New Trade Routes

Drawing digital pathways on the new trade maps.

Seattle, WA USA

Trade drives the way people interact.  People, products, money, and ideas follow the trade routes and impact everything in their path.  Keeping pace with the way trade routes are changing is essential to success or even survival.  New Trade Routes is working to better understand the changes so we can help our clients, investees, and grantees improve their chances of success.

 

Tomorrow We Could be the 42nd State to Get Charter Schools

November 05, 2012  /  Jay Leon

Tomorrow is election day and I am quite interested to see how things are going to work out.  I am always interested in election results, but this year I am heavily invested in our local initiative for charter schools -- initiative 1240.  My interest is not personal in that my kids will be out of school by the time the first charter school goes into operation.  However I am working hard to pass I-1240 because I think it is vital that we figure out how to do a better job educating people in our state.  I have learned some interesting things as I have worked to support I-1240.

  1.  The Importance of Education:  I have been amazed at how many people I talk to are not interested in I-1240 because they don't have school age kids, or their kids already go to a great school.  I fear I never was all that convincing when trying to share my enthusiasm for creating a more competitive Washington State.  I wish I had figured out a better way to explain why I think they are connected.
  2. Philanthropy is Misunderstood:  Opponents have worked to condemn the initiative because it has been supported by rich white guys like the co-founders of Microsoft, and other famous techies.  The idea that these guys actually want to improve our state is hard to accept I guess.  Charter schools mostly serve the people with very few educational options.  The rich philanthropists are already among the 25% of parents in our area that send their kids to private schools.  They will not directly benefit from this initiative.  
  3. Catching Up or Blazing a Trail:  Going into this I thought it would be pretty easy to convince people to vote for the initiative because 41 other states already had charter schools and there are many incredible success stories.  I have been surprised to learn that our voters have no problem blazing a trail on the legalization of marajuana which currently leads 53-44 in the polls.  The approval numbers for charter schools are about the same.

All together I am delighted that the numbers look good for Initiative 1240 and I am greatful to all of you that are going to make sure to vote for the future of our State of Washington.

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categories / Politics
tags / I-1240