2016 Post Legislative Assembly Summary

Greetings Washington State PTA Advocates! Thank you to all those who attended and participated in this weekend's 38th Annual Legislative Assembly! It was an excellent time of leadership development, discussion and debate around the statewide advocacy goals Washington State PTA (WSPTA) would like to accomplish over the next two years, and ultimately a voting process that officially determined both our short-term platform, and updated our long-term platform.

Our short-term platform for the next two years will be:

Top Five

1. Social Emotional Learning*

2. Amply Fund Basic Education*

3. Closing the Opportunity Gap*

4. Standards for Para-educators* 

5. Breakfast after the Bell*

Issues Also Supported (listed alphabetically)

- Improving Educational Outcomes for Foster Children*
- Engaging Families in Student Success

- Post-Secondary Higher Education*
- Removing Barriers to Implementing ECEAP (Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program)

- Restorative Justice and School Safety

*2015-16 legislative issues 

In addition to the outstanding work, the delegates performed setting the overall platform and determining our Top 5 issues for the next two years, we also heard from National PTA's President-Elect, Jim Accomando. He spoke about the challenges that face PTA as an organization, and touched on the things he had learned from us during the course of the event. We also heard from Brian Jeffries of the Washington Roundtable, who spoke about the cradle-to-career efforts educators and employers are making to ensure that Washington state's high-school graduates have the credentials they need to achieve high-quality employment.

WSPTA was proud to award the 2016 Outstanding Advocate Award to Kent Area Council PTSA member and long-time PTA advocate Agda Burchard. Agda spoke about her experience being a PTA advocate, and how it spurred her to expand her advocacy efforts both as a volunteer and a professional. She was inspiring and gracious, and will carry the mantle of Outstanding Advocate exceedingly well over the coming year.

So, what's next? Well, we're in the midst of planning our 2017 Focus Day, taking place January 16 – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – at the Capitol in Olympia. We need you to come, and be prepared, to meet with your legislators! We will have more information coming soon, so please stay tuned!

Now is your opportunity to take the experience you had at Legislative Assembly and use it to grow more advocates in your communities! As always, WSPTA's leadership is here to serve you. Never hesitate to reach out if there's something we can do to help. Your service to the children of the state of Washington is supremely appreciated!

For a summary of the event, follow the conversation on Facebook or #WSPTALegAssembly. 

Duncan Taylor

WSPTA Legislative Director

Contact Duncan