This is what TFA Puget Sound Looks Like. Vol 1

Olympia local, University of Puget Sound grad, and Western Washington University Teacher steps up to Teach For Seattle.

Emily Ehrlich

1^st year TFA Corps Member Seattle/Puget sound

Connection to Washington State: I grew up in Olympia, went to college at University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, lived in Seattle and worked at the Elliott Bay Book Company, worked at schools all over the Puget Sound region and at a library on the Olympic Peninsula, then got a Master’s in English from Western Washington University in Bellingham.  So my connection to Washington is very deep!  I love Washington, and can’t imagine ever leaving.

Why do you teach for Seattle?  I teach for Seattle because I want to give back to my community.  I am deeply committed to ensuring that everyone has the wonderful educational opportunities that our state has given me, and teaching is the best way I can do that.

How did you get involved in education? Literacy is my life.  Anyone who knows me can tell you that the stacks of books and journals piled around my apartment are probably going to fall down and crush me someday.  I started teaching with a company called the Institute of Reading Development, which offers intensive summer reading programs to students aged four through adult, because it just kills me that there are students out there who don’t like reading because it is hard for them.  I wanted to give them the tools to be better readers, so that they could experience the joy of learning through reading.  My students benefited so much from intensive reading instruction, and I loved going to work every day.  I decided to pursue a Master of Arts degree in English Studies because I wanted to deepen my own understanding of the subject I now knew I wanted to teach for life.  As a fully funded graduate student at Western Washington University, I taught five quarters of English 101, Writing and Critical Inquiry, and one quarter of English 347, Young Adult Literature.  Teaching at the college levels has allowed me to really understand what level of reading, writing, and critical thinking skills are necessary for students to be on the path to success in college.  I want to bring that knowledge and experience to students in public schools.

What are your hopes for schools in the Puget Sound?  My hope for schools in the Puget Sound is very realistic.  I know it is realistic because I have experienced it myself, and a lot of students experience it every day—that all students emerging from schools in the Puget Sound region can be proud of their education, and can make the choice to pursue further education. 

This is what TFA Puget Sound Looks Like. Vol 1

Olympia local, University of Puget Sound grad, and Western Washington University Teacher steps up to Teach For Seattle.

Emily Ehrlich

1^st year TFA Corps Member Seattle/Puget sound

Connection to Washington State: I grew up in Olympia, went to college at University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, lived in Seattle and worked at the Elliott Bay Book Company, worked at schools all over the Puget Sound region and at a library on the Olympic Peninsula, then got a Master’s in English from Western Washington University in Bellingham.  So my connection to Washington is very deep!  I love Washington, and can’t imagine ever leaving.

Why do you teach for Seattle?  I teach for Seattle because I want to give back to my community.  I am deeply committed to ensuring that everyone has the wonderful educational opportunities that our state has given me, and teaching is the best way I can do that.

How did you get involved in education? Literacy is my life.  Anyone who knows me can tell you that the stacks of books and journals piled around my apartment are probably going to fall down and crush me someday.  I started teaching with a company called the Institute of Reading Development, which offers intensive summer reading programs to students aged four through adult, because it just kills me that there are students out there who don’t like reading because it is hard for them.  I wanted to give them the tools to be better readers, so that they could experience the joy of learning through reading.  My students benefited so much from intensive reading instruction, and I loved going to work every day.  I decided to pursue a Master of Arts degree in English Studies because I wanted to deepen my own understanding of the subject I now knew I wanted to teach for life.  As a fully funded graduate student at Western Washington University, I taught five quarters of English 101, Writing and Critical Inquiry, and one quarter of English 347, Young Adult Literature.  Teaching at the college levels has allowed me to really understand what level of reading, writing, and critical thinking skills are necessary for students to be on the path to success in college.  I want to bring that knowledge and experience to students in public schools.

What are your hopes for schools in the Puget Sound?  My hope for schools in the Puget Sound is very realistic.  I know it is realistic because I have experienced it myself, and a lot of students experience it every day—that all students emerging from schools in the Puget Sound region can be proud of their education, and can make the choice to pursue further education. 

A Brillian and Compassionate Citizen

Name: Lindsey Van Zanten

TFA Corps Year - 2009 New Mexico

Years Washington State: I spent 4 years at UW before just moving back this month.

Why do you work for change for kids?My most sincere and deepest belief is that education is how things change. The confidence, material, peer learning, social interaction, opportunity pathways, and so many other facets of what excellent school could look like- inspires me to my core. I have witnessed biases, low self-esteem, generation-long family struggles, apathetic attitudes, and lack of intellectual or social confidence, turn upside down because of what happened within the four walls of a truly excellent classroom, and the social supports that were able to back up those efforts. Every kid, especially those whose cards are stacked against them just because of their zip code, deserve the opportunity to achieve at the highest levels. Our world is desperately in need of these brilliant and compassionate citizens, and we need to step up and give them the tools.

How do you stay connected to education?I'm currently involved in several Seattle reform projects and pursuing a career in policy and advocacy with a specific focus on teacher development, and early childhood initiatives.

What are your hopes for schools in the Puget Sound?My hope is that there would be an underlying vision, evident from the hallways to the instruction to the PTA meetings to the school buses, that we cannot settle for anything less than doing whatever it takes for our kids. I want that relentless push to be taken seriously, to be able to stand in the face of fear or risky change or criticism; for every stakeholder to realize that there is no acceptable excuse for this to go on any longer, that old methods haven't and won't get the job done, that the potential for our students is so monumental and precious, that every moment lost not being strategic is a moment that we will never get back.

A Brillian and Compassionate Citizen

Name: Lindsey Van Zanten

TFA Corps Year - 2009 New Mexico

Years Washington State: I spent 4 years at UW before just moving back this month.

Why do you work for change for kids?My most sincere and deepest belief is that education is how things change. The confidence, material, peer learning, social interaction, opportunity pathways, and so many other facets of what excellent school could look like- inspires me to my core. I have witnessed biases, low self-esteem, generation-long family struggles, apathetic attitudes, and lack of intellectual or social confidence, turn upside down because of what happened within the four walls of a truly excellent classroom, and the social supports that were able to back up those efforts. Every kid, especially those whose cards are stacked against them just because of their zip code, deserve the opportunity to achieve at the highest levels. Our world is desperately in need of these brilliant and compassionate citizens, and we need to step up and give them the tools.

How do you stay connected to education?I'm currently involved in several Seattle reform projects and pursuing a career in policy and advocacy with a specific focus on teacher development, and early childhood initiatives.

What are your hopes for schools in the Puget Sound?My hope is that there would be an underlying vision, evident from the hallways to the instruction to the PTA meetings to the school buses, that we cannot settle for anything less than doing whatever it takes for our kids. I want that relentless push to be taken seriously, to be able to stand in the face of fear or risky change or criticism; for every stakeholder to realize that there is no acceptable excuse for this to go on any longer, that old methods haven't and won't get the job done, that the potential for our students is so monumental and precious, that every moment lost not being strategic is a moment that we will never get back.

As Promised. . .

The first two profiles of Puget Sound education advocates are up!

Please meet two amazing Washington graduates: Lindsay Van Zanten and Emily Elrich. Lindsay is one of the amazing co-contributors to this blog.  Emily spent the last two years teaching English at Western Washington University and has just moved to Seattle as part of TFA's 2011 Puget Sound Corps.

As Promised. . .

The first two profiles of Puget Sound education advocates are up!

Please meet two amazing Washington graduates: Lindsay Van Zanten and Emily Elrich. Lindsay is one of the amazing co-contributors to this blog.  Emily spent the last two years teaching English at Western Washington University and has just moved to Seattle as part of TFA's 2011 Puget Sound Corps.

Another Angle.

There are lots of opportunities for schools in the Puget Sound to change direction and take bold steps toward meaningful reform- and the upcoming Seattle School Board election is a fantastic example. Learn about the candidate from Districts 1, 2, 3, and 6 here. Please take note that while not all of the candidates have websites, their contact information serve as a chance for you to make sure that these influential policy and decision makers align with your beliefs and ideals on what's best for kids and the quality of education they deserve.