Superintendent
Lake Washington School District
Superintendent’s Report - Dr. Chip Kimball
LWPTSA Currents – May 2010
As I write this column, I am getting ready for the annual Lake Washington Schools Foundation luncheon. If you haven’t attended, I sincerely hope you will consider participating in future years. It is always an inspiring occasion, one that reminds me how much community involvement can make our schools an even better place for students.
Every year, I get asked the same questions about the Foundation and its relationship to PTSA and the district:
- “I already give money to my PTSA. Why should I give money to the Foundation, too?”
- “Isn’t the Foundation going after the same donor base as the PTSA?”
- “What is the added value that the Foundation is providing for our students?”
These are great questions.
Part of the answer is found in our thinking about what it actually takes to make sure that every student is future ready. It is a touch challenge to make sure that every student is prepared for college, work, and the personal challenges they will face. We know that only through the partnership with our PTSA and our foundation can we meet this challenge.
It’s like a three-legged stool. And our district needs all three legs of support from our community. We need the support of our community through local voted funded measures, through PTSA membership and activity, and by supporting the foundation that takes on systemic issues that aren’t normally funded. If you voted for the Lake Washington School District levies in February, you contributed to one critical leg of the stool. Since you are receiving this PTSA Council newsletter, you are not only a member but likely are providing leadership in your school and PTSA.
But it takes one more leg on the stool to provide our schools with that foundation of solid support they need. If you have donated to the Foundation this year, thank you and congratulations, you are a dedicated supporter of public schools. All our students owe you their gratitude. If you have not, let me tell you a little more about why the Lake Washington Schools Foundation deserves your support.
The Lake Washington Schools Foundation supports academic excellence and success for all students in the Lake Washington School District. The Foundation provides support by funding grants to the District, to schools, to classrooms, and to individuals. These programs have touched many students in the District; programs that enrich and inspire learning, help and encourage at-risk students, and improve academic performance. And there are plans to do even more.
At the District Level, the Foundation awards grants to support District Delivered Programs (DDP's). These are programs the District would like to provide but does not have the funding to support the program. The Foundation funds the program, the District delivers the program and then reports back to the Foundation on how these efforts worked.
Examples include:
- Science equipment for secondary schools (Labquest)
- LINKS - a district-wide mentoring program to bring at-risk students together with caring adults to support their emotional, social and academic needs (funded by grants secured through proposals written by LWSF volunteers)
At the School and Classroom Levels, the Foundation awards Classroom & School Enrichment grants that support the District curriculum and provide an opportunity for teachers and staff to pursue new approaches to engaging students.
Examples include:
- Explorations in Math - Continue to build a strong math community through family math nights
and math clubs; create opportunities outside the classroom, engage school families and involve intermediate students
- Super Science Forensics Club - Application of scientific principles such as finger print analysis and chromatography to solve a mystery in an after-school program.
- Summer School for Literacy – Expansion of an intensive 4-week summer reading program for struggling students to include 3rd graders.
At the Individual Level, the Foundation has two programs -
- The Access Fund provides funding to assist low-income students in the secondary schools to cover incremental school costs such as lab fees and manuals, AP test fees, etc.
- The New Teacher Grant program provides a small stipend to assist new teachers with less than a year of teaching experience to set up their classroom.
These programs, whether at the district, school, classroom or individual level, impact every school in the district. They provide needed programs beyond what the PTSAs can provide, and are systemic in their approach.
Does the Foundation ask parents for donations? Of course. But the Foundation also solicits donations from the broader community, from foundations and businesses, to individuals who do not have children in the schools. Your dollars are leveraged to generate additional money as these organizations and individuals see your support, and are incentivized to give. Your donation is put to good use in our schools AND it’s a demonstration to a wider audience of potential funders that this community is serious about raising money to support our students.
As we think about the three-legged stool, your donation to the Foundation not only provides that third leg, it can help encourage everyone in the community who is concerned about quality public education, whether they have children in the schools or not, to contribute to the support of public schools. I am proud to live and work in a community that believes in its local school through the support of funding measures, the local PTSA, and the Lake Washington Schools Foundation.
If you would like to help, we would love your support. The Lake Washington Schools Foundation can be reached at info@lwsf.org
Dr. Chip Kimball, Superintendent
Lake Washington School District
(425) 702-3257
ckimball@lwsd.org
www.lwsd.org