Tacoma, WA – Community leader and education stalwart Bill Hanawalt announced his campaign today for Tacoma School Board Position #5. The seat is currently held by Elizabeth Bonbright.
“There is nothing more impactful and important than our public schools in the daily lives of Tacoma children and families. I am resolute in my conviction that while significant progress has been made in Tacoma, much more can be done to support the learning and growth of students and to center the voices of families in the education of their children.”
Bill has been invested in the local community for several years: first, through his involvement with Peace Lutheran Church, and then as the initial Executive Director of Peace Community Center, a non-profit partnering with Tacoma School District to support the academic and holistic development of Hilltop children, youth and families. Bill started at Peace Community Center as a volunteer and grew the organization to be recognized as a community-wide leader in out-of- school time supports for students, culminating in Bill’s recognition as a White House Champion of Change in 2016. Now Bill works for Degrees of Change, an organization committed to the development of diverse homegrown leaders through college completion and career development programming.
Hanawalt outlined his platform for his school board race:
- Prioritize the partnership between families, teachers, and schools.
- Strengthen the education outcomes of our students to ensure that a high school diploma prepares graduates for meaningful education or employment after graduation.
- Increase transparency in decision making at the board level.
Bill is from a family that has been active in Western Washington-area public schools for generations: Bill’s great-grandfather, Paul Hanawalt, spent his entire career as a public educator in Puyallup, where he served as a teacher, principal and superintendent. His grandfather, Frank Hanawalt, was a teacher, principal and administrator for Seattle Public Schools, and his mom, Dianne, spent her career as an elementary school teacher. Today, Bill is married to Kathy, a career-long public high school teacher who currently teaches at Lincoln High School.
Bill lives in the Hilltop neighborhood with his family.
www.electbillhanawalt.com
