A bilingual classroom at Scenic Hill Elementary, in the Kent School District. (Photo courtesy OneAmerica)

Why teachers must reflect student diversity

A new pilot program in South King County will fast track bilingual educators from diverse backgrounds to the front of classrooms filled with immigrants and youth of color.
Sep 26, 2014

Legislative wins for Washington immigrants and youth

This legislative session made Roxana Norouzi realize how although politics can seem very inaccessible, we have the power to make change.
Mar 14, 2014
(Photo courtesy One America)

Back to school, with new credits for bilingual students

King County school districts are stepping up and recognizing that immigrant students’ native language skills are a benefit, not a burden.
Sep 10, 2013

Why we travel: Finding the feeling of home in Cambodia

Join the Seattle Globalist tonight at Black Coffee Co-Op for a slideshow and stories of travel in Southeast Asia. Details here.
Feb 27, 2013

No on I-1240: Why charter schools aren’t the answer

Unless you are immersed in the education world, your exposure to charter schools might be limited to the 2010 documentary Waiting for Superman. But with Initiative 1240 on the Washington ballot this year, you’re being asked to make a major decision regarding our education system with little information other than the ample evidence that our […]
Nov 1, 2012

Is Obama’s immigration policy shift really a DREAM come true?

When I first saw the email alert, “Obama offers immunity to younger immigrants,” I could hardly believe it was true. President Obama had signed an executive order that was a modified version of the DREAM Act, vowing to not deport undocumented youth under 30, and giving them the opportunity to temporarily work in the U.S. legally. The […]
Jun 26, 2012

As war rages on, a message from inside Syria

I was staying at a beachfront hotel in Zanzibar, Tanzania when I saw the first images of the unrest in Syria on TV. I watched footage of Syrians in the southern city of Deraa brazenly burning the pictures of President Bashar al-Assad that once lined every street, store, restaurant, and home. I was glued to the news, watching the […]
Jun 11, 2012

Beyond the matzo: Finding a global meaning in Passover

When I was growing up, Passover was the holiday where I sat around a table with my family reading the story of our distant ancestors, eating strange food combinations like raw horseradish, herbs dipped in vinegar, and chanting prayers that always seemed too long. It was the week I reluctantly had to explain to all […]
Apr 6, 2012

As tensions mount between Iran and Israel, an Iranian Jew is asked to pick a side

“So are you on team Iran or Israel?” A few days ago I walked into a coffee shop to meet my friend and that was the first thing she asked me. A quick Google search revealed the headlines like “Iran Says Preemptive Strike on Israel Possible” “Israel Threatens to Strike Iran’s Nuclear Facilities” “Iran and […]
Feb 29, 2012