WSPTA Legislative Committee Schedule Week 5 - Updated

February 6-10, 2017

Monday, February 6

1:30 p.m., House Education, HHR A

Public Hearing:

1.       HB 1313 - Improving and expanding applied learning opportunities in public schools.

2.      HB 1453 - Promoting agriculture science education in schools.

3.      HB 1600 - Increasing the career and college readiness of public school students.

4.      HB 1756 - Concerning career and technical education.

5.      HB 1509 - Concerning credit requirements for high school graduation.

1:30 p.m., Senate Early Learning &; K-12 Education, SHR 1

Public Hearing:

1.       SB 5348 - Concerning students who receive special education services who earn certificates of individual achievement.

2.      SB 5142 - Concerning educational interpreters.

3.      SB 5432 - Concerning the funding allocation for special education programs for students with disabilities.

Possible executive session on bills heard  in committee. Other business. 

3:30 p.m., House Appropriations, HHR A
Public Hearing:
1.       HB 1843 - Fulfilling the state's paramount duty for all children through equitable and
responsible investments in the state's basic education program and reductions to local
effort contributions.
2.      SSB 5607 - Concerning education. (If measure is referred to committee.)

Possible executive session on bills heard in committee. Other business.

Tuesday, February 7

8 a.m., House Early Learning &; Human Services, HHR C

1.       Public Hearing:

2.      HB 1777 - Concerning the financing of early learning facilities.

3.      HB 1719 - Updating certain department of early learning advising and contracting mechanisms to reflect federal requirements, legislative mandates, and planned system improvements.

4.      HB 1735 - Concerning the department of early learning's access to records and personal information for purposes of determining character and suitability of child care workers and individuals who have unsupervised access to children in child care settings.

5.      HB 1758 - Concerning the business of child care.

8 a.m., House Higher Education, HHR D

Public Hearing:

1.       HB 1379 - Implementing a comprehensive approach to suicide prevention and behavioral health in higher education.

2.      HB 1433 - Decoupling services and activities fees from tuition.

3.      HB 1499 - Creating protections and fairness for students in the student loan disbursement process.

4.      HB 1512 - Expanding college bound scholarship eligibility.

5.      HB 1651 - Supporting students' success by increasing retention and graduation rates with evidence-based programs.

1:30 p.m., House Education, HHR A – Teacher Shortage Day

Public Hearing:

1.       HB 1601 - Concerning the beginning educator support team program.

2.      HB 1341 - Concerning professional certification for teachers and school administrators.

3.      HB 1827 - Relating to expanding the current and future educator workforce supply through evidence-based strategies to improve and incentivize the recruitment and retention of highly effective educators, especially in high-need subject, grade-level, and geographic areas, and to establish a cohesive continuum of high quality professional learning from preparation programs to job embedded induction, mentoring, collaboration, and other professional development opportunities.

4.      HB 1654 - Changing explicit alternative routes to teacher certification program requirements to expectations for program outcomes.

5.      HB 1732 - Concerning the confidentiality of educator professional growth plans.

6.      HB 1734 - Authorizing reimbursement for substitute teachers participating in activities of the Washington state professional educator standards board to carry out its powers and duties.

3:30 p.m., House Capital Budget, HHR B

Public Hearing:

1.       HB 1050 - Concerning the financing of Chehalis basin flood damage reduction and habitat restoration projects.

2.      HB 1694 - Providing state funding assistance for public school construction.

Wednesday, February 8

1:30 p.m., House Higher Education, HHR D

Public Hearing:

1.       HB 1437 - Adding a faculty member to the board of regents at the research universities.

2.      HB 1697 - Addressing the cybersecurity and information technology professional shortage by requiring a study of incentive methods for attracting high-demand talent in information technology and cybersecurity to state agencies.

3.      HB 1830 - Creating the cybersecurity conditional loan program.

4.      HB 1840 - Establishing the Washington promise program.

Thursday, February 9

8 a.m., House Education, HHR A

Executive Session:

1.       HB 1115 - Concerning paraeducators.

2.      HB 1174 - Requiring the superintendent of public instruction to develop an elective firearms safety and hunter education course for high school students.

3.      HB 1208 - Concerning charter school students participating in interschool athletics and extracurricular activities.

4.      HB 1235 - Assessing physical education practices in public schools.

5.      HB 1246 - Concerning school bus safety.

6.      HB 1254 - Establishing a competitive educational grant program to promote confidence, public speaking, and leadership skills in students.

7.      HB 1279 - Concerning school safety drills.

8.      HB 1284 - Requiring creation of a statewide school emergency panic button program.

9.      HB 1303 - Concerning educational interpreters.

10.   HB 1310 - Creating a program to provide students and the community with the means to report anonymously concerning unsafe or violent activities, or the threat of these activities.

11.    HB 1319 - Concerning the frequency of evaluations for certain educators.

12.   HB 1346 - Clarifying the authority of a nurse working in a school setting.

13.   HB 1377 - Improving students' mental health by enhancing nonacademic professional services.

14.   HB 1412 - Creating a pilot project to provide middle and junior high school students strategic and intentional academic support beyond the traditional school day.

15.   HB 1444 - Facilitating on-time grade level progression and graduation for certain students.

16.   HB 1451 - Improving language access for public school students and families with limited English proficiency.

17.    HB 1508 - Promoting student health and readiness through meal and nutrition programs.

18.   HB 1542 - Concerning dropout prevention through engaging youth in farming.

19.   HB 1445 - Concerning dual language in early learning and K-12 education.

1:30 p.m., Senate Early Learning &; K-12 Education, SHR 1 – Teacher Shortage Day

Work Session: Professional Educational Standards Board regarding licensure and evaluation policies.

Public Hearing:

1.       SB 5217 - Changing explicit alternative routes to teacher certification program requirements to expectations for program outcomes.

2.      SB 5283 - Concerning the calculation of years of service for educational staff associate positions for salary allocation purposes.

3.      SB 5459 - Concerning the beginning educator support team program.

4.      SB 5486 - Eliminating the reporting requirement for innovative supplemental contracts.

5.      SB 5487 - Allowing retired teachers to be employed as mentors.

3:30 p.m., House Appropriations, HHR A

Possible Executive Session:

1.       HB 1042 - Eliminating the office of the insurance commissioner's school district or educational service district annual report.

2.      HB 1113 - Concerning gradually increasing the local government share of excess liquor revenues until the percentage-based method for distributions is restored.

3.      HB 1267 - Creating the wastewater treatment plant operator certification account.

4.      HB 1843 - Fulfilling the state's paramount duty for all children through equitable and responsible investments in the state's basic education program and reductions to local effort contributions.

Friday, February 10

10 a.m., House Higher Education, HHR D

Public Hearing: HB 1488 - Expanding higher education opportunities for certain students.

Click here for the current bill tracker, updated 2/2/17.

Prepared by 

Marie Sullivan

WSPTA Legislative Consultant

Email Marie

WSPTA Parent, Michael Steffen, Testifies for Breakfast After the Bell

WSPTA Parent, Michael Steffen

Representing the Washington State PTA (WSPTA), parent Michael Steffen testified today before the House Education Committee in favor of HB 1508, the Breakfast after the Bell bill.

Steffen is legislative chair for the Marvista  Elementary PTSA in the Highline School District. The bill is one of the WSPTA's Top 5 legislative priorities this session. Steffens testimony can be found at the 95 minute mark here.

WSPTA President Shares Recommendations with Senate Committee

Washington State PTA (WSPTA) President Barbara Martin was invited to share recommendations about how

WSPTA President, Barbara Martin

to improve family engagement beyond strategies that cost money with the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee. 

On Tuesday, January 31, President Martin offered three areas that pose barriers, including standards and expectations, incentives for teachers and districts, and time and space constraints that negatively impact the level of family and community engagement a school can reasonably achieve.

The WSPTA adopted a position at last October's Legislative Assembly to support funding for 1.0 FTE per prototypical school to support family engagement. The Office of the Education Ombuds told the Senate committee that every school in Maryland that is designated a "community school" has a full-time coordinator, paid at the same level as an assistant principal. This leads to more value for the position, stronger respect and active outreach.

Several bills have been introduced this session, including one to define the position as a "Family and Community Engagement Coordinator" and to staff it at the 1.0 FTE per prototypical school.

Comparison of Education Funding Proposals

Greetings fellow advocates of the Washington State PTA (WSPTA). As you know, the Senate Republicans announced their proposal for education funding last Friday, January 27, with the full bill coming out on Saturday, January 28. Our outstanding lobbyist, Marie Sullivan, took the weekend to do an in-depth analysis and comparison of the Governor's budget proposal, and the Democrat, and Senate Republican's education funding proposals. 

As a non-partisan 501(c)3 non-profit, WSPTA is offering this analysis purely for informational purposes. As there is significant negotiation to occur in the coming weeks and months, we urge our members to take a measured approach to your advocacy and discussion. 

All the best, 

Duncan Taylor 

WSPTA Legislative Director

Comparison of Education Funding Proposals

Posturing on House and Senate Floor Creates Tense Week

House Republicans sparred with Democrats over a House rule change to create an education-only budget before

writing the rest of the budget, in an attempt to show that Democrats didn’t think education was the state’s paramount duty. Not to be outdone, minority Senate Democrats sought to take advantage of a Senate Republican resignation, and a temporary 24-24 tie, to force the Senate to vote on a bill that would extend about $400 million in local levy authority through January 1, 2019. Both efforts failed, but the floor action did create some political theater.  On another note, Senate Republicans released an education spending plan on Saturday and scheduled a hearing on Monday at 3:30 p.m., in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.  Finally, the House Education Committee passed HB 1046, which would eliminate the requirement to pass state assessments to graduate; the bill passed on a 17-2 vote.

Status of Top Five Legislative Priorities - Update

1.        Social and Emotional Learning

·         HB 1377 – school support services staff.

·         HB 1518 – SEL throughout the calendar year.

2.       Amply Funding Basic Education

·         SB 5297 – Inslee compensation schedule.

·         HB 1059 – extending the levy cliff through January 1, 2019.

·         HB 1282/SB 5183 – increasing MSOC CTE funding. WSPTA signed in as support in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education committee.

·          SB 5432 – increasing the funding allocation for special education programs for students with disabilities.

3.       Closing the Opportunity Gap

·         HB 1511 – expansion of LAP funding.

·         SB 5348 – special needs assessments/diploma/transitional services.

·         HB 1295 – creating a language access advisory committee, and lighthouse projects.

4.       Standards for Para-educators

·         HB 1115 – JC Mitchell testified in favor of the bill in the House Education Committee. The bill sponsor has introduced a substitute to the original, which would remove the requirements for certification and endorsements in ELL and Special Education but boost training.

·         SB 5070 – not scheduled for executive action yet.

5.       Breakfast after the Bell

·         HB 1508 – requiring a breakfast after the bell program in high needs schools and eliminating lunch co-pays. Bill is scheduled for a public hearing Thursday, February 2, in House Education at 8 a.m.  

·         NEW: HB 1551 – creating a kitchen equipment competitive grant program to enhance student nutrition in public schools.  The bill is scheduled for a public hearing Friday, February 3, in House Capital Budget at 8 a.m.

2017 WSPTA Supported Issues:

·         Improving Educational Outcomes for Foster Children

o    SB 5241/HB 1628 would require school districts to consolidate partial credits, unresolved or incomplete coursework and provide opportunities for credit accrual that eliminates barriers to foster youth.

·         Engaging Families in Student Success

o    NEW: HB 1618 would create a single definition of “family and community engagement coordinators,” and set duties and responsibilities.  

·         Post-Secondary/Higher Education Access and Affordability

o    HB 1033 - concerning the State Need Grant.

o    HB 1452/SB 5361 – expanding the Opportunity Scholarship Program.

o    HB 1512 – expanding eligibility for the College Bound scholarship program.

o    NEW: HB 1651 would put an emphasis on student orientation and supports once a student begins a two-year or four-year college or university.

o    NEW: SB 5476 would expand the State Need Grant income eligibility to families with 85% of the state’s median family income.

o    NEW: SB 5568 would freeze tuition at the two-year and four-year colleges and universities to 2016-17 levels.

·         Removing Barriers to Implementing ECEAP

o    SB 5107 would allow local governments, school districts and non-profit organizations to pay for early learning programs, and would direct Dept of Early Learning to help increase access to early learning.

o    HB 1518 would create a summer Jump Start ECEAP pilot program to be used in public schools to get students entering kindergarten ready.

·         Restorative Justice and School Safety

o    SB 5155 would prohibit the suspension or expulsion of a student in grades K-2, except for the remainder of the day. The bill had a public hearing last week; concerns were raised about the need to have enough time to set up a plan to provide safety to all involved.

Also of note:

·         Simple majority for bonds: Several bills have been introduced that would allow a simple majority on school bond elections.

o    HB 1778/SB 5076 would allow simple majority at all elections.

o    HB 1779 would allow simple majority at only November general elections.

Week in Review

WSPTA signed in as support in the House on a bill related to CTE MSOC funding. Member JC Mitchell testified at the House Education Committee in support of the para-educators bill, HB 1115.

The Week Ahead

Monday, January 30

1:30 p.m., Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education, SHR 1

Work Session: High school graduation requirements.

Public Hearing:

1.        SB 5202 - Authorizing nationally recognized college assessments for high school assessment purposes.

2.       SB 5238 - Requiring that cursive writing be taught in common schools.

3.       SB 5241 - Concerning the educational success of youth in foster care.

Tuesday, January 31

8 a.m., Senate Higher Education, SHR 3

Public Hearing:

·         SB 5361 - Concerning the opportunity scholarship program.

1:30 p.m., House Education, HHR A

Public Hearing:

·         HB 1451 - Improving language access for public school students and families with limited English proficiency.

1:30 p.m., Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education, SHR 1

Work Session: Parent/Family engagement and community-school connections. WSPTA President Barbara Martin will be presenting on behalf of the Washington State PTA.

3:30 p.m., House Capital Budget, HHR B

Work Session:

1.        School Construction.

2.       Early Learning Facilities Needs.

Wednesday, February 1

1:30 p.m., House Higher Education, HHR D

Work Session: Report from the William D. Ruckelshaus Center on "Situation Assessment of the Regulation of For-Profit Degree-Granting Institutions and Private Vocational Schools in Washington."

Public Hearing:

·         HB 1425 - Creating the Washington next generation educational savings account pilot program.

·         HB 1452 - Concerning the opportunity scholarship program.

Thursday, February 2

8 a.m., House Education, HHR A

Public Hearing:

1.        HB 1235 - Assessing physical education practices in public schools.

2.       HB 1346 - Clarifying the authority of a nurse working in a school setting.

3.       HB 1377 - Improving students' mental health by enhancing nonacademic professional services.

4.       HB 1508 - Promoting student health and readiness through meal and nutrition programs.

5.       HB 1542 - Concerning dropout prevention through engaging youth in farming.

1:30 p.m., Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education, SHR 1

Work Session:

1.        Home visiting.

2.       Programs for highly capable students.

Friday, February 3

8 a.m., House Capital Budget, HHR B

Public Hearing:

·         HB 1551 - Creating a competitive equipment assistance grant program to enhance student nutrition in public schools.

Prepared by

Marie Sullivan

WSPTA Legislative Consultant

Email Marie

Bill tracker (updated 1/30/17)

Leadership News: Week Ending 1/28/17

Did you miss this week's issue of Leadership News? Download the public version here. 

Key Takeaways:

• Give the Gift of Membership contest recipient and PTA recipient
• 2017 WSPTA Board of Directors Elections
• Advocacy in Action
• Member Benefits: Events
• Opt In for Student Success contest (ReadyWA)
• January 31 due date
• Annual Corporation Renewal
• IRS 1099-MISC
• Sales Tax Remittance (includes popcorn sales!)
• Join Red Robin Royalty to earn $$ for your school
• Question of the Week (Hint: replacing a board member mid-year)