Newly Added Resolutions

Greetings fellow advocates of Washington State PTA. As you know, WSPTA recently voted on our short-term (two-year) platform for the upcoming two legislative sessions. We're excited that we have such a strong, whole child focused short-term platform to guide our discussions and activities in Olympia. 

However, WSPTA's membership also added three new items to our long-term platform, and we want to make sure you know both about these new items, and the long-term platform in general. 

In WSPTA's nomenclature, our long-term platform is composed of Resolutions, which remain on the platform until/unless amended or removed by vote of the membership (at either Legislative Assembly or Convention). 

While our short-term platform gets a lot of attention, it's imperative to remember that we are always looking for ways we can advance our long-term platform as well. Typically, Resolutions cover topics that take longer than a single two-year period to significantly move forward.  

By having Resolutions that remain part of our guidance for direct advocacy, WSPTA strengthens both our ability to advocate for children, and the perception of our strength as an organization by those policy-makers with whom we work year after year. 

So what are the three new additions to our Resolutions? First up is a resolution regarding sensory disorders, including (but not limited to) Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia,and Dyspraxia. This resolution offers guidance to WSPTA's long-term efforts to embody the philosophy that, when we say we advocate for all children, all means all. Creating and supporting inclusive classrooms that are well-suited for learners of all ability-levels is good for all of our children, and this resolution is built on that principle. 

Next, WSPTA passed a Washington-specific version of National PTA's resolution on Child Sex Trafficking. Sadly, Washington is a hotbed of activity for child sex traffickers because of both our state's geography, and our proximity to international borders. Supporting efforts to end this scourge is wholly aligned with the mission and vision of WSPTA, and this resolution gives us guidance on how we can participate in helping the children caught in this horrific practice. 

Finally, WSPTA passed a resolution regarding Mitigating Environmental Hazards and Contaminants in Schools. This resolution provides guidance as WSPTA leads and participates in discussions about ensuring environmental safety is a high priority in our schools, while acknowledging that practices and policies at the district and school levels need to be aligned with current best-practices. 

Of course, these three new resolutions are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to WSPTA's long-term platform. We ask that you familiarize yourself with our standing Resolutions and keep them in mind as you have conversations in your homes, schools, and 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!  

Note: An updated version of the resolutions will be posted soon.

Duncan Taylor  

WSPTA Legislative Director  

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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

National PTA Applauds House Education and Workforce Committee Passage of Supporting Youth Opportunity and Preventing Delinquency Act

ALEXANDRIA, Va., (Sept. 15, 2016)—Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce passed the Supporting Youth Opportunity and Preventing Delinquency Act, which would reauthorize the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) and strengthen the nation’s juvenile justice system. The JJDPA was originally signed into law in 1974 and has been due for reauthorization since 2007.

“Reauthorization of the JJDPA is long overdue. Improvements need to be made to the law to prevent children and youth from entering the juvenile justice system and to better protect those currently in the system,” said Laura Bay, president of National PTA. “National PTA applauds the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and the leadership of Representatives Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) and Bobby Scott (D-VA) for passing the Supporting Youth Opportunity and Preventing Delinquency Act. We commend their bipartisan commitment to ensuring greater support, opportunities and alternatives to incarceration for our nation’s youth.”

The Supporting Youth Opportunity and Preventing Delinquency Act would improve current law by:

·         Incorporating family and community-based services and alternatives to incarceration

·         Keeping detained youth separate from adults while they are awaiting trial

·         Phasing out exemptions that allow youth detainment for minor offenses

·         Ensuring the continuity of children’s education while detained and a smooth transition back into the classroom after

·         Encouraging states to use data and implement strategies to reduce racial and ethnic disparities among youth in the juvenile justice system

“Since 1899, National PTA has advocated for policies that prevent juvenile delinquency, protect children and youth who come into contact with the juvenile justice system, and provide youth in the system with services to help them become productive members of society,” added Nathan R. Monell, CAE, National PTA executive director. “National PTA is encouraged by the action today in the House, as well as that of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which passed a similar bill in July 2015. It is critical that Congress sign a strong JJDPA reauthorization bill into law this year that enhances protections for youth and helps every child reach his or her full potential.”

About National PTA

National PTA® comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of family engagement in schools. PTA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in PTA is open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference for the education, health and welfare of children and youth.

About Washington State PTA

Founded in 1905, the Washington Congress of Parents and Teachers, better known as the Washington State PTA, is the largest volunteer organization in the state, with more than 132,000 members in more than 875 local PTAs across the state. 

Help Washington State PTA speak up for kids. Each year, the association selects its legislative priorities, and hearing from you is a valuable step in the process. Your responses will assist voting delegates in setting the 2016-17 legislative platform. Take the survey here. Survey closes Thursday, October 6 at 12:15pm. Proposed issues include Restorative Justice and School Safety and Engaging Families in Student Success. Learn more here.

Legislature Down to Four Days Left in the Regular Session

Friday, March 4 was the final day for bills to pass out of the opposite chamber from which they were introduced. The exceptions are bills that have been labeled “Necessary to Implement the Budget” or NTIB. In addition, a few policy bills might find new life in the final days of session, depending on various agreements between the two chambers.


Here’s a quick review of what’s still alive and what might resurface by March 10, the end of the regularly scheduled 60-day session:

WSPTA Top Priorities

Fully Fund McCleary
E2SSB 6195 was signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee on February 29th. The bill creates a nine-member Education Funding Task Force, with eight legislators and one non-voting member of the Governor’s office who will serve as the facilitator. The task force is directed to return by the 2017 legislative session with recommendations on compensation, revenue to meet basic education funding obligations, and levy reform.

The levy cliff bill, HB 2698, is still in the Senate Ways & Means Committee. The bill would extend a bump in levy authority granted during the 2010 session another year, through January 2019. While Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) Randy Dorn has always been opposed to the legislation, saying that not extending the levy authority will force the 2017 legislature to act on levy reform and compensation, school districts have argued for the one-year extension to prevent chaos in budget and school-year planning.

Perhaps providing some measure of relief, the Senate passed HB 2023, which would give school districts until June 15 to issue layoff notices if the operating budget isn’t passed by the end of the regular session. The bill has been signed by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate, so is ready to be delivered to the Governor.

Operating budget negotiators have been meeting, but no one expects significant additional funding for basic education in the 2016 session. Efforts have been made to increase Career and Technical Education (CTE) Materials, Supplies, and Operating Costs (MSOC) funding, but so far neither budget includes a boost in CTE funding. Because the supplemental operating budgets were so far apart philosophically, many are starting to suggest that it may take up to an additional week to seal the deal.

Promoting Social and Emotional Learning
2SSB 6243, a bill related to suicide prevention training, failed to pass out of the House Appropriations Committee by February 29th. One element of the bill remains: a one-day summit on suicide prevention as a “train the trainer” approach. Along with ongoing assistance from Forefront of UW for ESDs if funded, the suicide prevention training sections were added Thursday on the Senate floor to E2SHB 2439, a bill on youth mental health services.

Increasing Capital Funding
HB 2968, a bill that would direct one-half of one percent that is sent to the budget stabilization account (aka Rainy Day Fund) to support construction of smaller K-3 class sizes and the expansion of all-day kindergarten from this July through 2025, remains on the House floor calendar. As written, the bill would divert $187 million during this budget cycle from the Rainy Day Fund to the Education Construction Account. The word on the ground is that last year’s K-3/All Day Kindergarten (ADK) grant program was a pilot program and lawmakers will wait until the 2017-19 biennial capital budget to tinker with the policy and the funding source.

The House passed SHB 2985, which would allow former school buildings that have been previously removed from a district’s inventory, to continue to be excluded from the School Construction Assistance Program inventory if they are used to support all-day kindergarten and/or reduced K-3 class sizes. The exclusion would apply for state assistance on new construction awarded from July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2021. The bill has not been heard in a Senate committee but may get a favorable response from the Senate and still secure the necessary votes to land on the Governor’s desk this session.

Increased Access to Higher Education
On its way to the Governor’s desk is SSB 6354, which would require four-year institutions of higher education to work with the State Board of Community & Technical Colleges to develop plans that would facilitate the reverse transfer of academic credits from four-year institutions to community & technical colleges. If funded, E2SSB 6601 would create the Washington College Savings Program, which would establish another college savings program option in Washington state. The bill was modified in the House, so will return to the Senate for concurrence with the changes.

Failing to make cutoff was SB 6626, which would create a “Degree in Three” work group to consider how to graduate in three years as way of cutting down on the debt associated with four or five years of college.

Breakfast after the Bell
E3SHB 1295 had a solid hearing in the Senate Ways & Means Committee February 29th, with parent advocate Heather Lindberg traveling to Olympia for at least the fourth time to speak in favor of the bill. The Breakfast after the Bell legislation is stalled in the fiscal committee, but still may be part of final negotiations if the Senate agrees to fund it in the final supplemental operating budget.

An alternative emerged on the 29th by Senator Bruce Dammeier, R-Puyallup, which would make the program voluntary and cap the amount of the one-time $6,000 grants to a total of $500,000. While this doesn’t go as far as advocates would like, it would at least keep the concept moving and provide additional breakfast opportunities to at least 83 schools and their high-need students.

As individuals, WSPTA members may want to contact their senators and ask them to bring the bill to the floor and support its funding and passage.

WSPTA Platform Issues

The following bills have passed both chambers and are in varying stages of concurrence, dispute, or delivery to the Governor’s desk:

• HB 1345 would require the development of a consistent definition for professional learning. Sponsors say this is a step needed before funding professional development days. Passed and signed by both chambers and ready to be delivered.
• 2SHB 1408 would convene a work group to develop a consistent definition and framework of responsibilities for family engagement coordinators. The bill passed the Senate 43-3.
• 4SHB 1541 would implement recommendations of the Education Opportunity Gap Oversight & Accountability Committee for closing the achievement and opportunity gaps. Elements include data dis-aggregation; school discipline; requiring ELL endorsements for teachers in the state-funded Transitional Bilingual Instruction Program; cultural competency; and more. The bill returns to the House for concurrence with Senate changes. 
• E3SHB 1682 would focus on improving educational and housing opportunities for homeless youth. This bill will return to the House for concurrence. 
• 4SHB 1999 would increase support for students in the foster youth system. Passed and signed by both chambers and ready to be delivered. 
• SHB 2394 would make a goal of extending to all counties the existing Parent to Parent program by 2021. It would define in statute what the Parent to Parent Program is, including clarifying that the program applies both to individuals with developmental disabilities and/or special health care needs. The bill will return to the House for concurrence. 
• HB 2597 – would expand the plan that school districts must adopt for recognition, initial screening, and response to emotional or behavioral distress in students to include indicators of sexual abuse. Passed and signed by both chambers and ready to be delivered.

Necessary to Implement the Budget (NTIB)
2SSB 6408 regarding paraeducator certification and endorsements, did not pass out of the House Appropriations Committee by the 29th. The bill has a small appropriation and is sponsored by Senator Andy Hill, R-Redmond, who is the Senate budget chair.


And while the WSPTA hasn’t acted on any of the bills in play to address the teacher shortage, the one bill that has passed both chambers is E2SSB 6455. The House changed the bill substantially, which means it will return to the Senate for review and either agreement or dispute of the changes. Bills with changes that cannot be agreed upon can end up in a conference committee to work out the differences. When the agreed-upon bill emerges from the conference committee, the vote by both chambers is simply an up or down vote.

Worth a Look

Not on the platform, but passing both chambers are:

• SB 6245 would require school districts to offer near and far vision screening
• SSB 6273 would require Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to develop best practices and recommendations for instruction on digital citizenship, Internet safety, and media literacy, and report strategies for statewide implementation of the best practices and recommendations to the Legislature by December 1, 2016. The bill also would require school districts to update or adopt policies in time for the 2017-18 school year. 
• ESB 6620 – would require an evaluation of how Washington and other states have addressed the funding of school safety and security programs, with a report due December 1, 2017. In addition, it would require annual safety summits, and would allow Educational Service Districts (ESD) to implement a regional school safety and security program. The bill will return to the Senate for concurrence.

Marie Sullivan

Legislative Consultant

Washington State PTA

LegConsultant@wastatepta.org

Breakfast after the Bell Among Bill Survivors

As the legislature counts down to the March 10th end of a regular session, the schedule for bill deadlines is becoming even more compressed. Last Wednesday, February 17 marked the cutoff for bills to pass out of the chamber in which they started. The next cutoff is Friday, February 26, when bills must have passed the opposite chamber’s policy committee to remain in play.

At cutoff, the Senate abandoned its efforts to change elements of a pre-session agreed-upon bill that would create a legislative work group to resolve compensation issues and reduce state reliance on local levies. Adopting the version (ESHB 2366) that came over from the House, the Senate voted 26-23 to pass E2SSB 6195.

In a surprise move last Thursday, where the bill didn’t get a hearing or follow the regular bill vetting process, E2SSB 6195 passed the House 66-31. The bill is waiting for signatures from the Speaker and President of the Senate before being delivered to the Governor. The Governor will then have five days, not including Sundays, to sign or veto the bill.

A couple of bills that failed to make the February 17th deadline included SHB 2820, the Washington Promise Scholarship, and SHB 2955, creating a free-to-finish college grant.

Here’s a quick look at bills WSPTA has been tracking.

WSPTA Top Priorities

Fully Fund McCleary
In addition to E2SSB 6195, the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee will hear the levy cliff bill on Monday, February 22 at 1:30. HB 2698 would extend additional levy authority one more year, through January 1, 2019. This would give school districts another year before they are required to adjust their levy authority down by four percent, with an additional two percent reduction in state-funded local effort assistance. The bill also sets up a Transitional LEA Account for the 2017-19 biennium.

Promoting Social and Emotional Learning
SHB 2381 would direct the Professional Educator Standard Board to convene a 10-member task force on school counselors, psychologists, and social workers. The task force would review: (1) the projected need of school districts for school counselors, psychologists, and social workers; (2) the capacity of the state for meeting this need; (3) alternative certification routes for school counselors and social workers; and (4) school counselor, psychologist, and social worker preparation programs. Recommendations from the task force would be due by December 1, 2016. The bill has not been scheduled for a hearing at this time.

2SSB 6243 would require Educational Service Districts to work with Forefront of the University of Washington to develop a two-day youth suicide prevention training program for middle and high school administrators, teachers, counselors, psychologists, social workers, and parents or guardians.

Other elements of the bill include:

• By September 1, 2017, OSPI would create and maintain an online social and emotional training module for educators, administrators, and other school district staff, based on the recommendations of the Social and Emotional Learning Benchmarks Workgroup.
• School districts and ESDs would report one-time data to OSPI on how many students are served by mental health services in each school, school district, or educational service district; how many of these students are participating in Medicaid programs; how the mental health services are funded, including federBal, state, and private sources; information on who provides the mental health services, including district employees and contractors; and any other available information related to student access and outcomes. OSPI would compile this data into an inventory of the mental health service models available to students through schools, school districts, and educational service districts. An inventory report would be due October 31, 2016.

The House Education Committee will take public testimony on the bill Monday at 1:30 p.m.

Increasing Capital Funding
HB 2968 recognizes the pressure that smaller K-3 class sizes and the expansion of all-day kindergarten have had on school districts and sets a goal of making $1 billion in construction and facility grants available over the next 10 years. In an attempt to meet the demand for the K-3/all-day kindergarten grant program created in 2015, the bill would add $187 million during this budget cycle, and would divert one-half of one percent from the budget stabilization account (Rainy Day Fund) to the Education Construction Account through 2025. The bill passed out of the House Capital Budget Committee and is likely to be paired with the 2016 supplemental capital budget for a vote on the House floor.

On Friday, Heidi Bennett represented Washington State PTA on a panel in support of HB 1941/HJR 4210, legislation that would allow bonds to pass by a simple majority when conducted at the November general election. The nearly hour-long hearing included stories from students, school administrators, parents, school advocates, and school board members – all of whom urged the House Education Committee to act on the legislation this session.

Increased Access to Higher Education

As mentioned above, the Washington Promise Scholarship and the Free to Finish grant program did not pass the House in time to remain under consideration. The Senate kept several bills alive, all of which are up for executive action February 24.

These include:

• SSB 6354 would require four-year institutions of higher education to work with the State Board of Community & Technical Colleges to develop plans that would facilitate the reverse transfer of academic credits from four-year institutions to community & technical colleges.
• 2SSB 6601 would establish the Washington College Savings Program to provide an additional financial option for individuals, organizations and families to save for college. 
• SB 6626 would create a “Degree in Three” work group to develop a set of institutional best practices to promote a student’s ability to successfully graduate with a baccalaureate degree within three years at Washington public regional universities and The Evergreen State College.

Breakfast after the Bell
The Senate education committee will take public testimony on E3SHB 1295, on Tuesday, February 23 at 1:30 p.m. The bill would require schools that have 70 percent of students meeting federal eligibility for free or reduced price meals to offer school breakfast after the school day starts, beginning in the 2017-18 school year. The program would not be considered basic education for ongoing purposes. School districts would select which of the types of breakfast after the bell programs it wants to implement. In addition, the bill calls for schools to receive a one-time start-up grant of $6,000 to implement the program.

The bill also includes a couple of amendments that were added on the House floor and that are opposed by the School Nutrition Association. One that appears somewhat problematic for school districts is a requirement to serve breakfast items that can’t be more than 25 percent of their weight in sugar. A typical Clif bar is 31 percent sugar by weight. The association has several amendments it will seek on the bill that return it to pre-floor amendment status.

The Senate bill that incorporated a similar program failed to pass by the February 17th deadline. The House Bill is expected to pass out of the Senate policy committee, but could run into issues in the Senate budget committee or on the Senate floor due to opposition. The United Way of King County is holding a “virtual day of advocacy” on Thursday, February 25th to encourage all supporters to contact their senators and ask them to support HB 1295.

WSPTA Platform Issues

• HB 1345 would require the development of a consistent definition for professional learning. Sponsors say this is a step needed before funding professional development days. The bill was heard February 18 and had no opposition. 
• 2SHB 1408 would convene a work group to develop a consistent definition and framework of responsibilities for family engagement coordinators. Sponsors say securing a common name, definition and framework will make it possible to enhance funding for these positions in schools across the state and at all grade levels in 2017. The bill is scheduled for public hearing on February 23rd in the Senate education committee. 
• 4SHB 1541 would implement recommendations of the Education Opportunity Gap Oversight & Accountability Committee for closing the achievement and opportunity gaps. Elements include data dis-aggregation; school discipline; requiring ELL endorsements for teachers in the state-funded Transitional Bilingual Instruction Program; cultural competency; and more. The bill is scheduled for public hearing on February 23rd in the Senate education committee. 
• 4SHB 1999 would increase support for students in the foster youth system. The bill was heard February 18. 
• SB 6245 would require school districts to offer near and far vision screening. It is scheduled for public hearing in the House Education Committee on Monday, February 22 at 1:30 p.m. 
• 2SSB 6408 would require a certificate/licensure for paraeducators, including training and alternative routes to teacher certification, and a one-year field test for interested school districts. It is also scheduled for public hearing February 22 in House Education.

House Supplemental Budgets to be Released this Week

Rep. Hans Dunshee, D-Snohomish, the House Appropriations Committee Chair, plans to release his 2016 supplemental operating budget on Monday about noon, hold a public hearing at 3:30 p.m., vote the budget out of committee on Tuesday, and vote the budget off the House floor by Thursday. Rep. Steve Tharinger, D-Dungeness, the House Capital Budget Chair, plans to release a bipartisan-crafted 2016 supplemental capital budget on Wednesday, with a possible committee vote on Friday at 1:30 p.m. The House has tentatively scheduled floor action for Saturday.

Friday also marks the last day for policy bills to pass out of committee for opposite chamber bills; Monday is the fiscal cutoff, and March 4 at 5 p.m. is the final day for bills to pass out of the opposite chamber.

For its part, Senate Ways & Means Committee Chair Andy Hill, R-Redmond, may release his version of the 2016 supplemental operating budget this week (rumor has it Wednesday) or he could wait until the following Monday. The Senate capital budget will be released soon afterwards.

Marie Sullivan
WSPTA Legislative Consultant
LegConsultant@wastatepta.org

State Treasurer McIntire Makes Bold Play - Offers Comprehensive Tax Reform to Fully Fund McCleary and Higher Education.

Concerned about the effects of McCleary on our long term budget outlook and reacting to concerns from the bond market, the State Treasurer’s office offered a revenue reform package earlier this week.  State Treasurer Jim McIntire upped the stakes in the dueling budget wars by offering a bold, comprehensive state revenue reform program that would increase the state’s competitiveness, reduce the tax burden on low and middle income residents, and fully fund basic and higher education.  

Stand Up, Speak Up and Show Up

2015 Legislative Focus Day 

PTA advocates from across the state gathered in Olympia for WSPTA’s annual Legislative Focus Day on Monday, January 19, 2015.

Washington State Parent Teacher Association Sets Legislative Agenda

The Washington State Parent Teacher Association held its’ 36^th Annual Legislative Assembly this weekend, in Vancouver, Washington.  There, delegates met to set a new platform of legislative priorities for the 2015 -2016 legislative session in support of the organizational vision of “Making every child’s potential a reality.”    The legislative platform supports the delivery of our mission:

• PTA is a powerful voice for all children.
• PTA is a relevant resource for families, schools and communities.
• PTA is a strong advocate for the well-being and education of every child.

In all, 13 issues made the short-term platform.  As a whole child advocacy association, our priority issues represent health, well-being and educational needs of the children of Washington State.

WSPTA’s priorities for the 2015 and 2016 legislative sessions:

1. Funding McCleary
2. Create Positive School Climates Through Social Emotional Learning
3. Increasing Capital Funding
4. Increased Access to Higher Education
5. Breakfast After the Bell

Also supported (listed alphabetically):

Access, Equity & Opportunity for Students with Disabilities and Special Needs
Closing Opportunity Gaps
Equal Access for ELL Students
Family and Community Engagement
Inclusive Special Education
Increase Playground Safety
Investing in Teacher Professional Learning (CTWG Implementation)
Regulating Child Restraint and Isolation in Schools

If you have any questions or request a media availability with our Legislative Director, Sherry Krainick, or our President, Heather Gillette, please contact us at legconsultant@wastatepta.org or by phone at (253) 292-3318. 

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About Washington State PTA: Founded in 1905, the association is a powerful voice for the well-being and education of all children and a resource for parents. It provides leadership training and support to more than 900 local PTAs across the state. With over 132,000 members, the WSPTA is the largest advocacy and volunteer organization in the state. Learn more at www.wastatepta.org.

What will be our new Top 5?

Help decide Washington State PTA’s legislative priorities

·         2012-13 Platform: Information & Proposal Form

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

rhattendorf@wastatepta.org

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