Betty Patu

The Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors elected officers for 2013. Kay Smith-Blum was elected president, Betty Patu was elected vice president, and Sharon Peaslee was elected member at large. Read the full story

From left: Michael DeBell, Kay Smith-Blum, and Betty Patu

At a Dec. 7 meeting, the Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors elected the following new officers for the 2012 calendar year:

— Michael DeBell, president

— Kay Smith-Blum, vice president

— Betty Patu, member at large

Patu will serve on the executive committee with the president and vice president and will preside at board meetings in the absence of the president and vice president. The officers are elected for one-year terms. (end)

At the renaming ceremony, back: School Board Director Steve Sundquist (left), School Board Director Harium Martin–Morris. Front, from left: Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson, Seattle School Board Director Betty Patu, King County Councilmember Larry Gossett, Seattle City Councilmember Bruce Harrell, real estate investor Ken Alhadeff, and Seattle Public Schools Facilities Communications Director Tom Redman

Brighton Elementary School was renamed Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School at a renaming ceremony held at the school. The ceremony was attended by 400 people, including students. Read the full story

Parents and students living near Rainier Beach attended the Back2School Bash, which gave away 900 backpacks. (Photo by Kyle Ploessl)

The Back2School Bash was held at Beer Sheva Park in Rainier Beach. The event was organized by Gregory Davis and the Rainier Beach Community Empowerment Commission (RBCEC), which gave away 900 backpacks filled with school supplies to hundreds of Rainier Beach families. Read the full story

(Photos by George Liu/NWAW)

By Steven Cong
Northwest Asian Weekly

“This dinner is not a town hall meeting,” joked Assunta Ng, founder of the Northwest Asian Weekly Foundation, the event’s organizer, referring to the celebration dinner held at the House of Hong on Dec. 4 honoring Dow Constantine, Martha Choe, Lloyd Hara, Mike McGinn, John Okamoto, and Betty Patu. They were named the 2009 Top Contributors to the Asian Community by the Northwest Asian Weekly. This year’s theme was “Diversity at the Top.” Read the full story

Betty Patu, an educator who won’t give up

New Seattle School Board director of District 7 Betty Patu has a moment of introspection, reflecting on her 32 years of service in Seattle Public Schools. Patu started her new job as director on Dec. 2. (Photo by James Tabafunda/NWAW)

By James Tabafunda
Northwest Asian Weekly

After retiring last June with 32 years of service in the Seattle Public Schools, she returns with her no-holds-barred belief in getting “her kids” to stay in school and having teachers reach all of them. Read the full story