From: "Olson, Jessica" <jessica.olson@everettsd.

org>
Subject: RE: Board Meeting Self Evaluation: Request to Participate in Development Process
Date: December 23, 2010 10:09:44 PM PST
To: "Russell, Jeff" <jeff.russell@everettsd.org>

Jeffery --

In regards to your continued iterations that I submit my suggestions in writing, as opposed to being afforded the opportunity to have the same involvement in the process as you are
being afforded, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that the last two times I submitted timely written suggestions to a draft "instrument" -- which was the recently
adopted Policy 1715 Board-Superintendent Operation Protocol -- on both occasions my suggestions were not incorporated into the draft document, and were given to the board
apart from the draft. In contrast your suggestions, Kristie Dutton's suggestions, and Ed Petersen's suggestions WERE incorporated into the draft document for the board's review.

It is evident and obvious that by having special access to (or a special relationship with) the superintendent, you are being afforded an opportunity for input as a director that I am
not. Moreover, you possessed this ability long before being elected vice president Dec 7.

While you publicly espouse to the desire to guard against the impression that any one board member decides for the rest of the board during board meetings, in private and in
practice your actions belie a belief that you are somehow entitled to special input and special access to information that the rest of the board is not.

While it's true there is no law requiring you to answer the questions of a fellow director (or from a member of the public, for that matter), I do very much regret your unwillingness to
be forthcoming and honest about whether you have met in person with the superintendent to discuss this self evaluation instrument. However, I cannot say I am surprised.

I continue to request an answer from you on whether you have met in person with the superintendent to discuss this matter privately, just as you and Ed met privately last
Thursday (in your private meeting with the superintendent and the lawyer) to discuss the multi-million dollar commercial real estate acquisition that is in process for a new
administration building. I also continue to request a role in developing a draft document for the board's review, as opposed to the mere submission of written suggestions that you
openly admit will not be incorporated into the draft.

In the interest of transparency to both the public and your fellow board members, I hope you will reconsider your abject pronouncement that you will not be communicating with me
further about this matter, and that you will instead decide to confirm or deny my understanding as I have laid it out, as well as directly answer my questions about a) my request to
be an equal participant; and b) the extent of your involvement with the superintendent in development of a draft document for the board self evaluation instrument.

No board member, including you, should have the ability to have more input and obtain more information about any school district matter that the other board members do not have.

My, how you have changed from the person I knew on the campaign trail.

-- Jessica

-----Original Message-----
From: Russell, Jeff
Sent: Thu 12/23/2010 6:16 PM
To: Olson, Jessica
Cc: Cohn, Gary
Subject: RE: Board Meeting Self Evaluation: Request to Participate in Development Process

Director Olson -

Thank you for sharing your concerns. Again, if you have suggestions at this time I would encourage you to submit them in writing so that they can be distributed to all the board
members prior to the January 11 meeting. At that time the full board will make a decision as to the instruments final format and implementation. The concludes my
correspondence with your regarding this matter.

- Director Russell

-----Original Message-----
From: Olson, Jessica
Sent: Wed 12/22/2010 11:29 PM
To: Russell, Jeff
Subject: RE: Board Meeting Self Evaluation: Request to Participate in Development Process

Jeff --

Following is my understanding of what you have told me in your two replies to my query:

My understanding is that you are the only director working directly with the superintendent to develop an initial board self evaluation review document. My understanding is also that
you and the superintendent have been having dynamic communication about this process verbally via telephone conversations.

I have informed you and Ed that I would like to have the opportunity to be included in this process, and have the same opportunity for input as a director that you have had for input
as a director. While my understanding from you is that you have had the opportunity to provide input into this process via telephone conversation(s) with the superintendent, my
further understanding is that you are indicating to me that if I want to provide input it a) must be in writing; and b) cannot be part of the process that you and the superintendent
have been working on, and instead must wait for the January 11th board meeting to be considered apart from incorporation into the draft instrument that will be presented to the
board -- despite the fact that the superintendent indicated to the board just three days ago (upon the posting of the Dec 17 Friday Report) that the process between the two of you
is ongoing ("Jeff Russell will work with me to prepare the initial self-evaluation instrument on the January 11, 2011 meeting agenda for consideration and trial.").

Please let me know whether this understanding is correct, and whether you, unilaterally, are essentially denying my request to work with you and the superintendent to prepare the
initial board self-evaluation instrument to be presented to the board for review at the January 11, 2011 meeting, and are instead relegating my input to be written input that will only
be considered apart from incorporation into the draft instrument that you and the superintendent are creating amongst yourselves.

-- Jessica
P.S. You did not address whether you had ever met in person with the superintendent to discuss the board self evaluation review instrument. Can you please indicate whether you
have discussed the board self evaluation review instrument during an in-person meeting? Thank you.

-----Original Message-----
From: Russell, Jeff
Sent: Wed 12/22/2010 5:06 PM
To: Olson, Jessica
Cc: Cohn, Gary
Subject: RE: Board Meeting Self Evaluation: Request to Participate in Development Process

Director Olson -

My written suggestions for the "Board Meeting Self Evaluation Instrument" were included in the December 10 Friday Report at the end of the pdf file containing the templates. Dr.
Cohn and I communicated about this matter via telephone conversation.

- Director Russell

-----Original Message-----
From: Olson, Jessica
Sent: Wed 12/22/2010 2:32 AM
To: Russell, Jeff
Subject: RE: Board Meeting Self Evaluation: Request to Participate in Development Process

Jeff --

Thank you for the reply. I am wondering if you can possibly answer for me another question regarding this process: Via what medium(s) are you working with the superintendent to
develop this process?

I am wondering whether you are making your contributions to this process in concert with the superintendent in writing, via telephone conversations, in-person meetings, or any
combination thereof.

While I recall being asked for input in writing, to me that meant a description or narrative of any input a director sought. Meanwhile, I believe the only input from you that was shared
with the board were the templates you provided as examples.

My hope is that if you are being provided the opportunity to provide input in a format other than in writing, or written commentary/suggestions, that you will afford that same
opportunity for other directors.

I am sure you realize that providing input in writing is time consuming, and can often be laborious. I'm sure you'll agree that communicating verbally is often far more efficient due
to the back and forth nature of conversations.

Please advise how you have been communicating and collaborating with the superintendent on this issue, and if indeed you have been communicating only through
writing/correspondence/emails, I hope you will share all of those communications with the myself and the other members of the board.

Respectfully,

Jessica Olson
Everett Public Schools
Board of Directors, Position #4
(425) 772-0437

-----Original Message-----
From: Russell, Jeff
Sent: Tue 12/21/2010 8:34 PM
To: Olson, Jessica
Cc: Cohn, Gary
Subject: RE: Board Meeting Self Evaluation: Request to Participate in Development Process

Director Olson -

Thank you for your desire to provide input regarding the “Board Meeting Self-Evaluation Instrument”. Accompanying the initial draft published in the December 10 Friday Report
was a request for input from all board members. . Written suggestions were to be submitted by December 17. No suggestions have been received. No further conversations
about the instrument are forthcoming. If you have suggestions at this time I would encourage you to submit them in writing so that they can be distributed to all the board
members prior to the January 11 meeting. At that time the full board will make a decision as to the instruments final format.

- Director Russell

-----Original Message-----
From: Olson, Jessica
Sent: Mon 12/20/2010 6:30 PM
To: Russell, Jeff
Cc: Petersen, Edwin
Subject: Board Meeting Self Evaluation: Request to Participate in Development Process

Jeff,

I note in the Dec 17 Friday Report the superintendent states the following:
"Board Meeting Self-Evaluation: In the preceding edition of the Friday Report you were provided samples of meeting self-evaluation instruments collected from several districts and
the Professional Educator Standards Board, as well as a draft for your review. Jeff Russell will work with me to prepare the initial self-evaluation instrument on the January 11,
2011 meeting agenda for consideration and trial."

I, too, would like to work with you and the superintendent to assist in preparing an initial self-evaluation instrument. Up until now, I have not felt included in the process and would
like the opportunity to have some input, as you have had input with this and other issues, now and prior to your election as Board Vice-President. I have ideas I would like to share
with you to improve upon the examples that have been provided to the board so far.

Can you please let me know of any upcoming meetings you and the superintendent may be holding regarding this topic, so that I may have the opportunity to attend those
meetings? Also -- If you are working together via email discussion instead of in addition to face to face meetings, could you please include me in those email discussions as well?

I recognize there may be particular items of information you may wish for me to familiarize myself with ahead of time; if there are I hope you will let me know what I can do.

I look forward to having the opportunity to have input on a model board self-assessment for possible adoption by the board.

Thank you,

Jessica