Olympia school board president, new member respond to recent backlash from public
The Olympia School Board president and new board member Talauna Reed posted responses Monday to concerns raised about Reed’s recent appointment to the board.
In a post on the Olympia School District website, Board President Maria Flores explained the reasoning and process behind Reed’s appointment and why Reed is the best person for the position.
Reed responded as well, in an updated OSD statement, saying she plans to continue in her position with honesty and transparency.
Flores said in the statement that the board followed district policy for filling a vacant position, which advertising for candidates and interviewing several applicants. Recordings of interviews can be found on the district’s website.
“The content of Talauna Reed’s answers throughout the process, as well as her advocacy and experience working with under-served members of our community, raised her to the top of the applicant pool and was the basis for our decision,” Flores said.
She said Reed showed herself to be a thoughtful advocate for students in the district, and that the board is looking forward to working with Reed on equity and inclusion issues.
In Reed’s statement, she said she has two children who attended Olympia schools through graduation. She said they experienced harm from their peers and even adults. She said she worked with teachers and administrators to ensure those issues were addressed, and they were. She said she hopes to do that for others.
“While looking back on my children’s experiences, I believed that if I were selected to serve, the school board would better reflect the voices of many parents in our community who find their children under-served and left out of the conversation,” she said.
Reed said she’s experienced racism and discrimination firsthand, and she’s a survivor of domestic violence. She said she hopes to help create a school district that “welcomes and protects all children and their families.”
“The truth is, many children have Adverse Childhood Experiences that result in varying degrees of trauma,” she said. “This is why I believe that all classrooms and teachers should be equipped with tools, such as training in trauma-informed care and de-escalation so that we can meet children where they are.”
According to the OSD statement, Reed is the lead outreach and advocacy navigator at Interfaith Works. She facilitates training in cultural diversity, de-escalation, restorative justice models, anti-racism and more, alongside other providers across the county.
Reed addressed the videos that have been circulating of her speaking against the police at a rally in 2019. She said she was expressing the anger she was feeling “after the lives of many Black women, men and children were lost due to police violence…” She also referenced the loss of her aunt, Yvonne McDonald, who died in 2018 in Olympia.
She said while some community members think her language was inappropriate, her reactions and outrage were human, and she was expressing herself through protest. She said the clips that have been referenced are missing context that’s been edited out.
She also contends her criminal record doesn’t have to do with the school district.
“I can say that my education, professional experiences, personal lived experience and track record for advocating for children and adults and volunteering in this community, as well as my performance during the interview process, prove me fit to serve on the Olympia School Board,” she said.
She said it’s her goal to continue in her position with honesty and transparency, and she can understand why some parents may have questions.
“Having run-ins with the law enforcement does not always disqualify one from service as a volunteer, teacher or as an elected or appointed official,” she said. “In fact, my unique experiences position me to better understand families who have had similar experiences and find it difficult to find community and understanding within the schools their children attend.”
She said she believes schools need to be safe, and that safety starts from within by creating a school culture where all students, staff and community members are treated with dignity and respect.
This story was originally published November 7, 2022 at 2:03 PM.
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