Griffiths
Gina Griffiths
Pronouns: She/Her
Director District 2
Video Statement
Statement of Interest
Candidates were asked to submit a letter of interest describing why they wish to serve and should be selected for appointment.
Dear Seattle Community Members,
I am interested in representing district 2 on the Seattle School board. To this seat I will bring my professional experience as a teacher, my passion for this neighborhood as a mother, and my vision for the future of Seattle Public Schools as a collaborative leader.
I moved to Ballard in 2019 from San Francisco where I taught at a project-based public K-8 school, and school district consultant. My partner and I started a family and knew we needed to move to a community where we could put down roots and grow. We fell in love with the people and beauty that the Loyal Heights neighborhood offered us. We own our home and plan to stay here for many years to come. Our son just turned five years old and we want the best for not only him, but all his future peers and friends as they learn and grow together.
I received my Masters of Education from USC and have over ten years of teaching experience. This education and my experience help me in understanding the real challenges teachers are faced with daily as they do their best to support and uplift our young people. I also hold an arts integration specialist certificate and used that knowledge in my work consulting for San Francisco Unified School District and Alameda School District. During that time I led professional development courses for adults and school stakeholders around the importance of the arts and inclusion within our schools. I am passionate about leading teachers and educational stakeholders towards a future that centers children and ensures more equitable outcomes.
In addition to my work as a teacher and leadership experiences as a consultant to schools, I also have experience serving on boards and committees. I served the Creative Arts Charter School Board for two years, specifically supporting the Curriculum committee and the Diversity and Outreach committee. Upon moving to Seattle I got involved with the non-profit, Goodwin Connections and served on their Programs committee. I understand the collaborative efforts it takes to create change on a larger scale and know how to work with people who hold differing opinions in order to achieve a shared goal.
I believe in education, and while I know Seattle schools are facing challenges right now, I also believe in the power of the community to best understand the needs and rise to the occasion of creating impactful solutions.
My professional experience in the classroom, collaborative work with educational stakeholders, and love for this community as a mom to a young boy, make me uniquely qualified to fill this seat. I would bring my lens of belonging and passion for education into this role.
Thank you in advance for your consideration,
Gina Griffiths
Resume / Summary of Related Experience
Tell us about your experience, including any Board or other leadership experience.
Creative leader and learner committed to empowering others to be their best.
Teacher & Specialist Department Lead, Westside School 2021-Present
Pre-Kindergarten through fourth grade visual art teacher, responsible for developing, implementing, and assessing curriculum. Advocate for the Specialist team, providing structure and recommendations for improvement to the Lower School Head. Mentor to new teachers fostering a sense of belonging and providing guidance.
Subject Matter Expert, Art of Education University 2023
Designer and writer of Choice-Based Education, a course for graduate students, including content overviews, assignments, rubrics, professor guides, and original resources.
Assistant Director, Bright Horizons Early Education 2020-2021
Manager of day-to-day operations, communicating effectively and kindly with children, families, and staff. Responsible for maintaining records to meet licensing and accreditation requirements.
Consultant, Alameda County Office of Education 2018-2020
Coach of adult learners through transdisciplinary intensive courses critiquing established norms in education, with a focus on building strategies in arts integration and equity practices.
Teacher & Making Learning Visible Team Lead, Creative Arts Charter School 2015-2019
Kindergarten, first grade, and eighth grade credentialed teacher at a project-based, inquiry driven public charter school. Responsible for developing, implementing, and assessing curriculum. Creator and facilitator of professional development training with a focus on documentation, use of thinking routines, and creative practices through an integrated and collaborative approach.
Volunteer Work:
Committee Member, Goodwin Connections, 2020-2023
Seattle based non-profit connecting low-income families to educational opportunities
Board Member, Creative Arts Board of Directors, 2017-2019
Diversity and Outreach committee member, petitioned for charter renewal, revised mission, crafted the strategic plan, analyzed data in order to vote on proposed measures, and in alignment with our goals, increased enrollment of students of color by 20%
Published and Acknowledged Work:
Jillian Hogan, Lois Hetland, Diane B. Jaquith, 2018 ‘Studio Thinking from the Start’
Dr. Julia Marshall, 2019 ‘Integrating the Visual Arts Across the Curriculum’
Presenter, California Art Education Association Conference, 2018
Presenter of ‘Changing the way Schools Look and Learn’ Teaching for Understanding and Meaning Making
Presenter, Creative Practice Exchange, MoAD, 2017
Presenter of ‘Artists as Activists’ Exploring Student Power and Voice in K-8 Education
Facilitator, San Francisco Coalition of Essential Small Schools, 2016-2017
Facilitated professional development for administrators, teachers, and education stakeholders addressing implicit bias, and culturally responsive teaching in order to create equitable outcomes.
University of Southern California, Master of Arts, Education
Washington State University, Bachelor of Arts, Anthropology, Psychology
Application questions
What is your connection to the Director District 2 or 4 community, schools, families, and students? How do you foresee growing or expanding on those connections and relationships in your role as a School Board Director?
My connection to District 2 is that I live and play in Loyal Heights neighborhood. My partner, son, dog, and I are often out and about in the Ballard area as we love all that this area has to offer. My son will eventually attend Loyal Heights Elementary and many of our friends and neighbors attend local schools. Of course, I want to see all the children of Seattle succeed and find joy in learning. I also am connected because I, myself am a teacher and want local teachers to feel supported and uplifted to do their important work. My partner works as a Senior Civil Engineer for the City of Seattle, so we are both deeply connected to the city and desire to make it as successful, joyful, and prepared for the future as possible. If appointed director I would continue to make myself visible within the community and actively seek out neighbors and community members to better understand their experiences, needs, and wants within the Seattle Public School system.
What is your understanding of the role and responsibilities of a School Board Director and the Seattle School Board? How do you foresee working with your fellow Directors, the Superintendent, staff, and the public?
School Board Directors play an important role in creating the vision for the broader district itself while keeping in mind all the individual schools and families that make up the district as a whole. The most essential responsibility of a School Board Director is to work as a bridge between the community members and the decision making. School Board Directors must be deeply connected to the community and have a solid grasp on the current issues faced as well as the needs and wants of the community itself in order to make responsible decisions and create impactful policy. School Board Directors play an important role in creating the vision for the broader district itself while keeping in mind all the individual schools and families that make up the district as a whole. The School Board Directors directly impact the direction of the district for many years to come with their hiring practices, strategic plan, and programmatic decisions. These are responsibilities I would not take lightly as an educator myself that knows what is at stake.
Describe the areas of strength you bring to collaboration and building positive working relationships with fellow Board directors.
One of my great areas of strength is my ability to not only hear, but also consider, multiple points of view. In today’s world of polarizing views and tribalism it is an important skill to keep an open mind. I hold my own set of personal beliefs and values that I openly acknowledge and share when offering my lens, however I am not afraid to allow my mind to change, or admit when I do not know enough. I enjoy reaching a level of understanding with people of differing views in order to reach a shared vision or goal. I am able to get my ideas across without belittling or denouncing the ideas of others. As an art teacher and arts advocate I also believe myself to be a creative problem solver. I think outside of the box in order to find solutions. Collaboration is hard work and in order to do it gracefully one has to find comfort in the discomfort at times.
Please give an example of how you have addressed conflict and overcame it to build alignment as a member of a group decision-making body.
Conflict can be a necessary part of collaboration. When working on a previous board I experienced some discomfort and difference of opinions when going through union negotiations regarding teacher salary increases. I was a teacher, representing teacher interest, in the room with many other stakeholders representing differing fiscal opinions. These conversations and debates could get emotional at times. A couple things helped us all resolve this conflict and reach an agreement that all parties were happy with. First, it was important for us to name our inherent biases, for example me naming that I have a vested interest in teacher salary negotiations helped create transparency and also allowed for me to see where some of my blindspots may be. Everyone has their own unique lens, but it is imperative when serving on a Board of Directors to be able to put that aside and keep in mind your duties of care for the organization you represent. The other thing we continued to do throughout these negotiations was to return to our shared vision and strategic plan to guide our conversations. The focus on bigger ideals we had previously aligned on helped us remember we are all on the same side, ultimately the side of what is best for students. We disagreed along the way, but in the end we reached an agreement without hurting anyone or compromising on any bigger picture goal.
School Board Policy No, 0030, Ensuring Educational and Racial Equity, includes the following commitment:
The Seattle School Board is committed to the success of every student in each of our schools and to achieving our mission of ensuring that all students graduate ready for college, career and life. We believe that the responsibility for student success is broadly shared by District Staff, administrators, instructors, communities and families. We are focused on closing the opportunity gap and creating learning communities that provide support and academic enrichment programs for all students. Additionally, we believe that it is the right of every student to have an equitable educational experience within the Seattle Public School District.
What does this statement mean to you?
This statement reflects the unfortunate reality that as of right now, we do not have schools that create equitable outcomes for all students, as is their right. Nationwide, schools are failing our low-income students, students with disabilities, students of color, and especially our Black boys at alarming rates. This statement underscores the important work that Seattle Public Schools still has to do in order to undo the harm that has been done to marginalized communities in order to uplift and empower previously underserved students and families to achieve success. It is stating this work as a priority and as a vision that is upheld by all working members of SPS, meaning that policies and hiring practices should align with this lofty goal at all times.
The Seattle School Board has set three goals for student outcomes with accompanying metrics that serve as broader indicators of the school system’s performance. Provide your insights into how setting goals and monitoring progress influences student success.
Setting goals and monitoring progress helps to hold SPS accountable. Without specific and measurable goals a school district has no direction. Data is an important tool and while it does not always tell the whole story about a particular student, it does tell a story especially on a border scale. Looking at data helps districts to identify their gaps and set goals, continuing to measure the progress of these goals through data ensures that the policies and guardrails in place are in support of the stated goal. These set goals directly impact student success only if there are consequences for not meeting them. A goal will always remain a goal unless leaders are willing to put in the work to continually monitor the progress of the stated goal, support the teachers in the trenches in meeting these goals, and then make decisions in accordance with the progress of the goals.
Please share your knowledge and/or thoughts on an ongoing educational issue that is a high priority for you. How do you see the Board’s role in this issue?
The inequity within SPS as mentioned in the diversity statement and the above stated goals are important issues to me and it seems that there is work being done to address the opportunity gap. In addition to that, I think the financial situation of SPS and the decreased enrollment is one of the biggest issues being faced at this time. I feel personally connected to this issue, and because of this I may have some insights to offer. I currently teach at an independent school in West Seattle, despite previously teaching in public schools and my deep philosophical beliefs about the importance of public schools. When I moved to Seattle I had a difficult time finding affordable childcare, eventually finding my current school, Westside, an independent school serving preschoolers through 8th grade. I was so happy to find a place my 3 year old son could attend and I could work. It has been a great experience and now it seems easier just to keep him at that school even though we commute, rather than pull him out to go to kindergarten. Having spent time in public and private schools as a teacher, I do not think that private schools are inherently better at teaching students or welcoming families or creating joyful learning experiences. I do however feel they are much better at selling themselves, telling their story, and including parents in the decision making. This is where I feel SPS could improve. As someone that has been on both sides of the public and private school system I feel uniquely qualified to offer my insights and ideas about how SPS could better attract, enroll, and retain families to attend their schools.