Seattle Schools Community Forum

This week marks the 20th anniversary for TAF (Technology Access Foundation) and the 8th for TAF Academy.  They are holding a big celebration party this weekend.  TAF was started by Trish Millines Dziko, a former Microsoftie. (Editor's note: Dziko is also a Washington State Charter Commissioner and one the best voices in that group.)

No, that's not me saying that; it's from Trish Dziko's blog.  (I mentioned a couple of months ago that Trish was going to regularly write a blog.  She's on the Charter Commission and runs a successful STEM education foundation and school.) As usual, she pulls no punches.

It's none other than Trish Millines Dziko who announced it today on Facebook.   Trish is one of a couple of public education heroes of mine (along with Diane Ravitch.)  About Trish:

That leader is Trish Millines Dziko who started Technology Access Foundation and is truly a great thinker on how to push the needle forward for students of color using STEM-based curriculum with project-based learning. Trish has written a series on her thoughts about ed reform (she's frustrated) and we think - intentionally - about the work of educating children on a school level. Time to Transform Public Schools: Part 1- Brown v Board, An Incomplete Journey Time to Transform Public Schools:Part 2 - A Vision for a Great School Time to Transform Public Schools: Part 3 - Don't Drink the Milk (complete with a charming Little Rascals video to prove her point) I believe in what Dziko is doing (and saying) for several reasons.

You know, there are some really smart people out there thinking about public education and public discourse.  I wish more people would read their writings.  It's people like Trish Millines Dziko who runs TAF Academy.  (FYI, they are having STEM Day camps during Spring Break.) Vu Le, who is the Executive Director of the Vietnamese Friendship Association, is another one.   He has the blog, Non-Profit with Balls. (Explanation on the title:  You may be thinking, “Why ‘Nonprofit with Balls’? Isn’t that sexist?! Why not ‘Nonprofit with Balls and Ovaries,’ you sexy sexist pig?!” The title comes from an experience he had, described here . Basically, it refers to all the balls that we nonprofit professionals have to juggle: clients, board, staff, volunteers, funders, auditors, payrolls, budgets, cashflows, trainings, annual events, etc. We are all knee-deep in balls. We have balls coming at us from every direction. Sometimes we “drop the ball,” but no worries...