More than just a teacher: Sen. Kohl-Welles

[img1]State Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-36th District) woke up in the wee hours of the morning a Monday earlier this month. The day marked the beginning of the 2006 Washington state legislative session, and Kohl-Welles needed to make her move from Seattle to Olympia. But before leaving, the veteran lawmaker said a few words of wisdom to her husband.

"Well, two months coming up without any rest," Kohl-Wells exclaimed.

Later that day, the senator entered the hearing room for the Senate Higher Education Committee a bit rushed. It's the first day and she already has a stack of files in her hand.

She sat in the upper row of the senator's chairs overlooking the testimony table, pulled out her laptop and began to work. She also heard from members of Washington Learns task force on the status of the state's education.

In Olympia, it is necessary to multitask. There's much to be done for the people.

"It's kind of a mind-boggling job," said Kohl-Welles. "It's exciting ... [making] very important decisions, reflecting people's lives throughout the state, dealing with major policy issues and the budget."

On the other hand, the compensation is very low, and the stress is very high." It's so fast-paced that one has to be a generalist in so many issues."

With constant interruptions and moving from one issue to another, Kohl-Welles has very little time to process the information flooding her office, especially in a short legislative session.

But the demanding job does not deter the 63-year-old. The 2006 session marks her 15th trip to Olympia and the same reasons that propelled her to become a public servant 14 years ago are still true today.

"It's an incredible experience," said Kohl-Welles of being a senator. "There's nothing like it."

Kohl-Welles was born into a "very Midwestern, traditional family." When she was 11 years old, her family moved to the San Fernando Valley in California. A "valley girl," Kohl-Welles aspired to become a teacher like her mother because she said it was what society dictated for women at the time.

However, the young Kohl-Welles did not stop at teaching, choosing instead to further her own education. She obtained a Ph.D. in sociology from UCLA. From there, she went to work in several fields related to education.

It was a gradual progress toward politics for Kohl-Welles. It took her several years to decide to run for public office even though the allure of participating in the process of social change greatly attracted her.

"I found that through teaching, conducting research and other professional areas in which I have been involved, it's difficult to recognize actually making a difference," said Kohl-Welles. "I gradually became involved in the political arena and believed that there was a very good opportunity for achieving a nexus between academia and public policy ... affecting social change by becoming a legislator."

She also had five children to rear and did it by herself.

Like many female legislators, she delayed her decision to run until her kids were grown. Kohl-Welles also wanted to feel prepared and qualified for the job ahead. She said that research has shown female legislators are more likely to delay running for office in order to be better prepared while men run for office even if they're not.

In 1992, Kohl-Welles felt ready to take the plunge to public office after members of the Democratic Party urged her to run. She handily defeated her male opponent by about 50 points for a position in the state House of Representatives. Two years later, she repeated her success and took the senatorial position from her district with another easy win.

Since then, Kohl-Welles has championed many issues. The products of her work, though, might not be apparent.

"I work more along the lines of the intangibles than the concrete, in regards to promoting higher education, social justice, equity, trying to reduce poverty, making sure people have healthcare coverage," said Kohl-Welles. "You don't see that as much."

But the issues of education and womens' rights take center stage. As a mother and educator, she knows about these issues firsthand. Kohl-Welles serves as an expert witness to cases of sexual harassment in schools, mail-order brides and Title IX lawsuits. In addition, for the past 19 years Kohl-Welles has taught sociology courses on gender, education, and women in the social structure at the UW.

Recently, the demands from Olympia have kept her away from the lecture hall.

"UW is my link to academia and being in touch with students," said the senator. "I love teaching, so when I'm able to teach, it's very reinforcing, very positive. It provides me that opportunity that I bring to my work as a legislator because I can know first-hand what the students experience."

In her years in Olympia, Kohl-Welles has worked to make her fellow lawmakers understand the importance of the UW to the state. She knows her work is not done, but she agrees that recognition for the UW has grown in Olympia. Yet, she feels more acknowledgment from the legislature on the importance of higher education is needed.

"We've worked together on lots of issues," said Rep. Helen Sommers. "We both share a keen interest in higher education."

Sommers also pushes women's issues in Olympia and commends Kohl-Welles's contributions to the effort.

"The UW plays a very important role in my life," said Kohl-Welles. "And I believe in most people's lives in the state, it's just not recognized."

As usual, Kohl-Welles hopes that higher education will get more funding this year. She reiterated that higher education plays a vital role in competing with the global market, especially in science, mathematical and technological fields.

Many days of rushing from meeting to hearing to voting on the senate floor await Kohl-Welles. It is part of the commitment she made to her constituents and nothing is stopping Kohl-Welles from doing the job her fellow citizens chose her to do.