January 2023 – Executive Director Message
Dear Members, What a difference a vacation makes! I love our holiday break. It is an opportunity for proper rest. So much of our little world also takes a break at the end of the year. We can return to PTA knowing that work has not accumulated much during our absence. That annual break always…
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Leadership
Flurry of Hearings Kick Off Week 1 of the 2023 Session
Prepared by Marie Sullivan, legconsultant@wastatepta.org The first week of session started with pomp and circumstance, the swearing in of members of the 68th Legislature, and a state of the state address by Governor Jay Inslee. Hear Governor Inslee’s address to legislators here. Usually, the first week of a long session starts off a bit…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
Advocacy in Action! January 12, 2023
After waiting more than three hours to testify, parent advocate Jennifer Crespi asked House Appropriations Committee members to fully fund the cost of delivering services to students with disabilities. After thanking the Governor for his investments in this year’s budget proposal, Jennifer pointed out it wasn’t enough and urged lawmakers to remove the arbitrary cap…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
Advocacy in Action! January 11, 2023
Kicking off the first week of the 2023 legislative session, Advocacy Director Lizzy Sebring testified on Governor Inslee’s proposed 2023-25 operating budget in the Senate Ways & Means Committee Tuesday, January 10th. On behalf of WSPTA, Lizzy thanked the Governor for the increased funding for students with disabilities and funding for training in inclusionary practices,…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
New Faces, New Budget: What to Expect in the 2023 Legislative Session
On January 11, 2023 our WSPTA Legislative Consultant Marie Sullivan chaired an interactive discussion about 2022 election results, known and predicted session protocols, changes to committee assignments, and how to best engage with the 2023 legislature. You can watch the New Faces, New Budgets: What to Expect in the 2023 Legislative Session on our Viemo page.
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Advocacy
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Legislative
Programs Plug – January 2023
Guest post provided by WSPTA Program Director Laura Peterson Happy New Year. I hope you were able to get a little rest during the holiday break. Hopefully this information is old news for you but wanted to share it again just in case. Volunteers Needed! Volunteer judges needed for all student programs. We urgently need…
Category:
Programs
68th Legislature Returns to Olympia January 9th
68th Legislature Returns to Olympia January 9th Prepared by Marie Sullivan, legconsultant@wastatepta.org After two years of remote legislative sessions, all 147 legislators will return to Olympia January 9th to begin a 105-day session where the main bit of business is passing two-year spending plans for operations, construction, and transportation. All the rest is just gravy.…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
Washington Students in Grades 4 and 8 are Not Proficient in Math
Guest post by: Susan Baird-Joshi, WSPTA Federal Legislative Chair and Angela Steck, WSPTA Vice President Since 1969, the Nation’s Report Card, also known as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), has been assessing what students know in subjects such as mathematics, reading, and science. On November 15, the National PTA and the National Assessment…
Category:
Advocacy
How Will You Use New Standards for Family-School Partnerships?
On November 17, National PTA released the newly updated National Standards for Family-School Partnerships. The town hall was recorded and is up on the National PTA’s YouTube. The Standards provide us with guidance for equitable family engagement practices across the education system, complementing important work such as the Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School-Community Partnerships.…
Category:
Family Engagement
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Audit Update – November 30, 2022
In January of this year, AV Consulting began a statewide DEI audit process for Washington State PTA. Additionally, the WSPTA Board of Directors committed to implementing the recommendations of the DEI Audit and to transform its organizational practices and support for its constituencies in alignment with the elements of Resolution 2.26: Dismantling Institutional and Systemic Racism. View Resolution 2.26: Dismantling Institutional and Systemic Racism…
Category:
Family Engagement