Focus Day and Advocacy Week
Advocacy Week
February 24 – 28, 2020
In addition to Focus Day, in Olympia, WSPTA will be asking members to take action from home or your phone throughout an entire week. To participate, subscribe to the WSPTA Action Network to stay informed.
Monday, February 24 – Call to Action: Best Practices for School Meals
Tuesday, February 25 – Call to Action: Equity in the Identifying of Highly Capable Students
Wednesday, February 26 – Call to Action: Paraeducator Funding
Thursday, February 27
Friday, February 28
Focus Day
Monday, January 20, 2020
First Christian Church, 701 Franklin St SE, Olympia
During each year’s legislative session, Washington State PTA holds its annual Focus Day that brings members together at the state capitol to advocate for the association’s legislative platform. This year we will begin at First Christian Church located at 701 Franklin St SE.
The Focus Day program will begin at 9:30 am with an introduction to the day and information focused on the 2020 legislative session and end at 3:00 pm.
Please be sure to register and pre-purchase your lunch for the day (lunch must be pre-purchased by January 16).
Making Appointments
It is important to make appointments with the legislators as far in advance as possible. Input addresses here to get the names of the Representatives and Senator(s) for your school district and their contact information. Members should consult with their local PTA, council, or region advocacy chair for assistance in making legislator appointments. Appointments may begin as early as 8:00 am. Due to the limited availability of appointments and the distance traveled, WSPTA recommends that your first priority be to make an appointment over participating at the church.
What do you say during an appointment with a legislator? WSPTA encourages you to visit our advocacy page, where you will find our 2020 WSPTA Legislative Platform, as well as a detailed one-page handout for each legislative priority in the drop-down lists under “Legislative Platform.” These one-page handouts are great sources of talking points and can be given to legislators as well.
Tip: tell legislators why WSPTA priorities are important to you and ask for their support!
Agenda
(subject to change)
- 9:30 am Welcome
- 10:00 am Focus on Session 2020
- 11:15 am Invited speakers, including Chris Reykdal at 11:30 am
- 11:45 am Pre-purchased lunches handed out, Q&A session, and more
- 12:15 pm Invited speakers
- 2:00 pm Sharing of experiences
- 3:00 pm Thank you and travel home safely
Members are encouraged to come and go from the church throughout the day based on personal appointments with legislators.
Postcard
WSPTA has created a postcard that individuals or PTAs can print, write a personal message, and then mail or hand-deliver to their legislators.
Parking Options
- City of Olympia Downtown Parking Map
- Washington State Capitol Campus Parking Options
- Parking and Shuttle Services
Legislative Priorities
To learn more about the WSPTA legislative priorities:
- Top five and also supported legislative issues
- WSPTA complement of resolutions
- WSPTA legislative principles
- Subscribe to WSPTA Action Network
Resources
These materials may be printed and brought with you to Focus Day to share with your legislators or to mail to your legislators. In addition, there are one-page documents for each individual issue located on the Advocacy page that may be printed and used.
Additional Information and Links
Coming to the Legislature
- http://leg.wa.gov/legislature/Pages/ComingToTheLegislature.aspx
- https://des.wa.gov/services/facilities-leasing/capitol-campus
- Parking info
- DASH (free shuttle)
- Capitol Campus Map
- Maps for the Legislative (LEG), John L. O’Brien (JLOB) and John A. Cherberg (JAC) Buildings
Coming to Olympia with Kids
Legislators LOVE to hear stories from students. Here are some tips for making it a happy experience if you bring your kids.
- Arrange one of several tours of the Capitol campus
- Include a trip to an area park
- Visit the award-winning Hands On Children’s Museum