Letter from the Every Student Counts Alliance to the City of Spokane

By Kenji Linane-Booey, Spokane Regional Field Director

 

On March 11th, Spokane Police Chief Craig Meidl sent a letter to Spokane Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Adam Swinyard stating that he believes teachers across the district are not serving in their roles as mandatory reporters. He then said that this violation can be charged as a gross misdemeanor. League of Education Voters (LEV) and their partner, the Every Student Counts Alliance (ESCA), believe this letter was written to sway the court of public opinion in order to decrease trust in the school district administration and to increase funding for the Spokane Police Department. Because LEV and ESCA believe in the work the school district is doing, we decided to respond to Chief Meidl’s letter directly. Read More

Washington Game Changers Podcast – Regina Malveaux of the Washington State Women’s Commission

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 talks with Regina Malveaux, Director of the Washington State Women’s Commission. Lauri and Regina discuss the Women’s Commission, childhood poverty, early learning for kids, and International Women’s Day on March 8th.

 

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Washington Game Changers Podcast – Frank Abe on the Day of Remembrance

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 talks with Frank Abe, author of the graphic novel We Hereby Refuse and longtime advocate for Japanese-Americans. He shares about the upcoming Day of Remembrance and a presentation he will be giving February 19, 2022 at 4pm on Vashon Island about the day President Roosevelt directed the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II.

 

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Washington Game Changers Podcast – Nick Merriam, CEO and Co-Founder of sea-citi

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 talks with Nick Merriam, the CEO and Co-Founder of sea-citi, where tech and the community collaborate for results. Nick’s background is in social impact. At sea.citi, he works with tech companies and tech workers to build an inclusive, thriving, and equitable community. Lauri and Nick discuss homelessness in Seattle, the future of telecommuting, tech workers engaging more in civic discourse, and disproportionate youth access to technology during the pandemic.

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Podcast – 2022 Washington state Teacher of the Year Jerad Koepp on Supporting Native American Students

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 2022 Washington state Teacher of the Year Jerad Koepp about what supports Native American students need, what worked and didn’t work in his own educational journey, and how he would change our education system if there were no budgetary constraints.

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Podcast – Betty Peralta on Why Students Need Social-Emotional Learning

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 adult-child interaction specialist Betty Peralta about what social-emotional learning (SEL) is, how students, teachers, and administrators can benefit from SEL, how the state can support SEL in Washington’s 295 school districts, how parents can advocate for SEL in their student’s classroom, and more.

Betty recently led a training on social-emotional learning for educators and staff at South Shore PreK-8 in South Seattle, a close partner of League of Education Voters. Betty’s website is AltaVenues.com.

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Washington Game Changers Podcast – Sage Walund and Lauren Seaton from NAMI WA

Sage Walund (L) and Lauren Seaton, NAMI Washington

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 talks with Sage Walund and Lauren Seaton from the Washington state chapter of NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Sage and Lauren cover everything from the stigma around mental illness to how youth are faring during the pandemic, as well as the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on youth.

 

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Watch the League of Education Voters 2021 Virtual Event on COVID’s Disproportionate Impact on Youth Now and Tomorrow

Read NAMI’s Ending The Silence materials, Part 1 and Part 2 Read More

Washington Game Changers Podcast – Critical Race Theory Scholar Edwin Lindo

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 talks with Edwin Lindo, a Critical Race Theory scholar at the University of Washington. Professor Lindo addresses the controversy around Critical Race Theory, clarifying what it is and also how incredibly important it is that students learn about our true history. You can find more about him on Twitter @edwinlindo.

 

Book recommendations from Estelita’s Library:

 

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Washington Game Changers Podcast – Estela Ortega of El Centro de la Raza

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, Lauri talks to Estela Ortega, the longtime Executive Director of El Centro de la Raza, a backbone of the community in Seattle. Estela talks about how she has stayed centered during the pandemic, how her organization has fared during this time and about her late husband Roberto Maestas, and their early work in creating El Centro. She also talks about the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 on students of color.

El Centro de la Raza is located in the old Beacon Hill School in Seattle, creating a gathering place for Beloved Community. Read more about El Centro’s historic journey.

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Recap: WA state Superintendent Chris Reykdal on State Assessments during the 2020-21 School Year

By Lizzeth Mancilla
Engagement and Policy Intern

 

In this webinar, Washington state Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal outlined what he knows about this historic and challenging year’s requirements for state testing and answered your questions.

This LEVinar was meant to be a forum and opportunity for discussion, questions, and understanding about an issue that will affect many families this spring. Our goal is to support families in better understanding what to expect regarding statewide assessments.

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