Director District 1

School Board Director Liza Rankin, District 1

Liza Rankin (she/her)

Director Rankin represents the northernmost part of Seattle, between Golden Gardens to the west and Magnuson Park to the east. The neighborhoods include Crown Hill, Broadview, Northgate, and Lake City.

She was elected to a four-year term in the November 2019 general election. She was reelected for a second term in Nov. 2023.

District 1 Map

Liza Rankin was born and raised in Seattle, and is a former Seattle Public Schools (SPS) student.

She received her Bachelor of Arts in Theater from Whitman College, with a focus on education, and her Masters in Fine Arts in Design for Theater from Brandeis University.

During her time living on the East Coast, Director Rankin worked as scenic designer, assistant, and scenic painter in Manhattan and the Tri-State area. She was also a lecturer in the Department of Drama, Theater, and Dance at CUNY: Queens College.

Back in the Seattle area, Director Rankin also worked at Seattle Repertory Theater, Village Theater, and the University of Washington (UW) School of Drama.

Since the day her eldest son enrolled in an inclusive toddler program, Director Rankin has spent nearly a decade engaging with and working alongside families and educators all over Seattle, advocating for children with and without disabilities.

Prior to her time on the School Board, she was a volunteer and advocate for public schools and the arts and a scenic designer for theater. She served on the board of her children’s school Parent Teacher Association (PTA), the Seattle Council Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA), and an arts organization called SPACE in Magnuson Park.

She has walked picket lines with the Seattle Education Association (SEA) and SPS bus drivers; organized advocacy at the school board, city, and state levels to support public school students; and coordinated districtwide efforts to meet the needs of teachers and families.

Having visited or volunteered at half of the schools in SPS, and collaborated with parents and educators from many more, Director Rankin brings deep knowledge of SPS’ diverse communities and far-reaching community connections.

She has engaged at every level to improve public schools for students and educators—from schools, to district offices, to advocating in Olympia—activating and empowering families around legislative issues, community concerns, and systemic and institutional challenges.

Director Rankin is dedicated to improving access to all the great things the district has to offer for all students, particularly those furthest from educational justice. Her priorities include:

Special Education and Racial Equity,
Advanced and Differentiated Learning;
Outdoor and Community Education;
Equitable Community Engagement, and
Safe, Welcoming, Inclusive Schools.

Director Rankin now lives in the Lake City area with her husband, two sons who attend Seattle Public Schools, two dogs, cats, and a near-constant stream of foster dogs.

Elementary Schools

K-8 Schools

Middle Schools

High Schools

Ad Hoc Policy Manual Review Committee, Chair
Ad Hoc Budget Committee, Member
Legislative Liaison

To contact Director Rankin, please email liza.rankin@seattleschools.org. To contact the entire school board, please email schoolboard@seattleschools.org.

Please be aware that written communications sent to Board Directors, including emails sent to this email address, are potentially subject to public disclosure, in whole or in part, pursuant to the Washington Public Records Act, RCW 42.56.