Dear friends & neighbors,
A chill has returned to the air. While fall means many things, I’m always excited to get back in the classroom and help students. As an educator, working to improve opportunities and outcomes for all students is central to my work in Olympia. Here’s a quick update on some of my efforts to help students in our community and across our state.
Career and Technical Education and Career Exploration
Every student learns differently—and every student deserves a path to a high-demand, high-paying job. Offering workforce education and training in K-12 schools is a great way to set students up for success. This past session, I secured funding for a pilot program to better connect K-12 Career and Technical Education (CTE) to community & technical college and apprenticeship programs. We’re also working to provide high school counselors and advisors with better tools to assist students in exploring careers. I’m excited to help students, teachers, and employers with this project.
Seeing these educational opportunities in action
I recently toured Arlington High School with Superintendent Dr. Chrys Sweeting and got to visit their metal manufacturing, life skills, and other programs. Arlington High School Principal Marilee Herman and School Board Director Mary Levesque were great ambassadors for the amazing work being done at AHS!
Combating food insecurity
Students can’t learn if they’re hungry—and far too many in our district deal with food insecurity. I recently attended events sponsored by Helping Hands in Skagit County and the Arlington Food Bank. It was great to talk with Arlington Food Bank Executive Director Carla Rankin about how the state can partner with local non-profit organizations to reduce hunger in our community.
Looking ahead to the 2024 Session
As always, it’s an honor to serve as your state legislator. The next legislative session begins on January 8, 2024.
I’ll be sending out a survey soon to help get feedback about community priorities for the next session—I hope you can participate!
