On the last Monday morning of the 2024 legislative session, Washington state Sen. Lisa Wellman's office was filled with sunlight and an early sign of spring as she sipped tea from a white mug.
Her office is filled with macro photos of her. As a creative outlet, Wellman likes to go to junkyards and take pictures of rusted bolts and screws. She calls it “nature's revenge on rust” on her website. It's a hobby inspired by her career in technology and her commitment to creativity.
“I think it's interesting to find beauty in unexpected places,” Wellman said.
Although she seems at home in Congress, the Democrat from Mercer Island never planned a career in politics.
Ms. Wellman said she had always thought of herself as an office wife, super mom and “the ultimate hostess.” While raising her family, she sewed all the curtains in her house, made the canopy bed, and was also a Girl Scout leader.
As a housewife, she also frequently volunteered at her children's schools, earning her the nickname “room mother.”
One day, she told her husband that all she heard from her children was “Hello mom, bye, mom” and that she was ready to find a job. Her husband worked in the technology industry and she became a programmer in assembly until she was eventually hired by Apple.
“Being a nerd was no joke,” Wellman joked.
She has worked in the technology industry for 25 years, her first job as a kindergarten teacher in a public school. Much of her work during her eight years as a senator has been at the intersection of education and technology.
“I truly believe we are in the midst of a transformation of our education system,” Wellman said. “At this point in the year, I would say that it is the most important duty of the nation.”
Wellman said the state doesn't provide enough funding for education. She is an advocate of constantly leveraging AI in the classroom so that when children graduate they have what they need to thrive in the 21st century digital economy.
Wellman suggests that teachers can learn a lot by thinking critically about how students use AI. Teachers can understand students' thinking patterns by looking at what they search for and what questions they ask.
She highlights the growth in technology jobs, especially in Washington state, and emphasizes that children will be at a disadvantage if they don't adapt.
One of her bills a few years ago would reimagine broadband office services to provide internet access to rural communities.
“I can think of very few things that I haven't seen that require a computer to have a very clear concept of what it does and how it does it,” she says.
Wellman characterizes himself as a systems-oriented person. She explains that her work in Congress is not just about her one particular bill or priorities for this Congress. Rather, she said, just like computers work smoothly, it's all aspects of collaboration that really make a difference.
A bill regarding competency-based education was introduced in this Congress, but it was not passed. She said that was unfortunate. Competency-based education focuses on students acquiring specific skills and knowledge at their own pace, rather than progressing based on traditional grade levels or time spent in the classroom.
She pointed to success at an alternative high school in Issaquah that uses a competency-based system.
“More and more kids are looking for a hands-on education,” Wellman said. And it's nothing new. So that's the way humans have learned from the beginning. ”
She says books are new and kids don't want to read books and take tests. They want experiential learning.
A few years ago, Wellman attended an edtech and AI conference in Finland. She visited schools, talked to teachers and principals, and visited teacher preparatory schools. As a result, we found that preparatory schools are in constant contact with schools to understand their needs.
Teacher training colleges can adapt and evolve to meet the evolving needs of their students. Through this process, we discovered that there was a growing demand for specialized training to teach children with special needs.
She highlighted March 2020 as a turning point when all children had access to computers at home and education moved online. She emphasized the importance of teachers adapting to such changes.
Wellman said he believes the changes are mostly beneficial and will allow Washington state children to stay in their hometowns and secure employment opportunities.
“I can say that I have never met a mother anywhere in the world who did not want her children to get married and stay in the community,” Wellman said.
“People want their kids to find jobs in Washington state, and we're seeing more and more tech jobs.”
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