In this episode of AWSP News we discuss your district’s principal contracts, some of the strategies a few districts are using to boost principal salaries, a new report from Wallace Foundation, National Assistant Principals Week, our “Walk a Mile in My Shoes” campaign winners, School Library Month and a handful of book recommendations from Scholastic, our sponsor City university, the Native American Leadership Camp and Administrative Professionals Week and Day.

Here are some recent articles that might interest you if you are trying to keep track of budget discussions. This article is by DJ Wilson of the Washington State Wire and it explains how the budget process actually works. The Washington Research Council published this comparison chart of the House and Senate budgets. And, OSPI has budget tools for the 2019-20 school year on its webpage. Click on the Multi-Year Budget Comparison Tool to see how your district fares in the Governor’s budget, the House budget and the Senate budget.

Following marathon hearings by the fiscal committees in both houses, the chambers are now publicly engaged in floor action where numerous bills are debated and voted upon. As is generally the norm, for every nine bills brought to either floor and approved by the body, the tenth bill becomes hotly contested. That’s when the theatrics occur. One example, is after passing a number of bills fairly easily, a bill dealing with union dues, SHB 1575 brought things to a halt as the Republicans demanded the bill be read in its totality, a very rare occurrence.

This research used child-led tours to investigate how young children’s spatial autonomy is enacted in two contrasting environments: their home and a forest setting. Spatial autonomy, by inviting children to form a relationship with their environment, can promote agency, a sense of self, self-confidence, and a healthy relationship with their environment.

“No! No! No!” was the constant refrain heard as the committees and floor debated numerous amendments to the budget proposals. Requests for spending totaled more than the amount either house was willing to spend or to make a priority. Concurrently, policy committees continued to hear and then move bills. All of which have been reported previously in greater detail.

Welcome to another episode of AWSP News, where we discuss this year’s National Assistant Principals Week, how Vicki Puckett and the Mercer Island School District empower and use student voice, how the Association of Washington Student Leaders can help you harness student voice, and a great example from Bob Walters on how to use our pay gap video with your district administration.

The big news was the release of the House Budget. Released at noon, Tuesday, public hearing on same day at 3:30, passed out of committee the next day and to be voted out of the chamber Friday. Wham! Bam! Done deal. The Senate will release it's budget Friday, March 29th. The public hearing will be Monday, April Fools’ Day, so at least there is some time to review prior to that time.

Did you know that the average child in a military family will move six to nine times during a school career? That's an average of three times more frequently than non-military families. The Department of Defense sponsors the Month of the Military Child to honor military children and their families who make daily sacrifices for our country.

International studies document multiple benefits children gain from engagement with school gardens. What’s not been well studied are implementation practices. This study, which is based on the premise that experiencing the benefits of school gardens depends on successful implementation, aimed to gain insight in implementation practices of school gardens.

School bathrooms tend to have a bad rep. Historically, they’ve been known for being unkept or where mischief and bullying happen. However, many schools are taking their restrooms back and turning them into havens of inspiration, motivation, and peace.

This week has been filled with committee hearings on various bills as both houses rush to hear, then vote bills out of committee, in order to beat the next policy and fiscal deadlines. The state revenue council issued the latest revenue projections and wow, the unanticipated and now new revenue shows an additional $861 million for the 2019–221 budget. Of course, remember at the start of the session, it was reported that the state was looking at over $1 billion-dollar shortfall after case load projections and funding court mandates.

In this episode of AWSP News, we discuss March Madness in our “Walk a Mile in My Shoes” campaign, our AWSP News special report on principal contracts and the pay gap, a new TPEP report from UW, The Main Idea education book review service you’ll soon have access to, our Equity Conference with WASA and WSSDA, OSPI’s MTSS Fest in Spokane, an updated survey for elementary science instruction, and the support of partners SPU and Horace Mann.

The legislative flow has now shifted to upcoming hearings where bills that have passed either house are scheduled for public hearings. The next deadline of note is the planned release on March 20th of the latest revenue forecast and projection. Budgets developed by both houses will follow.

Going outside, even in the city, has its benefits. City parks have opportunities for life satisfaction. While traveling to a remote outdoor setting is great, you can also look near your school. At-risk adolescents who participated in an Urban Forest Health Intervention Program showed an increase in life satisfaction and physical activity levels and a decrease in such risky behaviors as smoking.

Both houses have been on their respective floors debating and voting on various bills and amendments or in caucus/recess privately debating what bills to bring forth. Lobbyists hover outside each chamber’s doors waiting for requested legislators to come out. A lobbyist’s hope is to either encourage vote on a bill, to influence its content via suggested amendments, or to urge defeat.

The SEB Board held an all-day meeting (its 15th) covering a wide range of issues. The important sections are referenced below in terms of the TAB number in which the content was presented.

Preschool children played active roles as researchers in all aspects of a research project focusing on how they experienced different elements in a forest setting. Related discussion addresses the advantages, challenges, and opportunities of four interactive data collection and analysis methods.

Welcome to another episode of AWSP’s News, where we discuss our first ever “Walk a Mile in My Shoes” March Madness Campaign, registering for the National Association of Elementary School Principals conference in Spokane and our own Summer Conference for a chance to win a prize, the key we sent you for Future Educator's Month, five foundational blocks every school should have, de-linking graduation and state assessments, and a robust and effective High School and Beyond Plan, a reminder to use evaluations to build a culture of growth, and calling us for support and questions about principal contracts.

The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company announced the launch of a national initiative to bring the life-enhancing benefits of gardens and greenspaces to 10 million U.S. children over the next five years. Through its Gro More Good program, Scotts Miracle-Gro will provide monetary grants, educational curriculum and training to communities across the U.S. in collaboration with its partners, with the goal of creating more gardens, greenspaces and refurbished outdoor play spaces for children.

The state Legislature is now about 40 percent through this year’s 105-day session and faces its second significant checkpoint on Friday, March 1. That’s the deadline for fiscal committees to send bills on for further action or leave them behind for the year. (Unless, of course, they are deemed necessary to implement the budget (NTIB)).