Army Opens Listening Session for Citizens to Have Say

Army opens a Listening Session for local citizens to have their say about the impacts of an additional potential 11,000 civilian and soldier job cuts at JBLM.

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Chamber Supports Three Local School District Levies

The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber’s Board of Directors has endorsed the upcoming school levy ballot issues of three local districts.

Bethel, Franklin Pierce and Tacoma School Districts each have two propositions, (one for operations and one for technology improvements) referred to voters for approval on the February 11, 2014 election.  All but one of these levies is a replacement for expiring or cancelled levies already adopted by voters. 

The one new levy is Bethel School District’s Prop. 2, for technology.  Jennifer Bethman, Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools, told the Chamber’s Board that Bethel School District has a great deal of catching up to do to provide modern technology equipment and instruction for its students.

"When we vote for the coming school levies, we agree that our children need the educational resources necessary to form their abilities to responsibly think, solve and create within the constant flux of our living and working world,” said Jeff Brown, Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber Chair.

Brian Haynes, the Chamber’s Immediate-Past Chair and Co-Chair for YES on Props. 1 and 2, Tacoma Citizens for Schools, said, “Props. 1 and 2 are about providing all kids with the quality and up-to-date education they deserve. They need the ever-more challenging technology skills increasingly demanded in jobs.”

The Chamber’s Board noted that the State Legislature has begun to assume its paramount duty to amply fund the education of all K-12 students.  The State Supreme Court has set a compliance date of 2018.  All these proposed levies will expire in 2018.

SOTA/SAMI Internships

For the past nine years high school  juniors and seniors at Tacoma School of the Arts (SOTA), and now the Science and Math Institute (SAMI) as well, have served as full-time, non-paid interns, in a field they believe the may want to pursue in the future.  If you are interested in hosting an intern, there is still time to sign-up for this January's class.

As a result, hundreds of students have made more informed decisions about their future and have made personal, long term connections to many of the leaders in our business community. These are the up and coming leaders of our community that we want to stay informed and connected about local opportunities to grow and flourish.

Student interns learn both specific skills as well as those general, but critical, employability skills that can launch their career success. Many businesses who serve as intern sites report the benefits of youthful energy and new ideas.

If you are interested in meeting and working with tomorrow's leaders this January 14-31; SOTA & SAMI would love your help.  Students are interested in fields from music to medicine and can participate in opportunities throughout Puget Sound.  If this winter doesn't work, they are also looking to create new opportunities in all fields for 2014.

To learn more about the internship program, please contact Michaele Sein-Ryan at 253-571-7960.  She has been a great help to us at the Chamber in getting our interns set-up this year and in the past.

Innovating for Achievement

How do good schools contribute to a dynamic business environment? As a business owner or executive, what types of innovations should our local school district consider to help improve student achievement?

 

You can be part of this important conversation with Tacoma Public Schools:

 

Innovating for Achievement: A Discussion with Local Business Leaders

4 p.m., Monday, Oct. 22

JayRay

535 Dock Street, Suite 205

Tacoma

 

 

Improving public education continues to be a top priority for many Chamber members, so we encourage you to participate.

 

If you’re unable to attend, Tacoma Public Schools invites you to complete a brief, confidential survey, confidential survey.

 

For questions, information or to RSVP to the Innovating for Achievement discussion, please call 253-284-2531.

Chamber Speaks for Business in Education Forum

On February 23, KBTC, Bates Technical College, Business Examiner and Northwest Public Radio presented “Building a Grad Nation: The American Graduate Project Forum.”

Tom Pierson, Chamber President & CEO, was invited as a business leader to participate in a panel discussion on exploring the impact low graduation rates have on our community.

Fueled by the detrimental national rate of more than a million students dropping out of high
school each year and the effect this has for our nation to compete in a global world, KBTC joined public media stations across the country to address the issue in their own communities. Pierson
represented business interests within the panel and touched upon the close ties entrepreneurship and education to jobs and therefore businesses and the community.

“There is an undeniable connection between K-12 education and business. The stronger our schools are, the stronger our workforce and the stronger our businesses and community,” Pierson said.

Pierson’s message was that businesses definitely care about the health of K-12 education and are willing to be engaged in the future of our community’s workforce.

Along with Pierson, the participating panelists also included Miguel Blanco (President - Pierce County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce), J.W. Harrington (Vice Chancellor - University of Washington-Tacoma), Kurt Miller (Director - Reach Center/Tacoma School Board), Salvador Mungia (Partner – Gordon Thomas Honeywell/Member – Tacoma Mayor’s Education Task Force) with Jeff Rounce, Business Examiner CEO moderating.

South County Division Signs Skills Center Resolution

2010 Center for Education Luncheon on Feb. 5

Washington Policy Center (WPC) is hosting its annual Education Luncheon (co-presented by the Chamber) on Friday, February 5, at the Westin-Seattle from 12 – 1:30 p.m.

Featuring Rob Stein, principal of Manual High School in Denver, Colo, who will discuss both the Innovation Schools Act as well as his experiences with the newly passed legislation (Manual High School was one of the first schools to apply for Innovation Schools status in Colorado). His experience with Innovation Schools is especially relevant as similar legislation was recently presented down in Olympia during the current 2010 Session. Cost is $35. To register, visit WPC’s website.

Decision 2010: Tacoma School Levies

Supporters of the levies for the Tacoma School District met with the Chamber's Public Affairs Council to discuss the need for replacing the school district's expiring levy and an additional levy for school facility improvements and upgrades.

The levies will appear on the February 9, 2010 ballot where they will each need one vote over 50 percent of the total vote to pass.

Mayor-elect Marilyn Strickland led off the discussion at the Chamber group's monthly meeting by providing an overview of the package and making the case that "education is a priority in this city." She was followed by representatives from the school district who provided details about the levies and the financial impacts upon homeowners in the district.

The Replacement Levy (Proposition 1) accounts for 22 percent of the district's overall budget for day-to-day operations and education programs, while the School Facilities Improvement Levy will "renovate or replace three schools and make district-wide school facility improvements. More information on the levies can be found at www.tacomaschools.org or by contacting Dan Voelpel, who recently joined the school district's Public Information Office, at (253) 571-1015.

The Chamber's Public Affairs Council is considering a position on both of the levies. More information about the Chamber's position on these levies can be found soon at this blog.