So I'm Jenny Durkin, the mayor of Seattle, and I'm here to say thank you.
You know, when I was running for mayor, I came to this campus and I was able to meet with some of the 13th year Promise Scholars.
And I literally brought tears to my eyes.
I was so inspired and I thought, if I am lucky enough to be elected mayor, I gotta get that for every kid in Seattle.
And we did it.
But like all the great things that happen in this city and this state and across this nation, it only happens when we come together and through great, great partnerships.
And I want to thank some people.
I'm going to miss some names, so if I do, I apologize.
I look around this room, so many of you, if I could call you out individually.
I look at the work you've done, and I've known you've done it.
And so if I don't say your name, it doesn't mean I'm not saying thank you to you personally.
But we have, you know, I have to start with a whole range of people, but the two council members, Rob Johnson and Lorena Gonzalez, who shouldered this, we got to give them.
I will tell you in the, you know, it hasn't been quite a year since I've been mayor, but each of them is so committed to a better Seattle.
to equity for our communities, to making sure that we give opportunity to everyone, and particularly every children in every part of our city, and really reaching down for those communities of color and lifting them up.
So I want to thank you guys for all you do for the city of Casa Verde.
This would not happen and will not happen and be real in people's lives without all the hard work of the Seattle School District.
We got to give them a big shout out.
And, you know, it goes for every teacher in every classroom across this city, who day in, day out, are there with our kids, with our families, really making a difference, and go so unrecognized sometimes.
So, while not every teacher could be here, let's really give a round of applause for our teachers.
And I don't know how many of you met Denise Juneau, who's standing behind me, who's the superintendent of Seattle Public Schools.
She hasn't been here that long under Seattle standards, but she is already a force to be recognized and a steadfast, steadfast commitment to equity.
So Denise, thanks for all you're doing and all you're going to do.
And the Seattle School Board really put its shoulder to the wheel on this.
They made sure that we worked together, we worked across lines, and we said, what are we going to do to focus on our kids?
We've got two of those school board members here, Zach DeWolf and Jill Geary.
Thank you for everything you're doing.
And we are really lucky in Seattle.
We have so many organizations from our PTAs to others that really are focused on making sure our kids get opportunity through education.
One of them Lisa Chick in the Alliance of Education is here.
She really worked on this.
Thank you for all your work.
And of course we would be not we would not be standing in this facility if it weren't for the Seattle colleges.
Amazing work.
When we first sat down and talked to the Seattle colleges about whether we could get this done and scale at the 13th year program into the 14th year program and to do it for everybody in the district.
No one talked about turf.
No one talked about no.
All they talked about was how do we get it done.
So thank you for that.
Chancellor Pan, Sheila, all of them have been at the wheel making sure we got this done.
So I really want to thank them.
And of course, Tim Burgess, who has, you know, former council member, was a mayor for not that long.
But who has just been so dedicated to our city on so many ways.
And his care for our kids, he was one of the first heroes of preschool.
And we saw our preschool programs work.
We had a national study done that shows ours are right there, some of the best in the country.
So, Tim, thank you for everything you're doing.
And you guys are amazing.
Let's give everybody a shout out.
So I'm going to let other people talk but I just want to say again I want to thank Seattle because time and time again when it matters our city comes together steps up.
and invest in the future.
And there's nothing more important in the future than our children.
Our children are everything.
And we now make sure that families have great preschool options and even more families are going to have it.
And we know pre-K works because it gets kids at school ready to learn.
So thank goodness for preschool.
I was at a Seattle preschool just a couple weeks ago that we were opening up in Lake City Way.
talking to a couple with their kid there, first day of school, and they looked at me and they said, for our family, this is a game changer.
This is a game changer, because there's no way we would be able to afford pre-K.
And I see that time and time again on the faces of the kids who are just the joy of learning, but the faces of the parents who take their kids to those schools and know The kids will have a safe place, they'll be ready to learn, and then they can go on to their day knowing their kids are safe.
So preschool, we know it works, K through 12. We are working hard to improve our schools.
We have done so much better, and I thank the school board for that.
But now we're going to have even more tools to close that opportunity gap.
And for every student that does their part, Seattle will do its part.
And we will give every student from Seattle Public Schools who graduate two years free college a college like this.
We know that we've got the greatest, greatest jobs here.
And I've got to thank my friends in labor who are here as well.
They stepped up to this because they know that the future looks bright for our kids.
Whether they want to go into a building trade, whether they want to go into coding, whether they want to work at the waterfront, We know that having that post high school college education certificate degree or training makes a difference.
We have over 700,000 new jobs coming to this region.
Think of that, 700,000 new jobs.
Most of them are going to require some post high school education certificate or training.
And only about 30% of our kids are getting it.
We're telling 70% of our kids they can't have it.
Last night, Seattle voters said, no way.
We want the future for our kids, whether they want to build the buildings in Seattle, work in the buildings in Seattle, or own the buildings in Seattle.
We believe in their future.
So now I want to turn it over to Tim Burgess, who's been a champion for education for so many years.
Thanks, Tim.
Thanks, Mary Beth.
I'm glad you're mayor.
I was mayor just long enough.
This was a huge win for our city and especially for our children and their families, but for all of us really.
We know that children who go to high quality preschool are going to have a better education experience, higher graduation rates from high school, higher entrance and graduation from college.
better health, and earning power as adults.
Who wouldn't want to make that kind of investment?
So I'm deeply grateful to the voters of Seattle.
I also want to call out a few folks who helped make this victory possible.
First, the people who work inside the city's Department of Education and Early Learning.
They did a great job.
And as a result, the voters of Seattle affirmed them.
The Seattle business community, led by Amazon, who contributed literally several tens of thousands of dollars to make this campaign possible.
The labor community, led by the King County Labor Council.
And what Seattle said yesterday was our kids matter, and we're gonna make sure that they're successful in the long term.
And that's all the Children of Seattle, regardless of their neighborhood.
regardless of their family's economic status, regardless of the languages they speak at home, regardless of the color of their skin, we believe in all of our children and making sure that they are successful.
Thank you.
Good morning, everyone.
Good morning.
There we go.
It's like classroom.
If you can hear me, clap once.
Well, I just want to start off by saying thank you, Seattle.
It's amazing.
And you know, you've heard a lot of thank yous from up here, and I'm not gonna reiterate all of the thank yous.
I echo the thanks to so many of the people mentioned by former Councilmember Burgess and by Mayor Durkan.
But really what I wanna do is just recognize the reason why we're doing this.
And the reason we are doing this is represented in a lot of different parts in this room.
So if you are a current student at the Seattle Colleges, I want you to raise your hand, or if you ever want to go to Seattle Colleges, I want you to raise your hand.
And you know I point that out because we are at a Seattle college.
I am the product of a community college myself.
I went to Yakima colleges for the first two years of my life and that's part of the reason why I was supportive of the mayor's proposal to make sure that we supported the full spectrum of education from early learning all the way through your first two years of college.
It is a real bridge to being able to achieve success in the future, and that's what we've been able to accomplish last night and over the last several months as we crafted this proposal.
I'm also the product of subsidized pre-K.
I was the beneficiary of preschool, thanks to the Migrant Farmworker Council and to a migrant federal migrant farm worker Head Start program.
And again, I was also the beneficiary of so many supports available to students who grow up in poverty in places in our community in the K through 12 system as well.
So for those of you who are excited about all of the components of what we did last night, you too someday could be a civil rights lawyer and a city council member representing the city of Seattle.
So it's really been my honor to be able to work on this issue.
I have been prioritizing issues related to children and families all of my life.
Education is really the great equalizer in our community.
It is the thing that is unfortunately still unachievable and unaccessible to many.
But here in the city of Seattle, the voters once again showed us that they are generous.
And not only that they are generous, but that they see the value of these investments in our families in our kids, not just in one moment of their time, but in the full spectrum of their life.
And that is a big deal.
It is a big deal for us to be able to come together in a moment where people are worried about affordability in this city and say, you know what?
I'm willing to pay a little bit more to get a huge return on our investment in these families, in these children, so they can go to college, they can thrive in kindergarten through 12th grade.
so that they can access preschool.
This levy represents some significant new investments, including addressing the growing needs of students and their families experiencing homelessness in the city of Seattle.
It's the first time this levy has ever included that type of an investment.
And for the first time, we will be intentionally working with our partners at the school district to address that significant and growing need here in our city.
It is a very huge deal.
And I'm excited also about being able to nearly double the number of preschool classrooms that are going to be available to families, low income families, middle income families across the city.
And of course, we've heard a lot about Seattle Promise.
So I'm very excited about the results last night.
I am confident we're going to end this election in somewhere near in the 70s.
I think that's what that means is that we have received a mandate from the people of Seattle to continue to fight for education for all, to continue to fight for working class jobs for our families, to continue to support the people who provide these services through investments in childcare workers.
So we are ready to get to work and put your dollars to work and you are going to see the results of what collaboration can do in our city.
Thank you.
I almost forgot to do my last job, which is to introduce my wonderful colleague, council member Rob Johnson.
So one of the first things that you learn when you become a city council member is to try never to follow Lorena Gonzalez.
So I'll be brief.
As a parent of three little kids at Bryan Elementary, the investments that the city has been making in our kids in public schools goes all the way back to 1990 and is a critical one for me.
We have about half of our Seattle public school students attending levy-funded elementary and middle school and high school students.
And the investments that the city's making are the kinds of things that are helping those kids close the opportunity gap and be successful.
It's the nurses.
It's the reading and math tutors.
It's the mental health counselors.
It's a lot of the before and after school activities.
Those are the investments that we've been partnering with with the school district since 1990. And I'm really proud to say that we're seeing those investments really work.
We have, I think, a better collaboration with the school district and the school board than any other time in the city's history.
I'm just really proud to be here, standing on the shoulders of so many great folks who've gone before us, who put us in a position to be successful.
Thanks to all of you who worked so hard, knocked on doors, made those phone calls, made contributions, and made this a priority.
We couldn't have done it without you, and I'm really, really excited to be here to celebrate with you all today.
And we're going to listen to someone now who is really remarkable, who has agreed to talk, one of our very own, Anthony Garcia.
Okay, hello, my name is Anthony Garcia.
And hi.
And today I'm going to be talking about my experience about being a promise scholar.
And first of all, I just want to thank the mayor, first and foremost, and South Seattle for giving me this opportunity, about giving my experiences.
Pretty much, I'm really thankful I got the opportunity to go to a school in Cleveland High School that gave me the opportunity to actually pursue free college.
I was like applying to universities and stuff and I did get into some universities.
And I'm proud of that, but at the same time, I was like, you know what, maybe I can make steps, you know, because I come from a family of immigrants.
Both of my parents are from Guatemala, and then my dad just became a citizen, too, just a couple days ago.
He just got his passport the other day.
He was really happy.
It's hard.
They did not have the opportunity to go to college and pursue a better life for them, but they sacrificed their life for their children, which is me and my sister.
me having the opportunity to actually go to college tuition-free, being a Promise Scholar, like Ms. Jenny said, and everything, it's just a blessing.
And the support that I have, that we have as students, is just remarkable because It's just something that you don't see often, you know?
It's just something where you don't see often, and the opportunity that you have, you just gotta capitalize on the opportunity.
And what my dad and my mom always told me is that you have this opportunity and you got to take the opportunity, you know?
Like, I sacrificed, you know, a lot of time for my parents and studying, you know, because I knew that they did not have the opportunity and they sacrificed their life, as I said.
And so I just want to get into talking about how they treat us.
And they are, like, extremely perfectly trained.
They help us.
They do a lot of us.
I'm in trio.
And TRIO is an amazing organization.
Right, TRIO?
And yeah, I'm just happy to be here at South, to be a part of this opportunity, and actually being a part of something great.
Because honestly, who would give students free college?
I mean, what's that?
Seattle would.
Yeah, Seattle would.
And Seattle is just an exception to that, you know?
Exactly.
It is the exception, I should say.
You know?
Because we're not ordinary.
We're not basic.
We're not...
We're not...
We're Seattle.
Yeah, we're Seattle.
Come on.
That's why everybody's trying to move over here, you know?
Because we got all kinds of opportunities ahead of us.
And like I said before, I'm extremely, extremely grateful that this happened to cross my path.
And I promise to not let this opportunity fail.
And I want to empower other students as well, future generations as well, to take this opportunity and feel happy that they have this opportunity.
And yeah, that's pretty much what I have to say.
Thank you so much.
Okay, next I would like to introduce the Chancellor Pan to deliver some remarks on the podium.
There you go.
Thank you, thank you.
Let's give Anthony another round of applause.
Honorable Mayor Durkan, Honorable Mayor Burgess, Honorable Councilmember Gonzalez, Honorable Councilmember Johnson, Superintendent Juneau, students, friends, partners, good morning.
Exciting day for Seattle!
Just about a year ago, Mayor Durkan, you were at this very spot announced the Seattle Promise tuition program.
Today, your vision has become a reality.
Congratulations to all of us, particularly on behalf of Seattle College's Board of Trustees, my colleagues, President Warren Brown from North Seattle Colleges, President Edwards Lane, Seattle Central, Raymondo Cherensak, President of South Seattle College, for on behalf all of them, thank you mayors, our city council for looking for your vision, the staff of both the mayor's staff and the city council for your hard work and business partners to make this reality.
You know, yesterday's vote, clearly the voters have spoken in support of quality, equitable education for Seattle residents.
The business people, our residents, our voters have not only given a thumbs up, but really their resources in support of this levy.
This vote is also a vote for investing in education, really K through 14. With Seattle Public Schools and Seattle Colleges working together, we are striving to meet the mandate of the Seattle residents, the vision, the call by our mayor, our city council.
So beginning immediately for the next seven years, we will be quickly ramp up, expand the program from six current high schools to all Seattle Public Schools by year 2020. We will need to make this program flexible, quality, allowing students to attend and graduate from Seattle Colleges of their choice.
Making this vision a reality on this timeline is going to be needing a collective effort.
It is both exciting and challenging, but we know South Seattle College's 13-year program has shown the way.
We will not disappoint.
Our work with the city, Seattle Public Schools, students, parents, business, community partners, will take on new focus and new sense of urgency.
Fundraising efforts in support of this work, we hope to, in the next few years, to raise a significant endowment.
The interest from the endowment will sustain this program beyond the durations of this levy.
So we need help out there.
We're determined to implement a program that will, over time, transform the schools in reaching the lives of Seattle Promise Scholars, but also all Seattle College students.
Thank you for your support, for your championship.
We are excited to continue this work.
Thank you, Seattle.
Thank you, Seattle voters.
Thank you.
It is my pleasure to introduce, you have met her, new superintendent, Denise Juneau, Seattle Public Schools.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Wow, Seattle.
I love my new city.
We love you too.
Yes, thank you.
My story actually takes me from Head Start to Harvard, an investment in pre-K.
My story takes me from growing up on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation to now leading a high-performing urban district.
That story and the stories you hear from Anthony, Councilwoman, all these stories only happen because of education.
It's why I believe so deeply in doing the work that matters to our community, to our state, and for our families.
We know that an investment in children is an investment in our future.
So thank you to the voters of Seattle for passing the city's education levy.
Thank you Mayor Durkin for your vision.
Thank you to the city council for your unwavering support of our students.
Thank you to our community partners who helped carry the message and the importance of this investment especially for our most vulnerable students.
Our community support of the city's levy will help Seattle Public Schools continue to provide the best education possible for all students supporting students unique educational journey from preschool to college and everything else in between.
Every child deserves a shot at becoming well educated.
In Seattle because of our collaborative nature our focus on justice and our commitment to racial equity I believe a great education for every child is possible.
I look forward to our continued partnership with the city as we work to increase student achievement collaborate with our families and move Seattle Public Schools to new heights.
Together I know that we will achieve great things for our kids.
Thank you so much.
So I'll take a few questions but again I just want to emphasize so many people deserve thanks.
But it starts with the voters of Seattle and the people of Seattle who time and time again are saying we are willing to invest in the future and coming together and nothing is more important as we saw with Anthony than the future of our kids.
And I have had the opportunity through the campaign and as mayor to sit down with a number of 13th and 14th year Promise scholars, and the things they're doing is nothing short of amazing.
And that's what we want for Seattle.
Nothing short of amazing.
And this would not have been possible.
You saw a campaign that came together that had Amazon supporting it, and the Martin Luther King Labor Council supporting it.
We had building trades working side by side with people from various businesses.
Whether it was Vulcan or the building trades, everyone pulled together.
And we saw teachers, we saw child care workers, and the voters knew, when we in Seattle come together, Nothing can stop us.
So we're going to continue to build that great city invest in the future invest in students like Anthony.
So again I just want to thank everyone behind me everyone in this room that we can come back this short a time later and having delivered on this promise but mostly across the city.
Thank you Seattle.
And I say one last thank you.
for the end, because Dr. Dwayne Chappelle, who is head of my office at Diehl.
Dwayne, raise your hand.
This guy's like a very tall Jiminy Cricket.
Some of them you know him as the former principal of Rainier Beach.
He loves students.
And every step of the way, when we started looking at preschool and K through 12 and College Promise, he always came back to, let me tell you, it's going to work for the kids.
Here's what the kids need.
And so I can't thank you enough, Dwayne, for your leadership, not just here in the city of Seattle, but before that, your commitment to Rainier Beach.
I know you've got your own kids.
in the school system it's not a conflict of interest that you're going to get two years free college too.
So thank you Duane for all your work.
Any questions?
Let me just stand here because.
Could you introduce yourself?
So my name is Andy Garcia and I'm a student Thank you for stroking my ego, but I have a question.
Shoot.
So if you don't mind me asking, it's just a piece of paper right here.
Wrote it like two days ago because I heard you were coming here, and thank you very much for coming here.
So it's kind of not related to this, but you
And you know what?
This is exactly why we're doing what we do.
For you to have this opportunity and ask whatever you want to ask of the people who lead your city is amazing.
And for you to have the courage to do it and to stand here, thank you for doing that.
Thank you.
So it seems that many of the city departments spend an excessive amount of time on social engineering, training employees to meet current social ideals at the expense of actually doing the work they were hired for.
Can you speak to this concern?
I'm glad you raised that.
A lot of people across the city are saying, how do we know our government is really working to do what the people need?
And how do we make sure that when workers show up, that they're trained to not just do their job, but to reach deeply into community and raise people up?
So my answer to you is, we have, I think, the best city workers anywhere in America.
And I think, let me finish if I can, I think that when people talk about are we social engineering and training them, the answer to that is absolutely not.
Every day the people I know in the city of Seattle, the workers, when they come to work, they know their number one job is to serve the people of Seattle.
And they also know they can't do that if they don't understand what Seattle is going through in every corner of this city.
And that means sometimes to be, you know, I'm very proud, for example, the racial social justice initiative that we are looking through the lens of equity because in this changing city, Our communities of color have been left behind in ways that isn't right or fair, and we're going to make sure that our city, in every decision we make, are thinking not just how do we serve the people that already have so much, how do we make sure we serve those people who don't?
That's what a city does, and that's what the voters decided last night.
When you have 70% of Seattle saying, we are going to give every kid the opportunity for preschool, for K through 12 and for two years college, regardless of where they came from, and when they know that these programs are affecting those people who have the least, those communities who have been left behind and disadvantaged, our communities of color, our immigrants, our refugees, they say the future of Seattle has to be inclusive, and the only way it's inclusive is if we have opportunity for all.
That's not social engineering, that's social vision, and I stand behind the people for doing that.