United Way of Lewis County: Chris Reykdal Speaks About the Organization’s Efforts to Break the Cycle of Intergenerational Poverty
As the United Way of Lewis County works toward its goal of moving 30 percent of Lewis County residents out of poverty by 2030, the organization brought in state Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal to speak on the importance of education to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty.
Reykdal was elected Washington’s 16th state superintendent in November 2016.
“Everything we know about research says the way out of poverty and the way to break the cycle of poverty and create economic mobility and viability is a function of education,” Reykdal told the a packed room at the Great Wolf Lodge during United Way of Lewis County’s annual Community Partnership Luncheon on Thursday. “The correlations are so strong, but the world of education is not static and we know that particularly as we become more globally competitive, we have to think in very different ways on what it means to be successful in education and ultimately successful with kids.”
Reykdal spoke about steps taken at the state level to bring more local control to education and the Legislature’s $7.2 billion of added investment to help fund education.
The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction will be unveiling a new and improved achievement index and report card system over the next 10 months that will allow members to specifically look at subgroups within any given school to learn how they are doing in certain subjects.
It will provide more accountability to school districts and show the gaps that still need to be closed within public education, he said.
Although moves are being made at the state level, he emphasized the importance of community involvement when it comes to students.
“I make this point to you because a lot of people have a disillusion and a belief that if the state would just do their job, we wouldn’t need to do the things we do in communities whether it’s United Ways, or Boys and Girls Clubs, or food banks, or you name it,” he said. “That’s simply not the case … We’ll continue to work on that stuff, but I never want you to believe for a moment that this isn’t about us and the community making a sacrifice.”
To help individuals climb out of poverty, Reykdal said it’s important to provide stability to those who are stuck in the cycle. Reykdal himself was from a low income family that needed public assistance, he said.
“I built confidence through athletics in school and the determination with community partners to break the cycle of poverty and put myself in a position to be self-sustaining and ultimately give back my human capital back to the system so other folks could break that cycle, and that is the democratization that education brings us,” he said. “That is exactly why it exists so everyone has an equal opportunity. It is not a dead concept — it is beautiful, it is alive, it is in our state, it is in this community and I’m very grateful you are in this with us.”
By continuing to make sacrifices and providing opportunities for others, Reykdal said it opens the doors to destroy poverty, build on early learning and transform public education so that every kid can have an opportunity for success.
“It is a question of where we put our energy, and it’s not lost on me that the people in this room, the busy professionals, have to make choices about where they put their time and energy, and I think that the United Way of Lewis County is a great place to put your time and your energy and your resources,” he said, adding the partnerships the agency creates have a positive impact for students throughout the K-12 educational system.