AWSP
A panoramic view of the Washington State Capitol building on a cloudy day, surrounded by trees and historic buildings, with street lamps in the foreground.

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.

2025 Legislative Platform



“It is difficult to envision a higher return on investment in K-12 education than the cultivation of high-quality school leadership.” ~ Wallace Foundation, 2021

The 2025 AWSP Legislative Platform focuses on leadership development, fully funding basic education, and increasing student support to ensure all students succeed, with priorities for principals and school staff.

photo of Erika Burden
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


Legislative News

Legislative Update | Week of February 7, 2022

Roz Thompson, Governmental Relations & Advocacy Director, AWSP
Feb 10, 2022


legislative update header graphic

We reached the halfway point of this year’s short legislative session this week and have passed several important cut-off dates. The action is now focused on passing bills out of both the House and Senate. Bills must pass off each floor by February 15 to stay alive (unless they’re NTIB). After that, the process repeats all over again in the opposite house, only with a shorter timeline. Hearings in the education committees start back up next Wednesday.

My budget update for this week is about the same as last week. We know discussions continue around the funding amount in “the K–12 box”. We expect this will include funding for:

providing a commitment to fund additional support positions such as nurses, counselors, social workers, and psychologists through an update to the prototypical funding model, providing enrollment stability, and increasing transportation spending.

The State must also address the cost of living adjustments in the budget due to inflation increases. Our economy continues to be strong, so how the math on all of this works out remains to be seen. We hope funding will be as stable as possible for districts, and we get some critical new investments K–12 education.

I’ve spent some time this week on HB 1760, which would increase access to dual credit programs. Unfortunately, College in the High School programs were removed from the bill in the House Appropriations Committee. We think a simple amendment (perhaps when it moves to the Senate) to remove the 20-mile radius requirement on the College in the High School grant through OSP would be a nice addition. I’ll keep you posted about this.

In the meantime, if you want to share your thoughts about dual credit programs or any of the following bills with your local legislators, please send them an email. You can also invite them to meet with you via video conference or at your school so you can advocate on behalf of the principalship and your school’s needs.

Bills

Budget

  • HB 1816 | Operating Budget (companion bill SB 5693)
  • HB 1590 | Enrollment Stability (companion bill SB 5563)
  • HB 1664 | Prototypical Support (close companion bill SB 5595)
  • HB 1808 | Transportation Funding (close companion SB 5581)
  • SB 5487 | Small District Consolidation
  • SB 5933 | School Seismic Safety

Students

  • HB 1611 | Highly Capable Students
  • HB 1723 | Telecommunication Access
  • HB 1736 | State Student Loan Program
  • HB 1746 | Updating 2015 Report for Student Success
  • HB 1833 | Electronic Option for School Meal Needs
  • HB 1878 | Increasing Participation in Community Eligibility Provision
  • HB 2068 | Creating the Imagination Library Program
  • HB 2078 | Outdoor School for All
  • SB 5497 | Student Board of Education Members

High School/Dual Credit

  • HB 1162 | Performance Exhibition Pathway
  • HB 1687 | College Bound Scholarship GPA
  • HB 1723 | Closing the Digital Equity Divide
  • HB 1760 | Dual Credit Program Access
  • HB 1805 | Opportunity Scholarship Program
  • HB 1835 | Postsecondary Enrollment (FAFSA completion support)
  • HB 1867 | Dual Credit Data
  • SB 5498 | Awarding Diplomas Posthumously
  • SB 5789 | Innovation Challenge Program (similar to HB 1835)
  • SB 5878 | Arts Instruction

Health/Safety

  • HB 1759 | Secure Storage Info on School Websites
  • HB 1800 | Increasing Access to Behavioral Health Services for Minors
  • HB 1834 | Student Mental Health Absences
  • HB 1890 | Children and Behavioral Health Work Group
  • HB 1941 | Active Shooter Drills
  • SB 5768 | Vapor Products

Workforce/Staff

  • HB 1699 | Educators Working in Retirement
  • HB 1791 | Professional Educator Reprimands
  • HB 1942 | Paraeducator Training
  • SB 5252 | School District Consultation with Tribes

Thank you, again, for all that you are doing for students and staff. Please contact me with any questions.

Photo of Roz Thompson, smiling with shoulder-length hair, next to text that reads: ‘Roz Thompson, Government Relations & Advocacy Director’ in blue and orange on a light green background.

Legislative Update E-Newsletter

Want updates on what's going on? Trying to understand the process and learn how to make an impact?  Follow us on social media, check out our blog or this page for the latest legislative news page, and read our Legislative Update email newsletter every Friday during session.

Questions? Reach out to Roz.

Email Roz

Join Our PAC

School leaders in Washington state can take an active role in the political process by joining AWSP’s political action committee or PAC, the Washington School Principals Legislative Effectiveness Association.

AWSP-WSPLEA supports AWSP’s governmental relations efforts at both the state and national levels. It also raises and spends money to support candidates and issues that are important to the principalship and to K–12 education. Make a difference — join the PAC today!

Join Now

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