Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Advocacy proposals due Friday

Help decide our legislative priorities. Proposals are due JUNE 1
State board of education needs your feedback on waivers (survey)
What Every Parent Needs Know – Find Your Voice training comes to Renton on June 9

Final countdown … Help decide WSPTA's Top 5

2012-13 Platform: Information & Proposal Form

Proposals for Washington State PTA’s short-term legislative platform are due June 1. Only PTA/PTSA members may turn in proposals. These will be voted on at our legislative assembly in October. Forms may be emailed, faxed, snail-mailed or hand-delivered, but MUST be in before midnight June 1.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

New Race, this one focused on learners

District-Level Race to the Top to Focus on the Classroom, Provide Tools to Enhance Learning and Serve the Needs of Every Student
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2012 Competition Proposal Available for Public Comment Until June 8
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Who can apply:
“The proposed 2012 program criteria invites applications from districts or groups of districts serving at least 2,500 students with 40 percent or more qualifying for free or reduced price lunch. Districts will choose to apply for funding to support learning strategies that personalize education in all or a set of schools, within specific grade levels, or select subjects.

Friday, May 11, 2012

Got a teen? Get them to vote

High-schoolers should register NOW to vote this summer and fall.
Register online

If you (or your child) will be 18 by Election Day, you should register.

  • Election Day/August 7 primary ... Register online by July 9, or in-person by July 30
  • Election Day/November 6 General election  ... Register online by October 8, or in person by October 29

PTA flier to share with members - Help get the word out. Share with your high school PTSAs!

Encouraging civic engagement supports Standard 5 of PTA’s National Standards for Family-School Partnerships.  Sharing power and other standards for success

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Washington treading water in science


Washington’s eighth-graders scored a little better than the national average on the science portion of the Nation’s Report Card, but the state’s gaps among subgroups remained entrenched.

Nationally, score gaps between black and white students and between Hispanic and non-Hispanic white students narrowed between 2009 and 2011. In Washington, the score gap widened for black students and narrowed for Hispanic students, but the changes were not significantly different. (Details below)

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

What will be our new Top 5?

Help decide Washington State PTA’s legislative priorities


Reminder: ALL short-term legislative issues expire this October when delegates vote in a new platform. (This includes the current TOP 6 and the “also supported” issues – including ones voted on last October)

Any PTA/PTSA member or group of members can submit an issue for consideration. I am available to assist as needed.
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Ramona Hattendorf, Government Relations Coordinator
Washington State PTA
Subscribe to Washington State PTA’s Action E-List


Saturday, May 5, 2012

Resolutions all pass, as written

Subsidizing staff salaries ... Equitable educational opportunities ... Aligning sleep requirements to school start times ... Arts education

Voting delegates to the 99th Annual Washington State Convention voted to adopt three new resolutions and amend a fourth. All passed as written, though delegates considered several amendments.

The resolutions and supporting documents can be found here.