Summer EBT Food Program Requires Support from Olympia
by Nigar Suleman, WSPTA Federal Legislative Committee, and Susan Baird-Joshi, WSPTA Federal Legislative Chair Due to the Public Health Emergency expiring, 2023 was the last year for Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) food benefits. Now, thanks to new federal funding initiatives, benefits that aim to reduce child hunger when school is not in session will…
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…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
Call to Action – Focus on Safety
Dear Washington State PTA Member, Students and families deserve to be safe and healthy in their school, homes, and communities, with a livable future for our children. But unfortunately, what we are seeing in our state is concerning: Firearms are the second leading cause of death in children and 4.6 million children live in a…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
Call to Action – Focus on Preserving Funding
Dear Washington State PTA member, Right now, we need your voice more than ever as our Washington state legislature grapples with funding choices. We still have not returned back to school the way it was prior to the pandemic, and we need you to speak up. Legislators often comment that they don’t hear enough from…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
Call to Action – Focus on Mental Health
Dear Washington State PTA member, Insufficient funding for mental health and social emotional learning staff in our schools is an urgent need across our state. For the emotional health of our students, we need decision makers to support legislation that: Increases the state funding model for staffing school mental health professionals. Utilizes innovative funding solutions…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
Call to Action – Focus on Equity
Dear Washington State PTA member, Washington State PTA believes that great educational outcomes are possible for all students, but unfortunately, some students continue to experience barriers and inequities preventing them from reaching their potential in our state: As of 2020, 68% of districts (urban and rural) report that some students have no access to broadband…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
Call to Action – Focus on Dismantling Racism
Dear Washington State PTA Member, On this day when we honor the work and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., WSPTA recognizes that racism is not new and has harmed communities of color for centuries. In October 2021, our membership overwhelmingly voted to not only take a stand against institutional racism, but to take…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
Take Action Now – Just 90 Seconds to Help Pass Simple Majority for Bonds
Deadline: January 18, 7:00 am Washington state requires a super-majority of 60% to pass school bonds, one of only 11 states that requires more than 50% of the vote. This extra requirement has cost school districts billions of dollars in funds and puts our students’ safety at risk from buildings that are overcrowded, unsafe due…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
What is an Action Alert?
An action alert is a message that is delivered directly to an advocate’s inbox that provides all of the details necessary to send information directly to your legislator(s). Once an advocate has subscribed to the WSPTA Action Network and setup their account, each time they “take action” on a message they receive the system will…
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Advocacy
Take Action: Ask U.S. Senators Murray and Cantwell to Increase Funding for Statewide Family Engagement Centers
Contact U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell today to request robust funding for the FY2022 Statewide Family Engagement Centers(SFEC) program. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) and Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) are currently circulating a bipartisan letter internally through the Senate, asking representatives to join them in seeking robust funding for the program. The FY2021 level…
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Advocacy
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Legislative