News & Media
Press releases, media coverage, blog updates, and resources for journalists.
Latest from the Blog
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Reclaiming the Future: How WAESN Is Using AI with Transparency and Intention
by Asuka Conyer, Director of Development and Programs At Washington Ethnic Studies Now (WAESN), we sure do talk quite a bit about transparency… not just as a principle, but as a practice. It’s most certainly no different when it comes to the topic of Artificial Intelligence (AI). If anything, transparency matters more now than ever.…
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What Happened to WAESN? Some History.
WAESN History; Cliff Notes Style WAESN started in 2019 as a loosely organized network of educators in Western Washington who were practicing, or interested in practicing, Ethnic Studies in their K–12 classrooms. We decided to officially incorporate as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit in the spring of 2020 because we believed that an official structure would provide…
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I Just Wanted to Teach Kids Math
A poem shouted by Shraddha Shirude It’s nearly spring, which means high-stakes standardized testing season in K–12 schools. Arguably, math is the most soul crushingly affected by these less than useless (racist and harmful) practices. For history, context, and outcomes, read any of Dr. Wayne Au’s scholarship on the subject. Fortunately, students can be opted…
In the News
15 Seattle parent advocacy groups supporting education
The Seattle’s Child article lists 15 parent advocacy groups in the Seattle area, including WAESN, and highlights their roles in supporting families, influencing policy, and amplifying parent voices in education.
September 25, 2025
SERIES | Stop Performative Politics, Recenter Youth of Color, and Invest in Ethnic Studies Now
WAESN Youth Advisory Board and NAACP Youth Council leaders argue that political gestures around ethnic studies in Washington State are too often performative rather than substantive and call on lawmakers and school leaders to meaningfully invest in ethnic studies that center youth of color, support educators, and transform curriculum and pedagogy.
November 15, 2024
SERIES | After Decades of Advocacy and Minimal Action, It’s Time for Washington State to Invest in Ethnic Studies and End ‘Curriculum Violence’
After decades of advocacy with only token progress, the WAESN’s Executive Director, Dr. Castro-Gill, and Director of Policy and Public Affairs, Oliver Miska, push Washington State to seriously fund and implement ethnic studies and to end the “curriculum violence” that harms marginalized students via biased content, exclusion, and identity erasure.
October 1, 2024
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