* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Sunday, June 29, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Susquehanna Raises Penn Entertainment Inc. (PENN) Price Target. – Yahoo Finance

    Susquehanna Raises Price Target for Penn Entertainment Inc. (PENN)

    George Lopez is coming to Spokane – KXLY.com

    George Lopez is coming to Spokane – KXLY.com

    Netflix unveils Dallas immersive venue for fans of hit shows like ‘Squid Game,’ ‘Stranger Things’ – Houston Chronicle

    Step Inside Netflix’s New Dallas Immersive Experience Featuring Hits Like ‘Squid Game’ and ‘Stranger Things

    ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz’: Civic Players bring ‘Young Frankenstein’ to life – Yahoo

    Civic Players Deliver a Hilarious and Unforgettable Performance of ‘Young Frankenstein

    ‘Wheel of Fortune’: Amputee Wins $60,000 After Breaking Incredible ‘Curse’ – Hastings Tribune

    Wheel of Fortune’ Amputee Breaks Incredible ‘Curse’ to Win $60,000!

    North Star Sports & Entertainment Network: Coming soon – KTTC News

    North Star Sports & Entertainment Network: Coming soon – KTTC News

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Naples restaurant owner prepares for hurricane season with new flood technology – Fox4Now.com

    Naples restaurant owner prepares for hurricane season with new flood technology – Fox4Now.com

    Emerging Memory and Storage Technology Market Analysis Report 2025-2034 | AI and HPC Boom Fuels Surging Demand for Fast, Low-Power Memory Devices – Yahoo Finance

    How AI and HPC Are Driving Explosive Growth in Fast, Low-Power Memory Technologies Through 2034

    Ostin Technology (OST): Volatility’s Warning or Contrarian Opportunity? – AInvest

    Ostin Technology (OST): Navigating Market Volatility – Red Flag or Hidden Opportunity?

    St. Francis Medical Center brings advanced robotic surgery technology to Northeast Louisiana – KNOE

    St. Francis Medical Center brings advanced robotic surgery technology to Northeast Louisiana – KNOE

    Wayve Expands Engineering Leadership to Power Next-Gen Autonomous Driving Technology – Silicon Canals

    Wayve Boosts Engineering Leadership to Accelerate Next-Gen Autonomous Driving Innovation

    Frontdoor Announces Tech Expert Dr. Bala Ganesh as Chief Technology Officer – Business Wire

    Frontdoor Appoints Tech Visionary Dr. Bala Ganesh as New Chief Technology Officer

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Susquehanna Raises Penn Entertainment Inc. (PENN) Price Target. – Yahoo Finance

    Susquehanna Raises Price Target for Penn Entertainment Inc. (PENN)

    George Lopez is coming to Spokane – KXLY.com

    George Lopez is coming to Spokane – KXLY.com

    Netflix unveils Dallas immersive venue for fans of hit shows like ‘Squid Game,’ ‘Stranger Things’ – Houston Chronicle

    Step Inside Netflix’s New Dallas Immersive Experience Featuring Hits Like ‘Squid Game’ and ‘Stranger Things

    ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz’: Civic Players bring ‘Young Frankenstein’ to life – Yahoo

    Civic Players Deliver a Hilarious and Unforgettable Performance of ‘Young Frankenstein

    ‘Wheel of Fortune’: Amputee Wins $60,000 After Breaking Incredible ‘Curse’ – Hastings Tribune

    Wheel of Fortune’ Amputee Breaks Incredible ‘Curse’ to Win $60,000!

    North Star Sports & Entertainment Network: Coming soon – KTTC News

    North Star Sports & Entertainment Network: Coming soon – KTTC News

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Naples restaurant owner prepares for hurricane season with new flood technology – Fox4Now.com

    Naples restaurant owner prepares for hurricane season with new flood technology – Fox4Now.com

    Emerging Memory and Storage Technology Market Analysis Report 2025-2034 | AI and HPC Boom Fuels Surging Demand for Fast, Low-Power Memory Devices – Yahoo Finance

    How AI and HPC Are Driving Explosive Growth in Fast, Low-Power Memory Technologies Through 2034

    Ostin Technology (OST): Volatility’s Warning or Contrarian Opportunity? – AInvest

    Ostin Technology (OST): Navigating Market Volatility – Red Flag or Hidden Opportunity?

    St. Francis Medical Center brings advanced robotic surgery technology to Northeast Louisiana – KNOE

    St. Francis Medical Center brings advanced robotic surgery technology to Northeast Louisiana – KNOE

    Wayve Expands Engineering Leadership to Power Next-Gen Autonomous Driving Technology – Silicon Canals

    Wayve Boosts Engineering Leadership to Accelerate Next-Gen Autonomous Driving Innovation

    Frontdoor Announces Tech Expert Dr. Bala Ganesh as Chief Technology Officer – Business Wire

    Frontdoor Appoints Tech Visionary Dr. Bala Ganesh as New Chief Technology Officer

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home News

How Students in Seattle Got More School Counselors—Paid for by the City’s Wealthiest Corporations

January 20, 2024
in News
How Students in Seattle Got More School Counselors—Paid for by the City’s Wealthiest Corporations
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Activism

/
January 19, 2024

Local politicians said it couldn’t be done. The Seattle Times said it shouldn’t be done. The students stuck to their demands and proved them wrong.

Signage outside an Amazon Go storeSignage outside an Amazon Go store at the company headquarters in Seattle, Wash. (David Ryder / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Seattle, Wash.—Agnes Leapai, a social worker at Franklin High School, found out two of her students were living in a car some nights—so she booked them a motel. She regularly works to find food, clothes and pay bills for struggling families, including a lot of impoverished single mothers. “My work isn’t confined to the school,” she said. Every Friday during the last school year she worked a shift at her school from 8 am to 4 pm and then at a homeless shelter from 8 pm to 8 am on Saturday mornings. She sees some of her students at the shelter. For Thanksgiving, she found 20 turkeys for homeless students.

Agnes is one of the many Seattle Public School social workers and counselors who provide vital support to thousands of students every year. But she and her colleagues are stretched to the breaking point. Students in Seattle schools, like students everywhere in the United States, struggle with mental health issues and the stresses of teenage life that multiply when your housing, food, and social supports are unstable. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among teenagers and young adults in the United States, and nearly one in five high school students reports serious thoughts of suicide, according to a University of Caliornia–Los Angeles publication.

The system is failing students, and social workers like Agnes. Too many politicians and school administrators have thrown their hands up, saying there’s little that can be done to change things.

But this year, a group of students in the Seattle Student Union proved them wrong. Composed of middle and high school students from across the city, the Seattle Student Union formed two years ago to fight for the needs of students. We began by winning N95 masks for all students and school staff in Seattle at the height of the pandemic. Then, after a school shooting at Ingraham High School in north Seattle a year ago, we mobilized thousands of students to walk out of school and rally at Seattle City Hall. Just after that, we won $4.5 million in new city funding for school counselors.

Current Issue

Cover of January 2024 Issue

This November we demanded $20 million—a whole lot more money. We also demanded that the money come from a tax on the biggest businesses in the city. As a result, we got a lot of negative attention from Amazon, headquartered in Seattle and one of the largest companies in the world.

“I support your demand, but you’re never going to win,” the Seattle City Council’s budget chair told us. The Seattle Times editorial board criticized us, as did the local chamber of commerce.

Some students said the same thing: “It’s not going to happen, not this year.”

“We need to try,” we said. And so we did. We organized thousands of students, first to sign a petition. Next, hundreds e-mailed the Seattle City Council. The most committed students showed up at city hall and waited hours to testify.

We had one ally on the city council who unwaveringly took up our fight. The $20 million budget amendment was introduced by city councillor Kshama Sawant—a socialist who’s proven over and over again to be a strong ally of the Seattle Student Union. She provided us with advice on how to mobilize students and counselors, and she opened up her office so we could make rally signs and get ready for the public hearing.

At the final public hearing on the 2024 city budget, students and counselors united in our demand for an additional $20 million. I held up a sign reading “Kids are killing themselves while Bezos hoards his wealth,” and C. Maker-Witucki, another high school student, warned the council members that “if you know anything about teenagers you know that we are good at holding grudges, and if you turn your backs on us we will remember it.” The city council members heard the message loud and clear. Our movement won.

Our amendment to increase the “Amazon Tax” by $20 million to fund more public school counselor and mental health positions passed, 5 to 4.

In the coming years, these funds will help provide crucial support to school students. It will save lives. And even better, this $20 million in funding came not from taking money from other vital city programs, but by increasing a tax on Amazon and the wealthiest businesses in Seattle.

Ad Policy

Thanks to the “Amazon tax” the city estimates it will fund between 130 and 160 new staff members next school year. My own school, like most in Seattle, currently has just 1 therapist for 1,300 students. Next year, that ratio will decrease to one for every 400 students. Meanwhile, counselor ratios will decrease from as much as one for every 400 students to one for every 250 students in all high schools to finally meet American School Counselor Association and ACLU recommendations. Agnes and her fellow counselors will be able to do their jobs without being so overwhelmed, and more students will get the help they need.

Our experience shows that we should never accept that we can’t win something because it’s never been done before, because it’s ambitious, or because the politicians wouldn’t support us. We made a bold demand. We pressured the politicians by mobilizing students and counselors throughout the district. We showed them that we were not going to give up and, in the end, we won.

Natalya McConnell

Natalya McConnell is a high school senior and a cofounder of the Seattle Student Union.

More from The Nation

Steve Brodner

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : The Nation – https://www.thenation.com/article/activism/seattle-student-union-amazon-tax/

Tags: newsSeattleStudents
Previous Post

Trump Isn’t on Nevada’s Primary Ballot. He May Still Win the Caucus.

Next Post

The Surprise Hit Movie of the Winter Is a Terrible Omen for the Future

‘Half the tree of life’: ecologists’ horror as nature reserves are emptied of insects – The Guardian

Half the Tree of Life at Risk: Ecologists Warn as Insect Populations Plummet in Nature Reserves

June 29, 2025
Health, science cuts affect future jobs – The Acorn

Health, science cuts affect future jobs – The Acorn

June 29, 2025
Why Some People Have Absolutely No Sense Of Direction, According To Science – YourTango

Why Do Some People Struggle with Direction? The Surprising Science of Getting Lost

June 29, 2025
Cardiologist shares how stress and modern lifestyle are raising heart risks in 30s and 40s: ‘Don’t wait for chest pain’ | Health – Hindustan Times – Hindustan Times

Cardiologist shares how stress and modern lifestyle are raising heart risks in 30s and 40s: ‘Don’t wait for chest pain’ | Health – Hindustan Times – Hindustan Times

June 29, 2025
79-year old man competing in his 16th World Police and Fire Games – WVTM

79-year old man competing in his 16th World Police and Fire Games – WVTM

June 29, 2025
The Economy Is So Off the Rails That They’re Trying to Figure Out How to Make Ads Specifically Targeted at AI Bots – Futurism

The Economy Is So Off the Rails That They’re Trying to Figure Out How to Make Ads Specifically Targeted at AI Bots – Futurism

June 29, 2025

WATCH: Health Secretary RFK Jr. Faces Intense Questioning on Vaccine Policy and Transparency in House Hearing

June 29, 2025
Jimmy Patronis hails House passage of bill benefitting military, veterans – Florida Politics

Jimmy Patronis Cheers House Approval of Landmark Bill Backing Military and Veterans

June 29, 2025
Naples restaurant owner prepares for hurricane season with new flood technology – Fox4Now.com

Naples restaurant owner prepares for hurricane season with new flood technology – Fox4Now.com

June 29, 2025
Fireworks sales support Folsom youth sports: ‘This is our biggest fundraiser’ – Sacramento Bee

Fireworks Sales Ignite Support for Folsom Youth Sports: “This Is Our Biggest Fundraiser

June 29, 2025

Categories

Archives

June 2025
MTWTFSS
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
30 
« May    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (700)
  • Economy (723)
  • Entertainment (21,613)
  • General (15,619)
  • Health (9,762)
  • Lifestyle (728)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (724)
  • Politics (729)
  • Science (15,940)
  • Sports (21,219)
  • Technology (15,707)
  • World (703)

Recent News

‘Half the tree of life’: ecologists’ horror as nature reserves are emptied of insects – The Guardian

Half the Tree of Life at Risk: Ecologists Warn as Insect Populations Plummet in Nature Reserves

June 29, 2025
Health, science cuts affect future jobs – The Acorn

Health, science cuts affect future jobs – The Acorn

June 29, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version