Focus on Advocacy
Your voice matters!
We need your stories, we need your voice, and we need you! Help make PTA’s grassroots advocacy a success by connecting with legislators about our priorities during Focus Day and Focus on Advocacy Week.
Focus on Advocacy Week is scheduled for January 15-19, 2024. During this week, members can participate in daily calls to actions. Subscribe to WSPTA Action Network
Focus Day will be Monday, January 15, 2024 in Olympia and members are encouraged to meet with their legislators about our 2023-2025 Legislative Priorities. Use the resources in the toolkit below to make appointments and plan successful meetings.
Advocacy is not a one-day event; it is an everyday action. And so, we encourage members to continue to stay informed and engaged throughout the year, keeping our efforts focused on the mission. #WSPTAOneVoice
Focus on Advocacy Toolkit
Here are useful resources for advocating:
- How To Find Your Legislators
- School District & Legislative District 2023
- Subscribe to WSPTA Action Network
- How To Make Appointments with Legislators
- Tips for Successful Meetings with Legislators
- Talking Points for Meeting with Legislators
- Focus on Advocacy Checklist for Success
- WSPTA Legislator Meeting Summary Form– Use this form to tell us how things went in your meetings during the Focus on Advocacy week as well as throughout the legislative session.
- Focus on Advocacy Newsletter – This is a weekly newsletter. It runs through the legislative session and provides tips and ideas for advocacy as well as a quick overview of what is happening in Olympia each week. To subscribe please contact support@wastatepta.org.
A video series about what to expect including the players, the challenges and what you can do to advocate for your PTA and your students.
- WSPTA Module 1: Preparing for the 2022 Legislative Session
- WSPTA Module 2: Advocacy Tips and Tools
- WSPTA Module 3: Understanding the Bill Process and Analyzing Legislation
WSPTA Legislative Priorities
To learn more about the WSPTA legislative priorities:
- WSPTA Advocacy page – where you can find one-pagers about all of our 2022 issues
- 2023-2024 Legislative Priorities
- WSPTA Legislative Priorities Graphic
- WSPTA Resolutions
- WSPTA Legislative Principles
- WSPTA Federal Legislation
Additional Information and Links
Here are additional resources you can use for successful year-round advocacy:
- Tips for Testifying Virtually on Bills
- Remote Testimony, Written Testimony & Positions – Screen shots walk members through the process of participating in public hearings during committee proceedings.
- WSPTA Blog – The WSPTA blog has helpful information about everything from PTA leadership and governance, advocacy, membership, events, news, and much more! Throughout the legislative session, PTA advocates testify to the legislature on bills that align with our legislative priorities. Information about the testimony is posted in the WSPTA blog, search on the tag “testimony” to see the full list of posts.
- Understanding the Legislative Process – English version | Spanish version
- WSPTA Understanding the Legislative Process in Olympia video
- Citizen’s Guide to Effective Legislative Participation
- Guide to Reading a Bill
- Legislative Hotline 1-800-562-6000 – You can ask questions or send a message to a legislator via the legislative hotline.
- Subscribe to individual bill and bill topic feeds
Focus on Advocacy Engagement
Webinars to Prepare for the Legislative Session
2023 Legislative Panel Preview
On December 14, 2022, there was an interactive webinar where attendees had the opportunity to learn how policy and budget priorities may align with WSPTA’s adopted legislative platform and received the most current information about how to participate in the process this year.
Current legislators:
Sen. Lisa Wellman, D-Mercer Island; Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos, D-Seattle; Rep. Alex Ybarra, R-Quincy
Newly elected legislators:
Rep.-elect Chipalo Street, D-Seattle; Rep.-elect Sam Low, R-Lake Stevens; Sen.-elect Claudia Kauffman, D-Kent
You can watch the 2023 Legislative Panel Preview on our YouTube page.
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.
Focus on Advocacy Week
Your actions throughout this week will be quick and easy but will make a tremendous impact. It will be so easy that you can take action from home, while waiting for a coffee order, or sitting in your child’s pick-up line!
WSPTA will be asking members to act virtually throughout Focus on Advocacy Week. Each day will focus on an important part of the WSPTA platform. The best way to participate is by subscribing to the WSPTA Action Network so that you receive the daily calls to action for this week and periodically throughout the legislative session. You will be provided with easily customizable messages that the action alert system will automatically send to your legislators. It is easy to do and only takes a few minutes! We also encourage you to share your advocacy work on your personal and PTA social media accounts throughout the week using the hashtag #WSPTAOneVoice.
Focus on Advocacy Day
What is Focus on Advocacy Day? We need WSPTA leaders and members to meet with their state representatives and senators to share the PTA mission and priorities. Let’s make sure the PTA voice is loud and proud on this day! You will be provided with everything you need to know in order to schedule and hold a successful meeting with your legislators. While these meetings would ideally be on Monday (Focus on Advocacy Day), they may need to be scheduled throughout the week to accommodate your legislators’ schedules. Can’t make it to Olympia? Schedule a remote meeting instead!