Section 504
New: Providing FAPE and Addressing Compensatory Services Under Section 504
Section 504 and Students with Disabilities 
Protecting Students with Disabilities

 

Parent Participation
Maximizing Parental Involvement in Developing the IEP

 

Early Childhood
Delivering on the Promise of Effective ECE for Black Children

 

Disproportionality
Confronting Special Educations’ Race Problem

 

OSPI
February Special Education Update
Rules for the Provision of Special Education

 

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Upcoming Classes and Events
3/1 | Early Learning Summit
3/1-2 | Foundations of Effective Teaming
3/5 |  A Child is Not Motivated – What Am Expected to Do?
3/12 What is ACE?
3/16 Dyslexia & Literacy Instruction: Syntax & Fluency
3/8-22 | Operating from the Third Side: Supporting Others to Navigate Conflict
4/20-28 | Engaging Challenging Conversations
3/19 | ACE part 2
3/24 | Capital Region Early Learning Dinner & Dialogue
3/26 Know Your Triggers
3/29 | Supporting Transitional Kindergarten in “Specials”
4/20 | Dyslexia & Literacy Instruction: Semantics & Fluency
4/21 | Coding LRE in Pre-K IEPs
4/20-28 | Engaging Challenging Conversations
5/2-16 | Operating from the Third Side: Supporting Others to Navigate Conflict
5/12 & 13 | Dyslexia Beyond Awareness

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For more information, contact Abby Bowers, Capital Region ESD 113's Director of Special Programs.

In this edition of AWSP News, we discuss:

• the Governor’s big announcement last week,
• more information from Department of Health,
• our recent statewide member survey,
• our Member Engagement Campaign,
• your principal contract,
• the Legislative Session,
• the annual AWSP/WASA Summer Conference,
• AWSL Summer Programs, and
• supplementary budget for Outdoor Schools.

Prefer to read the news? Check out the script.

It was budget week in the Legislature as both House and Senate Democrats released their supplemental operating budgets. Both budget bills had hearings within hours of their release on Monday, and both were amended within days of these hearings. Budget negotiators from both chambers will now seek to reconcile differences and come to a final budget before “sine die” (the last day of the session), scheduled for March 10.

Here is PSHB 1816  (proposed supplemental budget from the House), and here is a link to the same bill with amendments. Next, you can read the Senate's proposed supplemental budget (SSB 5693) with amendments. House Republicans also released their own supplemental budget this week if you would like to read their proposal. 

Due to our robust economy, legislators added more spending for new policies in their budgets than in years past. Check out the Washington Research Council report this week for analysis and comparisons. KNKX also has an article comparing the House and Senate budgets. If you want to read what the amazing Dan Steele from WASA has to say about all of this, head on over to Dan’s Special Budget Edition of TWIO (This Week in Olympia). Dan also covers the capital and transportation budgets. Thank you for your amazing work, Dan!

Thankfully as expected, both budgets do these things, although with some differences:

• provide a commitment to fund additional support positions such as nurses, counselors, social workers, and psychologists through an update to the prototypical funding model,

• provide enrollment stability,

• increase transportation spending, and

• Support Outdoor School for All.

OSPI and many other education advocates continue to work with legislators and their staff to shape the best outcomes for school districts. Superintendent Chris Reykdal sent a letter to budget writers urging them to “quickly phase-in support staff, focus on dual credit (lift the cap to 1.6 FTE for running start), stablize LAP funding, support transitional kindergarten programs, fund seismic improvements, and suspend work not related to recovery.”

My bill tracking list is getting a little bit smaller as a few bills didn’t make it past the committee cut-off yesterday, February 24. For example, you might notice HB 1162 (performance exhibition pathway for graduation) didn’t make it out of the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee. Legislators will work through the weekend to try to meet the next cut-off date of February 28, when bills with fiscal implications must be passed out of either House Appropriations or Senate Ways and Means. Then it’s back to the floor to pass more bills, agree on final budgets, and that will be the end of this year’s short session!

If you want to share your thoughts about any of these budget items or bills, please send your legislators an email.You can also invite them to meet with you via video conference or at your school so you can advocate on behalf of the principalship and your school’s needs. Thank you to all of you who were able to take time this week to sign-in in support of some important bills like HB 1664 (prototypical funding for support staff) and HB 2078 (outdoor school for all).

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Bills Still Alive

Budget

• HB 1816 | Operating Budget (companion bill SB 5693)
• HB 1590 | Enrollment Stability
• HB 1664 | Prototypical Support
• HB 1808 | Transportation Funding (close companion SB 5581)
• SB 5487 | Small District Consolidation
• SB 5933 | School Seismic Safety
• SB 5651 | Capital Budget

Students

• HB 1611 | Highly Capable Students
• HB 1723 | Telecommunication Access
• HB 1736 | State Student Loan Program
• HB 1746 | Updating 2015 Report for Student Success
• HB 1833 | Electronic Option for School Meal Needs
• HB 1878 | Increasing Participation in Community Eligibility Provision
• HB 2068 | Creating the Imagination Library Program
• HB 2078 | Outdoor School for All
• SB 5497 | Student Board of Education Members

High School/Dual Credit

• HB 1687 | College Bound Scholarship GPA
• HB 1760 | Dual Credit Program Access
• HB 1805 | Opportunity Scholarship Program
• HB 1835 | Postsecondary Enrollment (FAFSA completion support)
• HB 1867 | Dual Credit Data
• SB 5498 | Awarding Diplomas Posthumously
• SB 5789 | Innovation Challenge Program (similar to HB 1835)
• SB 5878 | Arts Instruction

Health/Safety

• HB 1759 | Secure Storage Info on School Websites
• HB 1800 | Increasing Access to Behavioral Health Services for Minors
• HB 1834 | Student Mental Health Absences
• HB 1890 | Children and Behavioral Health Work Group
• HB 1941 | Active Shooter Drills

Workforce/Staff

• HB 1699 | Educators Working in Retirement
• HB 1942 | Paraeducator Training
• SB 5252 | School District Consultation with Tribes

As usual, please reach out to me with any questions. Thank you!

“No man’s life, liberty, or property are safe while the Legislature is in Session.” ~ Mark Twain

“Secrecy is the foundation of politics.” ~ Bing Gordon

As the clock continues to count down to Sine Die, there is a mixture of committee hearings, behind the scenes meetings, and limited floor debate. As mentioned earlier, Feb. 24th is the last day for policy bills to clear committees, and Feb. 28th for fiscal bills to clear. Many committee agendas read “Bills to be determined” as decisions are being made behind closed doors as to what advances. All these actions lead to the March 4th date, which is the last day (5 PM) to act on opposite house bills.

As an perpetual reminder, no bill is ever ‘dead’ until Sine Die, and any bill deemed ‘necessary to implement the budget’ (NTIB) remains alive until the bitter end.

Below is a brief report on selected bills.

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Retirement Related Proposals

ESHB 1699 | Permitting individuals retired from the public employees’ retirement system, the teachers’ retirement system, and the school employees’ retirement system additional opportunities to work for a school district for up to 1,040 hours per school year while in receipt of pension benefits until July 1, 2025.

Comment: This bill was scheduled for a hearing, then changed to executive session, then dropped due to a mix up in pension related bills. It remains in the WM Committee awaiting scheduling. Advocates have been asked to lobby the committee members and their own legislators to urge a hearing. This bill may or may not be NTIB.

EHB 1752 | Adding a Roth option to deferred compensation plans.

Comment: Senate WM held a public hearing before the Senate Ways and Means’ Committee on Feb. 22nd. No further action has been scheduled to date.

SHB 1759 | An act relating to requiring school districts and other public education entities to make information from the department of health about substance use trends, overdose symptoms and response, and the secure storage of prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, and firearms and ammunition, available through their websites and other communication resources.

Comment: This bill is in Senate Rules awaiting further action.

HB 1804 | Concerning interruptive military service credit for members of the state retirement systems. Comment: It passed WM and is before Senate Rules awaiting a pull to the floor calendar.

SB 5676 | Providing a benefit increase to certain retirees of the public employees’ retirement system plan 1 and the teachers’ retirement system plan 1.

Summary: This bill would provide a 3% increase (COLA) not to exceed $110/month for TRS1/PERS1 Plan retirees.

Comment: Both proposed budgets included funding for this COLA. The House Appropriations has scheduled this for executive session on Feb. 24th. (Comment: There is an error in the Senate budget citing the wrong bill number. Staff is working to correct the error.) According the either budget, employer costs to fund this COLA will rise 0.14 in PERS/SERS rates and 0.27 in TRS.

SB 5726 | Concerning interruptive military service credit for members of the state retirement systems. It expands the definition of veteran for purposes of veterans’ benefits in state pension systems, legal assistance, scoring criteria on civil service exams, and other programs, to include members that were awarded an expeditionary medal.

Comment: Awaiting scheduling before House Appropriations.

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Other Areas Of Potential Fiscal Impact (Often, Unfunded) To Districts

HB 1613 | Concerning shared reporting responsibilities for both the paid family and medical leave and the long-term services and supports trust programs to clarify that information collected from employer reports shall remain private.

Comment: This bill has been moved to Senate Rules awaiting action to move it to the floor calendar.

SHB 1617 | Aligning state and school holidays. The legislature intends to clarify that Juneteenth, like all other state legal holidays, is a school holiday on which school may not be taught.

Comment: This bill is in Senate Rules waiting to be moved to floor calendar.

SHB 1644 | Expands allowable uses of school districts’ transportation vehicle funds to include purchase, installation, and repair of vehicle charging stations and other zero-emission fueling stations, and feasibility studies to transition to electric or zero-emission vehicles for pupil transportation •

Comment: The Senate Education Committee passed the bill.

SHB 1759 | Requiring school districts and other public education entities to make information from the department of health about substance use trends, overdose symptoms and response, and the secure storage of prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, and firearms and ammunition, available through their websites and other communication resources.

Comment: This bill is before Senate Rules waiting to be moved to floor calendar.

ESHB 1795 | Makes void and unenforceable provisions in agreements between an employer and employee that prohibit the disclosure of conduct that is illegal discrimination, harassment, retaliation, a wage and hour violation, or sexual assault, or that is against a clear mandate of public policy, occurring in the workplace.

Comment: This bill passed the Senate Labor Committee.

EHB 1837 | This bill repeals the restriction on the regulation of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and ergonomics, overturning a 2003 voter approved initiative barring L & I from developing ergonomic regulations.

Comment: A reminder that this bill took 10 hours of House floor debate into the wee morning hours to barely pass 50/48. It is scheduled for a executive session before the Senate Labor Committee on Feb. 24th .

SHB 1902 | This bill provides for reopening a workers’ compensation claim when the provider fails to submit the application. A claimant may receive compensation and other benefits more than 60 days before submission of the reopening application when the following applies: the application was not received by L&I or the self-insurer within 60 days due to a failure of the provider; and • the worker demonstrates that the worker information page was completed and submitted to L&I, the self-insurer, or the provider within 30 days of provision of the relevant medical services. • The L&I or self-insurer must provide notice of the submission deadlines on any forms it provides for use as claim reopening applications.

Comment: The House Labor Committee moved it out via executive session on Feb 23rd.

E2SSB 5155 | Modifies the accrual date for interest on judgments founded on the tortious conduct of individuals and entities other than public agencies from the date of entry of judgment to the date the cause of action accrues.

Comment: The House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee on this bill in executive session on Feb. 22nd. As mentioned repeatedly this bill has tremendous financial implications for school district liability costs.

SB 5326 | An act relating to health and pension benefits for school bus drivers employed by private nongovernmental entities.

Comment: This bill is on the Senate “X” file which generally means it is ‘dead’ and no further movement is expected.

SB 5539 | Concerning state funding for educational service districts. This bill requires that state funding be provided to each educational service district (ESD) for the employer cost of school employees’ benefits for employees of the ESD that are covered by collective bargaining.

Comment: This bill is scheduled for executive session before House Appropriations on Feb. 24th.

SSB 5564 | Protecting the confidentiality of employees using employee assistance programs.

Comment: This bill is before House Rules awaiting further action.

ESSB 5628 | Concerning cyber harassment, addressing concerns in the case of Rynearson v. Ferguson, and adding a crime of cyberstalking.

Comment: The House Public Safety Committee had executive session on this bill Feb. 24th.

2SSB 5649 | This bill as amended provides that an allowable purpose for family leave is any leave taken by an employee during the seven calendar days following the death of the family member for whom the employee would have qualified to take medical leave for the birth of their child or would have qualified for family bonding leave. Specifies that leave taken by certain employees in the first six weeks after giving birth must be medical leave unless the employee chooses to use family leave. Expires the collective bargaining agreement exception contained in the Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program. Requires the Employment Security Department to publish a list of employers with approved voluntary plans on its website. Contains provisions on short- and long-term actuarial services assessing the financial condition of the PFML program to maintain financial stability of the family and medical leave insurance account. Creates a legislative task force on PFML program premiums and requires a Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee report.

Comment: The House Labor Committee passed this out of executive session on Feb. 22nd.

ESSB 5761 | Concerning employer requirements for providing wage and salary information to applicants for employment.

Comment: The House Labor Committee on 2/22 passed it out by executive session.

ESSB 5873 | Concerning unemployment insurance, family leave, and medical leave premiums. This bill decreases the maximum Unemployment Insurance (UI) social cost factor for 2022 and 2023 and sets a maximum UI rate class for the purposes of the percentage of the social cost factor to be paid by small businesses in 2023.

Comment: It would lower the social tax by about 30% next year and continue this trend into the following year. WR testified in support. The Paid Family and Medical Leave component was eliminated. It is before House Rules awaiting further action.

I’d like to start this blog by sharing three things with you - one you know for sure, and two you probably didn’t. First, it’s Black History Month. You all know that already. The second thing? To keep my sanity as an educational leader for the last 25 years, I have been an active runner. How those two pieces are connected leads me to the third. My perspective of running was forever changed shortly after 1:00 pm on February 23, 2020, outside the small town of Brunswick, Georgia.

I was blessed to serve in the same high school for fifteen years – twelve as principal, three as assistant principal. I was hired as a super green 26-year-old assistant principal into a large, comprehensive high school in the middle of a massive remodel. To say the school was in disarray was an understatement. After leaving the classroom as a Spanish teacher and soccer coach, I really didn’t fully understand what I had just stepped into – but I was about to find out.

In my first few weeks, I quickly gained experience on how to break up fights, search for drugs, put out a fire set by students in the parking lot, de-escalate violent students, work with construction contractors, occasionally get into a classroom, and keep a straight face when a prominent teacher leader looked me in the eye and said, “I’m not sure why they hired you. We are going to eat you alive.” Let’s just say that my learning curve was both steep and fast-paced. This was the beginning of my administrative career, but also the beginning of my passion for — and need for self-care — through running.

Anyone who has served as a school leader knows the 24/7 stress and anxiety that constantly simmers whether school is in session or not. Principals and assistant principals are not just in charge of running a school; they carry the burden of everyone’s social, emotional, and mental health, physical safety, and hope. And, they carry that burden all the time, no matter where they are. I’m not sure the world totally understands what we’ve placed on our school leaders. That burden weighed heavily on me as a school leader. The only way for me to maintain my own sanity was by running…a lot.

For decades now I’ve been an active runner. Some days I run alone. Some days I run with a group of friends, who I’ve really considered my therapists. When I think back to my days of principaling, I ran to relieve stress and anxiety. I ran as I planned upcoming staff meetings. I ran as I planned school-wide assemblies. I ran when meetings didn’t go well. I ran while navigating how to handle sticky discipline situations. I ran when I knew my school culture didn’t feel right. I ran when I knew I’d be at school for 18 hours until the last student was picked up from the dance. I ran when I needed quiet reflection time.

When I lost students to drunk driving accidents, I ran. When young hopeless students cried in my office, I ran. When the bathroom was covered in blood after “cutting” incidents, I ran. When the changes I wanted to make were blocked by restrictive contract language, I ran. When parents were upset with me over athletic playing time, I ran. When I was dragged through a two-year lawsuit, I ran. When an up-and-coming student leader killed himself, I ran. Running was my relief and my release.

In my current position as the Executive Director of the Association of Washington School Principals, I still run. And, I still run for many of the same reasons. I run for health, stress relief, quiet thinking time, processing how to help our members, conversations with God, planning, and problem-solving. As I travel the state and country in my work, I always pack my running gear. Why wouldn’t I? Because I was ignorant.

Well, during decades of consistent running, I’ve never worried about my safety…no matter the location. I’ve never questioned where I should run, when, or with whom. But that’s the problem. I never worried or thought much differently. Doesn’t everyone enjoy the same freedom? The answer is no. Which is why Black History Month should be a top priority of focus in each and everyone one of our schools. 

On February 23, 2020, Ahmaud Arbery, age 25, went for a run, just like I’ve done for my entire career. Unlike me, Ahmaud never came back. While he was out running, he was marked, targeted, followed, questioned, and ultimately killed, simply because he was black. No other reason. What year was this? That’s right, 2020. Not immediately post-Civil War, not during our history’s Civil Rights Movement of the 50’s and 60’s, but rather on February 23, 2020…during Black History Month. This was just yet another sad reminder of how much more work we have ahead of us as a society. 

So, as you come across people wondering where, how, and when to enter into conversations about Black History Month, maybe a great starting point for a conversation is about Ahmaud or “Maud” as his friends called him. Let his death not be in vain. Why was he killed? Why was he targeted? Why was it dangerous for him to go for a run, but not me in the year 2020? What are we still missing in our educational system that such overt racism still exists across society? How can Ahmaud’s memory and unfathomable murder be used as a constant reminder and spark for continued conversations, learning, and change? 

My running has changed since Ahmaud’s death. There isn’t a single early morning run as I lace up my shoes and head out when I’m not thinking about Ahmaud Arbery. I no longer take my privilege for granted, nor his sacrifice. And, with each step, and each mile, in addition to the weight of my thoughts, I wonder what more I could have done as a leader in our system to prevent senseless deaths like Ahmaud’s. I also think critically about what I will continue to do in my leadership role to fight for change across our state and country. I regret my blindness and that I should have been running all these years for Ahmaud. I’m sorry Ahmaud, but I run with you, and for you now, every day. Never forgotten.

 

I have had the opportunity to work with challenging behaviors from children to adults over the course of my educational career. This was not always a welcome opportunity. However, I know in retrospect I got better at it over time. 

Working with challenging adult behaviors has similarities to working with behaviors we see in our students. Digging in, getting better at navigating the function of behavior, and hypothesizing what is behind the behaviors can help you support students and staff more calmly and insightfully. I ran across this “All Behavior is Communication” blog post from Lauren Pace (host of the Rising Lava Parenting Podcast) as I was looking for resources to help a new school leader navigate some tricky adult behaviors in her school. Although this blog refers to parenting strategies and young children, I think reading, listening, and pondering the basics about behavior as communication has some transferable skills and strategies pertinent to school leadership! 

Sometimes, we see little kid behaviors coming from some of the adults we interact with! If you’re short on time, start the podcast around the 8-minute mark or scroll down to Understanding Behavior section of the blog post. Give it a read…I’d love to know if this is a useful resource for you or others who might be struggling to understand behaviors in and outside of the classroom! Tell me what you think!

Section 504
New: Upcoming Equity and Civil Rights trainings
Section 504 and Students with Disabilities 
Protecting Students with Disabilities

 

National Center on Intensive Intervention
Reducing Behavior Problems in the Elementary Classroom

 

Understood.org
Brain breaks: An evidenced-based behavior strategy

 

English Learners
Tools and Resources for Addressing English Learners with Disabilities

 

OSPI
February Special Education Update
Rules for the Provision of Special Education

 

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Upcoming Classes and Events
2/25 & 26 | SLP Reconnect: An Education and Networking Event for School-Based SLPs
2/26 | Hand In Hand
2/26 | It Takes a Village to Build Resilience in a Child
3/1 | Early Learning Summit
3/1-2 | Foundations of Effective Teaming
3/8-22 | Operating from the Third Side: Supporting Others to Navigate Conflict
4/20-28 | Engaging Challenging Conversations
5/2-16 | Operating from the Third Side: Supporting Others to Navigate Conflict
5/12 & 13 | Dyslexia Beyond Awareness

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For more information, contact Abby Bowers, Capital Region ESD 113's Director of Special Programs.

“A camel is a horse designed by a committee.” ~ Alec Issigonis

“No one can argue with a testimony, it is not a debatable issue. It is there to be accepted or rejected.” ~ Bruce R. McConkie

The House of Origin cut-off has come and gone. Committee hearings have now started in earnest. The agendas can be quite lengthy as the rush to Sine Die begins in earnest. Various groups and individuals will have opportunities to testify “Pro” or “Con” on bills before the committee. Leadership and committee chairs then become the arbiters of which bills will advance further.

As an annual reminder, no bill is ever ‘dead’ until Sine Die, and any bill deemed ‘necessary to implement the budget’ (NTIB) remains alive until the bitter end.

Below is a brief report on selected bills.

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Retirement Related Proposals

ESHB 1699 | Permitting individuals retired from the public employees’ retirement system, the teachers’ retirement system, and the school employees’ retirement system additional opportunities to work for a school district for up to 1,040 hours per school year while in receipt of pension benefits until July 1, 2025. The bill was amended to add that retirees that retired from service before January 1, 2022, and that work for a school district with fewer than 2,000 students may continue to receive pension payments for up to 1,040 hours per school year until July 1, 2025 if employed as a district superintendent or an in-school administrator.

Comment: Scheduled for a public hearing before the Senate Ways and Means Committee on Feb. 22nd.

EHB 1752 | Adding a Roth option to deferred compensation plans.

Comment: Passed the House 96/0 and is scheduled for a public hearing before the Senate Ways and Means’ Committee on Feb. 22nd.

HB 1804 | Concerning interruptive military service credit for members of the state retirement systems.

Comment: It passed the House 96/0 and is scheduled for a public hearing before the Senate Ways and Means’ on Feb. 22nd.

SB 5676 | Providing a benefit increase to certain retirees of the public employees’ retirement system plan 1 and the teachers’ retirement system plan 1.

Summary: This bill would provide a 3% increase not to exceed $110/month for TRS1/PERS1 Plan retirees.

Comment: SB 5676 was passed by the Senate 47/0/2 and has been sent to the House Appropriations Committee awaiting scheduling.

SB 5726 | Concerning interruptive military service credit for members of the state retirement systems. It expands the definition of veteran for purposes of veterans’ benefits in state pension systems, legal assistance, scoring criteria on civil service exams, and other programs, to include members that were awarded an expeditionary medal.

Comment: Passed the Senate 49/0 and is awaiting scheduling before House Appropriations.

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Other Areas Of Potential Fiscal Impact (Often, Unfunded) To Districts

HB 1613 | Concerning shared reporting responsibilities for both the paid family and medical leave and the long-term services and supports trust programs to clarify that information collected from employer reports shall remain private.

Comment: This bill passed the House 86/9 and was sent to the Senate Labor which voted it out of committee.

SHB 1617 | Aligning state and school holidays. The legislature intends to clarify that Juneteenth, like all other state legal holidays, is a school holiday on which school may not be taught.

Comment: This bill passed the House 88/8/2 and is scheduled for executive session on 2/21 before the Senate Ed Committee.

SHB 1644 | Expands allowable uses of school districts’ transportation vehicle funds to include purchase, installation, and repair of vehicle charging stations and other zero-emission fueling stations, and feasibility studies to transition to electric or zero-emission vehicles for pupil transportation •

Comment: This bill passed the House 88/8 and had a public hearing before the Senate Education Committee on Feb. 18th.

SHB 1759 | Requiring school districts and other public education entities to make information from the department of health about substance use trends, overdose symptoms and response, and the secure storage of prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, and firearms and ammunition, available through their websites and other communication resources.

Comment: This bill passed the House 66/30 and is scheduled for executive session on 2/21 before Senate Education Committee.

ESHB 1795 | Makes void and unenforceable provisions in agreements between an employer and employee that prohibit the disclosure of conduct that is illegal discrimination, harassment, retaliation, a wage and hour violation, or sexual assault, or that is against a clear mandate of public policy, occurring in the workplace.

Comment: This bill passed the House 56/40 and was moved to Senate Labor Committee for scheduling.

EHB 1837 | This bill repeals the restriction on the regulation of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and ergonomics, overturning a 2003 voter approved initiative barring L & I from developing ergonomic regulations. Comment: This bill took 10 hours of floor debate into the wee morning hours to barely pass 40/48. It is scheduled for a public hearing before the Senate Labor Committee on Feb. 23rd.

SHB 1902 | This bill provides for reopening a workers’ compensation claim when the provider fails to submit the application. A claimant may receive compensation and other benefits more than 60 days before submission of the reopening application when the following applies: the application was not received by L&I or the self-insurer within 60 days due to a failure of the provider; and the worker demonstrates that the worker information page was completed and submitted to L&I, the self-insurer, or the provider within 30 days of provision of the relevant medical services. The L&I or self-insurer must provide notice of the submission deadlines on any forms it provides for use as claim reopening applications.

Comment: Passed the House 98/0 and had a public hearing before the House Labor Committee on Feb. 17th.

E2SSB 5155 | Modifies the accrual date for interest on judgments founded on the tortious conduct of individuals and entities other than public agencies from the date of entry of judgment to the date the cause of action accrues. Limits prejudgment interest to judgments entered following trial and arbitration awards. Excludes medical malpractice claims from prejudgment interest. A “public agency” as defined in RCW 42.30.020 will not be subject to the new prejudgment interest provisions proposed by SB 5150. Public agencies will be liable for postjudgment interest only, as they are now.

Comment: This bill passed the Senate 31/18. A public hearing was held on Feb. 18thand it has been scheduled for executive session before the House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee on Feb. 23rd.

SB 5539 | Concerning state funding for educational service districts. This bill requires that state funding be provided to each educational service district (ESD) for the employer cost of school employees’ benefits for employees of the ESD that are covered by collective bargaining.

Comment: This bill passed the Senate 28/21 and has been sent to House Appropriations for scheduling.

SSB 5564 | Protecting the confidentiality of employees using employee assistance programs.

Comment: This bill passed the Senate 45/4 and had a public hearing on Feb. 16th and executive session scheduled for Feb.18th before the House Labor Committee.

ESSB 5628 | Concerning cyber harassment, addressing concerns in the case of Rynearson v. Ferguson, and adding a crime of cyberstalking. It renames the crime of cyberstalking to cyber harassment and amends the elements of that crime. Creates the crime of cyberstalking including application to election officials. It permits victims of cyber harassment to apply to the secretary of state’s address confidentiality program and includes election officials.

Comment: This bill passed the Senate 49/0 and has been scheduled before the House Public Safe Committee for a public hearing on Feb. 18th and executive session scheduled for Feb. 22nd and Feb. 23rd.

2SSB 5649 | This bill as amended provides that an allowable purpose for family leave is any leave taken by an employee during the seven calendar days following the death of the family member for whom the employee would have qualified to take medical leave for the birth of their child or would have qualified for family bonding leave. Specifies that leave taken by certain employees in the first six weeks after giving birth must be medical leave unless the employee chooses to use family leave. Expires the collective bargaining agreement exception contained in the Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program. Requires the Employment Security Department to publish a list of employers with approved voluntary plans on its website. Contains provisions on short- and long-term actuarial services assessing the financial condition of the PFML program to maintain financial stability of the family and medical leave insurance account. Creates a legislative task force on PFML program premiums and requires a Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee report.

Comment: Passed the Senate 42/7 and had a public hearing before the House Labor Committee on 2/18 with executive session schedule for Feb. 22nd.

ESSB 5761 | Concerning employer requirements for providing wage and salary information to applicants for employment. This bill modifies the requirements to provide wage information to require employers to provide the wage scale or salary range in job postings and to include a general description of all benefits and other compensation, rather than providing wage and salary information only upon request of an applicant after the initial job offer. Removes the requirement that if no wage scale or salary range exists, the employer must provide the minimum wage or salary expectation prior to posting the position, making a position transfer, or making the promotion. Limits the persons who are entitled to remedies to a job applicant or an employee.

Comment: This bill passed the Senate 27/21. A public hearing was held by the House Labor Committee on 2/17 and executive session has been scheduled for Feb. 18th.

ESSB 5873 | Concerning unemployment insurance, family leave, and medical leave premiums. This bill decreases the maximum Unemployment Insurance (UI) social cost factor for 2022 and 2023 and sets a maximum UI rate class for the purposes of the percentage of the social cost factor to be paid by small businesses in 2023.

Comment: This bill passed the Senate 48/1. A public hearing before the House Labor Committee was held Feb. 16th and executive session scheduled for Feb. 18th.

We are headed into the final sprint of this short session. Another cut-off date passed this week, with the last day to pass bills out of their house of origin on February 15. These were very long days for legislators and legislative staff, and some bills didn’t survive. Legislative committees started up again on Wednesday as surviving bills moved to the opposite side for a week of hearings. The next cut-off date is February 24, when policy bills must pass out of these committees.

The Senate and the House are releasing their own budgets very soon. The Senate Ways and Means and the House Appropriations Committees will hear their respective budget bills on Monday, February 21. The state Economic and Revenue Forecast Council (ERFC) updated its forecast of state revenues this week, which helps budget writers finalize their supplemental budgets. State revenues are now over $10 billion higher than expected when the session ended in April 2021. Read more on the revenue forecast from the Washington Research Council.

One budget item gaining momentum is a budget proviso for one-time funding for school districts that received less than $1,500/student in federal relief funding during the pandemic. Last session, the state provided gap funding to school districts receiving less than $500/student in federal ESSER funding, but costs have exceeded this amount, so this adjustment would help some districts. Representative Lisa Callan, Senator Lisa Wellman, and other legislators are leading this conversation with budget writers.

We expect that both budgets will include funding for:

• providing a commitment to fund additional support positions such as nurses, counselors, social workers, and psychologists through an update to the prototypical funding model,

• providing enrollment stability, and 

• increasing transportation spending. 

The State must also address the cost of living adjustments in the budget due to inflation increases. Our economy continues to be strong, so how the math on all of this works out remains to be seen. We hope funding will be as stable as possible for districts, and we get some critical new investments in K-12 education.

The Senate released its Capital Budget this week and included funding for these items:

• $123.6 M for the school seismic safety program. OSPI’s budget request of $8.6 M was fully funded, and the Senate appropriated an additional $115 M for a total of $123.6 M.

• $30 M for the West Sound Technical Skills Center campus modernization.  

• $15 M funding correction for the Coronavirus Capital Projects Account.  

• $13 M for the Almira School which burned to the ground in October 2021. 

• $2.6 M for additional Small District Modernization Grant projects in Brewster and Oroville.

Tyler Muench from OSPI says, “This is the best capital budget for K-12 schools than we’ve seen in at least a decade.” Great news!

We are also eagerly waiting to see what kind of support Outdoor Education for All receives in these budgets. Let’s get kids outside!

This week, I’ve had a few more conversations about dual credit and HB 1760. Unfortunately, College in the High School programs were removed from the bill in the House Appropriations Committee, and the bill only addresses support for Running Start programs. We think it is important to remove the 20-mile radius requirement on the College in the High School grant through OSPI and provide more funds for these programs. These changes would help to provide equitable dual credit experiences for students. 

My bill tracking list is getting a little bit smaller. If you want to share your thoughts about dual credit programs or any of the following bills with your local legislators, please send them an email. You can also invite them to meet with you via video conference or at your school so you can advocate on behalf of the principalship and your school’s needs.

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Bills Still Alive

Budget

• HB 1816 | Operating Budget (companion bill SB 5693)
• HB 1590 | Enrollment Stability
• HB 1664 | Prototypical Support
• HB 1808 | Transportation Funding (close companion SB 5581)
• SB 5487 | Small District Consolidation
• SB 5933 | School Seismic Safety
• SB 5651 | Capital Budget

Students

• HB 1611 | Highly Capable Students
• HB 1723 | Telecommunication Access
• HB 1736 | State Student Loan Program
• HB 1746 | Updating 2015 Report for Student Success
• HB 1833 | Electronic Option for School Meal Needs
• HB 1878 | Increasing Participation in Community Eligibility Provision
• HB 2068 | Creating the Imagination Library Program
• HB 2078 | Outdoor School for All
• SB 5497 | Student Board of Education Members

High School/Dual Credit

• HB 1162 | Performance Exhibition Pathway
• HB 1687 | College Bound Scholarship GPA
• HB 1760 | Dual Credit Program Access
• HB 1805 | Opportunity Scholarship Program
• HB 1835 | Postsecondary Enrollment (FAFSA completion support)
• HB 1867 | Dual Credit Data
• SB 5498 | Awarding Diplomas Posthumously
• SB 5789 | Innovation Challenge Program (similar to HB 1835)
• SB 5878 | Arts Instruction

Health/Safety

• HB 1759 | Secure Storage Info on School Websites
• HB 1800 | Increasing Access to Behavioral Health Services for Minors
• HB 1834 | Student Mental Health Absences
• HB 1890 | Children and Behavioral Health Work Group
• HB 1941 | Active Shooter Drills

Workforce/Staff

• HB 1699 | Educators Working in Retirement
• HB 1942 | Paraeducator Training
• SB 5252 | School District Consultation with Tribes

As usual, please reach out to me with any questions. Thank you!

 

At the end of January, over 25 educational leaders from K-12 and higher education attended our AWSP Mentor Program Stakeholder’s Convening to learn more about refreshing the AWSP Mentor training program.

We asked attendees about their interest in participating on one of the work committees, taking into account the pressures of the current reality in school leadership, particular expertise in mentoring, and knowledge of the supports our school leaders need right now. 

I am pleased to announce these committee member assignments:

Expect to see monthly blog posts as the work takes shape, keeping members (both active and retired school leaders) in the know about the refresh process. Our goal is to be training school leadership mentors this summer. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me for more information.

 

Section 504
Long COVID to test limits of accommodations
Section 504 and Students with Disabilities
Protecting Students with Disabilities

Special Education Legal Alert
Dyslexia identification/interventions, and masking policies

Disability Rights Network 
Out From the Shadows
The Informal Removal of Children with Disabilities from Public Schools

WEA Special Education in Washington State: A Handbook for Parents and Educators

OSPI
February Special Education Update
Rules for the Provision of Special Education

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Upcoming Classes and Events
2/16 | Dyslexia and Literacy Instruction: Morphology & Vocabulary
2/19 | Why Do You Teach?
2/19 | All About You
2/25 & 26 | SLP Reconnect: An Education and Networking Event for School-Based SLPs
2/26 | Hand In Hand
2/26 | It Takes a Village to Build Resilience in a Child
3/1 | Early Learning Summit
3/1-2 | Foundations of Effective Teaming
3/8-22 | Operating from the Third Side: Supporting Others to Navigate Conflict
4/20-28 | Engaging Challenging Conversations
5/2-16 | Operating from the Third Side: Supporting Others to Navigate Conflict
5/12 & 13 | Dyslexia Beyond Awareness

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For more information, contact Abby Bowers , Capital Region ESD 113's Director of Special Programs.

“I love argument, I love debate. I don’t expect anyone just to sit there and agree with me, that’s not their job.” ~ Margaret Thatcher

Each chamber is now engaged in floor sessions deciding the fate of various bills. Committee action is at a minimum. The next critical deadline is Feb. 15th when bills need to be out of their house of origin and committee hearings restart.

As an annual reminder, no bill is ever ‘dead’ until Sine Die, and any bill deemed ‘necessary to implement the budget’ (NTIB) remains alive until the bitter end.

Below is a brief report on selected bills that are still ‘alive’ noting the caveat above. Because of the speed as legislators race to meet cut-off dates, the irregularly scheduled floor actions, and the deadline of this report, the status of some bills may change.

Just an FYI. (For Your Information). A reminder that many bills sitting in Rules’ Committees and/or on the floor calendars of each chamber never move beyond those positions and they ‘die’.

Retirement Related Proposals

ESHB 1699 | Permitting individuals retired from the public employees’ retirement system, the teachers’ retirement system, and the school employees’ retirement system additional opportunities to work for a school district for up to 1,040 hours per school year while in receipt of pension benefits until July 1, 2025. An emergency clause was added and the bill was amended on the floor that adds that retirees that retired from service before January 1, 2022, and that work for a school district with fewer than 2,000 students may continue to receive pension payments for up to 1,040 hours per school year until July 1, 2025, if employed as a district superintendent or an in-school administrator.

Comment: This bill as amended passed the House 93/3/2 and was moved to the Senate Ways and Means’ Committee for scheduling for a public hearing.

HB 1721/SB 5676 | Providing a benefit increase to certain retirees of the public employees’ retirement system plan 1 and the teachers’ retirement system plan 1.

Summary: This bill would provide a 3% increase not to exceed $110/month for TRS1/PERS1 Plan retirees.

Comment: Although this bill is on the floor calendar, it appears that SB 5676 below will be the vehicle for further action.

SB 5676/HB 1721 | Providing a benefit increase to certain retirees of the public employees’ retirement system plan 1 and the teachers’ retirement system plan 1.

Summary: SB 5676 was passed by the Senate 47/0/2 and has been sent to the House Appropriations Committee awaiting scheduling.

EHB 1752 | Adding a Roth option to deferred compensation plans.

Comment: Passed the House 96/0 and has been sent to Senate Ways and Means for scheduling. It contains a ‘null and void’ provision subject to funding in the budget.

HB 1804 | Concerning interruptive military service credit for members of the state retirement systems.

Comment: This bill expands the definition of veteran for purposes of veterans’ benefits in state pension systems, legal assistance, scoring criteria on civil service exams, and other programs, to include members that were awarded an expeditionary medal. It passed the House 96/0 and has been sent to Senate Ways and Means for scheduling.

Other areas of potential fiscal impact to districts:

HB 1486 | Concerning qualifications for unemployment insurance when an individual voluntarily leaves work.

The Rules Committee was relieved of further consideration and this bill was moved to the floor calendar awaiting action.

HB 1613 | Concerning shared reporting responsibilities for both the paid family and medical leave and the long-term services and supports trust programs to clarify that information collected from employer reports shall remain private.

Comment: This bill passed the House 86/9 and was sent to the Senate.

SHB 1617 | Aligning state and school holidays. The legislature intends to clarify that Juneteenth, like all other state legal holidays, is a school holiday on which school may not be taught.

Comment: This bill passed the House 88/8/2 and is scheduled for a public hearing on 2/16 before the Senate Ed Committee.

SHB 1644 | Expands allowable uses of school districts’ transportation vehicle funds to include purchase, installation, and repair of vehicle charging stations and other zero-emission fueling stations, and feasibility studies to transition to electric or zero-emission vehicles for pupil transportation •

Comment: This bill passed the House 88/8 and has been sent to the Senate Ways and Means’ Committee.

SHB 1732 | This bill delays the start date for the premium assessments under the Long-Term Services and Supports Trust Program (LTSS Trust Program) from January 1, 2022, to July 1, 2023. Delays the date benefits become available under the LTSS Trust Program from January 1, 2025, to July 1, 2026. Allows individuals born before January 1, 1968, who do not meet the LTSS Trust Program’s vesting requirements, to receive partial benefits based on the number of years of premium payments. Requires employers to refund employees any LTSS Trust premiums collected before July 1, 2023.

Comment: This bill has been signed by the Governor effective January 27th, 2022.

ESHB 1733 | Establishing voluntary exemptions to the long-term services and supports trust program for certain populations. This bill establishes exemptions from the payment of premiums under the Long-Term Services and Supports Trust Program for certain veterans, spouses and registered domestic partners of military service members, nonimmigrant temporary workers, and employees who work in Washington and maintain a primary residence outside of Washington.

Comment: This bill has passed both Houses and was signed by the Governor. Effective June 9, 2022.

SHB 1759 | Requiring school districts and other public education entities to make information from the department of health about substance use trends, overdose symptoms and response, and the secure storage of prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, and firearms and ammunition, available through their websites and other communication resources.

Comment: This bill passed the House 66/30 and has been sent to Senate Education Committee for scheduling.

SHB 1763 | Concerning injured workers’ rights during independent medical examinations. This bill allows an injured worker to make an audio and video recording of an independent medical examination (IME), and to have one person of the worker’s choosing present during the examination.

Comment: This bill is in House Rules.

ESHB 1795 | Makes void and unenforceable provisions in agreements between an employer and employee that prohibit the disclosure of conduct that is illegal discrimination, harassment, retaliation, a wage and hour violation, or sexual assault, or that is against a clear mandate of public policy, occurring in the workplace.

Comment: This bill passed the House 56/40 and was moved to Senate Labor Committee for scheduling.

2SHB 1803 | Directs the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, beginning with the 2022–23 school year, to annually distribute legislatively appropriated funds to each school district in an amount equaling $3,000 for each member of the school district board of directors (Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose). Increases the maximum daily compensation that school directors may receive from $50 to $100, and the annual compensation limit from $4,800 to $7,800. • Allows school directors to receive reimbursement for childcare costs associated with attending meetings. Directs the Department of Commerce to complete an examination of actual and potential school director compensation with a report.

Comment: This bill is in House Rules.

2SHB 1810 | Requires original manufacturers of digital electronic products sold on or after January 1, 2023, to make certain documentation, parts, and tools available to owners and independent repair providers on fair and reasonable terms.

Comments: School districts testified that this could aid them in doing self-repairs and saving money. The bill remains in Rules. It has generated opposition from companies like Apple who see it as cutting into their fee-based services.

HB 1837 | This bill repeals the restriction on the regulation of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and ergonomics.

Comment: This bill has been sent to Rules.

SHB 1992 | Concerning vacation leave accrual for public employees. This bill increases the cap on accrued vacation leave for state employees from 240 hours to 280 hours. Removes limits on the maximum amount of sick leave a school district employee may accumulate or use for the purposes of unused-leave compensation. Requires school districts to establish an emergency leave pool for staff who become ill or need to quarantine.

Comment: This bill is on the House Calendar awaiting further action.

E2SSB 5155 | Concerning prejudgment interest. This bill, as amended, starts interest running on a judgment entered following trial of the matter and arbitration awards for tortious conduct, other than medical malpractice claims, from the date on which the cause of action accrues for individuals and entities, but not public agencies. Starts interest running on a judgment for a medical malpractice claim from the date of entry of judgment.

Comment: This bill passed the Senate 31/18. It has been scheduled for a public hearing before the House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee on 2/16 and executive session on 2/18.

SSB 5326 | Concerning health and pension benefits for school bus drivers employed by private nongovernmental entities. This bill Provides that school districts may only enter into pupil transportation service contracts with nongovernmental entities that provide health and retirement benefit contributions to their employees equivalent to those received by school employees.

Comment: This bill was resurrected from last session and has been placed on the Senate floor calendar awaiting action. Two striking amendments have been proposed and are being analyzed. A quick read is that they do not change the substance of the original bill.

ESSB 5628 | Concerning cyber harassment, addressing concerns in the case of Rynearson v. Ferguson, and adding a crime of cyberstalking. It renames the crime of cyberstalking to cyber harassment and amends the elements of that crime. Creates the crime of cyberstalking. It permits victims of cyber harassment to apply to the secretary of state’s address confidentiality program and includes election officials.

Comment: This whole area of internet ‘bullying’ either at or outside of school is a landmine of potential liability for districts. This bill passed the Senate 49/0 and has been sent to the House for scheduling.

SB 5539 | Concerning state funding for educational service districts. This bill requires that state funding be provided to each educational service district (ESD) for the employer cost of school employees’ benefits for employees of the ESD that are covered by collective bargaining.

Comment: This bill passed the Senate 28/21 and has been sent to House Appropriations for scheduling.

SSB 5564 | Protecting the confidentiality of employees using employee assistance programs.

Comment: This bill passed the Senate 45/4 and has been sent to the House for scheduling.

SSB 5649 | Modifying the Washington state paid family and medical leave act. This bill provides that an allowable purpose for family leave is any leave taken by an employee during the seven calendar days following the death of the family member for whom the employee would have qualified to take medical leave for the birth of their child or would have qualified for family bonding leave. Specifies that leave taken by certain employees in the first six weeks after giving birth must be medical leave, unless the employee chooses to use family leave.

Comment: It is currently in Rules.

ESSB 5761 | Concerning employer requirements for providing wage and salary information to applicants for employment. This bill modifies the requirements to provide wage information to require employers to provide the wage scale or salary range in job postings and to include a general description of all benefits and other compensation, rather than providing wage and salary information only upon request of an applicant after the initial job offer. Removes the requirement that if no wage scale or salary range exists, the employer must provide the minimum wage or salary expectation prior to posting the position, making a position transfer, or making the promotion. Limits the persons who are entitled to remedies to a job applicant or an employee.

Comment: This bill passed the Senate 27/21 and has been sent to the House.

SSB 5835 | Concerning workers’ compensation. This bill provides the same percentages of the worker’s wages to be received by an injured worker for a permanent and temporary total disability whether a worker is married or unmarried. Removes the requirement that an injured worker be married to receive an additional $10 per month when the worker is receiving the minimum monthly payments for a permanent or temporary total disability.

Comment: It is currently in Rules.

ESSB 5873 | Concerning unemployment insurance, family leave, and medical leave premiums. This bill decreases the maximum Unemployment Insurance (UI) social cost factor for 2022 and 2023 and sets a maximum UI rate class for the purposes of the percentage of the social cost factor to be paid by small businesses in 2023.

Comment: This bill passed the Senate 48/1 and has been sent to the House Appropriations for scheduling.

We reached the halfway point of this year’s short legislative session this week and have passed several important cut-off dates. The action is now focused on passing bills out of both the House and Senate. Bills must pass off each floor by February 15 to stay alive (unless they’re NTIB). After that, the process repeats all over again in the opposite house, only with a shorter timeline. Hearings in the education committees start back up next Wednesday.

My budget update for this week is about the same as last week. We know discussions continue around the funding amount in “the K–12 box”. We expect this will include funding for:

providing a commitment to fund additional support positions such as nurses, counselors, social workers, and psychologists through an update to the prototypical funding model, providing enrollment stability, and increasing transportation spending.

The State must also address the cost of living adjustments in the budget due to inflation increases. Our economy continues to be strong, so how the math on all of this works out remains to be seen. We hope funding will be as stable as possible for districts, and we get some critical new investments K–12 education.

I’ve spent some time this week on HB 1760, which would increase access to dual credit programs. Unfortunately, College in the High School programs were removed from the bill in the House Appropriations Committee. We think a simple amendment (perhaps when it moves to the Senate) to remove the 20-mile radius requirement on the College in the High School grant through OSP would be a nice addition. I’ll keep you posted about this.

In the meantime, if you want to share your thoughts about dual credit programs or any of the following bills with your local legislators, please send them an email. You can also invite them to meet with you via video conference or at your school so you can advocate on behalf of the principalship and your school’s needs.

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Bills

Budget

• HB 1816 | Operating Budget (companion bill SB 5693)
• HB 1590 | Enrollment Stability (companion bill SB 5563)
• HB 1664 | Prototypical Support (close companion bill SB 5595)
• HB 1808 | Transportation Funding (close companion SB 5581)
• SB 5487 | Small District Consolidation
• SB 5933 | School Seismic Safety

Students

• HB 1611 | Highly Capable Students
• HB 1723 | Telecommunication Access
• HB 1736 | State Student Loan Program
• HB 1746 | Updating 2015 Report for Student Success
• HB 1833 | Electronic Option for School Meal Needs
• HB 1878 | Increasing Participation in Community Eligibility Provision
• HB 2068 | Creating the Imagination Library Program
• HB 2078 | Outdoor School for All
• SB 5497 | Student Board of Education Members

High School/Dual Credit

• HB 1162 | Performance Exhibition Pathway
• HB 1687 | College Bound Scholarship GPA
• HB 1723 | Closing the Digital Equity Divide
• HB 1760 | Dual Credit Program Access
• HB 1805 | Opportunity Scholarship Program
• HB 1835 | Postsecondary Enrollment (FAFSA completion support)
• HB 1867 | Dual Credit Data
• SB 5498 | Awarding Diplomas Posthumously
• SB 5789 | Innovation Challenge Program (similar to HB 1835)
• SB 5878 | Arts Instruction

Health/Safety

• HB 1759 | Secure Storage Info on School Websites
• HB 1800 | Increasing Access to Behavioral Health Services for Minors
• HB 1834 | Student Mental Health Absences
• HB 1890 | Children and Behavioral Health Work Group
• HB 1941 | Active Shooter Drills
• SB 5768 | Vapor Products

Workforce/Staff

• HB 1699 | Educators Working in Retirement
• HB 1791 | Professional Educator Reprimands
• HB 1942 | Paraeducator Training
• SB 5252 | School District Consultation with Tribes

Thank you, again, for all that you are doing for students and staff. Please contact me with any questions.

Before the pandemic, addressing principal turnover across the state and country was a top priority for us at AWSP. It was an epidemic before the pandemic. Principal churn is bad for kids. Bad for teachers. Bad for schools and the communities they serve. Again, this was alarming and concerning before the current pandemic. Even more alarming when you consider our schools with the greatest needs are churning building leaders at twice the rate. So, if we really care about equity as a system, why isn’t everyone talking about the direct negative consequences of principal churn on our most disadvantaged students and schools?

As we began to unpack the contributing factors leading to so much turnover across the system, the answers became abundantly clear. Our findings were also confirmed by national research recently conducted by the Learning Policy Institute (2018). Why are principals leaving the profession? 

1. Inadequate preparation and professional development
2. Poor working conditions
3. Insufficient salaries
4. Lack of decision-making authority
5. High-stakes accountability policies

I doubt those findings surprise any of us. It’s not very often I come across an educational leader who doesn’t empathize with what our principals endure daily. However, I continue to run into people in the general public with no idea about the workload and scope of responsibilities facing our school principals. To say those workload and responsibilities have increased exponentially is an understatement, highlighted as “poor working conditions” above. 

Here’s a glimpse into poor working conditions defined by new (mostly unfunded) mandates, new legislation, and changes in society that have landed squarely on principals’ shoulders. Grab a cup of coffee or glass of wine and sit down, especially when you consider we have not added additional school-level leaders across the system to help carry the load.

Here is a list of compounding and complex additions to the scope of responsibilities for school-level leaders:

• Revised discipline policies and procedures
• Graduation requirements increased to 24 credits, High School and Beyond Plan, Graduation Pathways
• Student cell phones
• Smarter Balanced Assessment
• WAKids Assessment
• The Washington English Language Proficiency Assessment
• Common Core State Standards and changes to Washington State Learning Standards
• Next Generation Science Standards
• Safety planning, including threat assessments and drills like active shooter, shelter-in-place, earthquake, lahar, etc.
• School Resource Officers, specifically additional training and limitations in the work they can do
• Social media issues
• Shrinking budgets coupled with increasing expectations
• Lower salaries for some, in comparison to teacher salaries
• Lower class sizes in grades K-3 means more staff for principals to evaluate
• All-day Kindergarten
• New rules for BECCA and Community Truancy Boards
• Teacher and Principal Evaluation (new instructional frameworks, evaluation system, trainings)
• Professional Learning Communities
• Policy changes related to Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying
• Ensuring the proper use of student restraint and isolation
• Opioid overdose medication
• Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and Epi-Pens
• Medical marijuana
• Legalization of marijuana
• Restrictive collective bargaining language
• Youth suicide prevention
• Social-emotional learning
• Behavioral and mental health screening
• Supervision of an increasing number of extra-curricular and sports activities
• Teacher and substitute shortages
• Implementing Multi-Tiered Systems of Support and Positive Behavior Intervention Supports.
• Ensuring equity outcomes for all students, including those mandated to receive the following categories of support: autism, visual impairment and blindness, emotional disturbance, hearing impairment and deafness, intellectual disability, specific learning disability, orthopedic impairment, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury
• eCigarettes and vaping products
• Societal and political division
• Many parents’ belief every current athlete is a future full-ride college and professional athlete

Don’t forget most of the items on that list were generated before the pandemic. Now add that every principal and assistant principal has also assumed the primary functions and responsibilities of a Chief Covid Officer and daily classroom substitute. We can safely say that “impossible” is an additional word to describe the principalship. Something must be done.

During the last decade, we’ve shifted the traditional role of principal from management to management and instructional leadership. We’ve also added the titles of mental health coordinator, peacekeeper, beacon of hope, mediator, and detective, just to name a few. I believe you get the point. So what now? 

We must immediately come together as a system to identify:

1. short term solutions that get immediate relief to our school leaders now, and 
2. long-term systemic changes to make the expectations placed on school leaders more realistic. 

If we don’t tackle both of these efforts with equal and urgent priority focus, then our system will move from a leadership epidemic to a leadership crisis — and our students will ultimately suffer the consequences.

I will follow up this blog with some ideas to get us all thinking about short- and long-term solutions. For example, why do we still expect a principal to conduct 20-30+ evaluations of classified and certificated staff when they spend 80-90% of their day on crisis management, often due to the latest TikTok challenge? Maybe it’s time for the state to discuss teachers observing teachers instead of the compliance-based exercise happening in many places right now? Just that change alone might keep our leaders from leaving. Instead of thinking outside of the box, let’s get rid of it.

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Related: Here's another great, related read from The 19th. The article features many quotes from one of the National Digital Principals of the Year, Cindy Cromwell from the Kelso School District. 

• Principals are expected to be the ‘rock’ of schools, but they’re stressed out | Women principals — along with principals of color, principals of high-poverty schools and principals of schools with high numbers of students of color — were particularly likely to experience “constant job-related stress,” a study found.

 

We take great pride protecting you from the myriad of organizations that want to push a survey out to our members. We are constantly buffering you from survey fatigue. Our most frequent answer is no, they are busy, please leave them alone. So it pains me to ask you to take a few minutes of your precious time to give us some immediate feedback regarding your current job satisfaction, because the results of this survey will ultimately and directly benefit you.

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.

Please take a moment to provide us with some qualitative and quantitative data to add to our advocacy toolkit. Your voice and lived principal experience is needed now more than ever. Thank you in advance for your time and continued dedication to the important role principals play in the system.

Take the Survey

 

I know you are busy. I know your teachers are busy. It seems like everyone in the entire education system is experiencing crazy workloads, endless zoom meetings, and more calendar invites than a day can handle. The thought of having to register for courses to obtain more clock hours for re-certification, with a calendar that is already overflowing with meetings, might just put you over the edge!

Have no fear, the Professional Growth Plan (PGP) option is still here! Every single educator and school leader has the option of completing a PGP every year. PGPs are a great self-directed, FREE professional development option worth 25 clock hours. YES! Clock hours at no cost for the work you and your teachers are already doing! With a PGP, teachers, administrators, paraeducators, and ESAs set their own goals, align them to certification standards, design an action plan, and collect evidence documenting growth towards achieving their goals. Educators reflect on the process. There is NO COST to an educator for a PGP. 

Wondering how you complete a PGP? It’s very simple.

1. Complete the PGP template for certificate renewal – PESB form 1697 (Word document).

2. Attach evidence from your focused evaluation, PLC, project, or other learning experience.

3. Have a certificated educator in Washington state review and sign.

4. Turn in the verification form (PDF) according to your district procedures for consideration for salary advancement and record in OSPI e-certification for certificate renewal.

Still worried about clock hours and your certification renewal? Many districts are issuing clock hours for teachers and administrators' work each week in PLCs. Work centered around district initiatives, school improvement planning, and instruction can be considered for clock hours. Check with your district’s clock hour committee to see if the work already being done in your schools might be eligible for clock hours.

With the PGP work and the possibility of job-embedded clock hours, certification renewal will come into focus for you and your staff without the anxiety of finding time for evening course work, extended online courses, and book studies. You can find all the information you need around PGPs on the Professional Educator Standards Board website.

As we near the halfway mark of this short legislative session, I want to thank all of you who were able to send emails or meet with your legislators this week! There are definitely a few benefits to virtual life, and one of those is the ease with which busy school leaders can meet with busy legislators. I was able to sit in 18 different meetings with legislators this week and to meet some new members and their staff. In scheduling these meetings with legislators, I invited principals living in their legislative district to attend. It’s great to have even a few minutes of conversation with the hope that in the future, these conversations can turn into longer ones, or even in-person school visits.

It’s never too late to reach out to your legislators to tell your story, make a specific ask for what you need in your district or school building, or to ask them to support a specific policy or funding request that supports student needs. Send an email to your legislator. Invite them to meet with you via video conference or at your school so you can advocate on behalf of the principalship and your school’s needs.

Yesterday was the first significant cut-off date when policy bills had to pass out of their committees. Monday, February 7 will be the next cut-off date when bills need to pass out of the fiscal committees. February 15 is when bills need to pass off either the House or Senate floor in order to remain “alive.” Of course, some bills may be marked “NTIB” (necessary to implement the budget). Those NTIB bills may be acted upon until the last day of the session when the final budget is adopted.

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Budget

Discussions about the needed pieces of education funding are happening and they include:

• providing a commitment to fund additional support positions such as nurses, counselors, social workers, and psychologists through an update to the prototypical funding model,
• providing enrollment stability, and
• increasing transportation spending.

The state must also address the cost of living adjustments in the budget due to inflation increases. Our economy continues to be strong, so how the math on all of this works out remains to be seen. We hope funding will be as stable as possible for districts and we get some important new investments K–12 education.

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Bills in Play

Budget

• HB 1816 | Operating Budget (companion bill SB 5693)
• HB 1590 | Enrollment Stability (companion bill SB 5563)
• HB 1664 | Prototypical Support (close companion bills HB 1985 and SB 5595)
• HB 1808 | Transportation Funding (close companion SB 5581)
• HB 1226 | Simple Majority (companion HJR 4200)
• SB 5487 | Small District Consolidation

Students

• HB 1611 | Highly Capable Students
• HB 2068 | Creating the Imagination Library Program
• HB 2078 | Outdoor School for All
• SB 5497 | Student Board of Education Members
• SB 5537 | Compulsory School Attendance (age 6)
• SB 5720 | Financial Literacy

High School/Dual Credit

• HB 1162 | Performance Exhibition Pathway
• HB 1687 | College Bound Scholarship GPA
• HB 1723 | Closing the Digital Equity Divide
• HB 1760 | Dual Credit Program Access (similar to SB 5719 Dual Credit Costs)
• HB 1835 | Postsecondary Enrollment (FAFSA completion support)
• HB 1867 | Dual Credit Data
• SB 5498 | Awarding Diplomas Posthumously
• SB 5789 | Innovation Challenge Program (similar to HB 1835)
• SB 5878 | Arts Instruction

Health/Safety

• HB 1676 | Tobacco and Vapor Product Tax
• HB 1759 | Secure Storage Info on School Websites
• HB 1800 | Increasing Access to Behavioral Health Services for Minors
• HB 1834 | Student Mental Health Absences
• HB 1941 | Active Shooter Drills
• SB 5768 | Vapor Products

Workforce/Staff

• HB 1699 | Educators Working in Retirement
• HB 1942 | Paraeducator Training
• SB 5252 | School District Consultation with Tribes

Thank you, again, for all that you are doing for students and staff. Please contact me with any questions.

In this episode of AWSP News, we discuss:

• our 50th Anniversary, our Member Engagement campaign,
• a breath of relief on testing requirements for athletes,
• OSPI’s COVID 19 Student survey,
• the AWSP/WASA Summer Conference,
• our Secondary School Principals and Assistant Principal of the Year,
• a thank you to the schools and districts who purchased the “I AM | WE ARE MLK” program,
• Black History Month,
• AWSL bringing summer camps back,
• an Eastern Washington Student Representative Position at the SBE, and
• negotiating principal contracts.

Prefer to read the news? Check out the script.

 

Section 504
Long COVID to test limits of accommodations
Section 504 and Students with Disabilities
Protecting Students with Disabilities

Special Education Legal Alert
Dyslexia identification/interventions, and masking policies

Disability Rights Network 
Out From the Shadows
The Informal Removal of Children with Disabilities from Public Schools

ADHD 
The Pandemic is Especially Tough on Kids with ADHD
The Relationships Between Dyslexia and ADHD

OSPI
Rules for the Provision of Special Education

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Upcoming Classes and Events
2/9-17 | Engaging Challenging Conversations
2/10 | The Quest for Emotional Balance
2/12 | Paradigm Shift: Simply Meet Their Needs
2/16 | Dyslexia and Literacy Instruction: Morphology & Vocabulary
2/19 | Why Do You Teach?
2/19 | All About You
2/25 & 26 | SLP Reconnect: An Education and Networking Event for School-Based SLPs
2/26 | Hand In Hand
2/26 | It Takes a Village to Build Resilience in a Child
3/1 | Early Learning Summit
3/1-2 | Foundations of Effective Teaming
3/8-22 | Operating from the Third Side: Supporting Others to Navigate Conflict
4/20-28 | Engaging Challenging Conversations
5/2-16 | Operating from the Third Side: Supporting Others to Navigate Conflict
5/12 & 13 | Dyslexia Beyond Awareness

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For more information, contact Abby Bowers , Capital Region ESD 113's Director of Special Programs.