Kati Haycock, one of the nation’s leading education advocates, visited the Road Map Region on May 10th to share knowledge and insights gained from decades of hard work aimed at improving education and closing the achievement gap.
Kati Haycock is President of The Education Trust, which promotes high academic achievement of all students from pre-kindergarten through college. The organization’s goal is to close the gaps in opportunity and achievement that consign too many low-income students and students of color to lives on the margins of the American mainstream.
Known for years as a powerful force on education policy, Ed Trust is often described as “the most important truth teller” in American public education. But the organization also works hand in hand with educators and civic leaders in their efforts to transform schools and colleges into institutions that serve all students well.
In that vein, Kati Haycock shared her expertise while also learning about our work to double the number of students in South King County and South Seattle who are on track to graduate from college or earn a career credential by 2020 in the Road Map Region.
During Kati Haycock’s recent visit to the region, she met with Federal Way Superintendent Rob Neu and his team to learn about their acceleration efforts. She also met with Jerry Dyar, manager of the Rural College Success Initiative, an incredible new network of 43 rural districts working together to boost college-going rates.
Then Kati joined more than 30 community leaders from South Seattle and South King County for lunch at the Tukwila Community Center. She gave a riveting presentation, filled with national and state data as well as lessons learned from her work across the country. To see the PPT presentation, please visit: Achievement in Washington: A Look at the Numbers
Later that day she swung by the Technology Access Foundation to learn more about TAF Academy, an innovative STEM school that is part of the Federal Way School District.
Kati then met with the incredible team of educators at Mercer Middle School in Seattle who are defying the odds and dramatically improving education results for their students. (http://www.asamercer.org)
That evening, she was the guest speaker at the monthly EduDrinks event, a gathering of young professionals throughout the region who want to improve student learning and close the achievement gap.