The South King County Communities of Color Advocacy Group would like to extend a warm thank you to the Renton School District Board of Directors for inviting us to participate on the advisory panel that was part of the RSD Superintendent selection process.  We are appreciative of the opportunity to serve and provide input.  As an advocacy group, one of our core objectives is to provide a representative voice for communities of color around equity in education. We were very impressed by the extent in which the district acknowledged the importance of community involvement in the process and the need to hear these voices.  This shows that the Board of Directors is indeed living the District Improvement Plan.

Some of our desired qualities in an ideal candidate are as follows:

• A proven track record and passion for eliminating the achievement/ opportunity gap;

• The ability to create innovative pathways for educational success;

• Feels community involvement is important to help achieve student success;

• Encourage participation for students of color, low income, and Special Education students in AP, science, and math courses; and

• Experience with improving graduation rates for all populations and reducing dropout rates

As evidenced by the questions to the candidates from the board, it was obvious that we shared a similar vision which is the success of all students.  Focusing on closing the achievement/opportunity gap, discipline equity, and adjusting to the changing demographics of the RSD are crucial elements to student success.

Now it’s our turn; the community has an opportunity to give input at three upcoming community meetings and hear directly from the candidates. (Editor’s note: See page 3 for list of meetings.)

We will be wearing our name tags.  We look forward to connecting with you at one of the upcoming meetings.

Andaiye Qaasim, Minister Ken Curl, Renton