September Education Advocate, the Monthly Enews

by League of Education Voters

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Greetings

Arik Korman
Arik Korman, Communications Director

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.

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There Is No Excusing Racism

by League of Education Voters

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

Tukwila GLAD Trains Teachers on English Language Learning

by League of Education Voters

English Language Learners are engaged in an innovative way using methods developed by Project GLAD

Tukwila StudentThe Tukwila School District, one of the most diverse in the country, is in its third year of training elementary school teachers to engage English Language Learner (ELL) students in an innovative way. Project GLAD (Guided Language Acquisition Design) was field tested for nine years by the United States Department of Education and has been deployed across the country for more than 20. It is a professional development model in the area of academic language acquisition and literacy, designed to specifically target and promote language skills, academic achievement, and cross-cultural skills with groundbreaking efficiency.

At Tukwila Elementary School, trainer Jennica Kantak taught 20 fourth-grade students with support from Vice Principal Carla Carrizosa in front of an audience of about 20 elementary teachers from across the district. So far, 72 of Tukwila’s 90 elementary school teachers have taken part in GLAD trainings, which are funded by the state’s Transitional Bilingual Instructional Program (TBIP) and federal Title III money.

GLAD student Tukwila GLAD training

In this particular English Language Arts summer school remedial class, Jennica stressed to her students, whom she addressed as scholars, the importance of 21st-century collaboration skills. The morning began with the mantra of “Show respect, make good decisions, and solve problems.” On a colorful chart, she listed how cooperation looks, highlighting actions such as using a positive tone of voice, keeping voices off, focusing on the speaker, sharing resources, and being brave, patient, kind, flexible and organized.

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August Education Advocate, our monthly enews

by League of Education Voters

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Greetings

Arik Korman
Arik Korman, Communications Director

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.

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Back to School: Teacher Resources

by League of Education Voters

Back to school time is almost here!

As temperatures rise in Washington and August begins, it’s one month until students will be back at their desks ready to learn. Teachers are preparing for the upcoming academic year, and we want to highlight some of our favorite teacher resources that can enhance their classrooms and (hopefully) make their lives easier.

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July Education Advocate, the LEV Monthly E-news

by League of Education Voters

education advocate header

 

Greetings

Chris Korsmo
Chris Korsmo

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

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What You Need to Know about the McCleary School Funding Agreement

by League of Education Voters

By Daniel Zavala, LEV Director of Policy and Government Relations

In what was quite literally years in the making, the Legislature has at long last presented and passed a K-12 funding solution. And, perhaps surprisingly in today’s political climate, it was passed with strong bipartisan support. Before I get into the details of the solution, let me spend some time talking about how we got to where we are… and it starts with a 2007 lawsuit called McCleary. The lawsuit was largely based on the inequities across districts resulting from disproportionate use and allocation of local levy money. Basically, the plaintiffs argued the state was not amply paying for basic education, something that is a paramount duty of the state. Fast forward to 2012… and the Washington Supreme Court agreed. Forward another few years, a couple of court orders, imposed sanctions on the legislature, and we arrive at the 2017 Legislative Session – the last regular session to address the court order to address the McCleary decision. What was left after the last 5 years was the need to continue progress on funding K-3 class size reduction and teacher compensation.

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Summer Learning Loss, and What You Can Do To Prevent It

by League of Education Voters

Summer learning loss, what is it?

School is out and the sun is shining! While summer is filled with lots of fun, time away from school can have a negative impact on students. Summer learning loss occurs when students don’t reinforce what they have learned throughout the school year, leading to a loss in knowledge and the need for teachers to spend the first weeks of school re-teaching skills that students learned the previous year. While there are many factors that come into play, some students lose over 2 months of math and reading knowledge during the summer. Fret not! Despite this, there are ways that parents can help keep their kids engaged in learning all summer long. Here is our guide to free (or nearly free) ideas and resources to help keep your little learners, elementary schoolers, and teenagers engaged in learning all summer long.

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Korsmo’s Weekly Roundup: All Hail the State Budget

by League of Education Voters

It’s here, it’s here, it’s finally here!

Chris Korsmo
Chris Korsmo

No, you fickle weather babies, it’s not summer. Which arrives Wednesday of next week and leaves about September 3. It’s not the Sunday Amazon Prime cat food delivery, either. And while it might feel like it to legislators, it’s not Christmas in (almost) July. The “it” in question is the state budget. After a full regular session, three special sessions, a gang of eight, a four-corner agreement and a partridge in a pear tree, we have a proposed budget. With little time to review and a government shut- down looming, legislators will take up the $47B + measure later today. Winner? Well, McCleary, it’s your birthday, get your dance on, it’s your birthday. If you’re not doing the cabbage patch or sprinkler by now, you’re not feeling the gravity of the moment. Yes, the devil’s in the details – and those are several hundred pages long – the legislature is proposing a historic increase in education funding and dedicated funds toward historically underserved student populations – including a new funding stream for high poverty schools that guarantees targeted resources for academically struggling students in those schools.

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June Education Advocate, the LEV Monthly E-news

by League of Education Voters

 

ED Advocate, League of Education Voters Newsletter, June 2017

Greetings

Chris Korsmo
Chris Korsmo, CEO

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.

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Chris Korsmo

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