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2020-21 Events

Image by Behy Studio

Planning Session

December 16, 2021

In our first Planning Session since January 2020 we outlined what we will start/stop and continue with community. These guiding themes will be available on our website in 2022.

Washington State School Discipline Appeal Training (2 Parts)

November 2021

TeamChild attorneys share insight on navigating the school discipline appeal process and facilitated mock appeal hearings with participants.

Washington State OSPI's Discipline Know Your Rights (2 Parts)

October 2021

Each year we host a Know Your Rights training where we give an overview of the discipline process that is adapted statewide, tips and tools we've created to support families, and types of exclusionary discipline.

Kent School District Quarterly Community Collaboration Meeting

August 19, 2021

Kent School District explained an upcoming School Resource Officer contract decision that is going to be decided on by the Kent School Board. The decision up for review was explained and families were able to share their perspective on the perception of safety, questions about the contract, and were told how to engage the school board to ensure their perspectives were considered during the School Board's vote.

Gems of Leadership

May 13, 2021

Kent School Board Directors Denise Daniels and Maya Vengadasalam share their experience. Their gems of leadership, wisdom, and experience are here as a foundation for people interested in running and directives they’ve given Kent School District on how to make the school board a safe space for Leaders of Color.

Link to Recording

Community and The Capitol

February 11, 2021

Community Members and Brandy Sincyr of Columbia Legal Services had a conversation about our experiences at Olympia advocating for things we care about. We took time to review if everyone knows who their elected officials are and their relationships to committees. We discussed the importance of building community around things we care about and connecting with our elected officials as humans and the importance of building relationships with them. We also discussed how to be aware of lobbyists and other entities that also have stakes in what you're interested in advocating in.

Teen Talks (10 Parts)

November 2020 to February 2021

Ty Turner, Toni Williams and Andrew Campbell connected with youth through introductions to begin the Teen Talks series. Youth will be engaged in dialogue and journal assignments with the purpose of building community and self-esteem around their convictions and voice.

Washington State School Discipline Appeal Training (2 Parts)

December 2020

TeamChild attorneys share insight on navigating the school discipline appeal process and facilitated mock appeal hearings with participants.

Special Education Law (6 Hours, 3 Parts)

October to November 2020

In partnership with Washington Educators Association we hosted an event that helped engage parents around what issues their facing in distance learning with their student who has an IEP or 504.

Youth Advocate Fellowship Forum (3 Parts)

August to October 2020

Youth from schools around Washington, aged 10-25 gathered virtually to discuss back to school. This is South King County Discipline Coalition's first youth advocate event. Youth in attendance did support the idea of having another forum in a month and picking up the pace and increasing the engagement.

Networks for Life - Youth Suicide Prevention

October 10, 2020

Networks for Life is a 3-hour certified training for youth suicide prevention, intervention, and post-vention. Crisis Connection shared skills to identify, explore, and intervene signs of suicidal ideation, how to communicate with students and their families about depression and suicide, laws and ethics in confidentiality and reporting, as well as tools to support youth after a suicide loss.

Engaging with your Local School Board for Action

October 8, 2020

Sebrena Burr and Mary Fertakis combined their experience and expertise about local school board leadership and activism to develop a training sharing how to best engage your local school board for action. This original training was very informative.

Teacher Focus Group

October 6, 2020

Halisi El facilitated a discussion with teachers about the importance of self-care and how spirituality and emotions are integral to teaching as a whole person to the whole child. Similar to the Parent/Student focus group intent is for Halisi and her Divine Generations Homeschool to develop content that is responsive to concerns mentioned during this focus group.

Parent/Student Focus Group

October 1, 2020

Halisi El facilitated a discussion with parents and caretakers about the challenges and successes of distance learning. The dialogue was rich and the intent is for Halisi and her Divine Generations Homeschool to develop content that is responsive to concerns mentioned during this focus group.

Community and The Capitol

February 11, 2021

Community members had a conversation, supported by Brandy Sincyr of Columbia Legal Services, about their experiences advocating at the Capitol this year. How COVID-19 has impacted how community interacts with our legislators, how to identify our legislators and why we should pay attention to what different committees and lobbyist are at play during the legislative session. Overall, we learned that the elected officials are humans too and it helps to build relationships with community and elected officials around things we care about.

How Washington State Funds Public Schools – The Way It Is; The Way it Could Be for Equity

September 17, 2020

This presentation explained how Washington State funds its schools – which is NOT based on actual student need. Parents decided we need to raise more awareness about this issue, so we'll feature this training for a second time, the third Tuesday in September.

Know Your Rights - Education in the Wake of COVID-19

September 10, 2020

TeamChild of King County's attorney shared a presentation of parent's rights during COVID-19.

Sippin' the Tea with Yordanos of Washington State Ombudsman Office

September 3, 2020

Yordanos Gebreamlak of the Washington State Governor's Office of the Education Ombuds shared, with the parents of SKCDC, the mission and strategic work plan of the Office of the Education Ombuds (OEO). Yordanos Gebreamlak also gave some context as to what to expect when calling into OEO's intake line. She also welcomed criticism from people who already have experience with OEO.

How Washington State Funds Public Schools – The Way It Is; The Way it Could Be for Equity

August 18, 2020

This presentation explained how Washington State funds its schools – which is NOT based on actual student need. Parents decided we need to raise more awareness about this issue, so we'll feature this training for a second time, the third Tuesday in September.

Parent Guide to OSPI's Behavior Menu with Betty Peralta

August 6, 2020

Betty Peralta and SKCDC partnered to create a Parent Guide to OSPI's Behavior Menu of Best Practices. Betty gave insight on how to take the higher level recommendations in the discipline menu and practically apply them in a culturally competent way. Here is a link to watch it

Cultivating the Genius of Black Students (2 Parts)

May to August 2020

Substantial research indicates that Black students have distinct, unique learning styles and preferences. Dr. Debra Sullivan covered the different learning styles and how to engage them.

Special Education Services with Khadijah Toms

July 16, 2020

Khadijah Toms helped us unpack how to support our student's personhood as it  relates to accessing Special Education Services with the ongoing COVID-19 Public Health Crisis. This community conversation centered on supporting parents in building strategies to engage the schools and districts of South King County. Here is a link to watch it! 

Introduction to Power Traits with Terikka Faciane, M. Ed.

July 9, 2020

Terikka Faciane shared the foundations and potential application of Power Traits in the home education and partnership with educators. Many students are expected to learn the same, perform the same, and produce the same, when in fact they are not the same. This training introduced us to Power Traits.

Sippin' the Tea with Toni Williams

June 18, 2020

We had a facilitated conversation with Toni Williams on how to support students as we're coping with COVID-19 and protests against police brutality. Here is a link to watch it! 

Sippin' the Tea in Community

June 11, 2020

This event was a freeform virtual community gathering that was supported by DaJonah Hall, Program Coordinator with Crisis Connection of Seattle. The conversation was centered around balancing self-care and antiracist organizing.

Sippin' the Tea with Pushout Documentary

June 4, 2020

After watching Pushout the documentary (based on a book released in 2016 about the criminalization of black girls in schools) we hosted a virtual town hall about the documentary and how to advocate for our youth through COVID and beyond. The Town Hall was facilitated by Adair Hasty-Vannoy, a local therapist. The conversation evolved to everyone committing to action items to change the current trend of criminalization of black girls.

Sippin' the Tea with Andrew Campbell

May 28, 2020

This community dialogue, led by Andrew Campbell highlighted the benefits of kinesthetic learning in building resiliency in students. Techniques such as mood mapping and engaging the students considering their preferences were discussed. Parents and teachers were encouraged to collaborate in informing principals and district boards of what is working for students as a tactic to influence how schools respond to COVID19 and beyond.

Distance Learning Experience: Special Education

May 7, 2020

​Parents and Teachers connected via virtual panel to share their stories and strategies while adjusting to Distance Learning. Panelists were: 

  • Andrew Campbell, Special Education Instructor...

  • Christianna Clinton, Single mom, special education paraeducator, full time early learning student and Early Learning/ Family advocate...

  • DurShrika Moore, Parent Advocate and Founder of Mommie Motivated on Facebook)

  • Faduma Bulale,  Local Wife, Mother, UW Alum and founding member of the Elmi Foundationate...

  • Khadijah Toms, Parent Advocate and community leader

Distance Learning Experience: General Education

April 30, 2020

​Parents and Teachers connected via virtual panel to share their stories and strategies while adjusting to Distance Learning. Panelists were: 

  • Nicole Brown, Teacher

  • Carolyn Solitaire, Parent Advocate 

  • Erin Jones, Has been involved in and around schools for the past 26 years....

Community Check-In

April 2, 2020

Parents discussed their successes, struggles and silver linings in their distance learning journeys prompted by COVID-19. Representatives of PAVE and Washington House of Representatives were on the call to learn and share as well.

Planning Session

January 23, 2020

Presenters from Roadmap Project and Columbia Legal Services shared data and insight on what their organizations are seeing in regards to disproportionality experienced by people of color on the spectrum of school to prison pipeline and parents shared a dynamic list of creative ideas to inform/guide our annual program of trainings, meetings and events.

Special Education Law Training

January 9, 2020

This is a training for families and students on Washington State's Special Education Discipline Rules specifically for students who have a IEP or 504. Washington Educators Association provides free teacher trainer, Rebecca Fry who is qualified by our parent attendees.

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