AWSP Blog

Walk into Peter G. Schmidt and you automatically belong! You are greeted with all smiles, and it is typical to see the principal, Kim Doughty, walking around the school and checking in with teacher teams. The school has been fully engaged in the AWSP Inclusionary Practices Project and Dr. Shelley Moore for several years and this year they are drilling down and planning for all.

April marks World Autism Awareness/Acceptance Month, emphasizing the significance of embracing and honoring the diverse autistic and neurodiverse members of our school communities, including our school leaders and educators.

William Randolph Hearst Foundation sponsors two high school juniors or seniors from each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia to attend the United States Senate Youth Program—an all-expense paid, week-long tour of Washington, DC and to receive a $10,000 scholarship.

The United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) announces that high school students Ms. Gianna Patrice Frank and Ms. Mahika Kavya Malladi joined Senator Patty Murray and Senator Maria Cantwell in representing Washington during the 62nd annual USSYP Washington Week, this past March. Gianna Frank of Marysville and Mahika Malladi of Redmond were selected from among the state’s top student leaders to be part of the 104 national student delegation. Each delegate will also receive a $10,000 college scholarship for undergraduate study

The Summer Conference is a time to celebrate the accomplishments of the 2023-2024 school year and gain insights and ideas for creating a hope-filled year ahead! From collaboration with other school leaders across the state to the rich information shared by industry experts, there are a myriad of reasons why Summer Conference is the must-attend event of the season. Need a little help convincing leadership to allow you to attend? Here are a few reasons to bolster your case!

Introducing the "Washington Schools on the Rise" award by AWSL/AWSP! This award celebrates schools where students and adults collaborate to improve culture and amplify student voice. AWSP and its Foundation support these schools with resources and opportunities. These schools foster inclusive and equitable environments. Know a school on the rise? Nominate them today and honor their commitment to excellence in education!

Session has concluded and the Governor has acted. Here is brief summary of pension, health care, and other legislation that will impact school districts, present staff, and future retirees. The work to implement the changes continues.

HearMeWA is on schedule to soft launch on April 30, 2024. At that time, the program will go live. The HearMeWA.org website will include information on how youth can submit tips via app, text, chat, web-form, and phone call. We will be piloting a best practices toolkit and developing a marketing toolkit during this time.

The walkie crackled, “Sky’s mother is in the office.” I pushed the button, “Copy. I’ll be right down.” I signaled to the teacher I would be back. She continued to watch Sky as he was starting to right the chairs he had thrown. As I walked, I repeated my mantra for hard family meetings: “be credible, be a partner, show love.”

Elementary School was extremely challenging for me. I was a square peg trying to fit into a round hole and it wasn’t working. When I think about those early years, I felt tremendous embarrassment that I would be “found out.” I struggled in all basic education skills. I couldn’t read or spell basic words, math was impossible and don’t get me started on science. I was a latchkey kid from a broken home in a small rural town. I was different, and I felt it.