[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6362285,"mediaKeyId","2168228-e65e720a48b68ee3c6a51f1039d8017d","parentId",2168228,"title","Kent School Board hears strategic‑plan status update; district announces two new priority initiatives","audioSeconds",777,"startMs",477000,"endMs",1254000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2168228-e65e720a48b68ee3c6a51f1039d8017d&start=477&end=1254","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2168228-e65e720a48b68ee3c6a51f1039d8017d/thumbnail_477000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6362285/Washington/Kent-School-Board-hears-strategicplan-status-update-district-announces-two-new-priority-initiatives","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6362285-1b6a83a6d02f82c00383cc53c11d14e5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771151473&Signature=YijvDCwkoGHsATk1mziLetHLL06cYpiowynwByLFKkfOY6aoFmUfGuK0Kt7cYgB7nn22Al7RHW3Sj948Gytaz9S8pvdcaWTc8GDSLYI1X9bFJ-hOMs8nr3TjE~dBFGbjYJNvInLreBnsaJVbSv4FdXuWo04M2THqVDL04J-U3CFrvTLEEyfDINDkBNSQRoiZLWMc75BXNsF8LN5I2zpeRJtWAsfpab0CRpV3w5ctN-b5JvE1oO7Dd0jYg802RIuHCjDX1PZ3JDpWsekEb2NtMWY1uvfms9VA4D2NinfVaZWX4vU8Me7QTYZG6dEPG0iAXCTjigrfkLZEZdjK3vQCcA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Kent School District, Washington","date","2025-01-30T15:17:00Z","article","Superintendent Bellett told the Kent School Board the district completed the first year of strategic plan implementation after adopting the plan in June 2024 and is now mid‑way through year two of work tied to the board‑adopted goals.

“We embarked upon our first priority and that was to develop a strategic plan that was going to guide us for the next 5 years,” Bellett said, noting the board’s role in developing implementation priorities.

Spencer Pan, senior executive director of strategic initiatives and operations, and Sarah Dumlao, director of accountability and strategy, summarized the district’s priority initiatives and alignment to the four strategic goals. They said three initiatives were highlighted for goal alignment in October; since then one initiative (a strategic reporting/dashboard project) has moved from launch to completion and the team is closing the project.

Allison Liao, project specialist, announced two new priority initiatives under Goal 3 (building equitable systems and school environments): a School Supplies Availability initiative and a Sports and ASB Participation initiative. Liao outlined timelines and targets for each:

- School Supplies Availability: mission to ensure all students have essential resources at the start of the school year. Core supply lists are being developed, vendor engagement is underway, and the team aims to have kits created, sorted and delivered by Aug. 25, 2025.

- Sports and ASB Participation: mission to ensure equitable access to extracurricular activities. Liao said annual ASB and athletic participation reporting to OSPI will be used; House Bill 1660 was cited as ensuring equitable access by waiving fees for eligible low‑income students and requiring consistent fee practices. The initiative will track gaps in ASB card ownership (target: keep gaps below 15%) and extracurricular participation gaps (target: below 9%); schools that miss targets will produce tailored gap plans and engage student leaders for reporting by September 2025.

Liao said the district plans to analyze participation barriers and connect extracurricular participation to graduation outcomes by September 2025. The completed strategic reporting/dashboard initiative was noted as moving to closure and two new initiatives were formally launched into the priority pipeline.

Board members thanked staff for the update and asked clarifying questions about initiative timelines, metrics and how student leaders will be engaged in action planning.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","KSD Special Board Meeting: Work Session 01/29/25","oneSentenceSummary","Superintendent Bellett and senior staff reviewed progress on the district strategic plan, reported one completed initiative and introduced two new priority initiatives under Goal 3: school supplies availability and sports/ASB participation.","taxTitle","Kent School District, School Districts, Washington","taxId",14629,"location","Washington","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6362289,"Kent Educators of Color Network partners with district on affinity‑group work to support BIPOC staff retention",2866,4557000,7423000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2168228-e65e720a48b68ee3c6a51f1039d8017d&start=4557&end=7423","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2168228-e65e720a48b68ee3c6a51f1039d8017d/thumbnail_4557000.jpg","/articles/6362289/Washington/Kent-Educators-of-Color-Network-partners-with-district-on-affinitygroup-work-to-support-BIPOC-staff-retention","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6362289-dbd6c779863747c5df80a904b9cd291f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771151473&Signature=V89NUs7ZftS14vbEaKhn5oJ-ts3NBQCD2CyTufe8zV5KRlNGsBAcJxTg5OW1VYF7BOu097QwHGQCbggf9pXiPzc9kYrCmr7CTeS2y25r52G527oLyokcbSJRcnY4UHOJnmhg-~ZE8vhuw55WAFZohRdHnffg5WLuGs6vZqZpyQNJ3PiS-~muYtag3OScGThC6VyF~aQei4zXo7fHyecgg445fjKYSnTkbL-3f61~anMmslH9pTGJN8S-pQzavaDD30PYquEy4WAhqT~4JSZFcdTsoPULMDLuqrHTKWsbH9XPc8Tpt7bOHTM0Ff5rYaoG-7jrkGsyoxbe7bnX73S0xQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Irene (staff) and members of the Kent Educators of Color Network presented the Affinity‑Based Opportunities priority initiative tied to strategic‑plan Goal 4, saying the initiative seeks to promote retention of Black, Indigenous and other people of color (BIPOC) employees through affinity groups and professional learning.

“Affinity groups that center the voices of educators of color create a space to support retention, build relationships and foster instructional practice,” Irene said as she introduced network members who regularly attend new employee orientation and lead local professional learning.

The district said human resources sponsored registration for 15 staff last year to attend the “Journey Towards Liberation” convening at the University of Washington; the district will fund 25 participants (14 staff, 11 administrators) for the 2025 convening on Feb. 8. Presenters described that as an effort to expand administrator engagement and distribute learned practices across the system.

“Centering marginalized educators gives us solutions that work for our students,” said Tamara (network member), who outlined work at Mill Creek Middle School where staff applied the Street Data approach to center students and staff voices in problem solving. Network presenters asked that the district continue to partner with affinity leaders rather than making the work a top‑down exercise.

Brett (network member) described retention as an urgent focus: he said some buildings have very low numbers of certificated educators of color and called for system‑level actions to recruit and keep BIPOC educators. Network members proposed several next steps: a dedicated Kent School District staff site or Teams channel with resources and membership information; a district email for the network; more sponsored professional learning; and intentional administrator participation in affinity work.

Superintendent Bellett and board members emphasized the need to “move with the speed of trust” and to balance urgency with the time required to do human‑centered work. Board members asked about scheduling, the availability of dedicated time for affinity work, and whether district leadership can remove roadblocks so the network can scale its efforts. Presenters recommended intentional time for administrators and staff, listening to educators about concrete needs, and co‑designing solutions with affinity‑group leaders rather than outsourcing expertise.

Doctor Rebecca Kim (external facilitator/partner) and network members described a Street Data professional learning series: a four‑part, equity‑centered inquiry process that uses targeted questions, triangulated data and follow‑up with the communities providing the data to fuel root‑cause analysis and action. The network said the series will run through June and that the district aims to apply the approach to strategic plan metrics.

Board members and presenters closed by reiterating a request for continued partnership, clearer channels for staff to access the network, and district support for implementation time and professional learning.","District staff described a formal partnership with the Kent Educators of Color Network to expand affinity groups, sponsor staff to attend convenings, add resources to new‑hire orientation, and plan additional administrator participation.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6362294,"Kent School District students and staff present Inclusive Spaces photo‑voice project and dashboard",1558,1408000,2966000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2168228-e65e720a48b68ee3c6a51f1039d8017d&start=1408&end=2966","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2168228-e65e720a48b68ee3c6a51f1039d8017d/thumbnail_1408000.jpg","/articles/6362294/Washington/Kent-School-District-students-and-staff-present-Inclusive-Spaces-photovoice-project-and-dashboard","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6362294-89f4334b2496ea66582b9b91b5cb4d7f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771151473&Signature=Co~~ioZxmJkv0o034XxWxdAi37f7bWUd2-FeLiOSZtwRv-ppm-RZYfWsRUuK5gPYUEgAkgbkwhpWoPXxbA0ch9zCWbk16Adj5h5k2EYSdTDypNgDHqfbSGV~ArewvQIJF9bTUExqqra~5CsWKBbzqeH6mF0XSCrABkr~ivHnNB~lPCAndfhBMlPeqgAImPt19hT3Y3KO55auO4k93TxQeoXo~-k8aKmnoZs2Rw61PnUcvmeAQWm1~amycH7rNllHd0mkMPFdiif4bqsy~V4yyceXhmkteKQ4AN1VAQBhmAz12A5LsYLaKZMAUTWK8DpV1KONQyo4Z~HtOESDOtpD0g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rachel Waldrop, a data analyst on the Kent School District research and evaluation team, told the board the Inclusive Spaces priority initiative used a photo‑voice project and an evidence‑based framework to guide work on physical environments that support social‑emotional learning.

“The nature of visual communication really opened up participation across ages and grade levels,” Waldrop said, describing how students and staff used disposable cameras and note cards to identify spaces they found inclusive and spaces they did not.

The district analyzed returned photos in a dashboard that allowed the team to detect patterns and select schools for follow‑up site visits, Quintera Middleton, a school psychologist at River Ridge Elementary, said. Middleton said the dashboard showed adults rarely labeled spaces “not inclusive,” while students did; it also showed elementary respondents tended to highlight social spaces more than secondary respondents.

“We saw trends in the photo takers and the types of inclusivity that came up,” Middleton said. That prompted site visits at both participating and nonparticipating schools to ensure student voices were represented, the team said.

River Ridge students who serve on their student council described specific spaces they consider inclusive: wide entrance walkways with student artwork, hallways with displays and monitors showing school announcements, flexible “flex” areas by windows used for small groups and socializing, the library with creative seating and multicultural books, and the outdoor play field. Several students described classrooms with calming lighting and visible student work as spaces that support learning and belonging.

“We put cognitive and socials. They are open spaces by the windows in our hallways where we can work and socialize,” River Ridge student council members said during the presentation. They also noted the gym and cafeteria can be loud or crowded and described those as less inclusive for some students.

Farrah St. Jarna, a multilingual education teacher at River Ridge, said the project changed staff perspectives about how students actually use and experience spaces. She said the student voices informed the resource guide the committee is developing.

The committee framed its work on the “enriched environments for social emotional learning” framework, which calls out sensory, cognitive, motor, social, emotional and critical thinking domains. The team said their product will be a guidance resource and a dashboard that helps schools identify and replicate inclusive features. The district plans to share the meeting deck with board members after the presentation.

Superintendent Bellett thanked the students and parents for participating and said the board had adopted strategic plan goals that include student voice and inclusive spaces, which is why the group was presenting this work.

Board members asked students and staff how flex spaces are used, how new teachers can be supported to create welcoming classrooms, and whether signage or building lighting contribute to inclusion. Presenters described several practical steps under consideration: a district Teams channel or staff site to share photos and resources, borrowing and sharing of materials such as butcher paper for door‑decorating, and the inclusion of examples in new‑hire orientation materials so teachers can see replicable ideas.

The presentation closed with the board and students taking a group photo and an acknowledgement from the superintendent that the project aligns with the board’s strategic goals on student voice and inclusive spaces.","District staff and students presented the Inclusive Spaces priority initiative, reporting a photo‑voice project, dashboard analysis and site visits that shaped a resource guide; students described spaces they find inclusive and not inclusive.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Kent School Board hears strategic‑plan status update; district announces two new priority initiatives

Kent Educators of Color Network partners with district on affinity‑group work to support BIPOC staff retention

Kent School District students and staff present Inclusive Spaces photo‑voice project and dashboard