E50 - Landon Labosky - D5 Seattle School Board Candidate

[00:00:03] Christie Robertson: Welcome to Rainy Day Recess, where we study and discuss Seattle Public Schools. This is our 2025 Seattle School Board candidate series.

Today we're releasing interviews with all six of the District 5 candidates. District 5 is roughly east Seattle. Earlier this week, we released our interviews with D2 and D4 school board candidates, and we'll cover D7 after the primary. Transcripts are available at rainydayrecess.org.

This episode is our interview with Landon Labosky. We recorded this interview before we had settled on the format for all of the interviews, so you'll notice that this one is a little bit different. It was previously released in March of this year as episode 26 of Rainy Day Recess. 

Be sure to listen to our interviews with Allycea Weil, Janis White, Julissa Sanchez, Vivian Song, and Vivian Van Gelder, which are also in your feed. We'll give you a quick preview of those interviews at the end of this episode. 

I'm Christie Robertson, and we’re joined by Landon Labosky, who is running for the District 5 seat. He has a Masters in Public Administration and currently serves on Seattle's LGBTQ Commission. Thank you for being here, Landon.

[00:00:28] Landon Labosky: Thank you for having me. I'm excited.

About D5

[00:00:31] Christie Robertson: Before we dive in, can you give our listeners a quick overview of District 5 and the neighborhoods or schools it represents?

[00:00:37] Landon Labosky: District 5. So, we are up here in Capitol Hill, Madrona, Central District down toward the I-5, all the way up along the Lake Washington coastline, and all the way up into the Montlake area. So we represent schools like Madrona Elementary, Garfield High, around that area, and I believe TOPS as well. Over at Eastlake, yes.

Background

[00:01:11] Christie Robertson: So my first question is: what parts of your background– educational, work, or life story have best prepared you for serving on the school board?

[00:01:20] Landon Labosky: Yeah, thank you for the question. I have been working with young people since I was a young person as well. I started out actually working in a summer camp, where I was a camp counselor, and mainly in charge of 10 through 12 year olds for 11 weeks. And I did that for almost a decade. And eventually I actually moved up to be the assistant director of that summer camp. So, working with thousands of families every single summer, working with tons of parents sending their kids off to camp for the first time. But I got to see the kids grow in those two weeks or month that they were with us. So that's where my passion began. 

I was a public school kid kindergarten all the way through grad school, 

And while I was in my college years I coached local swim teams. I worked for the city of Boise, developing different programs for kids for their after school program. They actually did partner with schools in Boise. And when kids didn't have anywhere to go after school and their parents couldn't pick them up, we ran the programs at the schools just to keep them occupied, do their homework, feed them. And then parents would come pick them up all the way until about 8:30, 9:00 at night.

So, that's just my background in that space.

I currently work as an aquatics manager in Parks and Recreation, and I employ kids from 15 up until young adults like 22, 23 year olds.  

So I've seen the large swath of everything that kids are involved in, all the way from one year old, up until they're young adults. And I get to see the development of kids and young people. And it's just something that I am really passionate about and love doing.

Collaboration – district, city, county

[00:03:00] Christie Robertson: I don't have a good segue for this one, but I noticed on your website that you prioritize collaboration between the school district, the city, and the county. Can you share any specific examples of how that could help us address our challenges in the district?

[00:03:18] Landon Labosky: Absolutely. Through conversations just for the past two years, and just talking with people in different agencies, different levels of agencies, elected officials, people who are working on the ground, one question I do like to ask to people, and it does put them on the spot is to say, “How are you working with so and so agency on this? Are you connecting the two agencies and the two structures together to work on solutions for these things?” A large majority of the people look at me with deer-in-the-headlights look and, “Oh, we don't do that.” Or it's, you know, “We've tried in the past, but we've just not been successful at it.” But I know that these agencies can work better together. 

The Seattle School District should be in constant collaboration with the city, should be in constant collaboration with the county. What do those two things have in common? They can create spaces and opportunities for things that we are lacking.  

Specific examples, I did mention that I worked in an after school program, City of Boise / Boise School District. The collaboration there was very seamless. And offering after school programs through the city, at school sites, that could be beefed up more. 

We can incorporate nonprofits in the work that they're doing, giving them space in school areas like gyms, or just on their campuses, and providing that space in Seattle. Space is a valuable thing. So just working with those groups and giving those outlets, not necessarily ran by the school district, but partnering with people who are already doing this work and they just need places to go.

School board involvement in operational issues

[00:04:58] Christie Robertson: Some of these seem like pretty operational things. And if you've been watching the school board, you've seen that they're trying to keep the school board out of operational areas and leave that under the superintendent's jurisdiction. So I guess that kind of leads to a question of: how do you see the school board having an influence on those kinds of things?

[00:04:58] Landon Labosky: When we went and switched our governance model to Student Outcomes Focused Governance, and we've decided that this is the direction we are going to go, I think we don't need to be as rigid as we currently are in that process. I think the governance model is that. It's a model. It's an idealistic way to think about governing the school district. I think we need to cater it to the needs of the Seattle school district. And right now we have some major operational issues that are happening. And I really do think that the board can provide insight and be the person to connect key people together to help alleviate these operational issues. So I think the rigidness of the model needs to be lessened a little bit and, we need to explore other ways to solving these problems.

I think it's completely doable. I think we have the will of many people on the school board. I think we have the will from many people in the school district. I think we have the will of people who don't even interact with the school district that would agree with this if you read them into it. So it's something that we need to be looking at. Build the trust, and just work together.

School board involvement in operational issues

[00:06:48] Christie Robertson: Tied to that, how do you see the role of the school board with respect to the community? And then, how is that different from the role of the district and administration with respect to the community?

[00:07:01] Landon Labosky: The school board needs to be the liaison between the two. The school board needs to be able to understand the complex issues that are happening at the district level and really dig into the policy issues happening with funding, dig into the operational issues that are happening with transportation and like insurance at schools, or keeping the lights on at schools. And they can definitely sit in the space of being in those complex conversations. 

But then on the flip side, we need to be including parents and community members more, and you need to be able to take that information and communicate it effectively to reach a wide audience, I believe that the school board needs to continue the work that they're setting up this year to be more transparent, more communicative. Setting clear ways that they are going to communicate routinely with people outside of the district. At the last school board meeting some people said, "We've been talking about this for 20 years." Okay. We just need to do it now. This is the moment. We're facing a budget shortfall. This is the moment we need to be bringing in more people and communicating with community. And the board, I believe, are the people that are responsible for doing that. 

School closures

[00:08:19] Christie Robertson: Last year the district proposed and then withdrew plans for school closures. What approach do you think you would have taken if you'd been on the board during that process?

[00:08:31] Landon Labosky: So this is actually why I got in on this. This is why I told myself, “You need to run for the school board.” This was a communication downfall, I believe, of the school district and the school board. The moment they said, what was it, 21 schools? “We're gonna close 21 schools.” Okay, what's the plan? “Oh, we don't have one.” Okay, way to panic 50,000 kids and those families. Way to do that. 

When we look at budget shortfalls, and I think that this is going to go into the transparency topic of the budget... We have to be transparent starting yesterday about things. When they said, “We're going to close 21 schools,” where did that come from? Was it decided 30 minutes before? No. That was decided well in advance. These conversations need to be happening in an open, transparent way, with community involvement. Because if you don't, you're gonna get the backlash like we did last year. 

And throughout all last year, parents were waiting on the plan for 21 schools to close. And then they came back in the fall and, “Oh no, it's going to be four to five.” Okay, which ones? “Oh, we don't know.” And it's, it... Okay, you just repeated the same thing you just did. And then in the December meeting, it was, “Oh, we're not going to be going forward with that. Let's just wait for the legislator.” Communication and transparency needs to be beefed up. We have to be including people in these conversations before we propose big ideas like that.

Personally, I don't believe in closing schools. I know there's a lot of people who will fight back against that, saying, “We have elementary schools with not a lot of kids. This is a unique school district in that way.” And I say, the community wants this direction in schools. 

We have a high rate of graduation for a city school. Obviously, neighborhood schools – it does work. There are people who are far away from educational justice, and we do need to be doing better to bring them up in our system. But this is the system, and it's working right now. 

If we're gonna be looking to close schools, we have to communicate that with the families and have a plan set in place with all aspects thought out. How are the transportation to the new school going to happen? What programs are going to be moving to these schools? What groups of kids are going to be moving to these schools? This all needs to be thought out before it is brought up in a board meeting with no plan and no answer to the questions.

[00:11:30] Christie Robertson: I've heard some pretty convincing arguments from some folks that the plan was set in motion years and years ago, when they put a BEX levy to build a 650 kid school next to a bunch of small schools. And that what really should have been done was to incorporate the plan the whole time. Bring these community, these smaller schools in. “This school is going to be for you, and start thinking about it now.” It's going to be the next generation of kids, maybe, that are there. 

[00:12:00] Landon Labosky: It takes years to build buy-in and trust for these things. And I am very excited to see that there new communication and wanting to really learn, “How do you want us to communicate? How do you want us to involve you in these processes?” I am hopeful. That work needs to continue here forward. But it does, it takes years for trust to be built. And if a plan is set in motion, you need to bring people along with your plan, because it's causing chaos and a little strife with a lot of people.

Achievement gap

[00:12:46] Christie Robertson: You referred to students furthest from educational justice. And, just watching different statistics, what I've gathered is that Seattle is doing fairly well if you look at students as an average compared to other public schools. But where we're not doing well is in the discrepancy between those at the top and those at the bottom, largely along wealth lines. As well as racial lines, as those go together very closely in our society. Do you have thoughts on what can be done? 

[00:13:27] Landon Labosky: The board has a position where they can be in community and be listening to their people and their constituents. The implementation of these changes is up to the district. And for years, there has been a call for bringing people furthest away from educational justice, to invest more in those communities, and to give them better opportunities in the situations that they're in, to thrive in an educational environment.

The board can be working with, I think, principals in your areas. I think principals are culture setters in all of the little schools that they're in. They're their own little communities. The answer is not going to come from the district mandating something or creating another program, which then creates more paperwork for teachers. We have to work in the schools to find out what each individual school needs to bring these people along, and to bring people furthest away from educational justice along. Each school is different. Each area is different. Each classroom is different. It's not a broad stroke answer, “Oh, this is how you fix it.” The work happens in the classroom. It happens at that level. “What does the teacher in room three need for this group of kids? They need an extra paraeducator?” Okay, we give them that extra paraeducator. That's what they need to thrive. “This other school needs two more mental health counselors?” We need to be able to give them two more mental health counselors. 

It's one of those things where I have a hard time when people say no to the obvious answer and to the obvious things that teachers and educators and parents are asking for. Because we can do it. We have an opportunity in Seattle to have a world class school system that other school districts can study. We are living in one of the wealthiest cities in all of human history. We have a large amount of people who are highly educated in this city. We can absolutely be providing these services in the classrooms, right at the ground level. Why we have not, and why we have not pushed harder for it... I understand that it is hard. I understand that this is work and it's grueling, and sometimes the outcomes just don't happen, but that's where it is. 

It's not a broad stroke answer. It's happening classroom by classroom. And I know that that is a huge, huge undertaking, but that is where we're gonna make the difference. I believe that is the answer.

So where the board can help with that is I think we need to continually be talking about that. And we need to be continually advocating for that individualized need. If you need something, we are gonna work to get it to you. But it needs to be at that very micro level. 

Rafi's question - SROs

[00:17:21] Christie Robertson: Okay. We've been soliciting questions from students, and we have a student question from Raphael Brewer, who is a student at Garfield High School. And he asks, “What is your plan to increase school safety, especially at our middle and high schools? Would you bring back safety resource officers?”

[00:18:00] Landon Labosky:I’ve talked to a lot of people about this. Because I also think that this is not a broad stroke answer. I think that this is a complex issue happening currently. How I would approach it, first and foremost: what are the people in the schools asking for? 

Students have been asking for a few more mental health counselors or just a few more places to be able to decompress, to solve issues with a qualified adult in the room. I think we need to start there. 

I also think giving kids more opportunity to explore their idea of what they want their education to look like... Athletics is a great spot for kids to go after school. Creating clubs. Getting them more involved with civics, like coming and working at the city and Parks and Recreation. Or if you have a passion for finance, maybe working with the city finance department, learning little things there. Giving kids these opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive, is where I would like to see more investment in. 

But then on the opposite side, the issues that are happening right now... Garfield High... there's been a lot of gun violence happening around Garfield High. And that is where it comes back to the school board working with the city, and also with the community, on solving these issues. It's not a broad stroke. 

Do I think that we need to put resource officers in every single school? No. Do I think that resource officers can play an important role in some schools that might want them? Or student bodies say, “This is something that we might need”? Let's explore that. But it needs to be done in a methodical way, with community involved.

 My experience going through public schools, we did have a resource officer at our school. And she was great. She was awesome. And there was a lot of effort in knowing her. She would come to different sporting events, and it took community, and it took time to feel comfortable with someone like that on campus.

But a lot of people have had different experiences than I did with resource officers or police officers in general. And we need to recognize that, and we need to listen and understand how we can help them feel better in schools. Or how... not even just feeling safe in schools, but being actually safe in schools. It's going to take a lot more communication. It's going to take a lot more collaborative work. 

I do not think that I have a perfect answer for you right now. I don't even know if I'll ever have a perfect answer for this. But I do know we just need more collaboration, and we need to figure this out. This needs to be something that is high priority for the board, and should be working endlessly to find the answer for this.

Student board director question: communication with students

[00:21:01] Christie Robertson: And our student board directors, Colin Bragg, Sabi Yoon, and Safiya Ilyas, were kind enough to provide us with questions that they would like to ask a potential future colleague. We reconnected with Landon to give him a chance to answer one of them. So welcome back, Landon.

[00:21:19] Landon Labosky: Hello.

[00:21:20] Christie Robertson: Okay, here's the question: What steps will you take to improve communication between students and the board?

[00:21:26] Landon Labosky: Communication between the students and the board definitely needs to be a pipeline that exists now and forever. The people that we are serving are the students directly. And we should be hearing from them directly, whether that be through them coming to meet us at scheduled meetings or to just be available for student groups to meet with. We need to be available for our students. And that's what I envision board members to be is available for students. 

I think we need to be going into the schools that we represent. I think we need to be attending not just school day functions, but the extracurriculars. We need to be showing up at events. We need to be showing up at music events, sporting events. We should be highlighting their achievements all over the city. And we should be interacting with them more fluidly rather than just interacting with them at the dais during a school board meeting, when they get two minutes to speak to us. So this is critically important to hear the student voice.

And I think that can definitely be achievable just with more frequent communication. Not even having to do with school board or school-related things, but understanding who these students are as people, what their goals are in life, what they want for their futures. What do they do outside of school? What interests them? And I think the school board has to put themselves in their space and go to them and meet them where they are at. So that's how I would interact with students and want to communicate with our student body.

[00:23:04] Christie Robertson: Okay, thanks for looping back with us to answer the question. 

[00:23:08] Landon Labosky: Yeah, no, absolutely.

[00:23:33] Preview of other D5 candidates

Christie Robertson: Be sure to listen to our interviews with the other five D5 candidates. 

Allycea Weil: 

Allycea Weil: A lot of the time, people will look at a resume of a candidate and say, like, "Oh, do you have policy expertise?" I know how to read a report and write and craft things as well, even without that policy background. And honestly, the result of those with that background hasn't been very good. As a common person, as a gig worker, as someone who is from the population, it's just hard to see wealthy, resourced people trying to make an effective policy for us. Time and time again, it just seems to fail. And I think we know what we need. 

Janis White: We have a law in Washington that defines the responsibilities of school board directors. And as a lawyer, that's where I start. And that law is actually a lot broader than many people realize. School board directors write and adopt policies, hire and evaluate the superintendent, and approve the budget. And those three things are important to be sure, but I don't think they tell the whole story. Starting with the state law, it says that "the school board is accountable for the proper operation of the district". Not the superintendent – the school board. That doesn't mean that the school board should get involved in day-to-day management, but the school board must have processes in place to be able to know whether the district is operating as intended by its policies.

Christie Robertson: Julissa Sanchez:

Julissa Sanchez: I am shoulder to shoulder, elbow to elbow with my community. I'm not here for my agenda or my voice; I am a leader that likes to pass around the mic and the megaphone. My leading is definitely going to be with the voice and experiences of students, and most importantly underserved students. And right now, my approach is really going to be very protective of undocumented students, English learners, and young people who are in special education programs and really listen to, like, what do they need? Because they are the experts of their lives and of their solutions. Young people are so wise. And we as adults sometimes forget that. 

Christie Robertson: Vivian Song: 

Vivian Song: So there are five or six things that are listed in the state law: 

• Hire and evaluate the superintendent
• Set the vision for the district
• Adopt policies
• Oversee the budget, and 
• Serve as community representatives. 

I think what has been really missing in the last few years is the serving as community representatives. I think it's been really interesting that the district has been trying to push forward on really large changes and been met with community resistance. I think that is a reflection of the fact that the district hasn't brought community along in those decisions. 

Christie Robertson: And Vivian Van Gelder: 

Vivian Van Gelder: I think the shortcomings of the progress monitoring system that the board has set up right now are kind of a reflection of the lack of capacity inside our central office to actually engage in meaningful organizational change and restructuring, which is what we desperately need. Progress monitoring is not a bad idea in itself, but that kind of model can only work when the initial conditions for it exists. And that means that you need a central administration that can actually be responsive to what the board is asking of it. And we don't have that right now. When we don't have the conditions for accountability, it can't really work. 

[00:27:11] Christie Robertson: Ballots will be mailed Friday, July 18th, and primary ballots are due by Tuesday, August 5th. As always, stay curious, stay cozy, and thanks for listening to Rainy Day Recess.