Leaders for quality public education from cradle to career
Ruth Anderson, chair of the Tacoma Literacy Council, is on two missions: 1) teach the 20 – 25% of adults who can’t read how to read and 2) be a spokesperson for that silent segment of people who cannot read and write. Ruth says, “I don’t think the average American realizes what a pervasive problem [...]
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Scott Markowitz, is a 4th grade teacher at Christensen Elementary School in Franklin Pierce School District in Tacoma who became interested in the idea of using developmental assets in his teaching. Developmental assets are individual resources that young people have available to them that help them have positive experiences and become successful adults. Having caring [...]
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Beth Sigall, attorney, special education advocate, and mother of three children, (including one with autism), believes the aim of the school district should be to put every special education advocate out of business. She was inspired to become an advocate when she saw the distress of another parent trying to decipher the special education law [...]
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Vicki Sobacek moved from Bothell with her son and his two children. She was surprised to discover that her grandson was repeating classwork in his new school that he did last year in Bothell. Return to the What Can I Do? homepage. Get notified of the latest podcast episodes: By email Subscribe/listen on iTunes By [...]
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Velma Wright is the owner of a Tacoma preschool and kindergarten. She went to college reading at a sixth-grade level, but worked hard and became a teacher. The state doesn’t require her to teach reading and math at her preschool, but she wants to teach her kids “standard, basic academics.” Velma believes that all kids [...]
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Scott Allen is the president of the Washington State PTA. Scott talks to Deb about the importance of Common Core State Standards. Find out why Allen and the PTA think that having a consistent framework across states lines and within schools here in Washington state is necessary. Return to the What Can I Do? homepage. [...]
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When Lynn Gilliland realized that her daughter couldn’t read in the 1st grade, she set up an appointment with her teacher. She was told not to worry, that it was most likely a development delay. That answer didn’t sit right with her, so she had her privately evaluated and discovered that her daughter has dyslexia. [...]
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Felicia Reeves is a Tacoma woman raising seven of her grandchildren and trying to ensure that they all get a great education. Listen to her frustration as she tries to get all of them reading at grade level. Want to know what happened? Listen to Deb’s followup story on Felicia Reeves. Update: What happened with [...]
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