AWSP Blog

OSLC Developments Inc. (ODI) and the Oregon Social Learning Center (OSLC) are conducting a survey of school administrators across the state of Washington to help in a bigger project to understand drowning rates, drowning disparities, and drowning prevention efforts. We’re hoping to get your input as we work with the state governor’s office to develop water safety curriculum. We value your feedback since you’re on the front lines working with teachers and children/youth in your school. ​The 10-20 minute online survey will allow you a chance to weigh in and tell us whether you currently implement drowning curriculum, whether you have any interest in state supported drowning curriculum in your school, and any water safety concerns you may (or may not) have in your community.

Kimberley Astle, Associate Director of Elementary Science at OSPI, is currently collecting examples of elementary (K-5) instructional schedules at the classroom, school, and district level that include time allocated for science learning. The goal is to understand how teachers, schools, and districts are finding successful ways to organize instructional minutes so that elementary students are provided with the learning time they need for a quality science education.

In partnership with AWSP, OSPI would like to hear directly from building administrators about how to best support you and your colleagues with beginning the implementation of your district’s SSB 5030/Comprehensive School Counseling Program (CSCP) plan this coming year. Your feedback will inform our collaborative work with AWSP to develop resources, tools and training that can help you to feel inspired, hopeful, and ready to leverage SSB 5030 to support improved student outcomes through the CSCP.

We are sitting at a crucial moment in principal history. Many of you report considering leaving the job and/or barely hanging on despite gallant efforts of perseverance, persistence, and patience. Our team at AWSP has been sharing your stories with the Governor’s Office, legislators, officials from OSPI, the Department of Health, and other agencies and organizations. We basically are shouting from the mountaintops that principals need help and they need it both now, and as we look to redefine what “principaling” looks like in the future.

Ready for some good news? There’s state money to help send your fifth- and sixth-graders to Outdoor School next year. We are working with a team of learning centers and camps to get money allocated in this year’s state budget.  To help us plan and budget, we need to find out who is planning to host an outdoor school for their students. You can help with this process now by completing this Outdoor Schools survey. This information will helps us to plan for the 2021-22 school year as well as give us information to seek further funding for the 2022-23 school year and beyond.