PRESS ROOM

The Seattle Times announces LiveWire speakers for “Set up to fail: The cost of not funding K-12 education”

For Immediate Release — Mar. 9, 2017
Lindsay Taylor, Consumer Marketing Manager

SEATTLE — The Seattle Times LiveWire event series will present “Set up to fail: The cost of not funding K-12 education” Wednesday, Mar. 22, at 6:30 p.m. at UW Kane Hall. LiveWire events feature meaningful discussions about vital issues impacting our region and its people. Each event brings together experts for provocative conversations on key topics moderated by Seattle Times journalists.

Failing to adequately fund basic public education in Washington state costs us all. High school drop outs are more likely to be unemployed, rely on welfare and end up in the juvenile justice system, leading to incarceration, court costs and social services that burden our local economy. Learn how investing in our kids pays off for them and for Washington in a discussion facilitated by Seattle Times Education Lab reporter Claudia Rowe.

Speakers include:

Omari Amili
After dropping out of high school and serving time in prison for bank fraud, Amili graduated with multiple degrees, including a Master of Arts from the University of Washington-Tacoma.

Janis Avery
Avery is CEO of Treehouse, where she has worked since 1995 to improve the lives of children in foster care. She is a former social worker and an adoptive mother of two children from foster care.

Nathan Gibbs-Bowling
Bowling is the 2016 Washington State Teacher of the Year and a co-founder of Teachers United. He teaches AP Human Geography and AP Government & Politics at Lincoln High School in Tacoma.

Justice Bobbe J. Bridge, ret.

Justice Bridge is the President/CEO of the Center for Children & Youth Justice. She has served on the State Supreme Court, King County Superior Court and as Chief Juvenile Court Judge for King County.

Claudia Rowe
Rowe joined The Seattle Times staff in 2013 to focus on solutions-oriented journalism about public education. She has covered social issues for The New York Times and other publications.

The Seattle Times LiveWire series is presented by Microsoft. For more information, please visit livewire.seattletimes.com or email livewire@seattletimes.com.

Tickets are free. Register at livewire.seattletimes.com.

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