Hourglass: United Way of King County
Sep 14, 2026 · 28 min · 12 segments
Send us Fan Mail Good news happens. This week's episode is our monthly commentary and perspective from United Way president and CEO Blair Taylor…
Blair TaylorGuest
Joe BurrusHost
A September 8th Associated Press article published findings from a Gallup and Walton Family Foundation poll that said just thirty-two percent of American adults say they are completely or somewhat satisfied with the US school system, while sixty-seven percent said they were dissatisfied.
Associated Press also cited findings from a separate Gallup and Walton survey that said only two in ten Americans believe schools are doing a good or excellent job of teaching critical thinking and preparing students for the current workforce.
And a September 1st article in The Nation entitled "The Fifth Estate: What Happened to the American University?" cited Pew Research that said seven in ten Americans now say US higher education is going in the wrong direction, and that seventy-nine percent said colleges are doing a fair to poor job of keeping tuition costs affordable.
At United Way of King County, we've made access to quality education one of the primary pillars of our work.
We believe that education is one of the most powerful pathways to economic opportunity, and we believe that that pathway should be accessible to all in our county, particularly those who have historically been on the outskirts of opportunity.
Chat with many United Way of King County staff right now, and you'll hear stories about the joys and challenges of the start of a new school year, whether our kiddos are engaged in early learning or adjusting to a new level in grade school, or our young adults are starting or continuing their college experiences.
We are proud to offer programs like Parent Child Plus, which prepares preschoolers for kindergarten with an in-home one-on-one teaching model, and Bridge to Finish, which helps local college students get the services they need to stay in school and complete their education.
Among United Way staff who know firsthand the value and impact of education access is our new president and CEO, Blair Taylor.
He is not only the father of college graduates and college attendees but has served as an executive in residence and professor of practice at Arizona State and as an adjunct professor at his alma mater, UCLA.
For this month, we've asked him to offer his take on the current state of American education from the perspective of a parent, a teacher, and the leader of a nonprofit organization.
A September 8th Associated Press article published findings from a Gallup and Walton Family Foundation poll that said just thirty-two percent of American adults say they are completely or somewhat satisfied with the US school system, while sixty-seven percent said they were dissatisfied.
Associated Press also cited findings from a separate Gallup and Walton survey that said only two in ten Americans believe schools are doing a good or excellent job of teaching critical thinking and preparing students for the current workforce.
And a September 1st article in The Nation entitled "The Fifth Estate: What Happened to the American University?" cited Pew Research that said seven in ten Americans now say US higher education is going in the wrong direction, and that seventy-nine percent said colleges are doing a fair to poor job of keeping tuition costs affordable.
At United Way of King County, we've made access to quality education one of the primary pillars of our work.
We believe that education is one of the most powerful pathways to economic opportunity, and we believe that that pathway should be accessible to all in our county, particularly those who have historically been on the outskirts of opportunity.
Chat with many United Way of King County staff right now, and you'll hear stories about the joys and challenges of the start of a new school year, whether our kiddos are engaged in early learning or adjusting to a new level in grade school, or our young adults are starting or continuing their college experiences.
We are proud to offer programs like Parent Child Plus, which prepares preschoolers for kindergarten with an in-home one-on-one teaching model, and Bridge to Finish, which helps local college students get the services they need to stay in school and complete their education.
Among United Way staff who know firsthand the value and impact of education access is our new president and CEO, Blair Taylor.
He is not only the father of college graduates and college attendees but has served as an executive in residence and professor of practice at Arizona State and as an adjunct professor at his alma mater, UCLA.
For this month, we've asked him to offer his take on the current state of American education from the perspective of a parent, a teacher, and the leader of a nonprofit organization.
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