Respectfully, I acknowledge the Puget Sound Salish People, who are the the rightful stewards of this land that encompasses the entire Highline School District.

My name is Michael T. Lewis and humbly I am asking for your vote for the District 1 Board Director position. The Highline community deserves a board director who will listen to all stakeholders to help guide decision-making. Our students deserve a director who, as an experienced educator of 28 years, understands the needs of the classroom. Our district deserves a leader who builds relationships with local businesses, our community, and our families—a leader who has the knowledge to set the district on a successful course forward. I am that leader. 

A current teacher in Kent, I have also worked in fnancial aid, mentoring, and I am a staunch champion for public education. I value solutions that help our students and community, as well as celebrate their successes. I have a vision for the Highline Community and pledge that I will serve the diverse young people of our community. I would like to make this vision a reality as I look forward to representing you and our students. Thank you for your vote.

Highline deserves a leader who is deeply engaged in the community and committed to ensuring the voices of our families, students and educators are heard. A leader who will make sure that our students receive the education they deserve and access to the resources needed to make that a reality. A leader who will advocate for educators to receive the support they need to ensure success.

I have been a parent and active volunteer in Highline School District for nine years.  I sit on the Highline School District's Family Action Committee and the White Center Heights Dual Language Task Force. I often volunteer my time at school events and field trips and am actively involved in the SPEB (Supporting Partnerships in Education and Beyond) organization which advocates for communities of color in education. 

Working as a social worker for the LEAD program in Burien and White Center, I see the long-term effects that the lack of equity has on disparaged communities. Our children deserve equitable resources, facilities, and support.

I work daily to mitigate the systemic barriers faced by marginalized communities and it is my intention to bring the same dedication and vision to ensure the success of Highline’s students.

Highline students deserve better!  Our district is ranked in the lowest 20% of Washington State, and I intend to help Highline prioritize academics and vocational programs so that we can truly prepare students for the future they choose. I have seen firsthand how the district is failing its students, so I will fight for sound policy and fair administration, not politics. 

Drawing on my 35 years of experience as a small business owner, I know what local employment skills are needed, so I will bring a fresh perspective to the Board. As a parent and long-time youth volunteer, I also understand the importance of a quality curriculum and diverse activities to help kids thrive and grow. 

I intend to nurture civically competent, functional, independent, safe and literate students, so I will focus on the following areas:  First, return to academics and robust vocational options. Second, allow parents to participate fully in their children’s upbringing. Third, create achievable and measurable HPS goals. 

It’s time for Highline Schools to support students, families and teachers so we can create the productive, cooperative community we all wish to experience.  I ask for your vote.

I have served as a community organizer for more than 30 years.  Working with many families with diverse backgrounds and unique structural complexities.

We recognize the emotional and psychological fragility of our youth.  We understand the unique nuances that marginalized communities experience and acknowledge the efforts through enacted programs to address these challenges.

We must re-invest trust in the nuclear family, recognize their obligations to themselves and extol their virtues to society. We must ensure the benefits that the community receives from the nuclear family are not stripped from them. 

We believe that whatever programs are instituted for the mental and emotional wellbeing of our students necessarily involves moving away from centralized government experiments to principals of governance that empower the family.  We shall affect these changes in cooperation with other school board members. With uncommon insight and understanding of very specific directions for immediate policies and curriculum changes. Our future demands that we move away from enacting social ideas that are counter-intuitive at its core and sacrifice the minds of our children. To purely educating our students with the fundamentals that prepare them to compete in the marketplace, and further strengthen, support, and hold accountable the traditional family.