Candidates running for King County Executive, Seattle Mayor, Seattle City Council and Seattle School Board of Directors shared their ‘two sentence take’ on the most pressing problem and solution in public education.
Public education is a public good, and Seattle’s future depends on how we invest in our students and schools today. This 2025 General Election is a pivotal opportunity to make your voice heard on the ballot with candidates running for King County Executive, Seattle Mayor, Seattle City Council, Seattle School Board of Directors and the renewal of the Families, Education, Preschool and Promise (FEPP) levy.
As part of our commitment to elevating community voices and connecting people to power in support of educational justice, we asked local candidates at the Seattle Education Forum to share their two-sentence take on the most pressing issue in public education and the solution they believe can move Seattle’s students and schools forward. In two (albeit, long) sentences, they responded below.
Be sure to have your ballot postmarked in the mail before USPS closes or return it before 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 4, 2025 to a King County Elections drop box to have your vote count!
Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors Candidates
Sarah Clark, Seattle School Board, District 2 (incumbent): Director Clark was unable to attend the Seattle Education Forum and did not provide a statement.
Kathleen Smith, Seattle School Board, District 2: “The single most pressing issue in education is the devaluation of the teaching profession. If elected, I would prioritize money in the budget being spent on face to face learning in our schools, work on developing robust pipelines for educators to receive training and develop lifelong careers, and advocate for good faith bargaining with the educators union.”
Joe Mizrahi, Seattle School Board, District 4 (incumbent): “The most pressing issue in education is addressing the persistent opportunity gap caused by systemic inequities in an environment of shrinking resources. I would solve this by stabilizing the budget and devoting significantly more resources in the most targeted way to shrink this gap.”
Laura Marie Rivera, Seattle School Board, District 4: “The most pressing issue in education is the widening gap between what students need and what our systems provide. We must rebuild trust and funding in public education, empower educators and families to shape solutions, and ensure every student feels safe, seen, and supported, with particular care to those students furthest from educational justice.”
Vivian Song, Seattle School Board, District 5: “One of the most pressing issues in education is the growing disconnect between student needs and the way we fund and operate our schools. Too often, districts are forced to make short-term cuts rather than long-term investments that improve student outcomes. I seek to use my skills and experience as a finance professional and former school board director to align SPS’s budget with academic goals—using transparent data, equitable resource allocation strategies, and a community driven process—to ensure every dollar moves us closer to helping all students thrive.”
Janis White, Seattle School Board, District 5: “The most pressing need in education is our failure to center student needs in our system of delivering education, especially the needs of marginalized students who are often overlooked. There is not a one sentence solution to this very entrenched systemic problem but to start, school leaders, including school board directors, need to always be asking whether we have done enough to consider student needs and need to reflect on whether each decision is responsive to student needs and will improve student outcomes.”
Jen LaVallee, Seattle School Board, District 7: “As a district, we’ve experienced significant losses in both enrollment and community trust during and after the pandemic. To move forward, we must be present and engaged in our community, and commit to transparency in order to grow our district and address our budget shortfall.”
Carol Rava, Seattle School Board, District 7: “The most pressing issue facing Seattle Public Schools right now is a loss of confidence in the district’s ability to offer academic excellence in every school for every student and to keep every student safe. These are complicated issues, but academic excellence starts with a commitment to providing the challenge and support every student needs, and safety starts with tracking the data of what interventions are working and reinvesting in those that do.”
Seattle City Council Candidates
Adonis Ducksworth, Seattle City Council, District 2 (special election): “Seattle Public Schools continue to fail our students of color. The solution is for the City of Seattle to support SPS in improving their governance and management systems so that quality educators and administrators can effectively run their schools and classrooms.”
Eddie Lin, Seattle City Council, District 2 (special election): “Students in Seattle Public Schools are struggling, especially with their mental, social, and emotional well-being. If elected, I look forward to partnering closely with the School Board and South Seattle students, families, and educators to align wraparound services, mental health counselors, and other programs funded by the FEPP levy to create a safe, nurturing environment in which every student feels welcome and a sense of belonging and community and can develop a lifelong love of learning.”
Alexis Mercedes Rinck, Seattle City Council, Position 8 (incumbent): “The most pressing issue is the opportunity gap created by unequal funding, which leaves our schools without adequate support for students who need it most. My solution is to dramatically increase investment in these schools—smaller class sizes, wraparound services like mental health support and nutrition programs, and competitive teacher salaries—funded through progressive revenue measures that ask wealthy residents and corporations to pay their fair share.”
Rachael Savage, Seattle City Council, Position 8: Rachael declined to attend the Seattle Education Forum and did not provide a statement.
Dionne Foster, Seattle City Council, Position 9: “I see a number of pressing issues in our schools – insufficient support for special education, cuts to critical school staff, and increasing class sizes – all of these issues stem from the lack of full funding for education in Washington State. I was proud to help pass and protect Washington’s Capital Gains tax that invests millions of dollars in education and school construction, and I will work on Council to continue fighting for progressive revenue sources that generate more funding to maintain and expand our educational funding.”
Sara Nelson, Seattle City Council, Position 9 (incumbent): “As a Councilmember, my job is to focus on the outcomes of spending decisions; when it comes to education, SPS is spending more and more money but test scores indicate that students are falling further and further behind average grade-level performance. This is a major failure of accountability and, more gravely, a failure of our students’ learning and futures.”
City of Seattle Mayoral Candidates
Bruce Harrell, Seattle Mayor (incumbent): “Mayor Bruce Harrell is a product of Seattle Public Schools. Bruce was born and raised a few blocks from 23rd and Union, walked to T.T. Minor Elementary and Meany Middle school, and graduated from Garfield High School as valedictorian. Threats of funding cuts and attack on education from the Trump administration, combined with Seattle Public Schools budget shortfall, are the most pressing challenges facing our education system. These financial strains directly impact the quality of education our students can access. As Mayor, I proposed a $1.3 billion initiative, the Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise Levy Renewal, which will invest in youth mental health programs, provide two years of college for Seattle Public Schools graduates, double the number of affordable childcare slots, and add 600 new preschool spots to our City program. This comprehensive investment supports our youth from cradle to career, ensuring a brighter future for our next generations.”
Katie Wilson, Seattle Mayor: “The most pressing issue our schools face is the need to regain trust among families. This means fully funding our schools and making sure that our state, city, county, and district officials are working together in the service of and in collaboration with community.”
King County Executive Candidates
Claudia Balducci, King County Executive: “As a mom of a recent high school graduate, Claudia believes the most important issue for schools that King County government should address is student mental health. Claudia was proud to initiate a city-school partnership that provided student access to health care, family supports and after-school programming and would seek to expand such partnerships as King County Executive, including funding the placement of mental health counselors in schools.”
Girmay Zahilay, King County Executive: “The most pressing issue in education is inequity that leaves too many students without the resources and support they need to thrive. As King County Executive, Girmay will invest in early learning, mental health services, and wraparound services so every child has a real chance to succeed.” Councilmember Zahilay was unable to attend the Seattle Education Forum, but provided a surrogate and statement.