My hands are dirty, dirty with democracy.
Posted on 04. Nov, 2009 by Maggie.
Ok, I’ll admit it. I’m 22 years old and last year Obama made me want to vote for the first time. I came home for the weekend from college so I could help vote him through the primaries and things have changed ever since. I think someone gave me the democratic bug (no, not H1N1) and I have been hitting the polls with full force ever since.
So what’s the reason for the three-year-lag in getting my voting gears rolling? Some might call it youthfulness, apathy, or laziness even-but I know there has to be more to it than that. I guess I never thought my vote mattered!
We were all sparked by the 2008 election, no matter which party you party with. But young people really got sparked. I never felt more like a member of my own generation than when I dove headfirst into democracy. Who’s with me?!
This year, when 2009 election time rolled around, I still had the democratic bug, bad. Despite being an “off year” for voters, not only did I vote, but I recruited five friends to vote, helped lead two phone banks for the no on 1033 campaign, spent my Saturday doorbelling TWICE (shout out to Laura Grant and Trick or Vote!!) and took part in an important yearly ritual: election parties.
Maybe the bug that bit me was on beast mode, but I don’t think so. I hope not, actually. I want young people to prove that I’m not an anomaly. I didn’t see many student faces out there last night… and for now I will just assume it’s because they were at home being good studiers. But LEV’s college intern Genna was actually doing her homework at the no on 1033 party last night, so, I’m just saying… When Genna asked herself the tough question of “do I celebrate political triumph or do I educate my mind?” She chose both.
A big thank you to everyone in Washington State-especially all my young people who voted and volunteered this year-for rejecting 1033 and approving Ref 71. It’s because of these results we can continue to do our work at LEV!
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What do all great parents need to know?
Posted on 04. Nov, 2009 by Kelly.
Join LEV Foundation for a conversation with world-renowned Stanford Professor Carol Dweck on Nov. 12th at Seattle Public Library to find out how to help maximize your child’s potential whether your child is 6 months or 16.
Conversation with Dr. Carol Dweck
Thursday, November 12th from 7 to 9 PM
Seattle Public Library
1000 Fourth Ave., Seattle
FREE public event
RSVP to Kelly at info@educationvoters.org or via our Facebook event page.
And, Lisa Brummel, Senior VP for Human Resources at Microsoft Corporation and co-owner of the Seattle Storm Women’s Basketball Team, and Kristin Rowe Finkbeiner, founder of MomsRising, will join Dr. Dweck for a lively discussion about how to foster a growth mindset in education, business and sports.
Dr. Carol Dweck is one of the world’s leading researchers in motivation and renowned author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.
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Where is Washington in NCES report on gradution and dropout rates?
Posted on 04. Nov, 2009 by Katrina.
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released its annual report on graduation and dropout statistics by state. The Public School Graduates and Dropouts From the Common Core of Data: School Year 2006-07 First Look report from October 21 presents data on the number of graduates and dropouts for grades 9 through 12 in the nation’s public schools, as provided by state education agencies for the school year 2006-2007.
So, where does Washington stand?
With a national averaged freshman graduation rate of 73.9 percent, Washington’s average of 74.8 percent looks better. And it is: in comparison to data collected for the previous year, 2005-2006, Washington’s high school graduation rate went up by nearly two full percentage points from 72.9 percent.
However, Washington is squarely in the middle of the national pack, which means we could do better. In the 48 states that submitted data, the graduation rate ranged from 52 percent to 88.6 percent, and 16 states had rates of 80 percent or higher.
Washington’s dropout rate for the 2006-2007 year was 5.1 percent as compared to the national rate of 4.4 percent. The previous year Washington’s dropout rate was 5.6 percent. The dropout rates ranged nationally from 2.0 to 7.6 percent, with 27 states at 4.0 percent or less.
To be more specific: the data show that 16,945 Washington high school students dropped out of school in 2006-2007.
Yes, we can definitely do better.
The NCES report shows data collected over five years, from 2002 to 2007, and breaks it down to illustrate graduation and dropout rates by high school grade - the numbers get worse as the kids get closer to graduation - as well as by ethnicity and gender.
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Education news for November 4
Posted on 04. Nov, 2009 by Katrina.
Watching state school returns: Bainbridge school bond squeaking by with 60 percent
D’Amelio returns to Big Brothers/Big Sisters: Head of Seattle’s Alliance for Education resigning
Refining neighborhood system: District tweaks Seattle school boundary maps
States jockey for Race to the Top funds: Obama coaxes states to change with school dollars
