Podcast – How Bellingham School District Prepares Students for Success

In our podcast, we interview policymakers, partners, and thought leaders to spotlight education policies, research, and practices so that together we can create a brighter future for every Washington student.

In this episode, League of Education Voters Communications Director Arik Korman asks members of the Bellingham School District leadership team – Jeff Tetrick, Director of Teaching and Learning for Career and Technical Education (CTE), Keith Schacht, Director of Teaching and Learning to Support Student Services and High School, and Communications Manager Dana Smith – what kinds of CTE pathways the Bellingham School District offers, how the district ensures that every student can access these pathways, and how other districts can replicate Bellingham’s outcomes.

 

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Podcast – How West Valley School District Prepares Students for Success

In our podcast, we interview policymakers, partners, and thought leaders to spotlight education policies, research, and practices so that together we can create a brighter future for every Washington student.

In this episode, League of Education Voters Communications Director Arik Korman asks the West Valley (Yakima) School District leadership team – Superintendent Mike Brophy, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Peter Finch, Assistant Superintendent for Business and Operations Angela Von Essen, Family Engagement Coordinator Minerva Pardo, Director of Innovation and Futures Chris Nesmith – how the district engages students from birth through high school graduation, culminating in their career technical education and dual credit programs.

 

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Podcast – Implicit Racial Bias Expert Jennifer Eberhardt

Photo credit: John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

In our podcast, we interview policymakers, partners, and thought leaders to spotlight education policies, research, and practices so that together we can create a brighter future for every Washington student.

In this episode, League of Education Voters Communications Director Arik Korman asks Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt, Stanford Psychology Professor and MacArthur genius grant recipient, how to address implicit racial bias in schools, what we can do to help adults overcome bias, and how implicit bias differs from overt racism.

 

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Podcast – Marquita Davis, Gates Foundation Deputy Director of Early Learning

In our podcast, we interview policymakers, partners, and thought leaders to spotlight education policies, research, and practices so that together we can create a brighter future for every Washington student.

In this episode, League of Education Voters Communications Director Arik Korman asks Marquita Davis, Deputy Director of Early Learning at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, about the benefits of investing in early childhood education (ECE), how to improve transitions from early learning into K-12 and beyond, how best to finance early learning, and how to professionalize the ECE workforce.

 

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2019 Washington Legislative Session Wrapup

By League of Education Voters Policy Team

The 2019 legislative session came to a fast and furious close on April 28, with rumors swirling about a special session right until the very end. There were a record number of bills introduced, and almost 500 passed by sine die.

League of Education Voters prioritized five areas this session: sufficient and effective special education funding, supportive and safe schools, fair local K-12 funding, high-quality early childhood education, and access to postsecondary opportunities. Ultimately, progress was made in all of our priority areas, some more than others, and we are grateful for all of the robust debate and work of the legislature over the past four months. We prioritize working in partnership with community-based organizations and enjoyed strategizing with partners to ensure that student and family voices and experiences were represented in Olympia. Read More

Podcast – House Education Chair Sharon Tomiko Santos

Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos, D-37 - League of Education VotersIn our podcast, we interview policymakers, partners, and thought leaders to spotlight education policies, research, and practices so that together we can create a brighter future for every Washington student.

In this episode, League of Education Voters Communications Director Arik Korman asks Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos (D-Seattle), Chair of the House Education Committee, how she envisions the legislature responding to special education needs from the community, what the next steps are for House Bill 1541, better known as the Opportunity Gap Bill, and what her vision is for improving education in Washington state.

 

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Student Voice: Self-Directed Learning Prepared Me for College

By Julian Sams
Guest Blogger

Summit Olympus Senior Julian Sams - League of Education VotersI didn’t have the most conventional childhood. As an Army brat, home was all over the country – from Nevada to Tennessee, and a bunch of places in between. Since I never spent more than a couple years at any school, I didn’t have a lot of guidance from my teachers. That all changed when we settled in Washington state my freshman year.

Unlike some of my friends, college had not been driven into my head from an early age – my parents did not have access to higher education – but they instilled in me a strong work ethic that’s led me to where I am today: ready to receive my high school diploma as part of the first graduating class of Summit Olympus, a public charter high school in Tacoma. Read More

Podcast – State Board of Education Executive Director Randy Spaulding

In our podcast, we interview policymakers, partners, and thought leaders to spotlight education policies, research, and practices so that together we can create a brighter future for every Washington student.

In this episode, League of Education Voters Communications Director Arik Korman asks Washington State Board of Education Executive Director Randy Spaulding how the State Board differs from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), how community voice was incorporated into the Board’s new strategic plan, and how he would design a state education system if there were no restrictions.

 

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