Election: Cowan best for Tacoma students, families

As a member of the WEA-Tacoma Council, I support Philip Cowan for Tacoma City Council. His position on a living wage and sick leave are aligned with our beliefs as educators.

We know students need to be healthy and safe, which only happens when families have access to living-wage jobs and the ability to care for themselves when ill without fear of lost wages. He clearly supports collective bargaining, which ensures workers have fair salaries, benefits and working conditions.

Finally, as a resident of Tacoma whose daughter attends our public schools, he values the work of public educators, and he works with programs at the Grand Cinema (where he is executive director) that support our goals in the public schools.

Cowan opposes charter schools because they funnel resources away from already underfunded public schools and don’t provide better outcomes for the students they drain from the public schools.

As a public school educator, I know that when public schools have clear support from local, state and federal elected officials, our communities are stronger and our children more successful.

This story was originally published October 19, 2017 at 5:08 PM with the headline "Election: Cowan best for Tacoma students, families."