May 2019 – WSPTA Executive Director Message
Dear Members, The following is derived from my Executive Director Remarks to the membership at the Convention on April 28, 2019. Thank you, President Michelle Nims and the entire Board of Directors, for hiring me. Being the Executive Director of the Washington State PTA is an incredible privilege and I am filled with gratitude at…
Category:
Leadership
An Easy Way to Connect Students On Your Campus
Guest Post Provided By: JC Pohl, LMFT I am so thankful that Lifetouch + Shutterfly was able to help us connect at the WSPTA Conference. What a special day! As a follow up to my keynote session, I wanted to ask you… Is every student on your campus connected? If they aren’t, let’s fix that…
Category:
Health & Well-being
2019 WSPTA Convention Wrap-up
On behalf of your Washington State PTA board of directors, thank you to everyone who attended the 106th Annual WSPTA Convention this past weekend. We learned a lot, laughed a lot, and danced a lot, so thank you for joining us! If you were not able to attend this year’s convention, here is a recap…
Category:
Events
May Checklist for Running Your PTA
Ongoing Tasks Attend any board and membership meetings Read meeting minutes and offer corrections Prepare reports for board and membership meetings Attend training Be familiar with your responsibilities and fulfill them Review and ask questions about monthly financial report Prepare articles for newsletter/social media Update website Participate, help, and communicate Monthly Tasks Work with the…
Category:
Leadership
2019 Legislative Session Ends on Time – Sine Die!
Prepared by Marie Sullivan, WSPTA Legislative Consultant, legconsultant@wastatepta.org Moments before midnight, it all came together – miraculously! The Senate concurred with the House changes to SB 5313; passed HB 2163, the hold harmless bill, by a margin of 41-7(!), and passed an operating budget in record time. The House also rapidly passed an operating budget and…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
Is Your PTA a Clique?
Sometimes, the reason more people don’t join your PTA is because they feel unwelcome. Whether warranted or not, your PTA may have a reputation as a clique. Overcoming this common issue can be challenging because it requires the focus and commitment of your group as a whole. The first obstacle to overcome – and the…
Category:
Membership
Call to Action – Increase the Levy Authority
Dear Washington State PTA member, Please contact your legislators and help advocate to increase funding to support the Washington State PTA’s top 5 issue “Strategic K-12 Investments to Close Gaps”. Too many districts are facing huge shortfalls which penalize students and especially those most at risk. Click here to participate through The Action Network. You can…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
Analysis of Assessment Bill HB 1599
Legislative Consultant Marie Sullivan has put together an analysis of the elements of the new state high school assessments legislation. See the bill elements here.
2019 Legislative Session – Week 15
It’s the final countdown Prepared by Marie Sullivan, WSPTA Legislative Consultant, legconsultant@wastatepta.org The Legislature has one week left in the regular 105-day session and odds are against them finishing on time. In fact, lawmakers haven’t ended a regular budget session on time since 2009, when the state was facing serious cuts to programs to make…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
Call to Action – Stop Loss of Funding
Dear Washington State PTA member, Many school districts across Washington are in danger of losing funding next school year because they cannot achieve the required 17:1 class size in Kindergarten through grade 3. We are asking you to send a message now to your State Senator asking them to support a one-year delay in the…
Category:
Advocacy
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Legislative