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
Start the Conversation – Student Advocacy
Guest post provided by 2022 WSPTA Student Advocate award winner Kellen Hoard At the beginning of every school year, I encourage students I meet of all ages to be on the lookout. I tell them to pay attention to their surroundings—at school, in their town, and across their state. I tell them to listen closely…
Category:
Advocacy
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Family Engagement
Voter Registration Drives for Future Voters
Giving students their voice and vote to elect officials, weigh in on policy, influence government, decide who leads, and who makes decisions is the cornerstone of our democracy and a critical rite of passage. PTAs can help students and adults register to vote and also encourage people to vote. In 2018, Washington state passed a…
Category:
Advocacy
PTA Advocacy is Year-round!
Advocacy is at the heart of the PTA mission! Does advocacy happen in Olympia when the legislature is in session? Yes! But that is not the only time or place because PTA advocacy is year-round. Advocacy is our most significant opportunity to positively impact our community and its future. To create a better world for…
Category:
Advocacy
2022 Focus on Advocacy – March 14 Report
Sine Die report Prepared by Marie Sullivan, WSPTA Legislative Consultant, legconsultant@wastatepta.org The 2022 legislative session ended at 11:35 pm, Thursday, March 10. In a last dash to the finish line, the Legislature completed its work to pass supplemental operating, capital, and transportation budgets, as well as acting on many policy-level bills. Read the full report…
Category:
Advocacy
2022 Focus on Advocacy – March 7 Report
Into the home stretch Prepared by Marie Sullivan, WSPTA Legislative Consultant, legconsultant@wastatepta.org The 60-day session is set to end by midnight, Thursday, March 10. Legislators appear to be on track to meet that deadline, with budget negotiations continuing through the weekend. Last week was a flurry of bill action and some late nights for both…
Category:
Advocacy
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Legislative
Call to Action – SB 5078: Prevent and Reduce Gun Violence and Suicide
Dear Washington State PTA Member, Preventing gun violence and suicide is a top-five legislative issue for Washington State PTA. Deaths from suicide and firearms are preventable, and common-sense legislation is part of the answer. We can reduce the risk of mass shootings with appropriate restrictions on the ownership of the most-deadly weapons. Please customize and…
Category:
Advocacy
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Legislative
2022 Focus on Advocacy – February 28 Report
Into the home stretch Prepared by Marie Sullivan, WSPTA Legislative Consultant, legconsultant@wastatepta.org Last week saw the release of five 2022 supplemental budgets, all on Monday, February 21: the House and Senate operating budgets, House capital budget, and both House and Senate transportation budgets. While there are several similarities, the budgets took different approaches to some…
Category:
Advocacy
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Legislative
WSPTA Provides Testimony to the House Capital Budget Committee
DaleAnn Baker is a professional engineer and parent advocate in the 10th legislative district. She’s also the author of the WSPTA-adopted position on school safety and emergency preparedness. Listen to DaleAnn’s thoughtful testimony here before the House Capital Budget Committee on February 25, 2022. The bill is scheduled for a vote on Monday, February 28.
Category:
Advocacy
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Legislative
WSPTA Testifies on Multiple Bills
On Tuesday, February 22, Advocacy Director Lizzy Sebring urged members of the Senate Ways and Means Committee to pass HB 1590, a bill that would stabilize state and local funding losses due to enrollment decline. Listen to Lizzy here. Funding was included in both the Senate and House budgets to support stabilization. Speaking in favor…
Category:
Advocacy
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Legislative