Today, Dwane Chappelle, Director of the Seattle Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL), was formally sworn in for a second term by Mayor Jenny Durkan. Chappelle was unanimously reconfirmed by City Council on September 8 to continue as department head through 2024.
Chappelle, the former principal at Seattle’s Rainier Beach High School, was first installed as DEEL’s director on February 3, 2016 and was nominated for reappointment by Mayor Jenny Durkan in early 2020 after having served in Durkan’s cabinet since her election in 2017. The COVID-19 pandemic briefly delayed the reconfirmation process, which was put back on the City Council agenda this month.
“Every day, Dwane shows up to work committed to centering the needs of students furthest from educational justice. Under Dwane’s leadership, DEEL has made incredible strides, including the Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise levy, which makes significant investments to close the opportunity gap, expand child care and preschool, and create two years of free college. I am so grateful that Dwane is a member of my Cabinet. He makes DEEL better, he makes our students’ lives better, and he makes the City better,” said Durkan.
During his first four years as director, Chappelle oversaw passage of the historic Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise (FEPP) levy, approved by voters in 2018 with the stated goal of partnering with families and communities to achieve educational equity, close opportunity gaps, and build a better economic future for Seattle students. This fall, the department announced funding commitments of nearly $100 million for K-12 programs to be invested in partnership with Seattle Public Schools and community-based organizations.
“Director Chappelle is a leader who understands the long term and necessary work of closing the opportunity gap and reaching educational justice for all Seattle students. He has brought his experience as a teacher and deep understanding of classroom dynamics into his leadership role, bringing a combination of proven practices and fresh ideas to our early learning preschool program and postsecondary opportunities through the Seattle Promise program. I’m thrilled Director Chappelle will continue his stewardship of DEEL, further deepening and advancing our City’s investments in Seattle students,” said Council President M. Lorena González.
One of Director Chappelle’s top priorities, which is to align investments for children from preschool to postsecondary, especially around the effort to eliminate race-based disparities in educational outcomes, a primary focus of the FEPP levy. In his statement before City Council on September 8, Director Chappelle said, “I am resolved to help bring alignment to all our city’s educational investments—from child care for infants and toddlers, to preschool, to K-12 and high school graduation, to postsecondary education and beyond—so that at no point along their journey are our children left without access to caring adults, competent and culturally responsive educators, and the critical resources and opportunities to ensure their success.”
Under Chappelle, DEEL pursues their mission to transform the lives of children, youth and families by deploying three key strategies: equitable educational opportunities, student and family supports, and high-quality learning environments.
In looking ahead to his next four years as director of the DEEL, Director Chappelle said, “I’d like to thank DEEL’s amazing staff, Mayor Jenny Durkan for her continued support of me as a member of her cabinet, City Council for their continued partnership, DEEL’s partners at Seattle Public Schools and Seattle Colleges, our FEPP Levy Oversight Committee, my Rainier Beach community, and most especially, my family. I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue serving the city of Seattle and its residents in the care and education of our children.”
