Seattle parents clash with school district over Adams Elementary principal appointment
Apr 24, 2026, 1:54 PM
Newly appointed Adams Elementary School Principal Anitra Jones. (Photo courtesy of the Seattle School District Website)
(Photo courtesy of the Seattle School District Website)
Tensions flared more than once this week over the newly appointed principal of Seattle’s Adams Elementary School, located in Ballard.
At a meeting on Monday, Adams parents confronted Principal Anitra Jones about allegations reported recently by The Seattle Times.
In 2024, complaints arose that included allegations Jones created a toxic environment at Rainier View Elementary and that a state agency found she unlawfully discriminated against staff, according to The Seattle Times.
At Wednesday night’s Seattle School Board meeting, Superintendent Ben Shuldiner accused Adams Elementary of calling out those who interrupted Jones’ opening remarks.
“Things were being shouted in the audience to Anitra Jones, an award-winning principal, a black woman, ‘you’re speaking too slowly,'” he said. “That feels really uneasy. It feels like there’s something else going on.”
One person wanted to know how long Jones’ remarks would last and when they would be able to ask their questions, Shuldiner said.
“It is uneasy when I look at that school,” he said. “It was the 7th richest school in the district. The people in the audience were at least presented almost as all white. And you had a black principal saying these things and being interrupted.”
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Parents say concerns center on Jones’ record, not her identity
Parents like Mike Lind pushed back.
“I’m disappointed in Superintendent Shuldiner’s interpretation of what the real issue was on Monday,” he said.
He described the relationship between parents and teachers at Adams as unusually tight-knit.
“We simply cannot afford to lose these cherished teachers. If our staff does not feel valued by their administrator,” he said.
“Our community concerns around this appointment are centered on Miss Jones’ record of district-substantiated, teachers’ union, and students’ rights violations,” said parent Josh Callahan.
Jones either denied the allegations or declined to comment on them at Monday’s meeting, The Seattle Times reported.
“Today, what you can expect from me is to get to know me as a person, to get to know me as a leader,” Jones said in her opening remarks, according to The Seattle Times. “There are some things we are unable to talk about because of personnel issues, but I assure you it’s not because we don’t want to answer your questions. I’m here because I care.”
Adams’ current principal, Doug Sohn, will end his tenure on June 30, according to the district website.
Frank Lenzi is the News Director for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of his stories here.
