clubs to Join

* No Band, Orchestra or Choir Concerts and No Trips

* No Peer Tutoring Available (this had been organized by National Honor Society)

* No School Newspaper

* And the list goes on and on from here…

And for our seniors, the class of 2024,here’s what these cuts would look like for them:

* No ability to gather together for senior class events or to fundraise because no advisors

* No Senior Top Scot show and fundraising event

* No Homecoming Competitions

* No Homecoming Dance

* No Leadership opportunities in clubs or teams like Robotics because no advisor compensation for clubs or extended learning opportunities will exist

* No National Honor Society to bolster experience and resume

* No Ability to Create the Student Literary Magazine

* No evening activities or events

* No Senior Academic Awards Night

* No Senior Prom

* No Senior Speakers at Graduation

And this is on top of the class of 2024 already having lost the ability to participate in activities for two high school years due to COVID.

Whereas:

The agreement eliminates the stipend for time spent by program advisors for anything beyond basic classroom instruction in a myriad of programs. Here is a list of the work associated with these stipend positions, 90%+ of which are set to be not funded for two years by the new agreement also bookmarked here in Appendix C. The stories of the advisors who do this work are shared in Appendix A and paint a stark picture of the devastating impacts of these cuts. Students will lose the ability to participate in and attend: band, choir and orchestra concerts, drama productions, marching band opportunities, the student literary arts magazine. The school newspaper will disappear entirely and our Annual won’t receive the funding for the advisor to finish the work outside the regular school day. Additionally, the stipends for our CTE pathways programs that have extracurricular extensions are also listed to be cut: Culinary Arts, DECA, Robotics/Engineering Teams, and Video Productions. We have been celebrating the success of the students in these programs for the last couple months on our district social media and now there won’t be funding for advisors for this work. While some of this funding is set aside to possibly come back - other stipends are not included on that list, such as stipends for our Activity Coordinators and Athletic Directors at the high school level and our Deans. And if some stipends are restored but not others - how is that equitable to students when some programs return but others do not? Who decides? How is that fair? The pool of money used to pay for advisors of smaller clubs and one-time activities is also not listed as being possibly restored.

Whereas:

This agreement also eliminates stipends for programs such running National Honor Society (which also would mean much of our peer mentorship program is eliminated) and our New Student Mentor Program. Imagine showing up to school as a freshman without an orientation or intentional support. Our class advisors have been defunded as well which means that our students are unable to participate in school wide events like Homecoming and also won’t have the ability to fundraise to offset prom costs or to take on leadership opportunities on behalf of the class or celebrate and unite as a grade level. Senior Prom will not happen in this model.

Whereas:

This model also defunds Activity Coordinator, Dean, and Athletic Director stipends and extra work days. The Activity Coordinator impacts are listed below as is a full description of the work done by the Athletic Director. The loss of this compensation for our Athletic Director and Dean means that they are not available to supervise events like football and basketball games. The Athletic Director is not able to complete their duties to start each season, lead meetings for coaches, etc. without the compensation to do this work.

Whereas:

The ELO pots of money used by each site to fund collegial planning, building leadership positions and extended learning opportunities has also been eliminated (SEA Contract sections 62.6.1, 62.7.1 and 62.8.1). At Shorecrest, these were used to pay club advisors and fund the work of coordinating Senior Speakers and the Senior Academic Awards Night. At many elementary schools a lot of this money goes towards supervision and safety and it is hard to imagine being able to run a safe school day without this funding. For a full list of what was funded by this money last year at schools around the district, please refer to Appendix B.

Whereas:

The impact of not funding the stipend for Activity Coordinator at Shorecrest and Shorewood means that any work, activities, or events outside the school day now have no compensation. While it may be possible in this agreement to “flex 10 days” these previously were in addition to the stipend and are now not being paid. The net loss is at least 10% of compensation to do the work of this position and will result in a starkly reduced activities program. Flexed days will also result in an overall loss of other areas of work performed by the Activity Coordinator. It is devastating to think that while some stipends are on a list to possibly be funded, this work is not. This work impacts the entire school community as a whole. Here is the work done by the Shorecrest Activity Coordinator outside the contract day that is now no longer being compensated:

* PTSA liaison & monthly meeting attendance

* Booster liaison & monthly meeting attendance

* ASB Officer Training and Work Days prior to the start of school

* Back to School Kick Off Event & Activity Fair for new students and their families

* Basketball Community Nights for Elementary and Middle School students and families

* Homecoming School Work Day

* Homecoming Assembly Set Up & Rehearsals

* Homecoming Feeder School Ambassador program

* Homecoming Football Game Halftime Show

* Homecoming Dance

* Girls Football League

* SC Serves Volleyball Tournament

* Winter Dance

* ASB Officer Mid-Year Retreat

* Night to Remember Dance Unified/Inclusion Event with Special Education & General Education Students

* Spring Dance

* Unity Festival Culture Showcase

* WESCO Student Leadership Conference

* Winter Carnival

* ASB / Leadership End of Year Recognition Event

* Senior Prom

Whereas:

The loss of ELO pay will also disproportionately impact our students of color. Shoreline is a predominantly white community and for many of our students, identity based clubs provide the only time in the entire week where students are with their peers in a space full of their own culture, where they truly feel seen and present. Losing this absolutely necessary reprieve places disproportionate and undue-burden on our Black/African American, African, Latinx and AAPI students.

Whereas:

In short, this agreement means that the core experiences of a comprehensive school community will not be available to our students for two years at minimum. If these programs are defunded, they will not quickly be rebuilt and restored at the drop of a hat. We saw how the loss of these activities, programs, and opportunities had serious negative effects for our students during COVID. Why would we choose to do that to our young people again when we can prioritize these as core parts of the student experience in terms of connecting students to community and opportunities? How can we, as the adults in this community, tell our students that this is our best? That because adults in this district made mistakes that our students won’t have a vibrant high school experience?

Be it Stated That:

We urge the District and the Shoreline Education Association wholeheartedly to restore ALL ELO funding. It is not acceptable to pick and choose which of these critical positions to fund. It is not fair if some get funded at some schools while others do not. It is entirely inequitable to think funding could go to programs that have a privileged and well-funded or well-connected group of parent supporters but not to our programs that lack that access and power. We need to restore ALL ELO funding for the sake of our students!

The Undersigned:

Johanna Phillips, SC Activity Coordinator, Leadership Teacher, and Freshman Class Advisor

Alan Bruns, SC Athletic Director, World History Teacher, Baseball Coach

Vince Caruso, Shorecrest HS Bands

Linda Cobb, Shorecrest High School Teacher and Flag Team Advisor

Andy Berkbigler, SC Teacher Librarian, Link Crew co-advisor, SC staff since 2002

Tammi Johnston, Shorecrest Culinary Arts Teacher

Lyla Taddei. Directed Studies, Kellogg Middle School, CPI Certified Instructor

Alec Wilmart, Kellogg Middle School Band Director

Barbara Moquin, Shorewood English Teacher, Annual Advisor, and 10th Grade Advisor

Nathaniel Hendrix, Kellogg MS and Shorecrest HS Choirs

Melissa Mock, Kellogg Middle School. Science/Theater

Rosie Moore, Kellogg Middle School Dean

Shannon McMaster, Einstein Library Tech, Webmaster, and Yearbook Advisor

Kaija Dalan, EMS Yearbook Advisor

Bob Quiles, Shorecrest PE Teacher

Gabe Martinez, Shorecrest Mathematics Teacher, Senior Class Advisor

Laura King, Shorecrest Art Teacher, Art Club Advisor, Art Expo Co-Coordinator

Stacia Tellefson, SCScience Teacher, Black Student Union Advisor, Environmental Club Advisor

Nick Novy, Einstein Jazz Band & Elementary Band Educator

Amy Pottinger, Shorewood English and Drama Teacher

________________

APPENDIX A: Stories of Impacts

High School Band

These cuts at the middle school level in particular will have an incredibly negative effect on student engagement and investment for years to come as those students move on to high school. At a time when we are trying to rebuild our music programs post-pandemic, we need support - not massive hurdles. This proposal essentially plunges us back into what we experienced during the lockdown.

No stipend means no performance opportunities outside the school day for students to showcase their efforts and growth.

NO band concerts

NO jazz concerts

NO jazz festivals

NO marching band at football games

NO pep band at basketball games

NO spring marching band experiences (parades/travel)

* Vince Caruso, Shorecrest HS Bands

Athletic Director

I've proudly worked in this district for 25 years, and always spoke to others of the vast array of paths that students can pursue during their time in our schools. I've told people that if you have a special interest or a talent you hope to develop, then you can find a match here. At Shorecrest, nearly 700 students have come out for our athletic teams and performance groups (Flags, Cheer, Hip Hop, Highland Dance) this school year, and hundreds more have come out to athletic events to support those athletes. Yet here we are, eliminating extracurricular opportunities for our students. I know we can do better than what's being proposed.

The role of Athletic Director is basically divided into two parts - the work done in the office and around school during school hours, and then my responsibilities that fall in the late afternoon and evening at numerous athletic venues. During the course of each athletic season I attend practices to observe our coaches in action in order to better inform our evaluation process, and speak to the teams about student-athlete expectations with respect to academics, attendance, and the code of conduct.

A significant portion of my after-contract hours are spent attending sporting events. For some sports such as football, basketball, volleyball, wrestling, and soccer, I serve as the primary supervisor for our student section, as well as general crowd control, while also being there to support our coaches when circumstances require my action. We are required to have a supervisor at all such events. Come postseason time, I also supervise our teams in actions, such as swim meets in Snohomish and basketball games at the Tacoma Dome. This year for example we organized a "rooter" bus for our girls soccer team's game in Puyallup and I traveled as the chaperone so our student fans could go to support our team. We arranged for the same such rooter bus this winter when our boys team was playing in the State tournament at the Tacoma Dome, and I again served as the chaperone with that group of students. Both of those were memorable experiences for our student fans, and for our teams who felt supported and celebrated. Those won't take place with the cuts to the AD stipend, which is a sad, and unfortunate loss for our programs and student population.

In all I will end up attending upwards of 75 athletic competitions this school year (that's not including practices). For me, it's one of my favorite parts of the job, but with the cuts in place where will that responsibility fall? What if we can't get someone to cover, when it's mandated to have a supervisor present at those events? Do we start canceling sporting events?

In August I arrive early as part of my extra 10 contract days, during which time the Fall sports teams are beginning their seasons. This fall the football team will begin on August 16, and all other sports on August 21, well before I'm due to report for my teaching days. During those early August days I process approximately 350 sets of online forms that are submitted by student-athletes - checking for completeness, determining eligibility, collecting and inputting physical forms, and meeting with athletes and families to answer questions and help them navigate the registration process. That's a time I've worked with athletes new to the country, with no experience registering for a sport, who are trying to overcome language barriers. Who will tend to that? Additionally I attend the first turnouts for the various teams, being there to help with last-minute arrivals, and assist our coaches as they launch their seasons. At the end of the first week I compile rosters and distribute those to all staff, so they have on hand for the start of the school year.

How is that work going to get done? That can't be done by the coaches. Who's going to make sure every athlete is properly cleared, with necessary permission forms, and with current physicals? Do we risk the immense liability the school and district would face if an athlete participates without proper clearance by a doctor? How about determining eligibility? Without careful attention to the forms you could have an ineligible athlete participate, risking a team's forfeiture of all games where that athlete participated.

With the current cuts that will eliminate the Kick-Off event and Activity Fair, I won't have an opportunity to promote our athletic programs, and inform new students about our sports and performance group offerings. This comes after the Covid seasons of declining participation, and then this current year we've seen a terrific bounce-back to pre-Covid numbers.

* Alan Bruns, Shorecrest Athletic Director, World History Teacher, Varsity Baseball Coach

New Student Orientation and Mentoring aka “Link Crew” at high school and “WEB” at middle school:

I helped build the Link Crew program at Shorecrest nineteen years ago, and I have been a co-advisor again for the last couple of years. Consider this -- Link Crew has been part of the Shorecrest experience since before our current students were born. It has lasted because it's important. It's a significant part of how we build a safe, equitable and positive culture at SC. Much of the advisory work for Link Crew is done before school begins. The loss of the stipend will mean this program does not happen at all and having a two year elimination of it would severely diminish and possibly destroy the program altogether.

* Andy Berkbigler, SC Teacher Librarian, Link Crew co-advisor, SC staff since 2002

Culinary Arts

If the stipend for Culinary Arts is eliminated, there will be no catering events that the students are able to put on. We are currently Shoreline Community College's exclusive caterer. We will not be able to cater any community dinners or fundraisers such as the Shorecrest Harvest Dinner or any of the catering for school auctions, such as the Shorecrest Booster auction.

The catering jobs earn our program money that helps with the overall costs of the program as well as access to field trips, purchasing equipment, and running our garden. If there is no stipend, there can be no work outside the class day and that would remove a huge component of this career pathway program!!

* Tammi Johnston, Shorecrest Culinary Arts Teacher

High School Dramatics

The Arts are not extra or supplemental to standard academic classes. Although the benefits can be seen in academic classes, the purpose of the Arts is not to serve academics. Instead, the Arts are the pinnacle of academic disciplines. While preparing for a Theatre production, students seamlessly integrate and demonstrate their skills in complex math, science and english concepts. They synthesize academic knowledge that, before this point, has been compartmentalized into school subjects. They engage in creative problem-solving that pulls from multiple skill sets, which according to Range by David Epstein, is not only optimal for learning but the single most important element for long term success. Drama students work closely with diverse populations who are unlike themselves yet share in a common goal of producing a public performance. Empathy, communication, and critical listening become paramount to mediating conflict and achieving the desired product. Social connections between students empower, and affirm their identities, even when they don’t feel like they belong in other avenues in school. Because of these reasons, and many others, OSPI determined Drama is a CORE subject for students K-12.

Beyond the loss of all this, I’m especially concerned about my Drama student's mental well-being without a Drama program. Drama comprises a large number of students furthest away from educational justice. They have bonded to create a support system, one that shields them from mental health issues, bullying from other students, fear of making mistakes, invisibility, and pessimism for their future. Without this shield, these students will be exposed and vulnerable, more than they already are.

We know the negative effects of suspending these programs, they have been researched, and documented globally for over 50 years. And yet, here we are, fighting again for what our students need most.

* Amy Pottinger, Shorewood English and Drama Teacher

Middle School Band

Concerts/performances are essential culminating events that demonstrate mastery in music classes. Those events are essential to the class, period. Simply, they are the main reason we have class. Without them, there is little reason for kids to take the classes in the first place. Eliminating the ELOs will lead to kids not taking the class, and the possible elimination of the opportunity all together, as enrollment drives class offerings.

In terms of cost savings/vs. Value of the experience, cutting ELOS in music is such a small part of the overall budget savings, less than 2% of the proposed savings, and an even smaller percentage of the budget shortfall. It's simply a bad deal and not worth what you lose.

Eliminating funding for Middle school jazz leads to inequity, inaccessibility, and lower enrollment in the program. It is the ensemble experience with the richest and most robust experience in African-American roots/music, and eliminating it would be catastrophic and undo much of the work we have all done in moving towards social justice and awareness through music.

Lastly, in my mind, middle ground is the philosophy to reduce, not eliminate. Maintain programs. When you eliminate programs, they are SO hard to get back.

* Alec Wilmart, Kellogg Middle School Band Director

Annual (Yearbook)

One question: Do you still have your high school yearbook, or know someone who does? I bet you do. I have been the teacher/advisor of Annual at Shorewood High School for about 12 years now, and I begin every school year by sharing with the students my very own senior yearbook from 1981! I tell them that I have moved many times throughout my life and yet still have packed up and lugged around my yearbooks. Why? Because they are historical reminders of a time in my past - a time full of memories I do not want to forget. Memories of the clubs I was involved in at school; the band performances or athletic events I participated in. Memories of the friendships I cultivated. The book also serves as a historical reminder of what's happening in our world. Take the pandemic for example. Imagine using this volume to talk to one's own children someday about what school was like. Yes, we finished two yearbooks during the pandemic because it was that important for us to do so. And the community was thankful we did. Students in Annual are afforded the opportunity to assume leadership positions, learn publishing and design skills, and develop stories and photography through a journalistic lens. They walk away with the satisfaction of creating a piece of history for their peers and their community. While I am a paid teacher for the hours I teach during the school day, I cannot complete the work needed to produce a quality yearbook in a given school day, and be available to supervise students working after school hours on the book. It requires time far beyond the regular school day. To ask me to do that at the same standards we have achieved, without pay, is offensive - even if temporarily. Please consider the impacts of the cuts proposed, and consider other options. They're out there.

* Barbara Moquin, Shorewood English Teacher, Annual Advisor, and 10th Grade Advisor

Middle School Dramatics

Over the past two years at Kellogg we have worked extremely hard to reestablish and grow the nascent theater program that was devastated by COVID. In 21/22 we had 83 students involved in two productions (Dear Edwina Musical and Talent Show). So far this year we have had 126 students involved in two productions (Haunted Knights and Matilda). Taking into account the possible spring talent show that accounts for well over 10% of the student body. When you walk around the halls of Kellogg and peer into the classrooms 1 in 10 of those kids has graced the Kellogg stage in the 2022/23 school year. For many of these kids drama is their only touch point to the community at Kellogg, it is the source of their social groups, their safety net, the reason they come to school.

* Melissa Mock, Kellogg Middle School. Science/Theater

Activities and Extracurriculars as a Support and Engagement Tool

I work with students who have Emotional and Behavior Disorders in the Behavior Learning and Support Classroom at Kellogg Middle School. I am also currently serving as our Equity Lead.

When looking at the District Budget Committee's decisions that include preserving our equity work, it is difficult for me to comprehend how removal of our community building and student affirming programs preserves equity in our schools. Preserving our Equity Teams is important, but they cannot do work moving towards equity when many of the programs and engagement tools are taken away which serve as a way to move towards antidotes to white supremacy culture.

My students are those who struggle greatly, mostly due to trauma, to engage with the school system structure. We work intently and individually with them to develop relationships and engage them with a sense of belonging in the school community. Extra-curricular activities are a critical tool to engage these students and keep them coming to school. They find success and accomplishment in these activities which are more mentally accessible to them, and then transfer that emotional learning to academic success and skill. Without our extra-curricular activities it will be increasingly difficult to engage these students in classroom learning.

* Lyla Taddei, Directed Studies, Kellogg Middle School, CPI Certified Instructor

Choir (Middle and High School)

If the proposed ELO stipend cuts are approved, we will have two years without any choir performances. If we have two years without choir performances, the Kellogg and Shorecrest choir programs will lose students and will spend far MORE than two years rebuilding to the point where we are now. This is not conjecture; this is proven by the results of two years of COVID restrictions on live musical performances which have emaciated choir programs not just in Shoreline but around the world. We are only just beginning to rebuild.

Music is meant to be shared with others. In choir classes we spend months learning songs with the intention of sharing our music with friends, family, local community, and student musicians from neighboring school districts. Students are motivated to learn because they are eager to share their progress to an audience outside their classroom. Without the opportunity to perform, any music class loses its beating heart.

-Nathaniel Hendrix, Kellogg MS and Shorecrest HS Choirs

Dean of Students, Middle School

While I will remain in the position of Dean of Students, my stipend will be cut. This stipend covers just some of the work I do outside of the school day as the Dean. Outside of my contract hours, I attend trainings, work on presentations for staff and students, and create behavior interventions, just to name a few things. I feel that the most important aspect of my position is to help create a positive and welcoming environment for all students. I am working with our administration to build more restorative justice practices into our work, which has been shown to reduce student suspensions and exclusions. There is a large amount of research showing that restorative justice can improve educational outcomes for all students. For example, Denver Public Schools saw a 50% reduction in absenteeism after students participated in a restorative justice program (Baker, 2009). Restorative Justice has been shown to narrow the racial discipline gap (Jain, et al, 2014), and Oakland Unified School District saw a growth in Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) scores from 14% to 33% after implementing a Restorative Justice program. This is just one example of the work that a Dean of Students does in Shoreline, which would be made much more difficult if I am no longer compensated for work outside of the school day. In addition, other committees that I am a part of (such as PBIS) will not be in place next year, adding more to my workload. The Dean position is only one of many positions being affected by this cut.

* Rosie Moore, Kellogg Middle School Dean

PBIS Team, Middle School

One of the many teams at Kellogg that is funded by the ELO money is our PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support) team. This year, our team consists of 10 staff members, who receive a small honorarium in exchange for giving their time to attend regular meetings, plan lessons for staff and students, and help implement school-wide systems, such as our Sword Reward Tickets. The PBIS team creates lessons on our school-wide expectations that are taught by all teachers, throughout the school year. The team works with all staff members to help them build positive community in their classroom and the school as a whole. This school year we have seen a decrease in negative behaviors, and staff largely attribute this to the work of the PBIS team.

* Rosie Moore, Kellogg Middle School Dean

New Student Orientation & Mentoring, Middle School

In the 2022-23 school year, Kellogg began a program called WEB (Where Everybody Belongs). A group of 83 incoming 8th graders were selected to be the first mentor group for this program. These students attended two days of training in August before school began, and then welcomed all incoming sixth graders to an orientation the day before school started. Through the year, our WEB mentors have met with their 6th grade groups to help them get acquainted with Kellogg, to help them organize their schoolwork and study, to help them build community, and to teach them how to "do" middle school. In addition, a smaller group of our 8th grade WEB mentors planned and hosted our 5th grade visit - for next year's sixth graders.

In March 2021, Governor Inslee declared a youth mental health crisis in the state of Washington, due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting school closures. Students were feeling disconnected from their communities and schools. We are still seeing the impacts of this in 2023, and will continue to see the impacts for years to come. Our WEB program is just one way that our school is combatting this mental health crisis by giving students a sense of belonging. In addition, research shows that middle school students with a sense of belonging have higher academic performance than students who feel that they do not "belong." Thus, WEB not only improves student mental health but also student performance.

Without the stipend provided for staff for this program, we will not be able to plan our trainings and orientation for the students, nor will we be able to run two days of training for the 8th grade mentors. This year our WEB mentors planned one after-school event for sixth graders, and we had hoped that next year there would be two. Without funding for new student orientation and mentoring, we will not be able to plan or host any after school activities.

This program has positively altered our school culture. Incoming sixth graders feel welcome and less nervous about coming to school. They met people in a more relaxed setting before the school year began (both classmates and older mentors), and were at least somewhat familiar with the school and staff members. We have also seen how this program positively impacts our 8th grade students. They have a sense of ownership and leadership in our school community and in just one year we are seeing what a difference it makes.

By the 2024-25 school year, after we had planned to run the program for three full years, every grade in the school would have had the opportunity to be both mentors and mentees. If just one year has already had such a positive impact on our students, the results after 3 years would be immense. If we cut the funding for staff for this program, we will not get to see the impact of ALL students benefiting from the program.

* Rosie Moore, Kellogg Middle School Dean

High School Class Advisors:

The work of our class advisors, paid for via stipends in the SEA Contract, is less visible than the larger programs alongside, but is equally as vital. Class advisors work with the student class officers to lead social events, recognition, communication, and fundraising efforts. Without class advisors, there is not the ability for classes to fundraise for big events like Senior Prom and without class advisors, the class cannot gather together and have events. Here is a list of the work that will not happen without our class advisors:

* Senior Prom

* Top Scot Senior Community and Fundraising Event

* Homecoming School Work Day

* Homecoming Class Competitions (stairwell, song, mural, skit)

* Homecoming Assembly Rehearsals and Set Up

* Girls Football League

* Talent Show

* All Fundraising Opportunities to Help Off-Set Cost of Senior Prom

* Advising and Mentorship to Student Leaders

* Johanna Phillips, SC Activity Coordinator and Freshman Class Advisor

Loss of ASB Fundraising Ability

Without club advisors, class advisors, and program advisors being funded, there is not the staffing available to organize ASB account fundraising efforts for these programs. That means that Orchestra, Band, the Senior Class, DECA, TSA, etc. will not be able to fundraise to support activities and offset costs. With the impact of House Bill 1660 stating that all students eligible for Free & Reduced Lunch are also eligible to have participation fees waived for programs, the importance of fundraising to these programs has only increased over the past several years. Defunding these stipend positions has consequences beyond the program not being supervised, but it also eliminates the ability of the programs to earn money. In short this means: no fundraising for trips, senior prom, competitions, etc.

* Andy Denney, SC ASB & Athletics Coordinator

Art Club, Art Expo - High School

I have been the Shorecrest Art Club advisor and Art Expo coordinator for 18 years. Both the art club and our annual Art Expo have been powerful voices and validations for our student visual artists. From building a community of empowered, young artists, to exhibiting their work in the Art Expo, students learn the power of art. Over the years our reach has broadened. We now join forces with our larger arts community to celebrate our students with our annual Arts Assembly. For seven years, our art club has come up with an annual All School Art Project, where we have each student in the school create a tiny piece of a larger community art work. The loss of these programs would have a terrible impact on our youth who are already dealing with so much. The arts are a safety line. We need to fund these programs.

* Laura King, Art Teacher | Shorecrest High School, Visual Arts Specialist

Yearbook - Middle School

I'm very disappointed to hear that the stipend for yearbook is being cut at the middle (and high) school level. Unlike at the High School level, the middle school yearbook is completely created by an after school club- without ELO funding this club could not run, which means there would be no middle school yearbook for our students. The school yearbook is one of the things carried from middle school throughout life- most people still have theirs. We strive to represent every single child multiple times in the yearbook so that they really feel like they are a part of the school they attend. Last year we had over 70 kids in our club, all just looking for a place to belong. I fear that cutting this stipend will cause more harm than the minimal amount of money this will save the district. Thank you for your time and attention.

* Shannon McMaster & Kaija Dalan, EMS Yearbook Advisors

Band - Elementary Band and Middle School Jazz Band

The decision to eliminate all concerts for the music program is like a sports team practicing but never having a game - it simply doesn't make sense. Music is a "Performing Arts" class, which means that we need some sort of performance to not only provide a great experience for students but also to teach them valuable life lessons and skills. For instance, performing teaches students how to work towards a goal, operate under pressure, and develop their creative skills.

Furthermore, I am deeply concerned about the elimination of the jazz band. This decision harms students who want to explore an American art form that has deep roots in African American music. Jazz provides students with the opportunity to learn how to create music on the spot while also learning about its rich history and cultural influences.

Lastly, I want to emphasize that music is a unique art form where there are no star players, and everyone is important and has a role to play. This creates an equitable space for all students, regardless of their background or skill level. By eliminating the concerts for our music programs, you risk altering the very foundation our classes are built upon, depriving students of a valuable and vital educational experience, and jeopardizing the cultural richness of our school.

* Nick Novy, Einstein Jazz Band & Elementary Band Educator

________________

APPENDIX B: ELO Site-Based Funding

Here is what will be lost from our schools by de-funding in sections 62.6.1, 62.7.1 and 62.8.1. These are the “pots” of money for Extended Learning Opportunities that are distributed via site-based decision making:

Shorecrest High School

* Art Club

* Art Expo Showcase and Awards

* Asian Pacific Islander Culture Club

* Black Student Union

* Ceramics Club

* Chansons Vocal Club

* Climate Justice Club

* Environmental Club

* HOSA - Future Health Professionals

* Interact Service Club

* Latino Club

* Model United Nations

* Muslim Student Association

* Natural Helpers

* Pre-Calculus Study Group

* Science Club

* Senior Academic Awards Night

* Senior Graduation Speakers

* Women in STEM

Shorewood High School

* Amnesty International

* Archery Club

* Art Attack

* Black Student Union (BSU)

* Debate Club

* Filipino American Student Association (FASA)

* Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA)

* Helping Animals Feel Safe (HAFS)

* Helping Our Planet Earth (HOPE)

* Interact Club

* Investment Club

* Japanese Culture Club

* Japanese Honor Society

* Korean Culture Club

* LatinX Student Union (LSU)

* Lifesavers Suicide Prevention Club

* Math Club

* Peer Assisted Learning Support (PALS)

* Psychology Club

* Science Club

* Shorewood HIV/AIDS Peer Education (SHAPE)

* Thespian Club

* Tri-M Music Society

* Video/Film Club (SEATV)

Kellogg Middle School

* Dungeons and Dragons Club

* PBIS

* Connect Club

* Japan & Anime Club

* Art Club

* Knitting Club

* French Club

* AAPI Club

* BSU Club

* GSA Club

* LatinX Club

* Drumline Club

* The Troubadour Staff (Newspaper Club)

* DRAMA -

* After school Tutoring

Brookside Elementary

* Building Leadership Team

* Instructional Leadership Team

* Race & Equity Team

* PBIS Committee

* Emergency Prep committee

* Scheduling Committee

* Social/Staff climate Committee

* Extra AM/PM Student supervision

* Book Clubs during lunch run by our Librarian

* Girls on the Run club director

* Dodgeball club - 3x per year

* Running Club - 2x per year

* Salmon Tank coordinator

* Daily Bus duty - 2 teachers rotate this all year

* PTA Teacher rep

* ELO Coordinator

Echo Lake Elementary:

* Building Leadership Team

* Race & Equity Team

* PBIS Team

* Instructional Leadership Team

* Kindness Week Coordinator

* Yearbook

* Running Club

* Eagles' Nest Homework Club

* Photography Club

* OTTER Club

* Fiber Arts Club

* 2nd Grade Reading Club

* Girls Who Code

* Student Council reps

* Eagle Pride Videos

* Bus Duty

Highland Terrace Elementary:

* Builders Club

* Book Look Club

* Fiber Arts Club

* Chill Club

* Spirit Squad

* Builders Club

* HT Running Club

* Art Club

* Master Schedule Team

* ELO Coordinators

* PTA Teacher Reps

* Drawing Club

* NaNoWriMo Writing Group

* Board Game Club

* Variety Show Audition Mgr

Parkwood Elementary:

* * Master Scheduling Team

* Kinder Onboarding

* Beginning Steel Drums

* Advanced Steel Drums

* Fall/Spring Run Club

* Building Leadership Team

* Polynesian Dance

* 3rd grade Potlatch

* Intervention Team Planning

* Girls on the Run

* ASL Club

* Gingerbread Night

* Ukulele

* Girls on the Run

APPENDIX C: ELO & Leadership Assignments Minimum Job Duties

A full description of what will be lost by eliminating stipends. Please note that for most of these programs, the advisor had been conducting work at a much higher level than this “minimum floor” listed in this document. Please also note that this document did not get updated when the stipend list expanded to include Athletic Directors, Culinary Arts, Deans of Students, DECA, and Equity Leads. All of those will be defunded by this agreement with the exception of Equity Leads.