Building a quality public education system from cradle to career.
We believe in the transformative power of public education.
Public education is the cornerstone of a functioning democracy, preparing our children for stable, family-wage jobs, and contributing to the well-being of their families and community.
We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to achieve their dreams.
By the Connect Tri-Cities Team
What is Connect Tri-Cities? It’s a job fair. A STEM competition. Veterans outreach. Retirement planning. Networking. Interactive exhibits. Job skills preparation. Guest speakers. Connect Tri-Cities will be a resource for the Tri-Cities community, employers and job seekers, sponsored by Hanford contractor Mission Support Alliance and their corporate partners, Leidos, Jacobs and Centerra Group.
Connect Tri-Cities seeks to collaborate with community and nation-wide stakeholders to support an effective transfer of knowledge and recruit job seekers in collaboration with STEM, trade/craft and apprenticeship organizations.
It’s back to school time at my house, and that means the morning rush is in full swing – searching for that missing sock, packing up lunch, and making sure my third-grader has everything he needs to have a good day. All across Washington state, students like my son are running around to get to their classroom, ready to learn and hoping to receive what they need to have a good day, a good school year, and a good life.
League of Education Voters is excited for the new school year, too. We are hard at work advocating for every student to receive a great public education and the support necessary for success. For some students, also just like my son, the need is greater than quality instruction, curriculum, and classroom materials – they may also need mental health counseling, trauma-informed care, supplemental nutrition, or individualized learning assistance.
As you know, many Washington students do not receive these critical services, and the outcomes are devastating. Last year alone, more than 14,000 high school seniors in Washington did not graduate. Students who don’t graduate from high school are twice as likely to face unemployment throughout their life, and several studies indicate higher rates of mortality for these students, as well.
Support us today and join the voices demanding critical system transformation so Washington’s students receive the support they need to thrive, innovate, and become the leaders of tomorrow.
When you are rushing out the door tomorrow morning, think of the 1.1 million kids in Washington doing the same thing – they deserve, and will have, a brighter future with the help of League of Education Voters supporters like you.
Read below for more about our work.
Thanks again for all you do for Washington’s kids. We’re all in this together.
We are pleased to announce our Education Advocate of the Month for September: Candace Harris. Read about her experience as a strong advocate for early learning in rural Eastern Washington.
Candace Harris is Director of the Valley Early Learning Center, part of the Valley School District about 45 miles north of Spokane. Because Valley is a rural school district, many of the families live in poverty. Representing rural Washington, Candace attended the Education Vision Project that League of Education Voters convened in March, where stakeholders from the Spokane region envisioned what our education system could look like. Candace has a passion for working with kids and understands the importance of teachers receiving the training they need to engage students with Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and she would like to see Social Emotional Learning (SEL) incorporated into school practices.
Rural districts like Valley faces different challenges than their urban counterparts. Candace says, “There’s a lot of isolation out here – your school or early learning center can be 20 miles away, so schools end up becoming the hub of the community.” In rural areas, schools take the place of community centers. She adds, “In rural communities, we wear multiple hats, like a lot of people in education do, but it does end up looking a little different.” Candace is the Director of Valley’s Early Learning Program, is a family advocate and a family engagement coordinator for toddlers through 2nd grade, and she also does home visiting. “Resources are spread pretty thin,“ she says. “If you think about our area, there isn’t even a pediatrician. The closest one is 30 miles away in Riverside.”
Candace has lived in Stevens County her entire life. She started substituting as a para pro at Valley School District and worked to develop an early learning program. She explains, “We had childcare for employees, and the next year, we started doing the Early Childhood Education Assistance Program (ECEAP), we then became licensed as a childcare center to serve as many people as we could. Besides us, there isn’t any other licensed childcare in our area.”