Photo via Sladkaya/Shutterstock.com
Photo via Sladkaya/Shutterstock.com

SERIES | Introducing Back to School: Community Voices Calling to Transform Public Education Now

The Back to School series aims to make the bureaucratic education system more accessible to those in our community who are rightfully upset at school closures, educator layoffs, carceral practices, white supremacy culture in our school system, inadequate responses to youth mental health needs and student voice, and the regressive nature of our tax code.
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Back to School is an educational series on K—12 education issues from school funding to culturally restorative practices like ethnic studies.

by Oliver Miska

From August through May, the South Seattle Emerald will put its education beat on high!

This series aims to make the bureaucratic education system more accessible to those in our community who are rightfully upset at school closures, educator layoffs, carceral practices, white supremacy culture in our school system, inadequate responses to youth mental health needs and student voice, and the regressive nature of our tax code.

With a final article following the end of the 2025 legislative session, this series will feature different articles or "lessons" with background context and ongoing coverage of public meetings at Seattle School Board and behind-the-scenes work for policy development within our communities on student-led priorities. We highlight a central question in this series: "What does student-centered education truly look like?" to set the intentions of generating productive policy conversations that address not the prophetic "future" of our youth, but the youth of our present.

This is part of a series in the South Seattle Emerald called Back to School2: An Educational Series on Education highlighting advocacy efforts in education policy from the local School Board to the State Legislature.

There is decreasing civic engagement citywide, not because of apathy, but because of the lack of relevant civic engagement opportunities and policy; our hope is to change the discourse.

Each article, or lesson, will be collaboratively produced, highlighting the voices of leaders driving this work in our community, including educators, youth organizers, parents, policy experts, and union members.

As educators, we will provide extended learning opportunities, primary documents, self-assessments, and ways to engage with what you learn. We might even give some homework and quizzes!

In addition to providing a brief outline of what to expect in terms of topics, authors, and format, in this introduction you will also find links to "pre-readings." Yes, that's a euphemism for "summer reading," but it's optional!

We were a little late to get out the summer reading, but let's be honest, you wouldn't have started it until August. We teachers were once students too.

Good luck with your summer pre-reading; don't feel like you have to do it all at once. We encourage waiting to do pre-reading until the week before a new article from the series comes out. Don't worry, we will provide a pre-reading reminder the week before!

Best way to follow along is through South Seattle Emerald's (SSE) social media accounts, or follow @back2schoolSEA on X, formerly known as Twitter, for live updates.

The following is what teachers call a "scope and sequence" of what to expect!

Welcome Back to School for 2024—2025

August: Laying Foundations Through Youth Leadership and Voice

Lesson 1: Youth Leadership and Voice in Washington State Education Policy Part 1 (Aug. 12)

Q/A interview with youth leaders: Luna Crone-Barn (student representative of Seattle School Board), Hiro Hirano-Holcomb (Legislative Youth Advisory Council), and Kaley Duong (NAACP Youth Council).

Lesson 2: Introduce Big 5 Legislative Priorities for Fully Funding our Schools (Aug. 19)

Op-Ed introducing UW Professor David Knight's Big 5 Legislative Priorities to fully fund our schools.

Authors include: Oliver Miska.

September: Back to School Month!

Lesson 3: School Board and School Safety Plan Community Report Back (Sept. 2)

Report back from Seattle School Board Aug. 28 Meeting: School Safety.

Authors include: Garfield ASB Student Leaders, Oliver Miska, and Mark Epstein (SCORE)

Lesson 4: Education Finance 101: (Sept. 16)

Lesson introducing the history of education finance in Washington State and understanding the basics of school finance, from School Board to state Legislature.

Authors include: Oliver Miska and Jeff Paul.

Lesson 5: What is Ethnic Studies? (Sept. 30)

Op-Ed: "Movement History of Ethnic Studies in Washington State, Next Steps for Authentic and Decolonized Ethnic Studies"

Authors include: Dr. Tracy Castro Gill and Oliver Miska from Washington Ethnic Studies Now (WAESN)

October: Leveling Up!

Lesson 6: Education Finance 102: (Oct. 14)

Leveling up our knowledge of education finance policy, focusing on allocation and funding formulas with emphasis on districts and state government.

Authors include: Oliver Miska and Parents

Pre-Reading:

Lesson 4

Lesson 7: Youth Advocacy for Ethnic Studies: (Oct. 28)

Youth organizers across Washington tell the history of youth advocacy for ethnic studies, from School Board to state Legislature.

Authors include: Youth Organizers from NAACP and WAESN.

Pre-Reading:

Lesson 5

November: Election Month Special!

Lesson 8: Youth Leadership and Voice in Washington — Part 2 (Nov. 11)

Q/A interview with youth and student leaders: Caitlin Ehlers (Student Washington Education Assocation), Laura Wollo (Ethnic Studies Advisory Committee), and Sophia Hernandez (UW).

Pre Reading:

Lesson 1

Lesson 9: November Election and Ballot Result Implications (Nov. 25)

Youth op-ed discussing results of billionaire ballot initiatives on capital gains and elections.

Authors include: Youth organizers of NAACP and WAESN.

December: Deep Dive Into Progressive Revenue (Read: Tax the Rich)

Lesson 10: Education Finance 103: Progressive Revenue (Dec. 23/30)

Op-Ed reporting about Balance Our Tax Code's "Summit" announcing menu of Progressive Revenue Policies.

Authors: SCORE and Oliver Miska

January—April: Schools in Session, Reporting Live From the 2025 Legislative Session in Olympia

Lesson 11: Session Begins — Equity and Justice in Education Legislative Priorities (Part 1) (Jan. 13)

Op-Ed: "From Ending the School to Prison Pipeline to Ethnic Studies to Equitable School Funding and Progressive Revenue, There Are Intersecting Education Movements Calling for Systemic Change at the State Legislature."

Authors include: Collective collaboration.

Lesson 12: Youth Report Back From State Legislature — Mid-Session (February)
Lesson 13: Education Equity and Justice Coalition Legislative Update (Part 2) (March)
Lesson 14: Youth Advocate Report from Legislature Before End of Session "Sine Die" (April)

May: Post-Session Reflection

Lesson 15: Youth Op-Ed Reflections From Legislature (May)

We're excited for you to join our educational series online and engage in this dialogue about our schools with us online.

Grant us grace, as a good educator knows how to adjust their curriculum for their students, especially when it means adapting what we have planned. This "scope and sequence" might change as new developments arise.

If you have questions, comments or concerns, or want to be in conversation with collaborators, please visit our Twitter (X), where we will be hosting a page for discussion @back2schoolSEA

The South Seattle Emerald is committed to holding space for a variety of viewpoints within our community, with the understanding that differing perspectives do not negate mutual respect amongst community members.

The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed by the contributors on this website do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of the Emerald or official policies of the Emerald.

Before you move on to the next story …

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