New years usually come with a sense of possibility, and a sense of hope. We made it to 2021, we flipped the calendar on the year, but not on the pandemic or the challenges put before us.
Over the course of three Wednesdays in January 2021, the tone, mood, emotions, and actions of our nation changed dramatically. On the first Wednesday, we watched with shock, sadness, fear and anger at a hate-fueled insurrection. On the second Wednesday, a president was impeached for “incitement of insurrection.” On the third Wednesday, a new president was sworn in with calls for unity, with a woman of color as vice president, and with an immediate drive to get down to business. It’s been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. And yet here we are. Resilient, like our democracy. Persistent, like the push for racial justice. Optimistic, because that is the only way that we can be.
Yesterday (Wednesday), Bill & Melinda released their Annual Letter, with hope and optimism about vaccines and treatments for COVID-19, about helping students stay on the path to a degree, and about coming out of the pandemic more equal and more equitable than when we went into it. Here in Washington, we remain focused on our core work of achieving educational equity, we continue to provide disease modeling and technical assistance to inform our state’s pandemic response and reopening strategy, and we are renewing our commitment to make sure that every student has a chance to reach their full potential.
Thank you for your partnership.
Here’s what else we’re sharing in this month’s Newsletter:
- Bill and Melinda Gates Annual Letter
- Seattle Times, How much learning have Washington students missed? The state doesn’t know.
- USA Today, A year after COVID-19 arrived in the US, the front line staff in Washington state are still holding on.
Thank you for your partnership,
Your Gates Washington State team
Follow us on Twitter: @GatesWA.