A candidate who cares about all children

As a parent and professional Social Worker I am excited to vote for Scott Clifthorne for the Olympia School Board and I want to encourage you to do the same.

Scott has volunteered in our community as a youth soccer coach, on a city advisory board, and in our public schools.

A challenge that I’ve faced both personally and professionally has been the lack of shared analysis, professional development, and implementation of liberating spaces and curricula for transgender youth district-wide.

I know that Scott will work to ensure that students of all gender identities and expressions feel safe and supported at school. Scott’s commitment to solidarity, transparency and community engagement, as well as his willingness to facilitate hard conversations with all stakeholders, is the kind of bold leadership our District needs.

It is time that allies utilize their agency to decrease barriers to those youth whose experiences are systematically denied and dismissed: youth of color, LGBTQIA youth, youth with disabilities, those impacted by poverty, and all of the intersections therin. I trust that Scott Clifthorne will do his utmost to center these youth and their families and this is why I will be voting for Scott Clifthorne for The Olympia School Board.

This story was originally published July 22, 2017 at 5:16 PM with the headline "A candidate who cares about all children."