"RE-elect LWSD School Board Director Siri Bliesner"

I believe that an excellent public education is a right for all individuals. A strong democracy requires an active, engaged community, and we achieve that with excellent public education. My extensive experience and the relationships I have built throughout the community combine to give me a strong voice to continue moving forward with the District’s initiatives and advance new, innovative opportunities for all of our students.

Lake Washington School District (LWSD) is an outstanding public school district with talented staff, teachers, and an involved community supporting the opportunities and achievement of our students.

It has been a pleasure to serve on the school board for the last eight years in a variety of roles – Legislative Representative, Vice President, and President. This has provided an opportunity to deepen my understanding of school organization and funding, as well as issues surrounding educational equity.

During my tenure on the school board, LWSD has continued to provide a high-quality public school education. Priorities have included:

• Addressing aging buildings and a growing student population by passing a bond (2016) and capital levy (2019).
• Building opportunities for community involvement in district-level decisions.
• Focusing efforts on equity to ensure opportunities and excellence for all.
• Strengthening relationships, partnerships, and collaborations with local city and county governments, state legislators, community organizations, and businesses.

Meet Siri

Siri Bliesner is an experienced and passionate advocate for students and public education.  As the current School Board President in LWSD and completing her eighth year on the Board of Directors, she is committed to focusing on the strengths and needs of ALL students and ensuring that each and every one graduates prepared for their future plans.

With deep roots in the local community, Siri is a proud product of the Renton Public Schools. She graduated from Stanford University and also has a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Washington.  Fluent in Spanish, Siri lived and worked overseas for several years first through her Peace Corp Volunteer experience in the Dominican Republic and then as a Population Fellow in Bolivia.  She has lived in the Redmond area for more than 15 years. Both her children attended public schools in Redmond and graduated from Redmond High School.   An active member of her local schools, Siri has received numerous awards for her involvement and commitment, including the PTSA Golden Acorn.

Siri believes strongly in the value of public education and local control of our schools.  She was a founding member of the Lake Washington Schools Foundation and is currently serving on the Board of Directors of the Washington State School Board Directors Association, where she continues to advocate for public education to support the 1.1 million students in Washington State.

When not focused on school issues, she works for Hopelink, one of the Eastside’s largest social service agencies, as their Outcome and Evaluation Analyst.  She lives in Redmond with her husband, David Cline, their daughter, Samara, their son, Josiah, a student at Cal Poly, and their rescue dog, Yoda.  Siri enjoys tandem bicycling, reading a good book, and meeting at the local coffee shop with friends.

Experience

State

• Director, Washington State School Directors Association (WSSDA) Board, Director Area 2 Representative
• Member, WSSDA Federal Relations Network (FRN)
• Member, WSSDA Board Equity Committee

District

• Director – District 5, Lake Washington School District (LWSD) School Board, 2011 to present
  • President, 2018 and 2019
  • Vice President, 2017
  • Legislative Representative, 2015 and 2016
• Liaison for Lake Washington School District to the Eastside Pathways Board
• Board Member, Eastside Human Services Forum

School

• Coordinator for various programs at Norman Rockwell Elementary (Chess Club, School Musical, Reflections, Carnival/Field Day)
• Member, local PTA/PTSA
• Received several awards for service to Norman Rockwell Elementary community: Dog Gone Award, Bow Wow Award and Golden Acorn Award
• AVID Tutor, Redmond High School

Community

• Founding Board Trustee, Lake Washington Schools Foundation (LWSF)
• Coordinator, LWSF Classroom and School Enrichment Grants and Science Grants
• Member, Eastside Pathways Data Collaborative
• Member, Lake Washington Citizen’s Levy Committee
• Commissioner, Salary Commission, City of Redmond
• Member, Community Center Stakeholder Group, City of Redmond
• Member, Budgeting by Priorities Committee, City of Redmond
• Girl Scout Leader and Cookie Parent
• Team manager, Lake Washington Youth Soccer Association and Crossfire Select soccer

Professional

• Outcome and Evaluation Analyst, Hopelink
• Enumerator, US Census 2010
• Bilingual (Spanish) Disease Investigator – Public Health: Seattle and King County
• Technical Advisor, Program Design, Planning and Evaluation, Men as Partners Project, EngenderHealth, Population Fellows Program, La Paz, Bolivia
• Public Health and Social Services Consultant, Harachi and Associates
• Peace Corps Volunteer, Maternal and Child Health – Dominican Republic
• Bilingual (Spanish) Health Educator, SeaMar Community Health Center
• Research Coordinator, Social Development Research Project
• Coordinator, Teen Pregnancy Prevention Project

-- Siri Beisner's website