Thompson

Carol Thompson

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.

I would like to express my sincere interest in the open School Board Director position for District 2. My name is Carol Thompson, and I bring to the table 20 years of professional experience as a Research Scientist, Program Manager, and Technology Manager. My personal journey, rooted in the transformative power of public education, motivates my commitment to ensuring equitable and high-quality educational opportunities for all students.

Growing up in rural poverty with a single parent, I experienced first hand the profound impact that public schools can have. In addition to getting a top notch education, the other practical benefits included free lunch, being nominated for summer camp scholarships and waivers for college exam fees. School sponsored activities such as music, academic team, and debate opened the windows to the world outside of my small town. With guidance from school counselors, scholarships and financial aid paved the way to ultimately earn a Ph.D. in Biochemistry in the laboratory of a Nobel Prize laureate.

Twenty years ago I moved to the area, captivated by the city’s vibrancy, and now I am raising my children in Seattle public schools. My vision for Seattle public schools is clear – to foster an environment where every family, regardless of background, has access to excellent educational opportunities.

Living in the Greenwood/Phinney neighborhood, I feel connected to the community and its needs. Pre-covid, District 2’s enrollment in public schools surged, particularly in the Ballard/Greenwood area, as families like mine came for the job opportunities and stayed for the community. Post covid, public school enrollment is down, but many families remain, although they may have left the public school system. I believe we need to make a commitment to make the public schools an attractive option for all families, otherwise it becomes an inequitable solution for those that can’t afford private school.

My background is well suited for participating in the School Board. In addition to my scientific and data background, my professional experience includes strategic planning and budgeting, and significant consensus building. I have a history of dedication to community service, including supporting women and girls seeking careers in STEM through the Association for Women in Science, as well as managing youth sports in the area. As our public schools face a budget crisis, I see an opportunity to bring my professional skills in fiscal management, transparency and accountability and my same dedication to our area families to ensure that schools and communities receive the support they need.

Finally, I recognize the impending societal and technological shifts that will demand a proactive approach to education. Seattle must prepare students for the future job landscape shaped by rapid technological advancements. I am eager to support the Board’s work to preserve and evolve the opportunities we give to all children, and charting a sustainable path for our students, to ensure they remain competitive for jobs and have a promising future in our city.

Resume / Summary of Related Experience

Tell us about your experience, including any Board or other leadership experience.

Carol L. Thompson, Ph.D.

EDUCATION

BS, Biology (1997), University of Richmond, VA

PhD, Biochemistry (2003), UNC at Chapel Hill, NC

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA, 2004-present

Associate Director, Data Integration: Spearheads data integration and ETL, and standardization efforts, emphasizing data standards and facilitating open data sharing in research. Successfully secured NIH grant for consortium outreach, operations management, and fostering inclusive research through diverse perspectives.
Scientific Program Manager: Managed a diverse portfolio, overseeing end-to-end data generation pipelines, strategic partnerships, and research programs. Led strategic planning, budgeting, and operational oversight for impactful projects resulting in high-profile publications and scientific resources.

UNC-Chapel Hill

Graduate Research Assistant (1997-2003) and Postdoctoral Fellow (2003-2004): Under Nobel Laureate Aziz Sancar, published 7 first-author papers on cryptochromes, circadian and non-circadian photo responses.

COMMUNITY SERVICE EXPERIENCE

North Central Little League Board

President (2021-2024), VP and Registrar (2018-2019), Coach (2017-2022): Leads operations, ensures public and player safety, addresses resource challenges, and fosters community vision for supportive and competitive youth sports.

Association for Women in Science, Seattle Chapter

Peer Mentoring (2010-2013), Publicity (2005-2009), Programs (2008-2009), Scholarships (2006, 2010): Supported early-career women in science through networking, mentoring, and programming. Facilitated student support with scholarships and hands-on activities.

Frontiers for Young Minds

Review Editor (2019-present): Guide review of scientific manuscripts by children, providing editorial feedback on discoveries in science for young readers.

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?

Fifteen years ago, my husband and I deliberately chose the Greenwood neighborhood to buy our first home. We appreciated the walkability, and the vibrant community spirit. I had the privilege to work nearby in Fremont for a decade and loved the experience of living and working in the same community. Our connection to Greenwood area deepened as we added two kids to our family who are now navigating the public school system. Both are now in middle school and have forged friends with numerous families from our neighborhood.

Our involvement in preschool and school activities, coupled with participation as volunteers and coaches in youth sports and other activities, has woven us tightly into the fabric of District 2. Volunteering has been a cornerstone of my free time. Serving as the volunteer President of a local youth baseball and softball organization which registers over 700 kids predominantly from District 2 neighborhoods, I am privileged to be a conduit for understanding families’ needs. Through this role, I have listened to our families about their health concerns during the pandemic recovery, addressed concerns for public safety in our parks and on the fields, and collaborated with families and volunteers to develop guidance for families through these challenges.

As I reflect on this volunteer experience, I recognize a consistent pattern: listening to our community, understanding their needs, and taking action to bring about positive change. This approach has been instrumental in building and maintaining an effective organization, and building trust with our families. I anticipate that working with the School Board will follow this pattern. Effective governance starts with listening to our community, even when the feedback is challenging. Whether the concerns reflect on the school district or uncover our own blindspots, the key is to seek out the best ideas and integrate them into an improvement plan.

I am eager to bring my proven commitment to community engagement, active listening, and collaborative problem-solving to the School Board, ensuring that our educational system continues to evolve in response to the needs of our diverse and dynamic community.

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?

The School Board carries several fundamental responsibilities that shape the performance of our educational system. First, a key responsibility is policy development, a process that is tightly coupled to community concerns, ranging from safety and legal issues to proactive initiatives addressing evolving educational philosophies, community standards, and long term objectives. This collaborative effort with the superintendent and fellow board members, complemented by community input, ensures an informed and holistic approach to policy creation.

The School Board also actively participates in formulating long-term strategic plans with the Superintendent and school district. While these currently take the form of Goals and Guardrails. I envision that these will necessarily expand to account for developing sustainable models of operation under constrained resources. This expansion should incorporate visionary initiatives with creative resourcing and clear but obtainable targets for measurable outcomes (see my comments on setting these metrics in a later answer). Especially given the current need for austerity, budget oversight and financial management will be the crux of our upcoming challenges. Leveraging my significant experience with modeling costs and developing budgets through my professional and volunteer perspectives, I understand how important budget reviews are. Objective assessment of cost-benefits are imperative to ensure we provide the best education possible under the circumstances.

Finally, community engagement is an important aspect of the job. Actively listening to the families who are served by Seattle Public Schools is key, as they are the ones impacted by austerity measures, the ones who have firsthand experience of how the district is or is not serving their children, and the ones who we want to attract and retain in our district. As a product of public schools, I strongly believe in the transformative power of education, particularly when we can align with their educational needs. Several overarching issues will strongly inform School Board work even in times of austerity. Fostering an inclusive environment, and championing diverse perspectives inform how we do things. Simultaneously, an awareness of the rapid pace of technological advancements should inform our efforts, as it provides both opportunities and challenges for our district to lead, given the tech-rich landscape.

Lastly, supporting equity by giving careful considerations to educational access for those undergoing housing insecurity and with reduced resources.

Describe the areas of strength you bring to collaboration and building positive working relationships with fellow Board directors.

Throughout most of my professional journey, I have held roles that demand leadership but have no direct authority. My experience as a Program Manager has placed me at the helm of initiatives with many stakeholders, each with unique perspectives and contributions. As a lead administrator for a consortium, I collaborate with many stakeholders to develop policies and procedures, and while fostering engagement from members and collaborative problem-solving. In both cases, I have worked with others to articulate a shared understanding of goals and crafting solutions to meet many needs.

While I bring my own ideas and direction to the table, my years of experience in committee settings and as a facilitator have taught me the art of listening. This skill is invaluable when it comes to understanding concerns and adapting solutions. In the context of a Board position, the ability to propose, hear, and adapt is indispensable for effecting meaningful change. I hold a deep respect for diverse viewpoints and acknowledge that there are many valid solutions. It’s important to identify what the problem is to be solved, and then find consensus on the solution.

Finally, I recognize that different people have different styles, and I would like to learn how my fellow Board directors like to work. As for myself, my style may be described as pragmatic, and although I gravitate to the neat and tidy solution, I understand that real-world solutions may be messy. I am confident that I could develop respectful relationships with board members, so that we can collaborate on solutions, and celebrate the shared accomplishments.

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.

In collaborative endeavors, even people with shared goalscan still disagree on the path forward. Resolving conflicts can be a process that extends beyond a single meeting. First, when I have found myself at odds with others regarding a plan or a decision, I find it useful to back up and clarify the assumptions everyone is working with. Ensuring that everyone has the same starting information can resolve conflicts stemming from inaccurate information or misunderstanding of the situation, and provides a foundation for continued discussion and alignment.

Second, delving into the core problem that each individual is trying to solve for, or identifying their highest priorities is also critical. This understanding serves as guideposts for the development of a solution and the starting point for negotiation and consensus-building. By finding shared priorities or objectives, the group can more easily navigate to a common ground and providing for a more conducive atmosphere for collaboration and decision-making.

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 school board policy statement resonates with me on a personal level. My own upbringing as a non-white student in a predominantly white community, struggling with poverty and minimal parental engagement in my education, fuels my commitment to ensuring that students in our district are well served. I would like our district to recognize and support the needs of their students, just as they did for me. Providing our students with the educational supports they need shouldn’t rely on having an English-speaking, well educated parent with ample time to navigate the systems needed to establish IEPs and get whatever help is needed. It troubles me to witness instances where our school district’s application processes to certain programs require a parent essay; placing an undue burden on underserved kids whose parents may lack the language, time, or resources to navigate these requirements.

In my own youth, my mother spoke English as a second language and had suffered strokes that impaired her ability to communicate, and I felt seen and provided for by the school system without her intervention. This is the example of how our schools should be to support equity for underserved kids. To provide an equitable educational experience, we should proactively reduce barriers to academic enrichment programs, and ensure that, to the best of our ability and financial situation, every student gets the supports they need, especially those facing opportunity gaps.

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.

The Seattle School Board has recently transitioned to the Goals and Guardrails strategic planning style. In implementing any new paradigm for governing and management, the Board should review their progress and make revisions to the process as necessary. The initial goals, focused on black boys only, were ambitious – aiming for a substantial increase in reading proficiency from 28% to 70% between 2018 and 2024, and and a similar rise in math proficiency from 23% to 45% by 2024. However, the interim report revealed limited progress, and even a decline in math proficiency. These results were almost certainly exacerbated by a global pandemic and a change in District leadership, but even absent these events, the goals seem over-ambitious in such a short time frame. Planning approaches vary. Medium-term organizational plans might set desired outcomes against a specific timeline, charting interim milestones along the way with a high level description of the approach for achieving these milestones.

On the other hand, in an Agile-type software development environment, the work is broken down into smaller increments, with fast cycles for delivery and iterative adjustments. While the current Goals and Guardrails system has merit, improvements may be necessary. First, goals can be ambitious but should be achievable, grounded in an understanding of the root cause. Draft goals should be scrutinized against a high level implementation plan before finalization, as a collaboration between the School Board and the District Office.

Second, goals should be distinct. The initial two goals, both centered on expectations for huge increases in proficiency, could be consolidated and interim goals should give supplementary guidance for how to stay on target. On the other hand, the third goal, focusing on graduation rates and advanced courses, is qualitatively different, and stands out as an independent measurement of our progress, with better defined interim goals. While the schools are not a software development project, we might take some high level ideas from Agile. In the current Goals, the interim deliverables are no shorter than 5 years in duration. That is a long time to wait to see delivery of a promised improvement. Perhaps goal-setting could be structured for a more iterative process, with smaller, near term targets, iteration, enabling quicker evaluation and course corrections in shorter time frames.

Overall Goals and Guardrails can be a reasonable system for managing the Board’s strategic plan, after five years it is an opportune time to re-evaluate and tweak the process, including by alignment with an implementation plan, reasonable metrics, and incorporating shorter delivery times.

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?

Our experiences in the Seattle Public Schools have notably positive at the individual school level. Our family has been fortunate enough to have highly dedicated teachers and principals and excellent facilities, but this experience may or may not be uniform across the district. My concern deepens with the current budget crisis that this experience may become scarcer, and that academics overall may suffer across the district. The Goals and Guardrails that the Board set only targeted improving achievement by black boys, with the rationale that if the worst performing demographic improved, one can extrapolate the same success to entire student population. Unfortunately, with the lack of substantial progress on 2 of the 3 goals, it becomes challenging to gauge the well-being of the larger student body within this framework. It’s essential that the goals set by the Board encompass the diverse needs of the entire student population, and ensure each student is supported in their educational journey.

I am committed to the belief that a private school education is not a prerequisite for success in life; but I am motivated at this time to support the School Board’s efforts to make this belief a reality, particularly in this current era of financial austerity. A crucial element is reevaluating our approach to STEM education, preparing students for a future where college admissions are more competitive, and entry level jobs are increasingly automated by AI. Every student should be equipped to thrive after high school. We need academic goals that target multiple strata of our student population aligned with actual implementation plans and streamlined budgets will be essential to ensure that Seattle Public Schools serves its students most effectively.