Flurry of Hearings Kick Off Week 1 of the 2023 Session
Prepared by Marie Sullivan, legconsultant@wastatepta.org The first week of session started with pomp and circumstance, the swearing in of members of the 68th Legislature, and a state of the state address by Governor Jay Inslee. Hear Governor Inslee’s address to legislators here. Usually, the first week of a long session starts off a bit…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
Advocacy in Action! January 12, 2023
After waiting more than three hours to testify, parent advocate Jennifer Crespi asked House Appropriations Committee members to fully fund the cost of delivering services to students with disabilities. After thanking the Governor for his investments in this year’s budget proposal, Jennifer pointed out it wasn’t enough and urged lawmakers to remove the arbitrary cap…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
Advocacy in Action! January 11, 2023
Kicking off the first week of the 2023 legislative session, Advocacy Director Lizzy Sebring testified on Governor Inslee’s proposed 2023-25 operating budget in the Senate Ways & Means Committee Tuesday, January 10th. On behalf of WSPTA, Lizzy thanked the Governor for the increased funding for students with disabilities and funding for training in inclusionary practices,…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
New Faces, New Budget: What to Expect in the 2023 Legislative Session
On January 11, 2023 our WSPTA Legislative Consultant Marie Sullivan chaired an interactive discussion about 2022 election results, known and predicted session protocols, changes to committee assignments, and how to best engage with the 2023 legislature. You can watch the New Faces, New Budgets: What to Expect in the 2023 Legislative Session on our Viemo page.
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Advocacy
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Legislative
68th Legislature Returns to Olympia January 9th
68th Legislature Returns to Olympia January 9th Prepared by Marie Sullivan, legconsultant@wastatepta.org After two years of remote legislative sessions, all 147 legislators will return to Olympia January 9th to begin a 105-day session where the main bit of business is passing two-year spending plans for operations, construction, and transportation. All the rest is just gravy.…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
Washington Students in Grades 4 and 8 are Not Proficient in Math
Guest post by: Susan Baird-Joshi, WSPTA Federal Legislative Chair and Angela Steck, WSPTA Vice President Since 1969, the Nation’s Report Card, also known as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), has been assessing what students know in subjects such as mathematics, reading, and science. On November 15, the National PTA and the National Assessment…
Category:
Advocacy
Start the Conversation – Student Advocacy
Guest post provided by 2022 WSPTA Student Advocate award winner Kellen Hoard At the beginning of every school year, I encourage students I meet of all ages to be on the lookout. I tell them to pay attention to their surroundings—at school, in their town, and across their state. I tell them to listen closely…
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Advocacy
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Family Engagement
Voter Registration Drives for Future Voters
Giving students their voice and vote to elect officials, weigh in on policy, influence government, decide who leads, and who makes decisions is the cornerstone of our democracy and a critical rite of passage. PTAs can help students and adults register to vote and also encourage people to vote. In 2018, Washington state passed a…
Category:
Advocacy
PTA Advocacy is Year-round!
Advocacy is at the heart of the PTA mission! Does advocacy happen in Olympia when the legislature is in session? Yes! But that is not the only time or place because PTA advocacy is year-round. Advocacy is our most significant opportunity to positively impact our community and its future. To create a better world for…
Category:
Advocacy
2022 Focus on Advocacy – March 14 Report
Sine Die report Prepared by Marie Sullivan, WSPTA Legislative Consultant, legconsultant@wastatepta.org The 2022 legislative session ended at 11:35 pm, Thursday, March 10. In a last dash to the finish line, the Legislature completed its work to pass supplemental operating, capital, and transportation budgets, as well as acting on many policy-level bills. Read the full report…
Category:
Advocacy