Ben Schuldtner, the new superintendent of Seattle Public Schools, spent his first week actively getting to know students, sitting down next to their desks and introducing himself simply as "Ben." He has promised to visit all 106 district schools within his first 100 days on the job, which officially began Feb. 1. His informal style — handshakes, questions about lessons and calls of "dude" — immediately caught students' attention.
At Alki Elementary, known for its emphasis on collaborative learning and community engagement, first graders shouted, "Hey, Mr. Superintendent!" when he entered the classroom, and he helped them count pom-poms. At other schools, such as Pathfinder K-8 with its project-based learning and multicultural focus, students gave him letters, a large red apple and crafts, signaling a quick rapport. Schuldtner left one school with a box full of children's drawings and crafts.
The first week was also filled with public appearances and administrative work, underscoring the gravity of his new role. In a letter to families on Sunday he warned frankly, "I will disappoint you," noting that some decisions may be unpopular but will always be explained. On Monday he was sworn in by school board chair Gina Topp, an elected official who leads the board that approves the district budget and policy but does not handle day-to-day operations.
In the days that followed, Schuldtner held a meeting with principals and discussed audits and safety issues. At a school board meeting on Wednesday he spoke with a directness unusual for Seattle, acknowledging a serious district budget shortfall — a contrast to the diplomatic, indirect style of communication often referred to as "Seattle nice." The main causes of the deficit include falling enrollment, rising personnel costs and inflation, and inadequate state funding, which in Washington depends on taxes and political decisions.
His start coincided with mourning for two Rainier Beach High School students who were shot near campus 32 hours before his official first day. That school is located in a historically diverse neighborhood with socioeconomic challenges, requiring special attention to support programs and inclusivity. Grief and the financial crisis set the tone for his early actions.
The 48-year-old Schuldtner comes from a family of educators and public servants, and his surname in Yiddish literally means "school servant." Despite a résumé that includes Harvard and leadership posts, he rejects the label "ambitious." He believes his life's purpose is "to help as many people as possible in my short time on Earth," and he sees education as the best way to do that.
Before moving to Seattle, he led the Lansing, Michigan, school district beginning in 2021, where, he says, graduation rates rose 26% and attendance increased 13% over four years. Earlier he founded and served for a decade as principal of a New York City high school with a 95% annual graduation rate. "I like teaching, being with students and being in schools. And I've had success," he said.
Seattle educators who have already met him describe him as energetic and approachable. "He's a ball of energy, and that's exactly what we need," said the principal of Pathfinder. The principal at Alki noted that Schuldtner seems prepared to make tough decisions while centering students' interests. These first impressions have given staff hope about his leadership style.
At the district's central office, known as the John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence in the SoDo neighborhood, his spacious office is still nearly empty. The administrative center houses departments for budget, curriculum and personnel. Schuldtner often prefers to work from a laptop in a conference room with open doors so staff can easily approach him. Reflecting on his first days, he said he feels confident even while acknowledging the district's serious problems. He noted that he has never seen schools with the kinds of resources Seattle has.
During his visits he saw schools with unicycles used for physical education, gardens, aquariums with salmon fry — reflecting local priorities for environmental education and a connection to the Pacific Northwest's natural world — and numerous secretaries and assistant principals. "It's unheard of," he might add, referring to the scale of available opportunities that he must now defend amid fiscal constraints.
Based on: New Seattle Schools leader brings optimism to somber first week