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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 1.31.25

Roz Thompson, Governmental Relations & Advocacy Director, AWSP
Jan 31, 2025


This is week three in the legislative session, and legislators and staff are in full swing with committee hearings. Many bills are being introduced and combined with keeping up with the ever-changing news from the federal government, it has been a bit overwhelming. My self-talk this week has been to focus on the kids. Focus on what matters most for our students in our schools and focus on making sure we have a strong public education system in our state.

I testified on several bills this week related to improving school safety at extracurricular events (HB 1085/SB 5272), adding nurses to the BEST program (SB 5270), and prohibiting the sale of flavored tobacco and vapor products (HB 1203). Also discussed this week in Senate Education was SB 5080 which would add financial literacy to the graduation requirements and SB 5327 which would update learning standards in computer science and then connect them to graduation requirements. Both of these content areas would be included in the State Board of Education’s process to take a comprehensive look at graduation requirements through their Future Ready Initiative.

The House Education committee heard a bill to more narrowly define the Transition to Kindergarten program (HB 1450) which I believe is more of a budget decision. The state passed the Fair Start Act several years ago and has committed to focusing on the early learning and childcare industry and wants to honor that commitment first. House Education also voted out of their committee a revised Parents’ Bill of Rights in the form of a Students’ Bill of Rights (HB 1296). Please note that King County Superior Court Judge Michael Scott ruled this week that all current language of the original Parents’ Bills of Rights Initiative (I-2081) is currently state law. OSPI urges you to be cautious if you are asked to release student information and to check with your district or legal counsel for guidance if you are unsure.

Also noteworthy is that the U.S. Department of Education released a "Dear Colleague" letter today that states that the Office of Civil Rights will enforce Title IX under the provisions of the 2020 Title IX Rule. This means we look back to our state laws in 2020 related to Title IX. Please check with your districts about related policies and procedures.

In the House Appropriations Committee they heard three more bills related to one of the Big 3 priorities–special education funding. There were also several more bills introduced this week to help address K-12 funding, which is a good sign that legislators are serious about prioritizing schools. For those of you interested in a non-partisan look at a budget breakdown for our state, check out this recent post from Enterprise Washington. And for a good summary of the revenue proposals from the Senate Democrats, check out this article from the Washington Research Council.

Next week, hearings will continue as we get a little closer to the first cut-off date of February 21 when bills must pass out of policy committees. See below for a list of bills being heard in the education committees. In addition to these committees, there will be bills heard related to providing school meals, funding for MSOC, guaranteed admissions, and more. Having people sign-in support of these bills is important. See below for links on how to do that or reach out to me if you have questions. My complete bill tracking list is linked here.


Bills Heard This Week

House Education

Monday

HB 1079 - Supporting remote testing options for students enrolled in online school programs.
HB 1189 - Addressing parental involvement through volunteering in schools after a criminal conviction.

Tuesday

HB 1450 - Establishing transition to kindergarten programs.

Senate Education

Tuesday

SB 5080 - Making financial education instruction a graduation requirement.
SB 5327 - Concerning learning standards and graduation requirements.
SB 5007 - Supporting students who are chronically absent and at risk for not graduating high school.
SB 5025 - Concerning educational interpreters.
SB 5235 - Repealing and reorganizing outdated statutes concerning public schools.


Bills Being Heard Next Week

House Education

Monday

HB 1051 - Permitting the recording of individualized education program team meetings.
HB 1257 - Extending special education services to students with disabilities until the end of the school year in which the student turns 22.
HB 1273 - Improving student access to dual credit programs.
HB 1651 - Concerning teacher residency and apprenticeship programs.
HB 1676 - Reassigning and authorizing surrendered, revoked, or nonrenewed charter school contracts.

Tuesday

HB 1032 - Concerning school district elections.
HJR 4201 - Amending the Constitution to allow a majority of voters voting to authorize school district bonds.

Thursday

HB 1140 - Establishing empowerED scholarships using educational savings accounts.

Senate Education

Tuesday

SB 5352 - Increasing student access to free meals served at public schools.
SB 5279 - Concerning qualifications for child care providers.
SB 5500 - Modernizing reimbursement rates for the working connections child care program.

Wednesday

SB 5412 - Providing temporary interfund loans for school districts.
SB 5386 - Supporting survivors of sexual assault in public elementary and secondary schools.
SB 5418 - Concerning charter school contracts.

Thursday

SB 5517 - Determining state allocations for school staff salaries.


Day on the Hill

Many of our Advocacy Advisory Council and AWSP Board Members are planning a visit to Olympia on February 10, 2025 for our annual “Day on the Hill." They will be meeting with their own legislators and perhaps attending some committee hearings. You can get involved by scheduling a virtual meeting with your own legislators that week. More information will be coming soon.


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!

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!

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.

2025 Legislative Priorities