This month is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month, celebrated to honor the 1969 Stonewall riots, and to achieve equal opportunity for LGBT individuals. It is a time for coming together via a variety of means to support civil rights, awareness, and celebration of those who have paved the way for the LGBT community over the years. There are lots of ways to get involved, from joining a parade near you or participating in the It Gets Better Project and pledging to speak up against intolerance.

Welcome Note

Dear Literacy Source Community, The last few years have been unique, challenging, and rewarding as we have navigated leadership changes, a new Co-ED model, and a global pandemic. Now that we are over two years into the pandemic and almost two years of co-leadership, we are ready to create a three-year strategic plan. We want a plan that will help guide our decisions moving forward, focus us, and help us be the best organization we can be. We have brought together the board and staff for a retreat, just completed focus group discussions with our students, and we will also be sending out a survey to our volunteers next week to get input. Here are the three parts to our strategic plan: Creating a new pay philosophy: With the rising cost of inflation, low nonprofit salaries, and huge expenses to live in Seattle, we will work towards higher pay, and more equitable pay, for our staff. There will be much more to come around this topic. Developing a plan to move our office is our second big priority. The Lake City building we are currently in is being sold for redevelopment with the hope that Literacy Source will still be part of the new complex once built. The redevelopment will begin in December 2023 or December 2024, depending on the developers getting funding. The developers will demolish the existing structure and build affordable housing, with space on the main floor for nonprofits/commercial use. Continuing healthy program operations. We look forward to continued conversations with all of you as we work towards our mission of partnering with adults working to gain skills and education to create new opportunities for themselves, their families, and the community. In community,

Cat Howell  Co-ED, Educational Director

Shira Rosen  Co-ED, Managing Director

Perspectives on Pay Equity

One important part of our strategic plan that has been discussed both as a staff and together with our board at our board/staff retreat this year is pay equity. We aim to prioritize transparency and offering a competitive and livable wage in a city as expensive as Seattle. We've been exploring amongst our team different perspectives and philosophies on pay, recognizing that different groups experience wage discrimination, which may indicate a systemic problem: As this article, "Pay Equity: Performative or Palpable?" highlights: "Women make an average of 82% of what men earn. But the pay gap widens when you consider factors like race. Also be aware that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) get paid as little as 60 cents for every dollar that a white man makes.” The development of salary bands, transparency in job postings, non-negotiation policies, and paying women and BIPOC individuals more are just a few of the ideas they offer for creating palpable changes in pay systems. We recognize that the topic of pay equity is complicated: for example, the uncontrolled vs controlled pay gap, which accounts for differences in job titles, work experience, industry, and location, amongst other factors. We also recognize that our budget is limited, and that a move to increase wages for our staff will require creative and collaborative methods to ensure that we have the support to do that. But in the same way that we strive to create equal access - and a livable wage - for our students in the face of system injustices, why wouldn't we also do the same for our employees?

Juneteenth

"The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free." ~General Gordon Granger reading General Orders #3 in 1865 As many of you know, Juneteenth honors the end of slavery and marks the longest-running African American holiday. In 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, the above General Orders #3 signaled the freedom of Texas's 250,000 enslaved people. The following year, freedmen in Texas organized the first annual celebration of Juneteenth, which at the time was called "Jubilee Day" on June 19th. Last year, it officially became a federal holiday in America when President Biden signed it into law. This is the first year that Literacy Source staff will celebrate the federal holiday with the day off, and we see this as one of many steps we are taking, outlined in our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion plan, in ensuring our organization, from our personnel policy to our communications to our advocacy, intentionally strives to create a more inclusive and equitable community both within Literacy Source and in society as a whole.

Staff Goodbye

So long, Lisa! We are so going to miss Lisa Chanthavisay-Greenfield, an amazing instructor at Literacy Source, who now lives in Tacoma and is looking for work closer to home. We’re very sorry to have her go – she’s taught pretty much every level of ESOL from a community-based multi-level ESOL class with partners in Seatac, Ready to Work, and all levels of ESOL offered in our Lake City Center. She is an amazing teacher, both on-line and in-person and has been a wonderful resource for digital skills instruction and support especially through the chaotic period of moving to on-line instruction and learning to do it well. She's constantly been an innovator in implementing best instructional practices in online - and now hybrid - instruction. She’s also great at curriculum development and organization, and really practices continual reflection and development in her classes, both for herself and her students. She's just amazing and we're going to miss her a lot, but all her future students will surely benefit! Here are some words from Lisa about her experience with Literacy Source: In the almost 5 years I've been with Literacy Source, I've had the immense pleasure of teaching in the majority of the classes and programs we offer. In every situation, the people that make up this organization have been the most incredible team to be on: from the staff and board to the community partners, and (most importantly) the amazing students who've chosen to partner with us in their education journeys. I can't begin to express my gratitude for the opportunities I've had at Literacy Source. I am positive that I've learned so much more than I've taught. It's with a bittersweet heart that I step down from my role at LS in order to take a beat to recharge (and hit some trails!) and look for ways to serve my community here in Tacoma. It's been such a joy and honor to be part of this team. This isn't 'goodbye,' it's 'see you around!'  Lisa, we wish you the best of luck and can't wait to see what your future holds!

Mahamed Anwar Mohamud Community Scholarship

Anisa, a former student and board member at Literacy Source, has set up a scholarship in her son Mahamed's memory. Please pass on the word and donate if you are able at this time. Anisa wrote: We are excited to announce a new scholarship for Lincoln High School seniors in celebration of the life of Mahamed Anwar Mohamud, Class of 2024. Mahamed was a person who radiated joy. He was a kind and gentle human being who loved reading and learning for the sake of learning. He was thoughtful, dedicated, compassionate, and authentic; a self-assured and inclusive collaborator and partner to his classmates, and a faith-focused and values-driven friend to those around him. This commemoration scholarship will be awarded annually to a student who has consistently demonstrated the values that Mahamed embodied, as well as a commitment to building and supporting their community through actions that demonstrate love, support, and caring for others. To give to the Mahamed Anwar Mohamud Community Scholarship (Alliance 4 Education fund 01520), follow this link.

Now Hiring

Literacy Source is hiring for some instructional positions:  ESOL, Citizenship, or Ready to Work ESOL Instructional Advisor Part-time and Full-time, we're interviewing now! AmeriCorps Service Members.  Full-time starting on September 1st. ESOL/Citizenship or Adult Basic Education Instructors/Program Assistants.  More information and job descriptions on our website.

Literacy Source is on the traditional lands of the Duwamish people, and we pay our respect to elders both past and present. To support the revival of Duwamish culture and the vitality of the Duwamish Tribe, please consider signing this petition to federally recognize them, or consider making a donation to Real Rent Duwamish.