Podcast – Kelly Guilfoil, 2025 Regional Teacher of the Year

by Arik Korman

In our Putting Students First podcast, we interview students, policymakers, partners, and thought leaders to spotlight education policies, research, and practices so that together we can create learning environments where every Washington student feels safe, supported, and a positive sense of belonging.

In this episode, League of Education Voters CEO Arik Korman interviews Kelly Guilfoil from the Lake Stevens School District, one of eight 2025 Washington Regional Teachers of the Year, about how her students are doing in the wake of the national election, what worked and what didn’t work in her own education journey, and how she would change Washington state’s education system if she were in charge and there were no budgetary constraints.

Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, or Spreaker

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Empowering Students through Enhanced Financial Literacy

by Arik Korman

By Natalie So
Guest Blogger

 

Natalie, a current student at the International School in Bellevue, reflects on the impact financial literacy courses in school would have on her and her community.

Growing up, I often witnessed how a lack of financial knowledge could negatively impact people’s lives. This understanding deepened when I began volunteering with the Korean Adoptee Family Foundation (KORAFF), an organization dedicated to empowering Korean adoptee communities through education and advocacy. It was during my term serving as president of KORAFF that I truly grasped the transformative power of advocacy, no matter what age you are. I once believed that change could only be made from positions of power, but as I helped adoptees grow and flourish, I saw the significant impact that grassroots advocacy can have on making influential changes within society.
 

These experiences fueled my passion for addressing other systemic issues, such as the educational inequities within my school, where children with disabilities were often neglected due to a lack of funding and resources. Witnessing these challenges led me to passionately support House Bill 1915, which aims to make financial literacy education a mandatory part of the school curriculum. Read More