“Great leaders are great storytellers.” – Simon Sinek
We kicked off the week on a high note with our AWSP Day on the Hill. Huge thanks to the nearly 20 principals and assistant principals who carved out time to travel to Olympia, meet with legislators, and speak up for what schools truly need to serve students well. Every story shared and every conversation held helps deepen lawmakers’ understanding of the real, day-to-day needs of our students and the educators who support them.
Our group helped set the stage for the rest of the week, paving the way for members from WASA, WASBO, and WSSDA as they headed to the Capitol. And if you weren’t able to make the trip to Olympia, don’t worry—your voice still matters. One of the most powerful ways to influence the conversation is by emailing your legislators as a constituent. It’s never been easier to do so. Use this link to find your legislators and their email addresses and share what your schools need.
Our AWSP Board met last weekend and we were honored to have our Torch of Leadership Award winner for 2025, Representative Steve Bergquist (D–Renton), attend to share some updates. Legislators are very aware of the budget needs for K-12 education. The critical, foundational pieces of what is defined as “basic education” are constitutionally protected, so they will be funded in the budget. It is increasingly sounding like additional money for things like MSOC may not be provided. Rep. Bergquist said that he, as Chair of the House Early Learning Committee, will fight to protect funding for Transition to Kindergarten programs.
While the federal government continues to come to an agreement about final fiscal year 2026 spending, there was good news about K-12 funding. The agreement between the House and the Senate preserves funding for K-12 education at the same level and actually increases spending for Title I and IDEA. Read more here from NAESP.
And now on to some policy bills. This was the last full week of committee hearings before next week’s first significant cut-off date of February 4th when policy bills need to be passed out of committee. You can see from next week’s schedule that it is mostly all “executive session” which is when committees amend and vote on the bills that they’ve heard already. Not all bills that have been heard will be “exec’d”. As an example, SB 6320 would reduce funding for district ALE programs who use for-profit online learning programs. This bill received a lot of opposition in the hearing and it is not scheduled for executive session so it will not continue to move.
For other bills like HB 1295 (using evidence-based instructional practices in reading and writing) and HB 2007 (expanding opportunities for competency-based assessments in graduation pathway options), I will watch them closely over the weekend to see if any amendments will be added. We want to make sure that any policy bills are either funded, optional, or connected to current work (like the State Board of Education’s Future Ready Initiative for anything related to graduation requirements).
There is a strong effort to coordinate pushback on any unfunded mandates. WSSDA has published a current list of bills that may have costs for districts. I’m looking forward to the morning of February 5 when my bill tracking list will get much smaller. For now, here is my current list of all bills that are still alive this session.
Bills Heard This Week
Monday, 1/26
HB 2440 Addressing records maintained by the office of the education ombuds.
HB 2551 Maintaining the financial solvency of school districts.
HB 2593 Addressing school district accounting, budgeting, and reporting requirements.
Tuesday, 1/27
HB 2594 Ensuring that unhoused children have equal access to free, appropriate public education.
HB 2557 Providing parental access to special education evaluation reports.
HB 2534 Promoting educational stability for children of military families.
SB 6130 Celebrating national voter registration day.
SB 6247 Concerning school district financial management.
SB 6260 Implementing efficiencies and programming changes in public education.
SB 6268 Maintaining an online record of special education complaint decisions.
SB 6278 Concerning the ongoing review of approved teacher and principal preparation programs.
Wednesday, 1/28
SB 6222 Supporting public school students by improving their access to surplus technology hardware.
SB 6263 Updating school district public bid limits.
SB 6118 Requiring cardiac emergency response plans in schools.
SB 6261 Requiring signed declarations of intent of school enrollment or home-based instruction.
SB 6320 Concerning alternative learning experiences
Thursday, 1/29
HB 2007 Expanding opportunities for competency-based assessments in graduation pathway options.
SB 6192 Concerning instruction and intervention in reading and mathematics.
SB 6206 Establishing a pilot program that incentivizes child care providers to care for children of first responders.
SB 6125 Providing enrollment stabilization funding.
Bills Being Heard Next Week
Monday, 2/2
House Education, Executive Session
HB 1295 Using evidence-based instructional practices in reading and writing literacy for public elementary students.
HB 2007 Expanding opportunities for competency-based assessments in graduation pathway options.
HB 2360 Expanding access to albuterol in public and private schools.
HB 2369 Promoting the use of local foods in public schools.
HB 2432 Supporting public school students by improving their access to surplus technology hardware.
HB 2440 Addressing records maintained by the office of the education ombuds.
HB 2534 Promoting educational stability for children of military families.
HB 2557 Providing parental access to special education evaluation reports.
Tuesday, 2/3
House Education, Executive Session
HB 2262 Concerning civics education for public school students through instruction and information about the production and use of official signatures.
HB 2551 Maintaining the financial solvency of school districts.
HB 2593 Addressing school district accounting, budgeting, and reporting requirements.
HB 2594 Ensuring that unhoused children and youths in Washington have equal access to free, appropriate public education.
HB 2636 Requiring reviews of the performance, operations, and funding of the state’s public education system.
Senate Education
Public Hearing: SB 6277 – Promoting educational stability for children of military families.
Executive Session
SB 6052 Establishing a statewide digital transcript data-sharing environment.
SB 5992 Creating the youth development fund account to increase access to positive youth development programs.
SB 6078 Providing prelicensing supports to individuals interested in becoming a licensed child care provider.
SB 6089 Increasing coordination and alignment throughout the P20W system.
SB 5918 Providing funding for school materials, supplies, and operating costs.
SB 5861 Encouraging community representation in education.
SB 6065 Concerning school district transportation vehicle funds.
Wednesday, 2/4
Senate Education
Public Hearing: SB 5849 – Making financial education a graduation requirement in Washington state.
Executive Session
SB 6130 Celebrating national voter registration day.
SB 6278 Concerning the ongoing review of approved teacher and principal preparation programs.
SB 6247 Concerning school district financial management.
SB 6260 Implementing efficiencies and programming changes in public education.
SB 6268 Maintaining an online record of special education complaint decisions.
SB 6263 Updating school district public bid limits.
AWSP and WSPEF Legislative Priorities
The AWSP and WSPEF Legislative Priorities document was developed over the past several months through conversations with members, partners, and stakeholders, as well as participation in multiple workgroups. This year, for the first time, we intentionally named the “bookends” of leadership by placing both AWSP and the Washington School Principals’ Education Foundation (WSPEF) at the top of the document—anchored by students at the center of everything we do.
Elevating Student Voice
We are working with students from the Association of Washington Student Leaders’ Student Voice Network to host an Educational Advocacy Summit on February 20–21, 2026. This event will include both in-person and virtual participation, with approximately 40-50 students attending in Olympia. Students will learn more about state government, tour the Capitol, meet with legislators, and participate in a mock bill competition—bringing authentic student voice directly into the legislative process. Learn more.
Your Voice
Our job is to keep telling our stories about what our students and educators need to create successful learning environments. There are many ways to have your voice heard. Check out the “Important Links” below to find out how to contact your own legislators. They care very much about hearing directly from their constituents. When we weigh in as an association, it is helpful and important, but having many of you reach out directly with a short email to legislators can be much more powerful. Find your legislator and email them here if you have any thoughts to share.
Action Alert
Our first Action Alert of the session is live and it’s related to SB 5918, increasing funding for MSOC. Click here to find it and scroll down to the “Take Action” button. You’ll enter your mailing address and then see your Senator, two Representatives, and a message that will be sent to them. Feel free to edit this message if you’d like.
Get Involved
Many thanks for all that you do for students and staff. If you have questions or comments or want to get involved, please reach out to me.
Thank you so much!
Roz Thompson, Government Relations and Advocacy Director, AWSP
Retirement and Health Benefits
Thinking about Retirement? A Guide To Retiring in 2026
Fred Yancey, The Nexus Group
Since covering pension/retirement/health insurance issues on behalf of WASA and AWSP, we have learned a few important points. This is just a brief summary of selected retirement-related topics. However, the importance of advance planning cannot be overstated. These are not issues to put off until the last months of either one’s impending retirement or approaching Medicare eligibility age. Start by requesting an official benefit estimate from the Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) three to 12 months prior to your retirement date. Read the full blog post from Fred.
Education, Pension, & Health Benefits Update For the 2026 Session
Fred Yancey, The Nexus Group
The Washington State Legislative Session for 2026 is 60 days of hectic activity. With close to 500 bills introduced to date, it is like a grass fire burning across an open field. Sometimes these fires can be put out; other times, they continue spreading. Any bills previously introduced last session are also in play. However, given the sorry state of the budget with reduced revenue, few substantive bills are expected to proceed. Read the full blog post from Fred.
