Superintendent Message_Feb 15, 2026

Dear Seattle Public Schools Community,

It is an honor and a privilege to write to you today. I want to wish you all a Happy Valentine's Day. Regardless of our thoughts about Lupercalia, the ancient Roman holiday of fertility and looking forward to spring, of which it is thought the holiday is originally based on, or the martyrdom of St. Valentine where the holiday gets its name, or if we have fond or terrible memories of having to read Geoffrey Chaucer's "Parliament of Fowls", or if we are big fans of the commoditization of the holiday originally led by Ester Howland who made a fortune by mass producing Valentine's Day Cards, I think we can all agree that in this time of strife and fraught relationships across the globe, celebrating love is a good thing. I am sure we can all do with a little more endearment. So, if you have a chance, I ask that each of you perform one extra act of kindness, show one more bit of tenderness to someone. It is amazing how something small and simple can make someone's day.

This week (week two) has been a continuation of the whirlwind, but in all the best ways. I visited more schools; I talked to more students, staff, and community members; I attended my first full School Board Meeting as the Superintendent of Seattle Public Schools; and there was a pretty big football game, and OUR Seattle Seahawks won. All in all, this week has been pretty good.

As I promised in my first newsletter, I will make decisions that some of you might not like, but I would always try to explain it. Well, I think this would be a great time to exemplify that thought.

As you know, we did not cancel school for the parade. I received many emails questioning that decision. Some tried to argue that it would've been a great community building activity. Some felt it was such an important day that it should be treated like a holiday. And my favorite email just said "Booooooooooooooooooooooooo." I did receive a few thank yous and supportive emails as well, though the majority were not in favor. I think a great number of our district understands the rationale for us keeping schools open, but I am happy to explain.

As superintendent, I will always want to keep schools open. Thousands of children rely on us for not only education, but other services like food, speech therapy, health and wellness, and guidance and support. The care our staff take in helping make our children's days better is immense. And if I cancelled school, that means I am depriving tens of thousands of students of their education and supports. Additionally, the burden closing schools puts on our thousands of families is just as immense.

Would canceling school mean that a mom would have to find a caretaker so she could go to work? Would canceling school mean that a grandfather would have to call out and not earn a wage? Our families rely on us to be open so that they can continue their lives. As superintendent, I have to balance all of that against the fun of canceling school for a parade. Even though our attendance rate was low, about 70%, that still means around 35,000 students attended. We owe it to each and every one of them to stay open.

I also want to thank our incredible staff. Thousands of you showed up to work. I know that many people wanted to attend the parade. I know the draw of doing that. I appreciate the educators who I saw streaming the parade in the background, while students were doing their class assignments. Many of us listen to music or have something playing when we work. What a thoughtful way to address the desire to be there, but also to put school and schoolwork first.

What many people don't know is that Tuesday night and very early Wednesday morning we saw that there was going to be an uptick of staff absences. But rather than close school because of staffing issues, we sent central office staff to sub in schools. Personally, I went to two schools, ready to teach. I was even slated to do a high school math lesson, but the school found a substitute. (Lucky for the kids.)

I say this not to pat ourselves on the back, but for the community to know that this is the new expectation of our district: we all pitch in and put our kids first. If we have low staff attendance, maybe because of the flu or something else, we will try to gather around and serve. I specifically asked to go to the schools that had the most absences or vacancies. Our senior staff were assigned to the schools with the most need.

This is what you deserve, that our "top-brass" take on the hardest issues. And of course, what I saw at the schools was everyone pitching in. I am so proud of all of you, all of our staff. When we see a problem in our schools, we address it. We don't just say, "well, that is the way things go."

For those who did attend the parade, it’s all good. You have every right to take your personal days as you see fit. As long as you followed proper protocols and procedures, we understand. We've got your back, because I know that you will be there when your colleagues need you the next time. We are community.

Another aspect of the decision that got some play, especially in the media, was the decision not to make it an "excused" absence. This too deserves an explanation.

As my mother wrote to me in an email this week, if the Jets had won the Super Bowl while I was going to school in New York, I would've cut school. But I certainly wouldn't expect my absence to be excused. Parents have the right to take their kids out of school. Students have the right to freedom of expression. But as a school district, we have to keep our mission front and center. We expect students to be in school.

Additionally, we can't guarantee that going to the parade is safe. We can't take care of your children in a swarm of hundreds of thousands of screaming Seahawks fans. And if we, as the district, "excused" the absences, that would be tantamount to us approving and allowing students to cut school to go to a parade. I think in your hearts you know we aren’t going to do that. But the district is not going to throw the book at you. No one is getting suspended for this one act. No one is calling truancy for going to the parade. But yes, it's an unexcused absence, and that carries the regular weight of one unexcused absence, because we are in the business of school and not professional football.

I do hope you all understand even if you don't agree.

Lastly, I want to wish you all a wonderful Mid-Winter Break. Because our schools are on vacation, we will not be having a Superintendent's Newsletter next week. We will pick it up again after the holiday.

Thank you all for your support of the Seattle Public Schools.

Ben