It’s Time to Act Collectively For Our Children’s Safety
National PTA President Leslie Boggs speaks to WSPTA members This week WSPTA is asking you to join parent voices around the nation to take a stand against gun violence and high-capacity weapons. All children no matter where they live, learn and play, deserve a safe space to thrive. Please take the time to watch this…
2020 Legislative Session – Week 4 Recap and Look Ahead to Week 5
Friday cutoff first of many deadlines to March 12 session end Prepared by Marie Sullivan, WSPTA Legislative Consultant, legconsultant@wastatepta.org Friday, February 7 was the deadline for policy bills to pass out of their respective policy committees. This first deadline usually catches most of the bills not destined to be awarded with enactment into law. The…
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Legislative
2020 Legislative Session – Week 3 Recap and Look Ahead to Week 4
20 days done, 40 to go Prepared by Marie Sullivan, WSPTA Legislative Consultant, legconsultant@wastatepta.org Week 4 marks an important milestone in the 60-day session – the first cutoff. On February 7, bills with policy impact must pass out of the policy committee to remain alive. That means that most of the attention this coming week…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
WSPTA Testifies on SB 6505, the OSPI Dual Credit Bill
Northshore parent Austina De Bonte testified on SB 6505, the OSPI dual credit bill on Friday, January 31, 2020. Austina shared that while we support SB 6505 we do have concerns due to the potential consequences for lack of additional funding for implementation. She spoke compellingly in support of removing barriers to accessing dual credit…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
Family engagement critical to student success, Estep says
WSPTA Executive Director Andrew Estep shared WSPTA’s support for a workgroup focused on developing a framework and standards for family and community engagement in a Jan. 28 public hearing of the House Education Committee. The proposed substitute to HB 2631 would include parents representing specific segments of the student population and a member from WSPTA.…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
WSPTA supports bill to consider work group on life-threatening allergy issues
Parent volunteer and school nurse Laura Peterson testified in the House Education committee Monday, Jan. 20, in support of a bill that would create a workgroup to improve the prevention and treatment of students’ life-threatening allergic reactions in K-12 settings. The workgroup also would recommend ways to reduce the waste of autoinjectors like Epi-Pens, and…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
2020 Legislative Session – Week 2 Recap and Look Ahead to Week 3
January 26, 2020 Focus Day meetings a success Prepared by Marie Sullivan, WSPTA Legislative Consultant, legconsultant@wastatepta.org Nearly 100 WSPTA members visited Olympia on January 20, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, to focus on legislative priorities, meet with their legislators and testify on bills before the House and Senate education committees. In addition, Superintendent Chris Reykdal…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
WSPTA Testifies on HB 2440 – The Time to Act is Now
One of WSPTA’s top 5 legislative priorities is Gun Violence Prevention, and this session one focus is on restricting access to high capacity magazines. Parent volunteer Gwen Loosmore testified in the House Civil Rights and Judiciary committee Tuesday, January 21, in support of a bill that would restrict the manufacture, sale, purchase, and possession of…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
Supporting funding flexibility
Heidi Bennett, long-time WSPTA member, testified in support of SB 6132, which would create more flexibility within the Learning Assistance Program to use funding for staff that support student behavioral issues and mental health. Watch her testimony here.
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Advocacy
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Legislative
WSPTA asks Legislature to Make Broad Investments in Special Education
On January 22, parent volunteer Susan Leusner testified before the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education on SB 6117, a bill that would add about $11 million to special education funding to support students who spend 80% or more of their time in general education classrooms. Here’s her testimony.
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Advocacy
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Legislative