♪♪
-Hi. My name is Molly Mitchell,
and I'm running for
Seattle school board director
to ensure that every student
has a pathway to success.
I want to ensure all voices
in our school district are heard,
that you have a seat at the table,
and that your concerns
and needs are addressed.
Our schools can do more to serve
the needs of diverse students
and families in our city.
In my 20-year career in education,
the core of my work
has been centering equity
and social justice.
This year, I was honored
to be recognized
for my commitment to equity
when I received the Equity Award
from the Washington State
Association of College Trustees.
As the Director
of Student Support Programs
at Seattle Central College,
I am focused on serving students
with the highest barriers
to completion
and students furthest from justice
throughout their entire education,
including their lived experiences
outside the classroom.
I am passionate about
expanding educational opportunities
inside Washington state prisons.
Additionally, I oversee support
for student parents,
student veterans,
and those facing food insecurity.
For all students to succeed,
we must create learning environments
that are safe, welcoming,
and inclusive for all.
When every student
is included and engaged
in their learning environment,
all students benefit.
As a mom and a community organizer,
I believe solutions
are most effective
when they engage all stakeholders
and are accountable to the community,
which is why current school board director
Jill Geary has endorsed my campaign.
The school board can do better
to collaborate with families,
educators,
community organizations,
and local agencies
to generate policies that support
every student's
educational success.
I pledge to represent your voice
and to work for high-quality
education for all students.
My name is Molly Mitchell,
and I would be honored
to earn your vote
for Seattle school board.
♪♪
-Hello.
My name is Crystal Liston.
I'm a gay, disabled parent
of two stepsons
who attend West Seattle schools
and a member of your community
who is very passionate
about our schools.
I'm so passionate, in fact,
that I have made it my mission
to volunteer in every school
in our district
as I do not understand
how a board member
can govern a body of people
they know nothing about.
As of 2018-2019
school year,
I have volunteered
in 20 of our 103 schools,
and as a volunteer,
I have noticed a disconnect
in our school community as a whole.
The reason I am running
for school board
is to lead a paradigm shift
where schools interact
and communicate
with one another,
a shift where the Seattle community
is held accountable
to participate
in each of our schools,
and a shift where school board members
are active in the various schools
and communicate
to their students, parents,
and teachers.
Instead of telling schools
what they should be doing,
we ask, "We have resources.
What do you need?"
Another aspect
to our school district
that has become clear to me
is a lack of equity.
Why do some schools have
band instruments for students
but other schools do not?
Why are social workers
not in all of our schools
to support our students with trauma
and our faculty who need support
from their administration?
Why has the current school board
chosen to lay off
school librarians?
Why, as a progressive city,
are we teaching a white-controlled
curriculum?
I am a firm believer that
our values are in our budget,
and our current school board
is failing to represent
our community's values.
Maybe you're asking yourself,
"What qualifies you
to be on the school board?"
My response is this.
I can sit here and give you
a list of my degrees --
I have two -- and a list of my
trade-school certificates --
I have one -- but what qualifies me
to be on the Seattle school board
is that I am a parent
and that I am
a professional volunteer.
And what is
a Seattle school board member?
An unpaid volunteer.
So in conclusion,
if you are truly part
of the movement for change,
then be vulnerable and courageous
and vote for someone different.
Vote for me -- Crystal S. Liston.
"Be bold.
The mighty forces
will come to your aid."
Goethe said that.