Building a quality public education system from cradle to career.
It’s back to school time at my house, and that means the morning rush is in full swing – searching for that missing sock, packing up lunch, and making sure my third-grader has everything he needs to have a good day. All across Washington state, students like my son are running around to get to their classroom, ready to learn and hoping to receive what they need to have a good day, a good school year, and a good life.
League of Education Voters is excited for the new school year, too. We are hard at work advocating for every student to receive a great public education and the support necessary for success. For some students, also just like my son, the need is greater than quality instruction, curriculum, and classroom materials – they may also need mental health counseling, trauma-informed care, supplemental nutrition, or individualized learning assistance.
As you know, many Washington students do not receive these critical services, and the outcomes are devastating. Last year alone, more than 14,000 high school seniors in Washington did not graduate. Students who don’t graduate from high school are twice as likely to face unemployment throughout their life, and several studies indicate higher rates of mortality for these students, as well.
Support us today and join the voices demanding critical system transformation so Washington’s students receive the support they need to thrive, innovate, and become the leaders of tomorrow.
When you are rushing out the door tomorrow morning, think of the 1.1 million kids in Washington doing the same thing – they deserve, and will have, a brighter future with the help of League of Education Voters supporters like you.
Read below for more about our work.
Thanks again for all you do for Washington’s kids. We’re all in this together.
Kids Co. is a Seattle-area quality childcare provider that has partnered with South Shore PK-8 since the school opened in 2002. Kids Co. has provided millions of dollars in scholarships with help from the New School Foundation and the League of Education Voters. Nearly 60 percent of all children who attend Kids Co. at South Shore qualify for free or reduced lunch (FRL), and receive these scholarships.
Every day, Kids Co. sees the parents of the kids served, so they get to know the families – their ups and downs and financial struggles – and it’s all about relationships. Their summer programs serve kids K-5, and the kids from different grades learn to work together and support each other.
Kids Co. supplements meals, and they teach kids how to create a nutritious meal on a budget, instilling these skills in children as young as 5 years old. At South Shore, the Kids Co. classroom features a full kitchen, and is able to prepare hot, fresh meals.
President and CEO Susan Brown says, “The school day begins when the kids wake up. Kids spend more time in childcare than in school.” During summer, that can be as many as 11 hours a day for working parents, and 5 each day during the school year. Susan adds, “Nobody is turned away because of lack of funds.”
This has been a really devastating week for all of us. Racism is a stain on this country. Though it cannot be erased, we can work together to remedy its effects and make a future that reflects the values for which this country stands. We recognize that people of color experience the effects of racism every day, and that it impacts our students.
We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to achieve their dreams.
We cannot let events like Charlottesville drive us apart. We have to work together. This is not the first time that hatred has raised its ugly head, and it won’t be the last time.
What’s happening is not okay today, it wasn’t okay yesterday, and it’s not okay for tomorrow. We stand together to raise our voice unequivocally that we do not tolerate racism and we will not be silent.
Sincerely,
League of Education Voters staff
Chris Korsmo, CEO
Daniel Zavala, Director of Policy and Government Relations
Leann Arend, Chief Operating Officer
Emily Ditty, Development Director
Nancy Hopkins, Senior Administrative and Accounting Assistant
Sandra Jarrard, Regional Field Director, Spokane
Ruvine Jiménez, Community Organizer, Tri-Cities Region
Arik Korman, Communications Director
Kelly Munn, State Field Director
Jessica Nieves, Development Associate
Angela Parker, Policy Analyst
Ashley Rammelsberg, Digital Communications Specialist
Jake Vela, Senior Policy Analyst
Julia Warth, Assistant Director of Policy and Government Relations
Joyce Yee, Community Organizer, South King County Region
I would like to introduce myself – I’m Arik Korman, Communications Director at the League of Education Voters. I’ve been on staff since November 2015, and served on the Board for two years prior. I have a son who is going into third grade in public school, and I believe that education, when done right, is the great equalizer in society. I’ll be sending you the monthly Education Advocate e-news, and am happy to kick things off by sharing our 2017 Legislative Session Scorecard. The 2017 legislative session resulted in plenty of good progress for Washington’s students, but much work remains to be done. Check out our Legislative Scorecard to see how we did on our legislative priorities.
Also, we’d like to thank our generous donors from the second quarter of 2017. We couldn’t do our work without you, so if you haven’t supported us lately, you can still make a gift today.
Read below for more about our work.
Thanks again for all you do for Washington’s kids. We’re all in this together.
We are excited about the progress we are seeing for Washington students in 2017. Thank you to all of our donors – we couldn’t do this work without you!
Donations are made to the League of Education Voters and the League of Education Voters Foundation by individuals, groups, and businesses throughout the community. These generous donations from those who believe in high-quality public education allow us to ensure measurable progress toward our vision that every student in Washington state has access to an excellent public education that provides the opportunity for success.
We regret any omissions or errors to the donor list. Please contact our Development team using our contact form with any questions or to correct any information.
Now that the state budget negotiations have finally crossed the goal line, I am happy to report that our legislature has made a huge investment in K-12 education! Thanks to your advocacy and support, schools with historically underserved students will get much-needed additional help. Read more about the legislature’s solution to the Supreme Court’s McCleary decision in this blog by Daniel Zavala, LEV’s director of policy and government relations. Be a part of this landmark moment! Help ensure that the McCleary decision is implemented to benefit every Washington student by making your gift today.
Also, LEV interviewed Washington state Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal about his long-term vision for K-12 education. And we’re hosting a free Lunchtime LEVinar July 20 on how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and complex trauma impacts student learning.
Read below for more about our work.
Thanks for all you do for kids. We couldn’t do it without you.
Chris Korsmo
As you may know, the Washington legislature is now in the endgame of budget negotiations, which includes finding a solution to funding schools across our state. If you want to see what lawmakers are considering to solve the Supreme Court’s McCleary decision, take a look at our education funding plan side-by-side. Be a part of this historic moment! Help ensure that the McCleary decision is implemented to benefit every Washington student by making your gift today.
Also, LEV interviewed Washington STEM CEO Caroline King on how STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) and career connected learning can be applied in the classroom. And we’re hosting a free Lunchtime LEVinar June 20 with former Supreme Court Justice Bobbe Bridge, Founder and CEO of the Center for Children & Youth Justice, on how the education and justice communities can work together to support youth in crisis.
Read below for more about our work.
Thanks for all you do for kids. We couldn’t do it without you.
Chris Korsmo
As the Washington legislature continues to hammer out a solution to funding schools in our state, now is a great time to honor our teachers through Teacher Appreciation Week. If you are able, please join me in celebrating the adults who care for our kids.
Tomorrow is GiveBIG day. Thanks to a matching grant, every dollar you donate to the LEV Foundation will be doubled, up to $5000. The League of Education Voters collaborates with communities across the state to listen, collect, and amplify stories from educators, parents, students, and community members to support legislators in making informed decisions about public education. Please support LEV’s work with your donation today to ensure the voices of our community are heard by legislators. Thank you!
Read below for more about our work.
Thanks for all you do for kids. We couldn’t do it without you.
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Ann Rivers, Co-Chair of the Education Funding Task Force and member of the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee discusses why she decided to run for office, where she sees common ground for a McCleary education funding solution, and her favorite classroom accomplishment when she was a middle school teacher.Listen now
What’s the best way to improve education in Washington? Inside Olympia gets perspectives from Chris Korsmo, League of Education Voters CEO and Washington Education Association President Kim Mead. Watch now
#GiveBIG is a day for all of us to come together and stand up for what we believe in. Tomorrow we need YOU to stand up for education and #GiveBIG to LEV Foundation! Thanks to a generous supporter, your donation will be doubled with a matching gift. Help us hit the $5,000 matching challenge goal with your gift today! The best part? You don’t have to wait! Schedule your donation now
Teachers and support staff at Boston Harbor Elementary in Olympia were the lucky recipients of donuts from Hot Revolution Donuts. Hot Revolution Donuts is a mobile food business with a simple mission: to serve the most delicious, highest quality mini donuts directly to you in the Seattle area. Frank Ordway, Assistant Director of Government and Community Relations at the Washington State Department of Early Learning, won the raffle prize of donuts for his favorite school of choice at this year’s LEV Annual Breakfast.Congrats!
House Majority Leader Pat Sullivan, member of the Appropriations Committee and member of the Education Funding Task Force, to discusses how parents, teachers and the community can get involved in a McCleary education funding solution, why teachers are so important, and what he would tell someone who is considering a run for public office. Listen now
Many of you are watching closely and know that Sunday, April 23rd was the last day of legislative session, the legislature is now in special session. We would like to encourage lawmakers to collaborate in order to work out a solution that puts equitable funding into K-12 public education.
The Campaign for Student Success believes our education system should:
We need your help in the following two ways:
If you can do either of the following, please contact the LEV organizer in your local area:
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