Culturally Responsive Strategies for Financial Aid Access
Financial aid, a critical resource for college access, remains largely untapped by thousands of students in Washington each year. A complex process filled with unfamiliar terminology, confusion around eligibility, and […]
From the Executive Director | Taking A Sabbatical
After 15 years of dedicated service in education, I am taking a much-needed sabbatical. I’m deeply grateful to the BIPOC ED Coalition, the Foundation for Tacoma Students Board of Directors, […]
The Presidential Election And Education Policy
President Biden’s term included some high profile education policy work, but education was not a top priority on the same level of something like infrastructure. Looking ahead to 2025, education policy could be more prominent, and Vice President Harris […]
Career And Technical Education Has A Lot Of Potential
If you spend any time around K-12 and higher education policy you’ll quickly pick up that something called “dual enrollment” or “dual credit” is a trending topic. This refers to programs that […]
How Pierce County Partners are Connecting Students to Postsecondary Opportunities
In Washington state, the journey from high school to college is rarely straightforward, varying across cities and school districts. Despite diverse paths, every young person has the potential to succeed […]
Building a Shared Vision for GenAI in Pierce County
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is actively reshaping education and workforce development, unlocking new possibilities for how we teach, learn, and work. Recognizing the urgent need to address this transformation, Graduate Tacoma […]
Improving the High School and Beyond Plan
Our team at the Foundation for Tacoma Students recently wrapped-up a qualitative research project focused on the efficacy and opportunities for improvement to an aspect of our state’s requirements for […]
Why Bold, Sustained Investments in Education is Everyone’s Business
The Foundation for Tacoma Students hosted its fourth annual Charting Our Future conference, a transformative gathering that brought together over 300 educators, policymakers, community leaders, and advocates committed to creating […]
Washington Needs a Strategy for Tutoring
Measures of academic achievement for Washington students are improving overall from an extreme low point coming out of pandemic school disruptions. But there is still a lot of work to […]
Washington’s Capital Gains Tax is Good
In 2021 the state legislature enacted a new tax on capital gains. The revenue from the tax is restricted and can only be used for child care, early learning and […]
