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

7 Things to Know about Principal Advocacy This Year

Roz Thompson, Government Relations and Advocacy Director, AWSP
Sep 19, 2022

 

Political Action Committee

Our advocacy team at AWSP works hard during the interim to get ready for the upcoming legislative session that begins in January 2023. This year’s session is a long session that runs from January through April and a new biennial budget for 2023-25 will be passed. 

We are focused on solutions to address the needs of our school leaders through a holistic and multi-faceted approach addressing current policies, legislation, and funding so that we can attract and retain highly effective principals and assistant principals. 

Did You Know?

  • We are developing a legislative platform that speaks to our specific leadership solutions and it will be ready to share in late October.

  • The School Funding Coalition (SFC) is comprised of seven statewide associations representing school leaders. The SFC has set its 2023 Legislative Priorities, and the main goal is to update the prototypical funding model for school principals. 

  • We have an Advocacy Advisory Council that meets occasionally during the interim and regularly during the legislative session.

  • We have Principal Partners for Legislators who commit to regularly connecting with their elected officials about their schools and communities.

  • We have an Advocacy & Action Center that makes it easy to share your thoughts with legislators and other elected officials.

  • We will schedule meetings this fall with legislators and other education partners like OSPI, PESB, and the State Board of Education to discuss policy ideas.

  • We have a Washington School Principals Legislative Effectiveness Association (otherwise known as our “PAC” or Political Action Committee) that makes contributions to elected officials.

For more information, or to join in any of the groups or meetings mentioned above, reach out to Roz Thompson, Government Relations Director at AWSP.

 

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