Latest news with #Reykdal
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Everyday People Financial to Present at Centurion One Capital 6th Annual LA Summit
Edmonton, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - May 22, 2025) - Everyday People Financial Corp. (TSXV: EPF) (OTCQB: EPFCF) ("Everyday People" or the "Company"), a financial services provider, is pleased to announce it will be presenting at the Centurion One Capital ("Centurion One") 6th Annual LA Summit held at the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel from Monday, June 2nd to Thursday, June 5th , 2025, in Los Angeles, California. Mr. Gordon Reykdal, Executive Chairman of Everyday People, will be presenting at the Summit. Mr. Reykdal will also be participating on a panel discussion and will be available for one-on-one investor meetings throughout the event. "We are excited to participate in the Centurion One Summit," said Mr. Reykdal, Executive Chairman of the Company. "This event provides a unique platform to showcase how Everyday People is innovating financial services to better serve underserved markets in Canada and the UK." Centurion One Summit Details Format: Presentations, Panel Discussions and 1 X 1 Investor MeetingsPresentation Dates: Wednesday, June 4th and Thursday, June 5th, 2025Time: 9:00 AM PDT - 5:00 PM PDTVenue: The Beverly Hills Hotel For more information and registration details, please visit: About Centurion One Capital Centurion One Capital ("Centurion One") is the premier independent Investment Banking firm dedicated to fueling the growth and success of growth companies in North America. With an unwavering commitment to delivering comprehensive financial solutions and strategic guidance, Centurion One is a trusted strategic partner and catalyst to propel issuers to unlock their full potential. Centurion One's team comprises seasoned professionals who combine extensive financial expertise with deep knowledge of various sectors. Centurion One takes a proactive and results-driven approach, working closely with its clients to develop tailored strategies and execute transactions that maximize value and drive long-term success. Centurion One - Empowering Growth. Driving Innovation. Partnering for Success. For more information about Centurion One, visit About Everyday People Financial Corp. Everyday People Financial Corp. is a technology-driven financial services company with a mission to help individuals and businesses manage money better. First established in 1988, we have a workforce of 550 people operating in the United Kingdom and Canada providing fully fee-for-service solutions across two business pillars operating in Canada and the United Kingdom. Revenue Cycle Management (RCM), which helps organizations recover receivables and streamline billing processes without purchasing consumer debt, and Financial Services, which provides digital tools and credit access programs that support Canadians on their financial journey, all without lending money. Founded on the belief that everyone deserves a second chance to rebuild financial health and wealth, the Company is committed to providing affordable, innovative, and responsible financial solutions that create lasting value for our clients, customers, and shareholders. We are changing the way people manage money by enhancing our client and consumer services with our own affordability assessment programs with specialized financial products and literacy programs. We're helping everyday people rebuild their financial health for generational wealth. We stand for creativity and entrepreneurship. Our combination of companies, products and services has been established to ensure we can fulfill consumers' financial needs and service them in a low-cost and effective manner. For more information visit: Contact Barret ReykdalCo-Chief Executive Officer, RCM (North America)letsconnect@ 888 825 9808 (Press Option 2 for Investor and Media Relations) Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" (collectively referred to hereafter as "forward-looking statements") under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to financial performance, results of operations, integration of the acquired businesses, and the business, plans, strategy, and operations of the Company. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, expectations and assumptions concerning the Company and the acquired businesses as well as other risks and uncertainties, including those described in the documents filed by the Company on SEDAR+ at There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fear and defiance are this Washington's response to Trump's education funding threats
(Photo by Getty Images) No one is certain yet how federal decisions under the Trump administration will affect both budgets and policies of Washington's public schools. But educators, parents and government officials in this Washington are tracking closely whether President Donald Trump makes good on his threats to cut funding to states that do not prove they have abandoned K-12 diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Fear, anger and defiance have been the response here so far. The fear runs deep. The defiance comes from the top: the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction or OSPI. Although most of the districts I reached out to for this story weren't interested in discussing their plans for navigating these issues, education consultant Erin Jones told me that at a recent meeting with King County superintendents, officials were worried. 'They are concerned about budget cuts. But they are most concerned about the uncertainty. That's the point of this administration: uncertainty. That leaves them in such a bad place,' Jones recalled. 'These leaders want to do right by their children and their staff.' The U.S. Education Department sent a letter to state education agencies in February, accusing schools of promoting diversity in a way that unfairly harmed white and Asian American students. In support of this statement, they cited a 2023 Supreme Court decision that banned using race as an element in college admissions. That case didn't mention K-12 schools, but that didn't stop the Trump administration from using it as a reason why Washington and other states shouldn't be providing extra academic support for students of color. In early April, the U.S. Education Department doubled down, with another letter. This one demanded proof that states were following their DEI orders. Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal's response reaffirmed this state's strong commitment to embracing its diversity and making sure every student gets the help they need. 'Recognition of our diversity is a cornerstone of public education. It makes us stronger, more civil, and it empowers groups of students who have historically been marginalized or denied equal opportunities,' Reykdal said in a statement. He confirmed that these efforts are paying off in higher graduation and college participation rates for everyone. Plus, Reykdal added, every student benefits from the diversity in our schools. 'Washington will not suppress its core values or cede our right to determine our own education system to the federal government,' he said. In just a few words, he underscored a key facet of American education: states, not the federal government, take the lead in determining what their children will learn in public schools. Reykdal's office continues to draw attention from the Trump administration. Later in April, the Department of Education said it would investigate OSPI over 'requiring school boards to adopt policies that allow males to participate in female sports and occupy female-only intimate facilities.' This followed the federal agency scrutinizing OSPI over how it handled a years-long controversy surrounding the gender-inclusion policy at the La Center School District in Clark County. Jones, the education consultant, said she hasn't met a leader yet who is not committed to continuing diversity, equity and inclusion work. Some are renaming it, opting instead for terms like 'community building.' Another consequence of Trump era rhetoric and policies that Jones has been hearing about is decreased attendance by Latino students. 'No matter what the principal has said that we're going to protect you from ICE, why should they trust you?' she asked. 'I think we're afraid for good reason,' Jones added. Trish Millines Dziko, executive director of the Technology Access Foundation, a Seattle-based nonprofit offering supplemental STEM education in public schools and after-school programs, has also heard that Latino attendance has dropped. And the parents of children who are showing up for school don't want them participating in field trips. So far, this is just anecdotal evidence. Detailed attendance data probably won't be available to the public until next year. Dziko believes the full impact of the Trump administration on education won't be understood for months or even years. 'There's a lot of anxiety,' said Dziko, who has overheard immigrant children as well as LGBTQ students and staff talking to each other. 'They're all very close to each other and they worry about each other. …I don't know if it's stopping education from happening. But you can hear the conversations between some of the kids.' After reaching out to about half the districts in the Puget Sound region, plus some in eastern Washington, only one was willing to put someone on the phone to talk to me. Dziko and others I talked to felt this lack of response was born out of fear. The state's largest school district is choosing to carry on and keep working to lift up every child from every background despite threats from the Trump administration. Seattle Public School's Black education program manager, Anita Koyier-Mwamba, pointed to Head Start office closures and the president's DEI orders as examples of factors fueling uncertainty. Still, she believes the difficulties should not stop educators from using this time as a teachable moment. 'It is really important to me that we recognize that history has left us a wonderful catalog of opportunities to explore.' And then she took a delightful path into American history and the young men like Thomas Jefferson who were so passionate about democracy but didn't do everything right 250 years ago, although they were trying to solve the problems of their time. Why does she want us to think about the 19- and 20-year-olds sitting around debating the birth of a nation? Because it's a good reminder that young people can think for themselves and should have an opportunity to do so. 'It is unjust not to give our young people the opportunity to … solve the problems of their time,' Koyier-Mwamba said. And that comes down to a discussion about justice that must account for the nation's past. This is American history, not diversity indoctrination: The enslavement of people kidnapped and brought here to work the land. The way we have treated the indigenous people before and after the United States became a country. How the Constitution treated enslaved people when the founders couldn't agree to take a better path. The Civil War and what happened to enslaved people afterward. Fifty years between giving white women and Black women the right to vote. 'Focusing on our shared humanity is an avenue to reconsider how we respond in these times of challenge,' Koyier-Mwamba said. Part of that is choosing to be optimistic, deciding to see the light in the darkness through American heroes like abolitionist Harriet Tubman. Similarly, Dziko sees an opportunity to rethink how we do things as a state and a nation. Making sure every student gets the education they need to succeed is not an impossible goal. Dziko believes, and I agree, that state dollars for education could be distributed in a way that focuses more on equity. 'Our kids deserve better,' Dziko said, adding that education reform is directly related to state budget reform because it will take more money to create a more equitable system. The 29-year-old Technology Access Foundation does not get federal grants, so Dziko is not concerned about backlash from the federal government. Where the Trump administration pushes against DEI programs because they say they unfairly advantage Black and Brown people, Dziko and I see racism. 'The whole thing has been reduced to, 'If you are Black, then you did not deserve the position you're in.' That's a very dangerous viewpoint,' she said. Unfortunately, this viewpoint isn't new. Dziko is worried about how far back we will go. Before the landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown vs. Board of Education that ruled racial segregation of public schools was unconstitutional? 'I'm always the eternal optimist in my family, but I'm not this time around,' Dziko said. 'We're going backwards,' she added. Jones is also feeling pessimistic. 'They want to make America in their image, and their image is white straight men,' said Jones. 'They've done a really good job of making everything DEI that they just don't like,' she said. 'I've really been grieving.' Like Dziko, while she rejects the Republican vision for education, she is also not satisfied with the status quo. 'Republicans say burn it all down, it all sucks. That is not a strategy. The Democrats don't have a vision,' she said. 'Let's all talk about it. So we have something to activate us. Just saying I don't want this is not enough. We need people with vision who are imagining a better way forward.'
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Washington will offer special education to students longer under new law
A new law in Washington will assure students are offered special education services until they are 22. State Sen. Adrian Cortes, D-Battle Ground, a special education teacher, was the sponsor. He spoke of the need for increased funding and support for public schools at a February rally of educators, parents and students at the Washington state Capitol. (Jerry Cornfield/Washington State Standard) A new law triggered by a lawsuit will ensure public school students in Washington are offered special education instruction until they are 22 years old. Gov. Bob Ferguson signed legislation this week to extend the length of a student's eligibility to the end of the school year in which they turn 22 or graduate high school, whichever comes sooner. The current age limit is 21. 'As the son of a longtime special education teacher, I understand how important it is,' Ferguson said before putting his signature on Senate Bill 5253. The bill responds to a federal court ruling in 2024 that found Washington in violation of a federal law concerning how long states must provide 'free appropriate public education' to students. Washington law now assures students with disabilities are eligible for special education services between the ages of 3 and 21. A federal law known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, governs how states and public schools deliver special education and related services to children and youth with disabilities. It does not require offering 'free appropriate public education' to those aged 18 to 21. But, if a state offers free education programming for any adults, it needs to offer those services for students until they turn 22. In November 2024, a federal court issued an order against the state in the case of N.D. v. Reykdal, a class action lawsuit alleging that Washington's law violates the IDEA. Washington allowed students up to 21 years old to enroll in its adult education programs and waived the tuition fee for those who could not pay. Making the programs free triggered a requirement to comply with the federal law. Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal requested this year's bill to align state requirements with the federal statute. It passed unanimously in the Senate and 93-1 in the House. It will take effect July 27, in time for the next school year. 'Ensuring students have access to a free and appropriate public education through their 22nd birthday is a vital step toward equity and opportunity,' Reykdal said in an email this week. When the law takes effect, it will continue providing education-related services to students with disabilities until the end of the school year in which they turn 22. These include free admission to the State School for the Blind and the Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth, and attendance in education programs at residential schools. OSPI estimated 300 to 1,200 students could benefit and said costs could range from $6.8 million to $27 million per school year to serve them. Sen. Adrian Cortes, D-Battle Ground, the bill's sponsor and a special education teacher at Camas High School in southwest Washington, said he has two students who could eventually benefit if they choose to enroll in a transition program for young adults. 'It is not a big population but it is a population that will now be served,' he said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Two years after program went statewide, Washington Legislature does not fund Dolly Parton Imagination Library
May 2—Faced with a budget crunch, Washington state lawmakers opted not to fund a program launched by country music legend Dolly Parton that provides free books once a month to children under 5. Parton started Imagination Library in 1995 in her hometown in Tennessee . It has provided more than 200 million books to children free of charge over the past 30 years. Across the country, more than 2 million children receive books monthly through the Imagination Library. The program currently serves 9,800 kids in Spokane County, and has provided more than 200,000 books to nearly 15,000 kids in the county since it began. As the program expanded statewide in Washington, Parton joined a collection of elected officials for a reception in Tacoma to promote it. The day was hailed as a day of celebration for the state, with a formal proclamation signed by governor declaring Aug. 15 as "Dolly Parton Day." The event included a discussion with the music legend, as well as a performance of her 1971 hit song "Coat of Many Colors." During the event, Parton said the program helps "instill a love for reading and the love for books." "I do other things, but I don't think I'll ever do anything more important or more personal to me than this," Parton said. With the expansion, Washington became the 11th state, and the first on the West Coast, to allow any child to sign up for the program free of charge. Less than two years later, legislators did not include a request for $7 million to help fund the program over the next two years in the operating budget adopted by both the House and Senate over the weekend. "This is a heartbreaking loss to our team, our 46 local Imagination Library partners, and, most importantly, the 121,000 children across Washington, who receive the gift of a free book each month," Brooke Fisher-Clark, executive director of Imagination Library of Washington, said in a statement. According to the Imagination Library of Washington, the program is funded equally through public funds and local Imagination Library partners. Chris Reykdal, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, hosted the on-stage chat with Parton during the 2023 event. In an emailed statement Thursday, Reykdal said the Imagination Library "is an effective and cost-efficient program to engage our youngest learners and their families in reading." "The Legislature unfortunately had to make tough budget choices this session, and I am disappointed that funding for this program was not prioritized," Reykdal said. "Because the program is funded by a 1:1 state and local partner match, a total elimination of state funding has a deep impact." Reykdal said his office is still reviewing what the funding cut means, and how it will impact the children currently enrolled, though he pledged to work with the Legislature to restore the funds. The Dolly Parton Library is also asking the public to donate money to fund the program. Information about how to donate can be found at "With the loss of state funding, our statewide programmatic framework has been altered, and we must now pivot to address this funding challenge. We need the public to rally and help us preserve this impactful program for young children. Please act and contribute now to ensure its survival," Fisher-Clark said in a statement.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
What the State Superintendent says on federal investigation into WA's non-discrimination school laws
Last week, the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) issued a letter requesting states to certify compliance with the Department's interpretation of federal civil rights guidelines, or risk losing federal funding. Following that letter, the DOE and the Department of Justice are launching a 'first-of-its kind' investigation into the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) over the state's non-discrimination laws for schools. The suit alleges that OSPI is out of compliance with Title IX, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA). 'Multiple Washington State school districts have reported that OSPI is requiring school boards to adopt policies that allow males to participate in female sports and occupy female-only intimate facilities, thereby raising substantial Title IX concerns,' a DOE press release said. U.S. Secretary of Education, former WWE promoter Linda McMahon, said that the state 'appears to use its position of authority to coerce its districts into hiding 'gender identity' information from students' parents and to adopt policies to covertly smuggle gender ideology into the classroom, confusing students and letting boys into girls' sports, bathrooms, and locker rooms.' In response, State Superintendent Chris Reykdal said that the investigation is the 'latest [Trump] Administration's dangerous war against individuals who are transgender or gender-expansive.' 'Washington public schools have a responsibility to provide a safe and nondiscriminatory environment for all students, including transgender and gender-expansive students, so that all students can thrive. Since 2006, Washington state law has prohibited discrimination on the basis of gender identity, and the state has allowed students to participate in school-based athletics in alignment with their gender identity since 2007. These protections fit within the scope of what is allowed by federal law and have been successfully established and implemented for nearly two decades. Transgender and gender-expansive students are not the only students affected by gender and gender stereotypes at school. When schools affirmatively support gender diversity, all students are empowered to live more authentically and to take advantage of different opportunities that might not have otherwise been available," Reykdal said, in part, in a statement. McMahon said that the schools must 'abide by the law if they expect federal funding to continue.' Reykdal continued his statement with: A student's school should be a safe place where they can learn, thrive, and be their authentic self, and family involvement and acceptance are extremely beneficial to all students. Unfortunately, it is not safe for all individuals to open up to their family regarding gender identity, and family rejection related to an individual's gender identity results in increased odds of a suicide attempt and/or misusing drugs or alcohol. It is not the role of the school system to facilitate private conversations that should be happening between students and their parents or guardians, and the federal government should not force schools to play the role of parents when it comes to gender identity.
