CRSJ News – April 2026
Educators, you’re not alone if you have been so busy and barely had a moment to yourself since returning from the mid-winter break 5 weeks ago yet feels like it was a lifetime. Time does fly, we now have three months left to educate, communicate, organize, mobilize, legislate, and litigate alongside our students to ensure they successfully get over the finish line in school. We will need to be ready to come together to elect/vote a new contract with Seattle schools. Ready to learn what’s happening at Seattle Education Association.
It’s interesting that the month of April is recognized as Minority mental health as the state of our being as a people is daily being traumatized or retraumatized by all the negativity and toxicity in our world right now in 2026.
Coming off Women’s History Month, a time when women fully represented the education workforce, while men were assigned to war and physical work. April kicks off with Washington Education Association birthday. (History | Washington Education Association) Where history will show how we united on a common cause to support students. This Looking over the history of us as a union have made some really great accomplishments after the early history of education here in Seattle. How white parents stopped school integration
This month’s issue:
- April 9:29 representative assembly topic
- SEA CRSJ Len Hill Educator Grants
- Professional Learning
- Local Community & Labor Engagements
- Upcoming calendar events
CRSJ Advisory: Director Elizabeth Ward-Robertson, Cert Nigal Farr, Cert Matt Legacki, Cert Lindsey States, SEA VP Davina Diaz, Para Alisha Quinones, SAEOP Charnjit Dhoot, UniServ Director Uti Hawkins
Monthly SEA Representative Assembly (RA): All members are welcome to attend. We hold space aside to uplift the voices of our BIPOC represented educators during the 9:29 reflect on the George Floyd uprising in April 2021. Your CRSJ advisory team wants to ensure all members who are Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and who culturally and historically come into this space via family lineage, ancestry homelands, or our ethnicity affiliation to speak out into the space.
April topic: NEA Strategic Framework & Leadership Competency
I hope to see you there!
SEA CRSJ Len Hill Leader & Advocacy Grants
Len Hill Advocacy Grants for Racial Equity Teams (RET’s) led by SEA members can apply for $500, $750, or $1500 to fund racial equity work in their SPS school building/programs. – funds are available until end of April 2026.
Bargaining, Bargaining!
Seattle educators will be going to the bargaining table soon. I want to encourage you to stay connected to the updates in your persona email that is on file. If you do not see any update, check your spam or contact the SEA office to confirm your membership information. Membership matters and your voice in this union should not be silent. Come to Wing Luke Elementary April 21st for union representative assembly.
Professional Learning
Local Community & Labor Engagements
About FNTI — Future Native Teachers Initiative
BLM Latinx by Joaquin Rodriguez & RBHS/FHS Latinx Club Members – Details – Kahoot!
City of Seattle Racial Social Justice Institute/conference
Status report on pro-worker legislation — The STAND
National Indian Education Association
Labor History Nights – Roosevelt High School
Roosevelt High School is hosting Labor History Nights, an evening series (7:00–8:30 p.m.) held monthly and open to staff, students, families, and community members. Drawing on the work of the UW Civil Rights & Labor History Consortium, the series explores Seattle’s labor and civil rights history through guest speakers, short films, and facilitated dialogue. The series is being developed in collaboration with SEA members and the Roosevelt Racial Equity Team. Next meeting April 23.
Online Resources for Self-Learning
“Our Diversity Makes Us Stronger” has been selected by the California Teachers Association (CTA) as a California Reads 2024-2025 Recommended Book! By Elizabeth Cole
Social Justice at Storytime: Promoting Inclusive Children’s Programs By Shannon Adams
Rethinking Schools – Rethinking Sexism, Gender, and Sexuality
Rethinking Schools – Teaching Palestine
Rethinking Schools – Past Issues
Upcoming Events
- National Minority Health Month
- April 25-26: Pan-African Week
- April 27: Seattle EA Ethnic Minority Affairs @ MLK Elementary
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