League of Education Voters is hosting a speaker—Kevin Johnson. That’s right, KJ’s coming to Seattle to talk about public schools and how we can get involved in our communities. We need your help though, to advertise his talk!

We’ll give you some details and some incentives; you bring the creativity and technical finesse. Submit a design for an event poster to info@educationvoters.org by September 16 and you could win these prizes:

A $100 Visa or MasterCard or AmEx check card

Your photo taken with Kevin at our Oct. 7th event

The respect and adoration of your friends and family

Sound like you could make this happen? Here are the details:

All submissions must be turned in by Thursday, Sept. 16th at 5pm.

Submit your poster by emailing info@educationvoters.org.

Poster size is standard 11″x17″ but your artwork should only take up 11″x15″ – we need the bottom two inches to print some logistics that we don’t want to bother you with.

Winning poster must contain required elements below. If you need clarification, just ask!

And speaking of clarification….Questions? Comments? Shoot them to info@educationvoters.org.

Washington state residents only (please let us know your city when you email us your submission)

The winning poster will be selected by LEV staff

Submission formats should be PDF or TIFF. If you want to submit a paper copy, just make sure that it’s delivered to us by Sept. 16th. (Our address is at the very bottom of the page on the right-hand side.)

All ages are welcome to submit entries!

You have to provide your own transportation to the Oct. 7th event in order to get your photo op with KJ. (Hey, we’re a nonprofit…)

…and a couple hundred other locations in and around Seattle…

Here’s what we need the poster to have on it:

Kevin Johnson’s name

His title (Mayor of Sacramento/former NBA star)

Date (Thursday, October 7)

Time (7pm)

Location (Mount Zion Baptist Church, 1634 19th Avenue, Seattle)

Tagline for event

Our name (League of Education Voters)

The event series (Voices from the Education Revolution)

Our web address for more info (EducationVoters.org)

Event cost (FREE!)

Optional elements:

Photo(s) of Kevin (check out the photo gallery page on his website)

Elements of his bio (find out about him on his website)

And if you need a little more guidance…

Here’s the essence of what the poster should say:
As part of the League of Education Voters Voices from the Education Revolution Speakers Series, Sacramento Mayor and former NBA star Kevin Johnson is coming to Seattle on Thursday, October 7, at 7pm at Mount Zion Baptist Church, 1634 19th Avenue, to talk about his life, education and how basketball has given him a platform to help change schools.

We know that’s a lot, but we know what you come up with will be WAY better than what we’ve got (see video.) Design the poster that will make people stop and read at the light poles and store windows and bulletin boards.

If you don’t know how—a great place to start is by registering yourself online. You have to be 18 years old and you have to have an address and US citizenship. If you’ve got those things covered, you’re golden. Here’s the link.

If you don’t know who to vote for—there’s plenty of online material for your perusing. Personal favorites of mine are The Stranger Endorsements, Fuse’s Progressive Voter Guide and of course League of Education Voter’s list of Education Champions.

If you don’t know why you should vote—I’ve got reasons for that too. Not only are these races important, but you’re important. It’s important that you vote. According to statistics, by 2015 (FIVE YEARS FROM NOW) one third of the eligible voting population will have been born in the 80’s or later. One third! We could move mountains, us young people. Check the full article here by our friends at Washington Bus and Rock the Vote.

You’ve got until 5pm today to turn those primary ballots in!

This riveting documentary dishes out real-life facts that reinforce the extreme importance of access to early education. It also emphasizes that based on a family’s income level; access to early education can vary greatly. The first five years of a child’s life is the optimal learning time for social, mental and academic development.

Washington State governor, Christine Gregoire, insists that access to early education increases the chances of a young person growing up to have healthy relationships, stable families and a successful life. With more funding directed at early education, we’ll see fewer teenage pregnancies, more high school graduates, less drug and alcohol use, higher rates of college attendance, reduce the number of prisoners and higher rates of family formation.  It’s incredible what gains society can make by investing in young kids!

With this small step, yields incredible results and outcomes. But the issue is much more complicated. We don’t want to be just throwing money away; we want to invest in programs that have consistently showed measureable progress such as, The New School at South Shore. Nothing is free. That especially includes education.  So, we must invest our money wisely.

You can stream the whole movie, Paramount Duty here.

You can learn more about The New School at South Shore by watching this introduction clip, Pre-Kindergarten – 3^rd grade: A New Beginning for American Education.

You can also follow a fellow LEV staffer, Hannah Lidman’s blog on early education and K-12 finance.

The Washington Dream Act Coalition is a statewide student activist group that formed several months ago in support for comprehensive immigration reform and the Dream Act.

The Dream Act is a piece of bipartisan legislation that will provide immigrants without legal citizenship the chance to become permanent residents.  A person would  be granted a six year temporary residency, in which time they must complete two years  in a program for an associate degree or higher, or serve for two years in the military to receive permanent citizenship.

Through the 1982 Supreme Court Case, Plyler v Doe, Elementary and Secondary education is guaranteed to undocumented children brought to the US by their parents. However, this ruling fails to address what will become of these youth after high school.  Approximately 65,000 undocumented students graduate from high school each year without being able to continue their education or receive the same treatment as permanent residents. Only a small fraction of youth continues on to receive a degree or even gain regular employment.

If the Dream Act were to pass, undocumented youth would be entitled to the same benefits at permanent citizens when applying for colleges or higher institutions of learning.  These young people have lived in America all their lives and were brought to America at a very young age. They had no say in what happened to them but through this legislation, could finally have a voice of their own.

Carlos Padilla, one of the fifty five founders of the Washington Dream Act Coalition alongside Alonso Chehade, Carlos Ganz, Tania Santiago and Vivi Perez will be lobbying in Washington D.C.  on July 20, 2010 gathering more than 400 students to the capital.

How can you help?

You can visit their website to join the coalition and become a dream activist!

For the past 6 years or so, I have been involved in a program called Rainier Scholars. Never heard of it? Unfortunately, not a lot of people have. Rainier Scholars was jump started by Mr. Bob Hurlbut about eight years ago in hopes of replicating a similar program called Prep for Prep in New York. Rainier Scholars aims to

“cultivate the academic potential of talented and motivated young scholars from ethnic minority backgrounds. By offering access to exceptional educational opportunities and ongoing comprehensive support…”

Each year, after looking through fourth grade WASL scores, Rainier Scholars invites students of color who have passed the reading portion to apply to the program.

After receiving my letter, I was asked to go through several rounds of interviews as well as write an essay or two before being accepted as a Scholar. But once this process had been completed, and I was officially accepted, the real work began.

The summer before my 6^th and 7^th grade year was spent in class, 5 days a week, 8 hours a day, for 6 weeks. This extra schooling was also continued throughout my 6^th grade year, but was only on Wednesdays and all day Saturday. Altogether, this added up to be more than 500 additional hours of homework and was an equivalent of 120 days of school. This intensive academic portion is meant to prepare the scholars for a college-like environment, as well as provide them with the extra-schooling necessary to be accepted into the competitive independent schools throughout Seattle.

Once the academic portion is completed, the program requires us to attend about two leadership retreats per year where we are able to study significant leaders throughout history as well as discover important traits that each leader possessed (including ourselves). Along with these retreats, Rainier Scholars assists Scholars by matching them with internships each summer at businesses and organizations such as local law firms, medical clinics, and non-profit organizations (such as LEV).

On top of all of this, Rainier Scholars provides college support throughout each Scholar’s high school career by providing counselors that meet up with students monthly and SAT prep courses and by working closely with each of our schools to help insure the goal and promise of their program—to send each and every one of us to college.

Luckily, I already knew what I was getting myself into when I applied since my older brother had been one of the first to go through the program. My parents encouraged me to apply because it enabled him to attend Lakeside, one of the top private schools in the state. Also, my parents, at the time, had recently gone back to school to receive their bachelors at the UW (and had been the first in either of their families to earn a college degree).

Realizing the importance of education, my parents wanted to set an example for their children by showing the great effect education can have on your career options as well as your quality of life; and they managed to show me this first-hand by working themselves up from being janitors, to becoming a lawyer and an administrator at the Department of Social and Health Services. Growing up around such inspiring people has helped mold me into a hard-working individual—prepared for a program such as Rainier Scholars.

It was hosted by a group called Youth Undoing Institutional Racism (YUIR). YUIR is a youth-centered, youth-run initiative started out of the Seattle Young Peoples Project (SYPP) back in 1999. YUIR meets weekly to empower youth with tools, support, resources and experience to organize for social change. Read up about YUIR here at their website.

If you have a chance to attend there next event, you should. It was rad. After opening with traditional Samoan dances and some spoken word, young people got down to business by posing challenging questions to some of Seattle’s top community leaders. Here’s the list of adults on the panel:

Glen Harris from the mayor’s Race and Social Justice Initiative

Julie Nelson from the Seattle Office of Civil Rights

Nick Metz, Deputy Chief of the Seattle Police Department

Larry Evans, a legislative aid for Larry Gossett

Sili Savusa from the Highline School Board

Questions posed by young people were deep and direct. Questions like “why do schools not teach the histories of People of Color as much as they teach white history? Why do police mistreat communities of color? Why does immigration status bar students from getting financial aid for college? Why is our prison systems spending money to lock people up, but not rehabilitate? Why aren’t teachers evaluated on their understanding of racism? Who keeps police accountable to communities of color? And on and on, like that. Great questions all around!

The answers were honest, too. Nick Metz acknowledged our city’s history of racial division. Julie Nelson said squarely “We need cultural competency training all over this city.” We heard alarming statistics about King County’s prison system—King County is 5.8% black, however 45% of incarcerated youth are black. AND, in the last 10 years incarceration rates have been cut in half but the racial disparity continues to GROW.  We heard about changing the ways schools communicate with parents and families. Most paperwork sent home is only in English, which is a huge burden for parents and families where English is a second language.

At the end, all the community leaders present committed to meeting back with YUIR at least 4 times a year in the future to further the conversation (Metz said he wanted to meet more frequently).

As YUIR’s button pins declare, it was a brilliant night of “Speaking Truth to Power.” This group of young folks and their mentors engaging issues of racism in schools and juvenile justice (pointing out the history of linkage between these two institutions) was powerful!!

For a full review of the Q and A’s, check it out here.

Here’s a bit more about them:

Stina Janssen

School: Willamette University (now my beloved alma mater)

Studied: Music & American Ethnic Studies, with a dose of Women’s & Gender Studies and Spanish classes tossed in for good measure.

Favorite Subject: Anything taught with a liberatory pedagogy :)

Why are you interning at LEV: Because education justice is a foundational component of the multi-faceted struggle for a more just and healthy society. Unjust Education has been used as a tool to reinforce exploitative social stratification, but it’s power and potential are to truly transform how we do life together. Because I believe in education’s ideal potential, I want to plug myself into the pragmatic, collaborative work of restructuring our education system, learning about policy reform strategies and community organizing first-hand. It’s an honor to spend a summer in the well-oiled and supportive organization that is LEV (even if our trusty printer jams occasionally). It’s inspiring to see all the different ways people engage in healing a broken but promising system, out of hope and trust and love.

What does the future hold? Educating in D.C. public schools for the D.C. Rape Crisis Center through Lutheran Volunteer Corps, starting August! And after that, hopefully more organizing/education/racial justice solidarity work.

Spare time? Loving community; making noise I like to call music (with people); cooking & deep talking with food, a dark microbrew, and chocolate; reading & wishing I could inhale books like I do ice cream.

In Kindergarten…? I pretended I could speak every language in the world. I would speak gibberish in public places and tell people I was fluent in languages such as Russian and Cantonese. My mother would have to explain to awed strangers that I was making it up. Apparently, my accents were quite convincing.

Favorite TV shows? I admit to temporary addictions to The L-Word, whenever in need of a vicarious love life.

Favorite Quote: Cornel West says pithily, “Justice is what love looks like in public.

Stella Day

School: University of Oregon

Major:  Public Policy, Planning and Management with a Political Science minor.

Favorite Subject: I am especially interested in social policy, specifically education and child policy.

Why are you interning at LEV: I am interning at LEV because I am passionate about reforming our education system. I believe that change and progress in our society begins with access to quality education and opportunities for every student.

What does the future hold?  After graduation next year I plan to travel and teach English abroad. I want to pursue a masters degree in Education and Social Policy and work in the educational policy field.

Spare time? I enjoy biking, hiking, playing tennis, skiing, and playing violin.

In Kindergarten…? I wanted to be a fire fighter just like my Dad.

Favorite TV shows? Greys Anatomy and 30 Rock

Favorite Quote: “Be happy in this moment for this moment is your life”

Laura Hagen

School: Claremont McKenna College

Major: Economics and Philosophy

Favorite Subject: Ethics

Why are you interning at LEV: To gain experience in public policy, specifically the role of non-profits in enacting meaningful change in government policies

What does the future hold? Finishing my senior year at CMC

Spare time? In my spare time I enjoy playing/coaching soccer, yoga, boating, watching the World Cup, reading, crossword puzzles and hanging out with friends

In Kindergarten…? I wanted to be a professional soccer player

Favorite TV shows? LOST, Grey’s Anatomy, Weeds, anything on Discovery Channel during Shark Week

Favorite Quote: “It isn’t what you do but how you do it” –John Wooden

Jaunita Flessas

School: University of Washington-Bothell Campus

Major: Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences with a focus in Global Studies

Favorite Subject: Marcoeconomics

Why are you interning at LEV:  I am an advocate  for education because I believe access to a quality education is a human right and that the qualiy of education needs to be improved if the future generations of this country are going to be able to compete in the global marketplace. LEV is a great organization and I believe they are doing a wonderful job at helping Washington schools reach this goal.

What does the future hold? I want to finish my senior year at University of Washington Bothell Campus and get into a good law school.

Spare time? Going out to the movies, bike riding, reading, learning languages

In Kindergarten…? I wanted to be an archaeologist because I loved the Indianna Jones movies and learning about history.

Favorite TV shows? The Good Wife, Two and a Half Men, How I Met Your Mother, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report

Favorite Quote: “Be the change you wish to see in the world” –Ghandi

Laura Del Villar-Fox

School: Seattle Prep

Favorite Subject: Anything arts related…sometimes math.

Why are you interning at LEV: I’ve grown up in a home where education is the highest priority; so being able to be a part of an organization that values our education just as much, is an honor.

What does the future hold: The chances of me ending up at the UW in the next year is extremely high, seeing as both my parents and brother attended the school.

Spare Time: I have been doing Mexican Folkloric dance for the past 12 years with a local non-profit group called Joyas Mestizas, I’ve been drumming for the past 4 years and I love to draw in my spare time, especially graffiti.

In Kindergarten…? I wanted to become a chef…but that ended pretty quickly.

Favorite TV shows: The Office, That 70’s Show, really anything that can make me laugh.

Favorite Quote: “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”

Heard of Seattle’s Young People’s Project? Check out their mission statement—it says it alllll:

The Seattle Young People’s Project is a youth-led, adult supported organization that empowers youth (ages 13-18) to express themselves and to take action on the issues that affect their lives.

Most young people cannot vote, do not have financial resources, and are generally not given credit by the adult world for having intelligent opinions. Young people are excluded from the political process and from decisions impacting their schools, neighborhoods and communities.

Young people have firsthand experience with the issues that are impacting them, but their voices are ignored and misrepresented in the media. Adults are seen as the “experts” on what young people need. Well it’s time for youth to be heard and seen about their views.

Youth are on the forefront of every social and political movement for justice. Youth have the powerful ideas and skills needed to make social change. SYPP supports youth in turning their ideas into action. SYPP provides a youth owned organization with resources, office space, and organizing training so youth can work to change the system and be the leaders of our movement for social justice!

Now is the time for young people to lead their own struggle and be heard!

This August they are hosting their annual Youth Organizing conference (YO!) It’s an 8-day social justice training where you’ll participate in workshops and an overnight retreat. DON’T MISS IT. Applications are due July 24^th.

Application here.

What also sets these universities a part from traditional colleges and universities is that they make a profit. All other schools, public or private, 2-year schools or 4-year schools, are non-profit organizations.

Recently, for-profit universities have come under heavy scrutiny from congress for abusing federal student aid funding. About 75% of for-profits’ school revenue comes from federal grants and loans.

What we’re seeing in the national trends among college-goers is a little alarming. Roughly 10% of people attending an institute of higher education go to for-profit colleges like DeVry. However, that 10% utilize 24% of the federal student aid. This 24% amounts to something close to $26 billion of tax payers monies that are going into the pockets of for-profit university entrepreneurs.

Frontline recently did a segment called College Inc. that interviewed “education entrepreneurs” to learn more about the world of for-profit education. It raises flags about universities’ recruitment tactics, the price of degrees and the promise of work after college.

If you are considering some form of post-secondary education, its worth your while to watch the Frontline segment! We’ll also be following and posting what congress has to say about the future of profit-generating universities so stay tuned.

Not only are they guaranteeing that there will be jobs, they are also predicting HOW MANY jobs will be available to you, you personally, depending on how far you are through school. Take a look at some of the data here… it is intriguing to say the least. Table here.

In 2018:

If you went the distance for a graduate degree, there will be: 353,000 jobs available to you

If you graduated college with a bachelor’s (4 years of college): 730,000 jobs

Got your associate’s degree (2 years of college): 853,000 jobs

Finished some part of college: 399,000 jobs

Have graduated high school: 888,000 jobs for you

Dropped out of high school or are still finishing up: 325,000 jobs

But take a closer look at the table! It also shows WHICH OCUPATIONS those jobs are available in.

The field with the most available jobs: office administrative support (think Michael Scott!) with 519,000 jobs up for grabs. This field is also relatively friendly to people without college degrees: 229,000 of the 519,000 are slated for people who finished some college or less.

The field with the smallest amount of jobs available in 2018: social scientist (only 21,000 jobs, half of which will require a graduate degree!)

Bottom line: there will be jobs. Twice as many jobs for people who have some level of college education. And those jobs are primarily available in the healthcare, education, science and technology, and professional office management fields. This isn’t groundbreaking information, per say, but it is interesting to consider that of the 51 states, Washington has the 6^th highest percentage of jobs that require post secondary schooling.