Inslee calls 3rd special session, tells legislature it’s time to get their work done
Wednesday, June 21st marked the end of the 2nd special session and the start of the 3rd special session. Governor Inslee called the third special session, clearly frustrated with the lack of progress. Under intense media questioning, Inslee said that he would veto a 30-day budget bill if one came to his desk. “The differences…
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Legislative
Op-Ed Article by Representatives Dolan and Stonier
Here is an informative op-ed piece (Seattle Times) from two state representatives, Dolan and Stonier, that supports WSPTA’s Resolution 18.13, which states no single factor should determine a student’s advancement such as graduation from high school. HB 1046, the bill that has passed the state House three times by a wide bipartisan margin, would still require the…
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Education
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Legislative
Office of Financial Management K-12 Education Funding Comparison
Below is a side-by-side summary, from the Office of Financial Management (OFM), of the different McCleary proposals. This is a simplified look at the proposals—it is not comprehensive nor does it have all the details of each plan. The second document below is a look at the dollars based on the state fiscal year. For a district…
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Education
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Legislative
Action Alert for House Bill 1046
On behalf of the Legislative Committee, we are asking you to use the message below to contact your state senator in support of House Bill 1046. HB 1046 would continue the practice of using statewide high school assessments in English Language Arts, Math, and Science for federal accountability purposes, but would remove the requirement to…
Reykdal Describes Education Vision; 2nd Special Session Called
At a 9 a.m. press conference Wednesday, May 24, Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal outlined steps the Legislature could take to meet the Supreme Court’s McCleary decision, and described a vision of education that is “bigger than the court case.” To get to “ample,” the state needs to increase its funding for public education…
Washington State Board of Education May Meeting Highlights
Highlights from the May 2017 State Board of Education meeting are below. You can find packet materials through links in the text, or review all meeting and additional materials online. You can also watch videos of the meeting, by agenda section, online. SBE voted on the following business items: The Board approved the list of Private Schools…
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Education
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Legislative
Little Action in Legislature
With less than 10 days left in the first special session, legislators don’t have much to show in the way of progress. Yes, both chambers returned May 2 and passed bills, and yes, the Governor continues to sign bills that passed in the regular session. But Senate Republicans continue to refuse to meet with House…
State Board of Education Adopts Resolution on Biology Graduation Requirement
Washington State PTA has supported efforts that would eliminate the state-mandated requirement to pass high school assessments in order to graduate, and has actively supported legislation in the 2017 session to “delink” the test passing requirement from graduation. The State Board of Education (SBE) recently adopted a clear position to remove the requirement to pass…
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Education
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Legislative
104th Annual #WSPTAconvention Summary
It was such a pleasure to welcome so many members to our 104th Annual #WSPTAconvention! Enthusiasm and energy filled the days and helped make this year’s event fun and gratifying. As in years past, we developed a program full of opportunities for PTA leaders to learn and grow in their leadership skills, discover the power of…
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Advocacy
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Awards
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Education
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Events
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Family Engagement
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Leadership
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Legislative
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Membership
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Programs
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Reflections
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Training
Dueling Assessment Bills
Returning to Olympia for floor action May 2, the Senate passed SB 5891 (de-linking the biology end of course) and the House passed HB 1046 (de-linking all state assessments from graduation). Both bills passed unanimously. The House came on the floor at 10 a.m. and passed about a dozen bills, including breakfast after the bell…