Friday, March 27, 2015

McCleary Funding - Better - But Still Falls Short

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The Washington State House of Representatives offered up their version of the 2015-17 biennial budget today.  Representatives Patrick Sull...

House Budget Unveiled: SEL and Breakfast Funded

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This was an eventful day for the Washington State PTA.  Although funding for McCleary was not as high as we would have hoped, we were able...

Guest Column by King County Councilwoman Kathy Lambert on House Bill 1865 to Expand Vision Screenings

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Last week, we shared information on House Bill 1865 which expands student vision exams. The bill passed the House and was heard in the Sen...
Thursday, March 26, 2015

Senate Bill 6080 - Good Start - But Not Enough to Meet Student Needs

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This week, PTA activist and McCleary team lead Eden Mack from the Seattle Council PTA joined us in Olympia for the hearing on Senate Bill ...
Wednesday, March 25, 2015

The Sound of Drums - House Budget Due to be Released by the End of the Month

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The first big movement on McCleary in the legislature was the release of Governor Inslee's budget last December.  His version fully fun...
Tuesday, March 24, 2015

PTA Advocates for Increased Foster Care Services

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Our PTA Legislative Director, Sherry Krainick, was in Olympia on Wednesday, and took time out of her meeting schedule to swing by the Ho...
Monday, March 23, 2015

Social and Emotional Learning Hearing Successful in House Education

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One of our Key Top Five Issues passed yet another hurdle this week when Senate Bill 5688 , the Social and Emotional Learning Bill, was h...
Saturday, March 21, 2015

National PTA Applauds Administration’s Commitment to Ensuring Students Have Access to Healthy Foods

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Last week, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, joined by National PTA President Otha Thornton and Rayburn Elementary PTA...
Friday, March 20, 2015

Vision problems can be major roadblock to childrens' school success

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By Kathy Lambert and Dr. Mary Baker As thousands of children head back to school this month, it is a good time to make sure they are ...

Follow the Latest With Our New Legislative Bill Tracker.

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With over 2000 bills being offered in Olympia, it can sometimes be difficult to determine which bills are which. This session, however, yo...
Thursday, March 19, 2015

WSPTA in the Other Washington for National Legislative Convention.

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While Washington State holds its annual legislative assembly in October, National PTA holds its Legislative Conference in Mid-March. This ...
Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Second Half of Session Leads Off With Financial Literacy Hearing

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The legislative session is now officially half over.  Bills which did not pass out of their house of origin are now likely dead for the ...
Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Key McCleary / Capital Funding Bill to be Heard in Senate.

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One of the less often talked about concerns with fully funding basic education in Washington State is the lack of adequate facilities in m...
Friday, March 13, 2015

Support Access to Student Vision Screenings

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Kids do not learn to read from 20 feet away, and yet, with the current school requirement of only screening for distant vision, undetected ...
Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Breakfast after the Bell Clears House and Social & Emotional Learning Clears Senate with Bipartisan Vote!

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The PTA was thrilled to have two of our priority bills pass their house of origin well before the cut-off on Wednesday. House Bill 1295, Br...
Tuesday, March 10, 2015

House and Senate in All Day Sessions until Wednesday Cut-off

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As we enter the middle of the official legislative session, the House and Senate are meeting until late in the evening all this week and th...
Monday, March 9, 2015

Stand up, Speak up, and Show up to Legislative Town Halls this Weekend.

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At the beginning of the Session, the PTA called on its members to "Stand Up, Speak Up, and Show Up" on McCleary.  This coming we...
Friday, March 6, 2015

Rep. Gerry Pollet's Higher Education Tuition Planning Proposal Gaining Traction in the House.

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House Bill 1238  by Representative Pollet is one of many bills that looked at finding solutions to the rising costs of higher education tu...
Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Family Engagement in Education Act of 2015

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Yesterday, the Family Engagement in Education Act of 2015 was introduced in the US House of Representatives by Congressman Glenn Thompson ...

Proponents of Change for Education Capital Budget hit a roadblock - key bills not moving forward.

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Whereas other segments of our "Top 5" priorities experienced success this week, supporters of change in how we allocate and obta...