2023-25 Biennial Budget Summary
By League of Education Voters Policy Team
In the 2023-25 biennial budget compromise, all amounts are per biennium unless noted.
By League of Education Voters Policy Team
In the 2023-25 biennial budget compromise, all amounts are per biennium unless noted.
By the League of Education Voters Policy Team
The Washington state House and Senate have released their 2023-2025 biennial budget proposals. See how they compare with Governor Inslee’s budget proposal: Read More
In our Putting Students First 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.
Isolation and restraint in schools hurts our most vulnerable students. In this episode, League of Education Voters Acting CEO Arik Korman discusses alternatives to isolation and restraint of students, policies that can be implemented at the school district level to support school leaders and staff, and direct impacts of isolation and restraint on students.
We were honored to interview:
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Washington Game Changers with Lauri Hennessey features leaders who give back to our community, drive innovative solutions, and inspire others in making our state more equitable and just. This podcast is a one-on-one conversation with these powerful leaders in a time when we need to hear about more good in the world.
In this episode, League of Education Voters CEO Lauri Hennessey interviews Dr. Tonya Drake, Chancellor and Regional Vice President of Western Governors University. Dr. Drake talks about higher education, equity, and the importance of lifelong learning.
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By Washington LYAC – Micah Fitzgerald, Hiro Hirano-Holcomb, Natasha Kalombo, Stacy Osoria, and Shreya Shaji
Guest Bloggers
This year, the Washington Legislative Youth Advisory Council (LYAC) is proud to introduce an important education bill into session: Senate Bill 5441. This bill implements inclusive education for students written by students of the LYAC.
(Note: Although SB 5441 did not advance in the 2023 Legislative Session, key elements of it were amended into Senate Bill 5462)
The Legislative Youth Advisory Council (LYAC) is a group composed of 24 geographically, ideologically, and socioeconomically diverse students aged 14-18. We are the first official nonpartisan voice of youth in the Washington state Legislature and work under the Lieutenant Governor’s office. Our goal is to improve the quality of life for youth all over Washington state by making sure their voices and opinions are heard in the Legislature.
The whole idea behind writing this bill was that education inherently should be something that is inclusive and has diverse perspectives and histories interwoven into the fabric of curriculums. Read More
Former South Shore PreK-8 student Rahma Mohammed shares how she developed her leadership qualities and what her career plans are for the future.
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By League of Education Voters Policy Team
School should be a place where every child first and foremost feels safe, included, and that their identities and abilities are valued, supported, and affirmed. When our students are well and truly experience their education in this way, then they are better set up for success in school, in work, and in life.
League of Education Voters is committed to creating the right system conditions to make big educational changes students will experience at the school level.
Together, we must do this by urgently addressing the systemic and structural barriers in Washington schools that further inequity among students and limit our ability to get every child what they need, when they need it. In particular, we must focus on community-driven solutions to support students and families who have been historically and systemically underserved – including students of color, students living in poverty, students receiving special education services and students with disabilities, students learning English, students who identify as LGBTQ+, students experiencing homelessness, and students impacted by trauma.
Together, we can work to create the conditions for meaningful change and build better systems for the future of Washington students and families.
Students learn most effectively when their school feels safe, inclusive, supportive, and respectful (1). Creating positive school climates and providing student supports can mitigate the impact of trauma (2), mental health needs (3), and other non-academic factors that affect a student’s ability to engage in learning (4). It is instrumental in closing opportunity and achievement gaps in our system and improving student outcomes.
The creation of supportive and safe schools includes strategies such as Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), tiered systems of support, partnerships with families, partnerships with community-based organizations, and providing access to mental health services, among others. Between 50-80% of students in need of mental health services do not have access (5), and schools are likely the first point of access for many students that do seek services (6,7). School climate reform strategies have been shown to decrease school violence and bullying, increase academic achievement, and improve the school experience for students, staff, and families (8). The implementation of universal SEL programs have also been shown to result in significant academic gains (9,10) as well as a robust return on investment of $11 for every $1 spent (11).
Moreover, the traumas that students have undergone as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic make the need for schoolwide mental health and SEL support even more urgent (12), especially among communities of color who are disproportionately experiencing the impacts of COVID-19, as well as the added traumas of racism and discrimination (13). Read More
Our LEVinar panelists are students, educators, administrators, parents, caregivers, advocates, scholars, and more. Watch what we have learned from them in 2022.
Superintendents from Across Washington state on Mental Health and How This Year Will be Different, featuring:
* Chetan Soni, a junior at Lincoln High School, Seattle Public Schools and member of the Association of Washington Student Leaders (AWSL)
* Superintendent Ron Banner, Clover Park School District
* Dr. Adam Swinyard, Spokane Public Schools
* Dr. Shelley Redinger, Richland School District
A Discussion about Critical Race Theory in K-12 Classrooms, featuring:
* Ruby Coulson, a senior at Sequim High School in the Sequim School District and Chair of the Washington state Legislative Youth Advisory Council (LYAC)
* Dr. David Stovall, Professor of Black Studies and Criminology, Law & Justice at the University of Illinois at Chicago
* Dr. Verónica Vélez, Associate Professor of Secondary Education and Education & Social Justice at Western Washington University
* Tracy Castro-Gill, Executive Director of Washington Ethnic Studies Now
Special Education in Washington state, featuring:
* Mia Crump, a senior at Roosevelt High School in Seattle Public Schools
* Jeremiah Audet, a sophomore at Rogers High School in Spokane Public Schools
* Dr. Tania May, Assistant Superintendent of Special Education Services at the Washington state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction
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In our Putting Students First 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 interviews Dana Miles, the 2023 Washington state Teacher of the Year, about why language is so important to students in the deaf community, strategies for preparing students in the deaf community for what comes after high school, her personal education journey, what she would change if she were in charge of our state’s education system, and why she loves the Harry Potter saga.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Spreaker
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Washington Game Changers with Lauri Hennessey features leaders who give back to our community, drive innovative solutions, and inspire others in making our state more equitable and just. This podcast is a one-on-one conversation with these powerful leaders in a time when we need to hear about more good in the world.
In this episode, League of Education Voters CEO Lauri Hennessey interviews Karen Pruett, who just co-wrote a book about Amanda Knox, a Puget Sound woman you may have heard of when she was accused of murder in Italy more than a decade ago. Karen’s new book, Trial By Liar, looks at the injustice of Knox’s imprisonment, the news media, our tendency to gossip and share bad information on social media, and the inspiring positive outlook of Amanda Knox today.
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Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Spreaker. Read More