How to teach our kids in this unprecedented time?

The world has turned completely upside-down since our last newsletter. Never in a million years would we have guessed that schools across Washington state would be closed through June, and possibly beyond. Parents like myself, educators, and leaders are scrambling to find the best ways to engage students in effective continuous learning.

We would love to hear from you if you have ideas or questions about what lies ahead for education. If you're a caregiver who is doing COVID-19 Triple Duty - working, parenting, and teaching from home - or if you have barriers preventing you from supporting your student the way you wish you could, please reply to this email with feedback or suggestions.

League of Education Voters staff are working on a COVID-19 advocacy plan and we have identified four areas in which to focus our work:

  1. Gaps in access to learning opportunities
  2. Student supports
  3. Early childhood education
  4. Funding

Also, thanks to tireless work from our Policy and Field Teams, our COVID-19 Resources page now offers comprehensive information for students and families across Washington state.

And we have some exciting webinars coming up. Next Thursday, April 23rd at 12:30pm, Washington state Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal will join us to talk about high school seniors and services for students and families, and will answer your questions. Click here to register.

Mark your calendar for our May 7 webinar, which will focus on mental health and social-emotional learning supports for students during COVID-19, and later in May we will host Trish Millines Dziko of the Technology Access Foundation on Now Is the Time to Redefine School.

Read more about our work below, including a summary of the 2020 legislative session.

Students from Summit Atlas Public School

Webinar April 23 at 12:30pm: Superintendent Chris Reykdal on High School Seniors and Services for Students and Families

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all public and private schools in Washington state are closed until the end of the academic year in June. High school seniors have new clarity about graduation expectations, and school districts across Washington state are working hard to provide technology access, meals, and childcare to students and their families. In this webinar, Washington state Superintendent Chris Reykdal will outline the current state of our schools and answer your questions.

LEVinar recording: Washington Teachers of the Year on the State of Education during COVID-19

In case you missed this week's webinar, Washington state Teachers of the Year Amy Campbell (2020), Robert Hand (2019), Mandy Manning (2018, and the 2018 National Teacher of the Year), Camille Jones (2017), and Lyon Terry (2015) share what they are hearing from students, parents, and colleagues in their community, share insights on education during COVID-19, and answer your questions.

2020 Washington Legislative Session Recap 

The end of the 2020 legislative session saw the legislature and other state leaders working rapidly and tirelessly to address the spreading COVID-19 pandemic in our schools and communities. Read our summary of how Washington students fared in our issue areas of early childhood education, student supports, special education, and local K-12 funding.

Podcast: Rachel Madding on Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)

Tune in to this month’s podcast to hear Rachel Madding, School Mental Health Program Manager for Highline Public Schools, describe what a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is, how students, parents, and educators can get MTSS in every local education agency (school district, charter public school, and tribal compact school) across Washington state, and what she would do to transform our education system if there were no budgetary constraints.

Arik Korman
Communications Director, League of Education Voters

League of Education Voters
2734 Westlake Ave N
Seattle, Washington 98109
(206) 728-6448
info@educationvoters.org

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