Sarah Clark, 2025-02-27

[00:00:10] Christie Robertson: Welcome to Rainy Day Recess, where we study and discuss Seattle Public Schools. This is our 2025 Seattle School Board candidate series ahead of the August 5 primary. 

Today we're releasing all of the interviews with District two candidates, which is roughly northwest Seattle. Later this week, we'll release the interviews with D4 and D5 school board candidates, and we'll cover D7 after the primary, since there's no primary race in that district. 

Transcripts are at rainydayrecess.org. 

This episode is our interview with Sarah Clark. We recorded before we had settled on the format for all of the interviews, so you'll notice that this one is a little bit different. And it was previously released in March of this year as Episode 22 of Rainy Day Recess.

Be sure to listen to our interviews with Eric Feeny and Kathleen Smith, which are also in your feed. We'll give a quick preview of those interviews at the end of this episode. 

I'm Christie Robertson.

[00:00:34] Jasmine Pulido: And I'm Jasmine Pulido. 

[00:00:40] Christie Robertson: This interview was conducted on February 27th, the day after the board community engagement session on the district budget, so you'll hear us referring to that as happening “last night”.

Today, we're joined by Director Sarah Clark, who was appointed to the Seattle School Board in April 2024 and is running to retain her seat and finish the last two years of the term.

[00:01:05] Jasmine Pulido: In addition to serving on the Seattle School Board, Sarah is the Director of Policy at the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. She also has a Master's in Education Policy from the University of Washington. And anything else you want to add, Sarah? 

[00:01:21] Sarah Clark: Yeah, I'm also a graduate of Seattle Public Schools. I went to Madrona Elementary School, where I joined the Highly Capable Program, which back in the day we called APP, Accelerated Progress Program. I transitioned to Washington Middle School and ended up graduating from Garfield High School in 2003.

[00:01:46] Christie Robertson: Thank you for being here, Sarah.

[00:01:48] Sarah Clark: Thank you for having me.

[00:01:50] Christie Robertson: Can you give us a quick overview of District 2 and the schools and neighborhoods that you represent?

[00:01:56] Sarah Clark: Yeah. District 2 is... I like to characterize it as NW Seattle. The majority of the schools in my district are elementary schools. And we've got a couple K-8s. And Ballard High School. We cover, like, Magnolia, Ballard, North Beach, and then going all the way east towards I-5. So that would include the southern part of Greenwood. And the entirety of Green Lake is in my district.

[00:02:39] Christie Robertson: I think your district is the hardest one to describe.

[00:02:42] Sarah Clark: Yes, it is. It's not easy to...

[00:02:45] Jasmine Pulido: And if they change the boundaries again, then you'll have a new spiel to...

[00:02:50] Sarah Clark: ...to try to figure out.

[00:02:51] Jasmine Pulido: Yeah, to try to figure out, exactly.

Reasons for running, then and now

[00:02:53] Jasmine Pulido: Let's just start with the basics. What made you decide to run to keep your seat? And has the reason for wanting to serve changed at all from when you decided to put your name in the hat a year ago?

[00:03:07] Sarah Clark: That's a really good question. So, a year ago, when I decided to put my name in the hat for the open seat in District 2, I hoped that my policy experience in the education field, but also just generally, might be helpful. I really believe in coalition building, and in my opinion, the more ideas and the more people that work on a policy, the more comprehensive it is. And it lessens the likelihood of having really severe unintended consequences.

And so what I saw from the outside was a lot of talking but not a lot of information, if that makes sense. And a lot of very big policy changes that didn't seem to be offered in tandem with a tangible solution.

And I was hoping to come in and be able to bring my skill set with me to maybe broaden the discussion. I was hoping to maybe do some evaluation of how initiatives were going and really just involve the community more in the work. because I see that as a benefit.  

I've been passionate about education since I was a kid. I'm a huge nerd. So I love learning. And really back when I was in Seattle Public Schools, we were segregated by academic programs. And so, like, the majority of my peers didn't look like me. And I had lunch with them and recess, and we got to school at the same time, left at the same time. And I mostly just saw them until high school.  

And then I was still with them all the time, because we were in the same academic classes, but I became exposed to a much larger community. And I found myself again and again going into these rooms with my peers from other levels of education, and I started learning that they were never even given an opportunity to... they didn't even know about the program that I was in when they were young. And even if they, when they wanted to get into, like, an AP class, they were so far behind that they didn't qualify. 

And then I actually had the experience of taking a regular class myself, and, just, it was shocking. Like, I went from a world where I was answering these really complex questions, writing essays, having to produce my own theses and thoughts about things, to filling out fill-in-the-blank worksheets that were photocopies of the textbook. And that was what we did in class the whole time. And that was unacceptable to me back then. 

I went away for college, and I came back. And my sister at this time was actually working for Seattle Public Schools at Garfield High School, and so I was getting regular updates from her about what was going on. And it felt like things were worse than when we were there!

And so then I did a humanities program at the UW called Comparative History of Ideas, or CHID. And I took some equity classes, started learning about the legacy of colonialism and the footprints that are still in our society today. And education was at the center of all of that. And it woke something up inside of me. I became passionate about wanting to help other people get access to education, because I believe that opens your mind and opens doors to the world. 

And so I think it was just a matter of timing, really, that I had enough experience in policy, that I felt like I understood the landscape. I felt like I understood how policymaking works, and what the important ingredients are, and how to evaluate the programs once they're operating. I wanted to be helpful to my community, because I love Seattle. And I have two nieces in the system, and I want them to get the best education, to have their needs met so that they can blossom and grow, and have diverse experiences in school, be exposed to different things, and leave with a lot of opportunity. And I really don't want them to leave with trauma, right?  

I'm running now because, after being on the school board for almost a year (I think it's been 10 months?), I've realized that the district is in crisis, right? I think I knew that going in, but I didn't understand quite how deep it was. And it's a lot more nuanced. And there's layers of challenges. 

And really I would love to see us usher in this new generation of, like, school board members where we can collaborate and talk and problem solve and bring community in. I see a lot of opportunity for us to fix the problems that we have, and I want to be a part of that. 

And I have a vision, right? Yes, I'm thinking about keeping my seat now. But I'm also thinking about: How do we set things up so that, in 10 years, whoever else is in my seat is going to be able to pick up right where we left off and carry on.

Budget

[00:09:19] Christie Robertson: In terms of the budget, how are you picturing the next few months playing out?

[00:09:25] Sarah Clark: We're well underway at this point. There's engagement going on in the school buildings right now.

[00:09:31] Christie Robertson: There's no cuts...

[00:09:33] Sarah Clark: No cuts. Dr. Jones and the budget team are planning for support from the legislature. And so this budget reflects the hope, I think, that we all have as leaders that our legislature is going to come through for us. At the same time, we're also preparing for what could be a different outcome, right? Where we don't get enough money to cover our deficit. 

And we talked a lot about that at the community engagement session last night. I know, myself, I would like to understand what the options are. It's challenging, because we have so many fixed costs. Labor is a fixed cost. We can't just move people around or let people go, right? We have these contracts that we have to honor. And then we have the levies, which have very specific projects and programs that they fund. And so, at the end of the day, we're actually talking about a smaller portion of our budget where we have the ability to make changes. And I think the next two months are going to be a little bit challenging, because there's just so much that's unknown. 

And last year we broke a lot of trust with the community. I very much felt that when I was in the community engagement session. And I completely get it. People are frustrated and tired of being talked and talked in circles. And I really want to be able to provide, like, a sense of reassurance that things are going to be okay. But I know that it's not that easy this time. Things have been going on for too long. People have been just feeling not heard and not seen.

I think what we all have to understand is that at the end of the day, if we don't get the money, there are going to be hard decisions that are made. That's another hard part about being in this chair is that we can try to serve as many people as possible, but at the end of the day, like, we're not going to be able to hit that mark where everyone likes what we're doing. 

And so I think the community engagement part is the critical part right now. Continuing the conversations. Sharing information, what we do know. And explaining things more thoroughly. I'm still learning and trying to understand our budget. And the explanation part is critical, making sure that we're reaching into the community and really talking to everyone.

Student Question

[00:12:23] Christie Robertson: So at this point we're going to interject a question that was recorded later on. We have a goal to include one question from a Seattle Public Schools student for each of our candidates, and we did not yet have one when we interviewed Sarah. So we looped back with her for this question, which comes from Rafael Brewer, a student at Garfield High School. Here is Rafi. 

[00:12:43] Rafael Brewer, Junior at Garfield High School: What is your plan to increase safety, especially at our middle and high schools? Will you bring back safety resource officers? 

[00:12:54] Sarah Clark: When I was assaulted as a sophomore on Garfield High School grounds, I learned firsthand the devastating impact of inadequate school security, not just on my education, but on my entire sense of well being. That traumatic experience forever changed my understanding of what school safety truly means.

Student safety is a fundamental right and an absolute prerequisite for learning. It's undeniable that our current approach has failed and the past models weren't successful either. But I refuse to be paralyzed by these challenges. 

One of my roles on the school board is actually serving as the city of Seattle FEPP Levy and King County Liaison. In this role, I'm working now with a board colleague and community member from the Central District to convene a group of SPS and SPD leaders, members of the community, city council, and hopefully the mayor's office. The recommendations from this group will be instrumental in reshaping our relationship with SPD, with extensive community input driving the process. Our success depends on bringing together diverse voices and perspectives from across our district, particularly those who have been historically left out of these conversations. 

In my opinion, our student safety policies need to be flexible and evolve so we can respond to challenges of the moment. It's been about five or six years since the board has thoroughly examined this issue, and since then dangerous incidents in our high schools have increased, crime among 11-17-year-olds has skyrocketed, and our students have been telling us repeatedly that they don't feel safe. 

I want all those students and their parents to know that I hear you and I am listening. And while I can't promise the school resource officer program will return in its previous form, I can make this commitment: I will continue to listen to our community, work tirelessly and collaboratively to restore the district's relationship with SPD for the 2025-2026 academic year or sooner if possible, partner with my colleagues to develop new policies, and remain transparent throughout this process. My own painful experience as a student drives my dedication to this specific issue and I am committed to realizing safety for all Seattle Public Schools and students.

[00:15:22] Christie Robertson: And now we'll hop back into our live interview.

Final Question

[00:15:26] Jasmine Pulido: Finally, what's one thing you want voters to know about you that they might not find in a campaign flyer? 

[00:15:35] Sarah Clark: That's a really good question. I think a couple of things. 

The first thing would be that I am really seeking to collaborate. I grew up playing sports and like being on teams and going to camps And it really shaped the way that I lead. I feel like I'm only as good as the people that I'm working with. And that, you know, like I said earlier, the more people that are at the table, the better the ideas. 

So, please reach out to me. I'm here to listen. If you have ideas, if you want to understand something, or you just want to vent – reach out. I'm here. and I want to hear from you. I'm really open, I'm easy to get, and I am really genuinely trying to build relationships and partner with folks. 

This is my hometown. This is where I was born – University of Washington Hospital. And I really care about our community. 

And, you know, in my faith, investing in our youth is the most critical thing. And so I take this very seriously as a responsibility. It's a part of my values and my blueprint for life to serve and help our youth find their way. And ultimately they're going to be leading our region one day. And we really need them to have a great start. 

I think the other thing is that my work is really serious. These issues are really serious. And I truly believe there's a lot of hope. I know that the last couple of years have been incredibly challenging. And we're in a political environment right now, at the federal level, that is pretty daunting. But I feel hopeful that, if we can come together and work as a community, we can actually get real things done here at the local level. We may not have any control about what's happening out there. But we can have an impact here. 

And so, I want you guys to know that I see the work that's being done. The grassroots campaigning on education funding at the legislature, the Billion Dollar Bake Sale... You know, I'm down in Olympia myself, and I see people from the education community, Seattleites, coming down to Olympia. And I just want to say Thank You. Your voice is so important. And thank you for taking the time to go down and share with the legislature what your priorities are around basic education. 

I'm hopeful that we can move on from the challenges from the past, and I'm here ready to talk to people, to listen, and to develop some fresh ideas on how we can meet every student's need, and deliver basic education which is our mandate as an institution. 

Outro

[00:19:46] Christie Robertson: Be sure to listen to our other D2 candidates, Eric Feeny: 

[00:13:21] Eric Feeny: One easy thing to change is that I will personally track with permission anybody who cares enough to get involved, people who come testify, who show up. And I will help them become part of an action group with a passionate leader, or they could be that leader. And then connect them with the district personnel who are actually working on the problems. No more of this “Thanks for your testimony. Have a nice day.” model. 

[00:20:52] Christie Robertson: And Kathleen Smith: 

[00:20:53] Kathleen Smith: I'm not a policy wonk, and I'm looking forward to being a partner to my colleagues on the board with more policy experience while providing a missing perspective with my data analysis and data science skills. I want to be known for being able to talk to everyone and I am constantly looking for different perspectives to help challenge my understanding on issues. So I want to be known for being able to listen and problem solve.

[00:21:12] Christie Robertson: Ballots will be mailed Friday, July 18th, and the primary election is Tuesday, August 5. 

[00:21:21] Jasmine Pulido: And as always, thanks for listening to Rainy Day Recess.