Tumwater school board member resigns, questions board’s role, transparency
Tumwater School Board member Khalia Davis resigned this week, saying in her resignation email that she took issue with the board’s role, its transparency and its lack of input on school district policies.
Her resignation took effect Wednesday, but her resignation email was shared with The Olympian on Thursday. She could not be reached for further comment.
Davis was chosen by the board in February to fill a vacancy created when longtime board member Janine Ward resigned. Davis is an attorney, a former teacher and has a child enrolled in the district, The Olympian reported earlier this year.
Davis filed to run for her seat in the November election, and she is on the ballot unopposed. But her email said even if elected she will “not accept the position or fulfill its duties.”
Davis said she joined the board to focus on student learning and achievement and to work toward a more inclusive district. But, according to her email, none of that happened.
“Instead, since joining the board, the meetings have been rote, and, much to my surprise, we do not discuss student learning and achievement, nor steps toward a more inclusive environment for our district’s schools at all,” she writes.
In the spirit of transparency, she said she liked to bring district concerns to board meetings, only to be told in private later to first bring it up with the superintendent in a separate venue.
“It is the community’s right to be informed of what is going on in the district, whether it is positive or negative, in an open public meeting,” Davis writes.
She also said she was dismayed by district policies that are “simply copied and pasted.”
“Policies are not one size fits all,” she writes. “For example, there is very ambiguous language regarding equity in many policies, and teachers have openly expressed that they feel like the cultural competency training offered by the district was inadequate and just another means of ‘checking the box’ to support a politically correct topic.”
The school board responded with a statement on Thursday, which was released by the district:
“During her seven months on the board, she brought important perspectives as a parent, former teacher, and woman of color that will be missed in her absence.
“The issues and topics she addresses in her letter are equally important to each of our board members and district leadership, and we will continue to work diligently for the success of each student in our care.”
This story was originally published September 27, 2019 at 7:00 AM.
