Defend Bruce: Sign the Petition

written by members of the Seattle Caucus of Rank-and-file Educators (SCORE)

*Signing the petition sends an email in your name to Seattle Public Schools administrators and board directors. You can read the message by clicking on “Read the Petition” in the box below.

Defend Bruce

Seattle Public Schools,

Bruce Jackson, a 17-year veteran at Aki Kurose Middle School, was unjustly fired by Seattle Public Schools on Thursday, February 9th. Bruce has had a significant impact on the special education program and hundreds of students. He was recently fired from his position because of lies, incompetence, and malpractice of an independent contractor, Behavioral Institute. I join the Seattle Caucus of Rank-and-file Educators and Washington Ethnic Studies Now in demanding Bruce be reinstated in his position at Aki Kurose Middle School. Additionally, I demand that SPS hold the non-public and unregulated agency, Behavioral Institute, accountable for their failures.

%%your signature%%



https://linktr.ee/defendbruce
57 signatures

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During Black Lives Matter at School week on February 9, 2023, Seattle Public Schools (SPS) unjustly fired a Black educator, Bruce Jackson. Bruce and his allies are building a campaign to get his job back.

Donate to Bruce’s Support Fund Here

       Bruce Jackson is a long time educator and activist with 38 years of experience working with young people and people with disabilities. He has spent the last 17 of those years working at Aki Kurose Middle School, where he helped create a successful distinct program for students with high levels of physical and behavioral needs. In those 17 years, Bruce received no complaints and has been held in high regard by his colleagues and supervisors. As part of the Aki’s wonderful community-based skills development program that Bruce helped create and maintain, he would take his students to different community spots throughout the week to build up practical social skills. They established a routine; Mondays was a visit to the public library, Tuesdays was swimming at the community pool, Wednesdays and Thursdays were all about cooking delicious meals, and Fridays was a trip to the Dollar Store. Bruce did all of this to give those students a foundation of skills that would help them grow up to live more independent lives. This is what makes Seattle Public School’s (SPS) accusations against him, that have currently led to his removal from the program he helped to build, so shocking to those who know Bruce and have spent years working with him.

       At the beginning of the 2021-22 school year, Aki Kurose’s distinct program was hurting. Staff turnover and unfilled positions have kept the program from being able to function like it has in the past. SPS responded by bringing in a private company Behavioral Institute to “support” the high behavioral needs of one student. For much of the first three months of school, one or two Behavioral Institute employees isolated the student in the room for six hours a day. Bruce knew this was not in the best interest of the student, so he voiced his concerns. In response, a SPS supervisor pushed to have him take over supporting that student. Bruce was reluctant, knowing that the three months of isolation had created even more behavior issues he would need to address, but eventually was pushed into the role. 

       Not long after stepping in, Bruce had a complaint filed against him by Marcus Woods, a supervisor from the Behavioral Institute, which led to his firing. Woods alleged that Bruce was unnecessarily physical and repeatedly swore at the student. Two other witnesses are on the record saying Bruce did not swear or use unnecessary physical force against the student. However, neither of their eyewitness accounts were included in SPS’s case against Bruce. Bruce ensured that all students in the class remained safe and would support students to become calm by using strategies, such as deep breathing, engaging in other tasks, or finding other outlets for their aggression. The accusations against him from Woods, sounds much more like Bruce is a scary Black man who is trying to hurt children. 

       Bruce has now been fired from the program by SPS. In addition to Bruce being a remarkable educator who has spent his life supporting young people with disabilities, he is also a tremendous activist. He was a core part of the original movement to build Black Lives Matter at School, has been instrumental in the fight for ethnic studies, helped with implementation of the Racial Equity Teams throughout Seattle Public Schools, and has consistently spoken out against SPS when they have tried to roll all of these efforts back. So in firing Bruce, the District not only gets to pin the blame on him for a program they grossly mismanaged, but they also can get rid of someone who has aggressively pushed against the status quo, something the SPS has done many times in the past.

Click here for more information on this story and ways to support Bruce.

Defend Bruce

Seattle Public Schools,

Bruce Jackson, a 17-year veteran at Aki Kurose Middle School, was unjustly fired by Seattle Public Schools on Thursday, February 9th. Bruce has had a significant impact on the special education program and hundreds of students. He was recently fired from his position because of lies, incompetence, and malpractice of an independent contractor, Behavioral Institute. I join the Seattle Caucus of Rank-and-file Educators and Washington Ethnic Studies Now in demanding Bruce be reinstated in his position at Aki Kurose Middle School. Additionally, I demand that SPS hold the non-public and unregulated agency, Behavioral Institute, accountable for their failures.

%%your signature%%



https://linktr.ee/defendbruce
57 signatures

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Latest Signatures
57 Mr. Shaun S. Jun 22, 2023
56 Mr. Dre S. Apr 12, 2023
55 Mr. Jonathan R. Apr 11, 2023
54 Ms. Stephanie K. Mar 31, 2023
53 Mr. Reid S. Mar 28, 2023
52 Mr. Jake M. Mar 27, 2023
51 Mx. Nemo P. Mar 23, 2023
50 Mr. Joseph E. Mar 20, 2023
49 Ms. Ailena J. Mar 20, 2023
48 Ms. Ainslie N. Mar 19, 2023
47 Ms. Alexis M. Mar 19, 2023
46 Ms. Ivy W. Mar 19, 2023
45 Ms. Christie T. Mar 18, 2023
44 Ms. Donna D. Mar 15, 2023
43 Mx. Rowan N. Mar 14, 2023
42 Ms. CJ W. Mar 13, 2023
41 Mr. Philip L. Mar 09, 2023
40 Mr. Jon G. Mar 09, 2023
39 Mr. Scott G. Mar 09, 2023
38 Ms. Sarah P. Mar 08, 2023
37 Ms. Alaina M. Mar 08, 2023
36 Ms. Stefany D. Mar 08, 2023
35 Mr. Daniel H. Mar 08, 2023
34 Ms. Melissa P. Mar 08, 2023
33 Ms. Jerry L. Mar 07, 2023
32 Ms. Olivia G. Mar 07, 2023
31 Ms. Jennifer H. Mar 07, 2023
30 Mx. Shawna M. Mar 07, 2023
29 Ms. Stephanie V. Mar 07, 2023
28 Ms. Michelle M. Mar 07, 2023
27 Ms. Shraddha S. Mar 07, 2023
26 Ms. Renee A. Mar 07, 2023
25 Ms. Ramy K. Mar 07, 2023
24 Mr. ALEX N. Mar 06, 2023
23 Ms. Kelsey M. Mar 06, 2023
22 Ms. Margaret J. Mar 06, 2023
21 Mr. Tyler D. Mar 06, 2023
20 Ms. Alison U. Mar 06, 2023
19 Mr. Leo M. Mar 06, 2023
18 Ms. Leah E. Mar 06, 2023
17 Mr. Justin V. Mar 06, 2023
16 Mx. Keith N. Mar 06, 2023
15 Ms. Kat V. Mar 06, 2023
14 Ms. Amanda H. Mar 06, 2023
13 Mrs. Alyson B. Mar 06, 2023
12 Ms. Christy N. Mar 05, 2023
11 Ms. Chelsea G. Mar 05, 2023
10 Mx. Tara R. Mar 05, 2023
9 Ms. John S. Mar 05, 2023
8 Ms. Michelle B. Mar 05, 2023

2 Comments

  1. As someone who was hired on as an emergency substitute, who joined the WEA, who became homeless, who tried to access trainings but whose computer was hacked/digital life held hostage, and who saw how poorly SPED kids were treated… this is hardly a surprise, anyone who defends SPED kids are being targeted for refusing to be complicit in child abuse. This is flat out eugenics and if people aren’t saying the quiet parts loud then they are lying to themselves.

    While I was visiting LA I saw the parks and rec hold outdoor education classes around a firepit. Children and their parents were welcome to come and listen to park rangers speak on the beauty of our natural world. We learned about the migration patterns of the monarch butterfly.

    There were clearly autistic kids who were free to roam around and meet their sensory needs and engage in the ways they were able. This is what Seattle needs to start looking at as we move forward. Private contractors my freakin foot, what we need is homies looking out for homies and people who are actually compassionate to be looking out for these kids.

    Enough is enough.

    After a cursory google I found the website of Sylvia G. Hadnot. Sylvia if you’re out there or anyone who knows Sylvia is reading this, please tell Aliza who I kissed at the Nisqually wildlife refuge during quarantine that I’m still alive. Shoutout to outdoor education for city kids, we need it.

    xoxo
    Miss Nika

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