100 days for Seattle's new superintendent. How is he doing?

Monday marked Ben Shuldiner's 100th day as Seattle Public Schools' new superintendent.

At times he's charmed educators and parents with his easygoing demeanor, candor and willingness to speak bluntly about longstanding challenges facing the district. But some educators and parents are still skeptical about whether an outsider with bold plans could fully understand Seattle's racial dynamics and the district's history.

From the moment he was announced as the new superintendent, Shuldiner pledged to make Seattle the country's single greatest urban school district. With just over three months on the job, he hasn't done that yet, but here's where he stands on his key promises.

Promises kept

Visit every school: When Shuldiner walked into Wedgwood's Decatur Elementary School on Monday, students greeted him holding a yellow sign reading "106 schools. One big welcome!" The visit marked the fulfillment of his most tangible promise: to visit all 106 SPS schools within 100 days.

His first school day on the job, he visited seven schools, then stopped by two to four schools nearly every day for the following months. Shuldiner used the school visits to survey what's working - and what isn't - in Seattle's schools. He's asked every principal "How can the district help you help the kids?"

Vivian Song, Seattle School Board director for District 5, said she saw Shuldiner's contagious enthusiasm when she joined him for numerous school visits. "He's been really consistent pushing teachers and principals about having high standards for our students," she said.

That was on display Monday, when Shuldiner talked to Decatur's principal about how math is taught in the school of 178 students, all in the district's highly capable advanced learning program.

Principal Laurie Miller said the students and staff were proud to help Shuldiner complete his first promise.

"I have been an educator for over 30 years and this is the first time a superintendent set foot in a building I've been at," said Miller. "It was exciting."

"The strength of Seattle is in its people," Shuldiner said. "It's been amazing to see so many different high quality programs."

But he said he also saw buildings that needed "serious help," systems that aren't best for children, inefficient use of resources, and "the sense that schools have had to work in spite of the district and not with the support of the district."

"I'm only reinvigorated to help restructure the district in a way that is more supportive of the classroom and the school," he said.

Reduce student screen time: In late April, Shuldiner implemented a districtwide cellphone policy that requires all SPS students in elementary and middle school to keep their phones off and away for the school day. High schoolers may use their phones during lunch and passing periods. The policy's reception has been mixed, with some parents saying it doesn't go far enough, and others commending Shuldiner for taking swift action to implement a uniform policy.

He hasn't yet made much progress in reducing other screen time in classes, where he said he saw "a reliance on technology that is not instructional," but rather for "free time or unstructured time," but he's said he wants to reduce schools' use of educational technology in general. If laptops or iPads are used in class, they should be used for "instructional time." He has not yet outlined a plan for how to do so.

Promises in progress

Close the budget deficit: Shuldiner has promised to close the district's $100 million budget deficit in the next two to three years. He's already outlined a budget that could save about $75 million.

He estimates $9.6 million will be saved due to staffing changes at schools, plus $9.8 million saved through changes at district headquarters. He anticipates an additional $3.5 million saved from proposed changes in the district's transportation department.

There will be more savings coming, including when he restructures the central office to cut down on administrative "bloat." Shuldiner has been reluctant to confirm any potential layoffs, though he has not ruled out the possibility of cutting positions. He has said any additional resources from central office cuts will be redirected to schools.

His proposals to adjust school staffing have prompted nervousness from some staff and parents, though he has worked with principals to add back some staff when it's been necessary. He's also promised to retain certified staff for at least the next year, "so we can easily put them into schools," Shuldiner said. Some of those staff may serve as substitute teachers, to help cut down on the $20 million annually the district spends on substitutes.

Increase student enrollment: School districts receive state funding based on enrollment, and Seattle Public Schools has been losing students most years for at least the past eight years.

As of October, there were 48,957 students enrolled in SPS, according to the district. Shuldiner wants to increase that to 52,500 students by 2030.

"We know that this community is voting with their feet," Shuldiner said. "We know that families are taking their children out of our system and putting them in other places."

"We are not serving the children the way those students and those families want and we have to do a better job," he added.

Shuldiner acknowledged that winning back community trust - and the students that come with it - will require "a series" of changes "where people see that this district is turning around in a positive direction."

He pointed to the cellphone policy, a new 12-week summer advanced math program for incoming sixth graders, and increased communication from him and staff as small steps in that series of changes.

The work ahead

Clean up human resources: Shuldiner inherited a district facing longstanding public criticism over a slow-moving human resources department, and allegations that it protects staff over student safety. Investigations of school staff placed on administrative leave routinely take many months to complete.

Shuldiner has pledged to ensure district staff finish investigations in a timely manner, noting that keeping staff on extended paid leave is expensive, so speeding up investigations could lead to additional savings.

In April, Shuldiner got his first taste of Seattle's long memory for allegedly problematic investigations when he announced the appointment of controversial former Principal Anitra Jones to Adams Elementary in Ballard.

Parents at Adams made their displeasure with the appointment known in a raucous meeting - after which the superintendent scolded them for "unacceptable" behavior.

Shuldiner contends he is bound by state law, the principal's contract and a former superintendent's agreement to keep Jones in a principal job. "Well guess what," he said. "I don't make those kinds of agreements."

Going forward, Shuldiner said he won't place principals via appointment. "Everybody - and I mean everybody - has to apply for their job," he said.

Close the achievement gap: Shuldiner has been clear that SPS, overall, is one of the highest-performing districts nationwide, but that it doesn't serve all its students well. Significant disparities exist in academic achievement for students of color, low-income students and multilingual learners.

"You can drive a truck through" the achievement gap between high-performing white, multiracial and Asian students and other students of color, multilingual students and those on free or reduced-price lunch, Shuldiner said at a School Board meeting in March.

In response, he's proposed new ways of measuring academic goals for the district, which Shuldiner presented to the School Board last month. The board is expected to vote on those goals in July.

Increase the graduation rate: Seattle Public Schools has a graduation rate of 86%, which Shuldiner wants to increase to 94%.

Some of that improvement could come from better tracking and support, he said, including noting when students leave the district, or creating programs to ensure students who are only a few credits shy of graduating have support to complete their final classes.

"You fix the district by supporting the individual kid or the individual school," Shuldiner said.

Keep students safe: The Friday before Shuldiner's first day, two students were shot and killed at a bus stop near Rainier Beach High School. He spent his first week visiting schools and listening to students, educators and parents about what they need to feel safe.

He's worked to improve the district's relationship with the Seattle Police Department, streamlining communication when an incident occurs near a school. He's also working with the city's parks department to add lights to a park pathway near Dunlap Elementary.

He's auditing security measures at individual schools, and has made small but significant changes like higher fences or security cameras at some locations.

School Board Director Jen LaVallee, whose district includes Rainier Beach, said Shuldiner has prioritized safety concerns raised by schools in the area, which has resulted in some progress being "sped up significantly.

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