Advocacy & Legislation

AWSP provides a strong and respected voice on state and nationwide issues affecting K–12 schools and principals. We vigilantly monitor and research trends impacting our members’ profession, reputation, and practice. We value our members who travel to Olympia and Washington, D.C. to provide the principal’s perspective.

We offer several ways to help you keep pace with the legislative arena, including Legislative Update (our a weekly e-newsletter during session), how to find your state legislator, how to track the status of bills and find out how your lawmaker voted, and practical tips for talking with legislators.

We focus our governmental relations efforts and legislative platform through a statewide, grassroots Legislation Committee. This collaboration identifies and prioritizes issues critical to our members, so we can work smarter on your behalf in Olympia and around the state.

Every voice matters, and it’s important for all of us to stay informed and connected.

Connecting with our legislators at both the local and national level is critical to ensure our legislators recognize the importance of supporting educators in their efforts to keep students safe and reach every student in their classrooms and buildings.

- Erika Burden, 2020 NASSP Advocacy Champion of the Year

Get Involved

Advocacy Advisory Council

The Advocacy Advisory Council serves as both liaison and resource to the AWSP Board on legislative matters. Members communicate with principals and assistant principals around the state on issues of concern, monitor legislative action, and assist with testimony as appropriate. Advisory Council members also identify and prioritize the association’s yearly Legislative Platform(PDF) for approval by the AWSP Board.

Learn More

Advocacy & Action Center

Our Advocacy & Action Center provides all the updates, tracking, resources, and action plans you need to stay informed and make your voice heard. Use it to stay informed and take action on the issues you care about. Legislators need to hear from you. Not sure where to begin? Already got a meeting scheduled? Our tip sheet will show you some of the best ways to communicate with lawmakers and their staffs.

Take Action

Principal for a Day

The Principal for a Day program pairs a legislator with a principal in their district. The goal is for the legislator to try shadow a principal for a full day so they can understand the challenges of being an instructional leader while managing and supporting students, staff, and community when the inevitable disruptions, chaos, or events happen. Interested in hosting a legislator?

Email Roz

AWSP members wearing matching scarves meet with a legislator at a round table, discussing documents during an advocacy meeting.

Principal Partners

The Principal Partners Program pairs a legislator with a principal in their district for that principal or AP to be the legislator's "go-to" resource when they need to know what's actually happening inside schools and classrooms. Your voice is powerful. Make sure your elected officials know what's happening, whether that's the good, the bad, and the ugly, in their district. Email Roz to learn more or get paired up.

Email Roz

Legislative News

Legislative Update for April 23, 2021

Roz Thompson, Governmental Relations & Advocacy Director, AWSP

Apr 23, 2021

The final week of this year’s legislative session is about to come to a close. The last day is Sunday, April 25 and we are all anxiously awaiting final budget details. Earlier this week, there was a “handshake deal” between the House and the Senate on the operating budget. The staff has been working for the past few days to put the final bill together. It should be released on Saturday. It is usually the last bill passed before the Legislature adjourns.

I will send out a much more comprehensive legislative update when we know more about the budget.

Besides reaching a budget deal, the last week of the session was extremely busy as legislators worked to agree on final versions of bills related to police reform, the Blake Decision, climate change, capital gains tax, transportation, childcare, and other issues. If you are interested in short, succinct, non-partisan news about any of these topics or bills, check out The Washington State Wire.

These education bills have passed both houses and have either already been signed by Governor Inslee or await his signature in the next few days.

Passed Bills

House Bills

HB 1028 | Repealing the EdTPA
HB 1085 | Students with seizure disorders
HB 1113 | Concerning school attendance
HB 1121 | Emergency graduation waiver
HB 1139 | Taking action to address lead in drinking water
HB 1176 | Access to higher education (fines and fees)
HB 1208 | Modifying the learning assistance program
HB 1214 | Providing K–12 public school safety and security services by classified staff
HB 1225 | School-based health care centers
HB 1273 | Concerning menstrual products in schools
HB 1295 | Concerning institutional education
HB 1302 | Concerning college in the high school programs
HB 1325 | Implementing policies related to children and youth behavioral health
HB 1342 | Eliminating lunch copays for students who qualify for reduced-price lunches
HB 1356 | Prohibiting the inappropriate use of Native American names, symbols or images as public school mascots, logos, or team names
HB 1363 | Addressing secondary trauma in the K–12 workforce
HB 1365 | Procuring and supporting appropriate computers and devices for public school students and staff
HB 1373 | Promoting student access to information about behavioral health resources
HB 1426 | Continuing education requirements for administrators and teachers
HB 1476 | Addressing enrollment declines
HB 1484 | Concerning the statewide first responder building mapping information system

Senate Bills

SB 5030 | Comprehensive school counseling programs
SB 5044 | Professional learning related to equity, cultural competency, and dismantling institutional racism in schools
SB 5128 | Concerning student transportation funding
SB 5184 | Establishing a point of contact in all K–12 schools for students in foster care
SB 5237 | Expanding accessible, affordable child care and early childhood development programs
SB 5249 | Mastery based learning
SB 5299 | Allowing computer science courses as a third year of either a math or science graduation requirement
SB 5322 | Prohibiting dual enrollment between SEBB and PEBB

School Funding Coalition

The School Funding Coalition represents the voices of nearly 8,000 school district leaders from our state’s 295 school districts. We bring a front-line understanding of school district financing and the education funding issues the Legislature continues to grapple with—especially as state budget decisions are contemplated in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Coalition includes AEA, AESD, AWSP, WASA, WASBO, WSPA, and WSSDA. We believe that each and every student needs stable support, safety, access to learning, and well-equipped staff. Learn more in our Immediate Student Needs document below.

2024 Legislative Priorities