Manuela Slye has been in the news a great deal this summer! Slye, a member of the AUS School of Education’s Committee of Community Advisors (CCA), was quoted in The Seattle Times earlier this summer discussing how a recent public school teacher’s behavior “screams school-to-prison pipeline.” (More information is available in Manuela Slye Quoted in Seattle Times on ‘School to Prison Pipeline’.)
In addition to that quote, Slye was also recently highlighted in a longer interview in The Seattle Times about her expertise and experiences as the first Latina president of the Seattle Council Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA).
In this interview, Slye teaches readers about the ways that parent-teacher association (PTA) participation can help parents advocate for children’s’ needs. Slye’s passion for education runs deep. She explains, “I’m an educator, and I want to help kids that could be in my position to get wherever I am. My proudest moment was to see my sister sitting at the University of Washington as a professor knowing that her dad was never able to read a book.”
The interview closes with the question: “As you’ve noted before, PTAs can often be dominated by white parents. What would you say to parents of color who may be hesitant to join their local PTA or Seattle Council PTSA because of that?” To which Slye responds, “I would say don’t give up. There’s room for you. Things are changing. You’re valued, and your voice matters. Call me. I’ll help you.”
