Week nine of this year’s legislative session is coming to a close and I’ll share what I know about the current state of things in Olympia in just a bit. First, a quick report from our trip to Washington, D.C. this week to advocate for public education with over 400 principals from around the country at the National School Leaders Advocacy Conference (NSLAC). Our group included eight principals and assistant principals from Washington. We attended the conference from Sunday to Tuesday and then met with our Members of Congress and/or their staff on Wednesday. Thank you to these AWSP members for spending time away from their buildings and families to do this important work!
- Jeff Charbonneau, Zillah High School, Zillah
- Kevin Collins, Orting Middle School, Orting
- Kim Doughty, Peter G. Schmidt Elementary, Tumwater
- Woody Howard, Ben Franklin Elementary, Vancouver
- Tamera Marcoe, Hunt Elementary, Puyallup
- Raquel Martinez, Sageview High School, Pasco
- Thomasina Rogers, Ridgetop Middle School, Central Kitsap
- Jason Smith, Rogers High School, Puyallup
 The NSLAC legislative agenda focuses on “fighting forward” for public education, rejecting efforts to increase voucher programs, supporting federal funding for Title grants and IDEA, calling attention to the need to recruit and retain people in education, and supporting efforts related to school safety, and to the mental health and wellness of both students and staff. While we were in D.C., the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) Linda McMahon announced layoffs of 1,300 DOE employees as a part of a plan to cut the department in half. Superintendent Chris Reykdal warns that these firings pose an immediate threat to the enforcement of civil rights laws and support for students with disabilities. For more information on the potential impacts of decisions made at the federal level, listen to Superintendent Reykdal’s press conference from yesterday afternoon or read this article from today’s Seattle Times.
Back in Olympia, legislators were up against the clock as they faced another significant cutoff. Bills had to pass out of their house of origin by Wednesday, March 12th in order to keep moving. There were some very late nights for the House of Representatives in particular, and committee meetings started up again on Thursday morning as bills moved to the opposite chamber.
Next week, hearings will continue as legislators move toward the next cutoff date of April 2 when policy bills have to pass out of committees. The March revenue forecast will be released which will be used for the final budgets. And, we should also see the first budget documents from Democrats which will differ from the Senate Republicans’ budget proposal that was released this Tuesday. As we get closer to seeing more information and decisions made regarding the budget, Superintendent Reykdal sent a letter to legislators this week to reiterate how critically important it is for our state to invest in basic education.
Bills Heard This Week
Thursday
House Education
SB 5189 – Supporting the implementation of competency-based education.
SSB 5570 – Supporting public school instruction in tribal sovereignty and federally recognized Indian tribes.
Senate Early Learning & K-12
HB 1167 – Directing the statewide CTE task force to consider educational opportunities for careers in maritime professions.
EHB 1393 – Providing students with opportunities for cultural expression at commencement ceremonies.
SHB 1827 – Concerning the effective delivery and administration of basic education services to justice-involved students.
Bills Being Heard Next Week
Monday
House Education
SSB 5123 – Expanding protections for certain students to promote inclusivity in public schools.
SSB 5193 – Supporting remote testing options for students in online school programs.
ESB 5235 – Repealing and reorganizing outdated statutes concerning public schools.
Tuesday
Senate Early Learning & K-12
Bills to be Determined
House Education
SB 5177 – Considering the experiences of historically marginalized & underrepresented groups when identifying professional development resources on certain topics.
SSB 5240 – Concerning anaphylaxis medications in schools.
