League of Education Voters (LEV), founded in 2001, is a 501(c)4 non-partisan organization that partners with students, families, and civic leaders who believe in a quality education from cradle to career.
LEV is a Washington-based organization working to improve public education from early learning through higher education. We shape the debate, build powerful coalitions, and grow the grassroots to achieve meaningful reform and ample resources for education.
We advocate at the state level for community-driven, student-focused education solutions.
We build capacity for partners and coalitions by providing Policy, Field, and Communications expertise.
We share trusted information with students, families, communities, educators, partner organizations, policymakers, and the media.
We convene education stakeholders such as students, educators, community-based organizations, and policymakers.
And we do this through an equity lens.
Our Vision
Every student in Washington state has access to an excellent public education that provides equitable opportunities for success.
Our Mission
LEV acts to serve the interests of students and families across the state of Washington to improve education access and quality, particularly those who have been harmed by historical and systemic inequities, by:
- Developing community-informed, targeted policy solutions to benefit students impacted by racism, poverty, disability discrimination, and other forms of oppression.
- Advocating for ample, equitable, and stable resources to meet the needs of every student.
- Mobilizing families, businesses, youth, educators, communities, and other stakeholders to understand and remove the systemic barriers to each student’s success within the public education system.
- Partnering with stakeholders to advocate for equitable, high-quality, and fully-funded education.
- Highlighting research-driven and promising educational practices that prepare students to reach their full potential and contribute meaningfully to our democracy and economy.
- Providing voters, stakeholders, policymakers, and the media with strategic, accurate, and timely information about public education in Washington state.
Our Values
At League of Education Voters, we base our work on the following values:
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Put Students First
Students have an important voice in shaping the education system. Families are critical partners in student success. We commit to working with students, families, and communities – especially Black, Indigenous and students of color, students with disabilities, students gaining English proficiency, students experiencing homelessness, foster youth, and other historically marginalized students – to identify barriers and formulate solutions together, and we support them in organizing to advocate for their future.
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Honor Community Knowledge and Experience
LEV recognizes that communities themselves offer the best definition of the challenges they face and often the best pathways for addressing them.
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Embrace Anti-Racism
We are committed to understanding and dismantling historic and systemic racism which creates stark inequities in education and being held accountable for our own action or inaction. We are also committed to looking inward at LEV’s history, committing to changes, and being accountable for them.
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Operationalize Equity
We believe equity should lie at the heart of our decision-making. We must employ approaches and build structures and policies externally and internally that will be designed to embed equity at every decision point.
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Advocate for Educators Who Better Reflect the Students They Serve
We believe students need teachers and school leaders who reflect them, understand their lived experiences, and are equipped to help them succeed.
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Pursue Collaboration
We believe we are most effective when we work across the lines of difference toward common solutions. We will learn from the community and acknowledge the power of lived experience.
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Act with Courage
We will have the courage to act, to learn from our actions, and to strive to improve our practice with innovation and humility.
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Remain Nonpartisan
We believe education is not a partisan issue. We are deeply engaged in the political process but do not align ourselves with any political party.
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