Puget Sound Educational Service District

10/11/2026

It's LGBTQ+ History Month, which celebrates the history, achievements, and civil rights movements of le***an, gay, bisexual, transgender, and q***r people. Today also marks the celebration of National Coming Out Day!

10/09/2026

Hip, hip, hooray! Congratulations to Lisa Merlin (Seattle Public Schools) and Flor Rivera Lopez (Auburn School District #408), and thank you for all you do for students in our region. Congrats also to every Teacher of the Year and Regional Classified School Employee of the Year honoree and nominee across the state. Your care and dedication make our schools stronger.

10/09/2026

When we break the silence around mental illness, our experiences help to shape new conversations, new treatments, and new hope. Celebrate Mental Illness Awareness Week by exploring resources from NAMI.

https://buff.ly/vp8tPve

10/09/2026

You're invited to join us here at PSESD for “The Open Door,” a free learning session for superintendents, central office leaders, principals, counselors, teachers, and students. Bring a team!

The Gates Foundation Washington State Initiative Team and The Scholar First launched the Education Roundtable in Washington state in fall 2023, and now they want to share what they’ve learned.

All attendees will receive The Open Door, a compendium of three years of Roundtable learning, featuring:

• The data, our common definition of post-secondary success, and four findings that held true.
• Considerations and 90-day actions by role, for district, school, and classroom.
• Key research articles and protocols to use in your district.
• An annotated resource library of the data and tools we studied.
• New videos of college students and parents on what worked and what didn’t.
• A plain-language edition for students and families.

Details at a Glance:

Date: October 23, 2026
Location: PSESD (800 Oakesdale Ave. SW, Renton)
Time: 8:30–11:30 a.m.
Doors Open: 8:15 a.m.
Cost: Free, breakfast will be provided.

Learn more at https://buff.ly/c6sJnUn

10/06/2026

"DiscoverWorks helps my students, particularly my students [whose] first language is Spanish, in the areas of reading, writing, and math by providing the supplies and activities and allowing them to really just open up and feel comfortable."

Gabriela, a language teacher at Sunnyside School District, shared that programs like DiscoverWorks provide English language learners the time to slow down and explore language in ways they aren't able to during the school year.

☀️ Learn more about DiscoverWorks at discoverworkswa.org

Puget Sound Educational Service District Educational Service District 105

10/06/2026

For those who dream of the stars, the Future in Flight Expo wants to give high school students a front-row seat to careers in aerospace and advanced manufacturing in South King County on October 29, 2026 (10 a.m.–2 p.m.) at the accesso ShoWare Center (625 W. James St., Kent, WA 98032).

From space tech and robotics to high-performance manufacturing, the Future in Flight Expo will connect students with innovative, high-paying, high-demand local career paths as educators and students explore the exciting possibilities of the aerospace world. Whether students (including Running Start students) are hands-on learners, math and science standouts, or still figuring out what’s next, they’ll leave with fresh insight and inspiration to explore opportunities they may not have imagined before. Event highlights include interactive exhibits, meetings with early-career professionals, and the chance to learn more about college pathways to begin careers in the industry.

Learn more by watching the student/teacher video at https://buff.ly/YLXVadz or register now at https://buff.ly/gxe3xIg.

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Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

10/06/2026

Every student deserves to be heard. If you're concerned about a young person in your life, 988 is a safe place for them to turn. A skilled, caring counselor will listen without judgment and help them through whatever they're facing. Call, text, or chat — anytime.

10/05/2026

Call for presenters: AI Innovation Summit! We don’t just want you to attend, we want to learn from you.

Hosted by the K-12 AI Collaborative, a partnership of statewide education associations that includes AESD and Washington’s nine ESDs, the Summit brings together educators and education leaders from across the state to learn, share, and explore practical applications of AI in K-12 education.

December 8: Lynnwood
December 10: Spokane

We’re currently seeking presenters from across Washington to share practical applications, emerging practices, lessons learned, and real-world experiences with AI. Your work doesn’t have to be perfectly polished to be valuable. If you’ve learned something that could help another educator or education leader, we encourage you to submit a proposal.

Submit a presenter proposal by October 15.
https://buff.ly/CeYACPm

10/02/2026

PSESD representatives recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with our federal legislators and share the value of education for students and families in our region.

Chris and Rebecca, two of our early learning parent policy representatives, shared their stories and highlighted challenges with proposed Head Start rulemaking. Potential changes to Head Start, E-Rate, and Title funding are statewide concerns — Jessica from The Association of Educational Service Districts (AESD), Erin from ESD 113, and Trisha from North Central Educational Service District (NCESD) joined us for the legislator visits.

Thanks to the Association of Educational Service Agencies (AESA) for hosting the Advocacy Conference that brought us together for this work, and to our legislators and their staffers for meeting with us: Senator Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell and representatives Pramila Jayapal, Suzan DelBene, Adam Smith, Marilyn Strickland, and Kim Schrier!

Learn more about the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Head Start: https://buff.ly/TfoLq5v








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10/02/2026

King County needs your input! Best Starts for Kids is a King County voter-approved initiative that supports every baby born or child raised in King County to reach adulthood happy, healthy, safe, and thriving. Now they'd like your feedback on their Community Feedback Survey.

By answering just 5 brief questions, your feedback will help to inform the King County Executive’s priorities for supporting kids, youth, and families.

If you are a parent or caregiver, please answer the survey questions with your own kid(s) in mind. Otherwise, please give your answers based on the kids in your community.

The survey is available in 12 languages, including English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Russian, and more. It closes October 15, 2026, at 11:59 pm. Thanks for taking part!

https://buff.ly/QlfUTkP

English Af Soomaali Español Português Русский Tiếng Việt Українська አማርኛ دری پښتو 简体中文 繁體中文 Best Starts for Kids is a King County voter-approved initiative that supports every baby born or child raised in King County to reach adulthood happy heal...