There was a big hearing the morning of January 18th in the House Education Committee on HB 1226 and HJR (House Joint Resolution) 4200 for passing bonds with simple majority.Both the bill and resolutionneed to pass for the issue to go to the ballot for the general election in November, but there is momentum once again around the need for school construction bonds to pass with a simple majority so students can have safe and healthy schools.

Lend your voice to this issue with this year's first ACTION ALERT! Visit our Advocacy and Action Center, scroll down, and TAKE ACTION. Send an email and/or a tweet to YOUR legislators!

Thank you!

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McMickenHeights Elementary principal provides a clear vision: To dream it, believe it, achieve it, and exceed it.

       

Alexandria Haas, principal at McMicken Heights Elementary in the Highline Public Schools, was named this year’s Washington State National Distinguished Principal. Every year, the National Association of Elementary School Principals recognizes one winner from each state. After reviewing nominations, Ms. Haas has been chosen to represent our state by the Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP). 

Haas is a courageous leader who embodies Zaretta Hammond’s — a leading author on culturally-responsive teaching — “warm demander” stance. She leads a culture of high expectations and excellence, while still promoting social-emotional learning and culturally responsive instruction to serve all students. She inspires all students and staff at McMicken Heights Elementary (McMicken) to aim high and achieve their fullest potential. 

“Alex’s strong leadership and encouragement have helped push my practice since my first day as a classroom teacher. She has helped me become a more effective teacher and our school become a more inclusive place for all students. She is always there when I need support, but also trusts me to know when to step back and encourages me to take risks and make my own choices,” said McMicken teacher Spencer Flanagan.

Under Haas’s leadership, collective efficacy embodies the belief that together we are stronger. Strong collaboration is apparent through professional learning communities (PLCs), teaching teams, and partnerships with families. Under Ms. Haas’s leadership, the school has made significant gains. Since 2014-15, student SBA proficiency rates jumped substantially, from 37.3% to 55.3% in ELA and 25.7 to 44.2% in Math.

McMicken serves a diverse community with 88% of students identifying as students of color and 41% identifying as multilingual learners. Haas has built a strong partnership with families through family advisory councils and Academic Parent Teacher Teams, gathering input from families to drive the work on diversity and equity at McMicken. She designs professional learning to support McMicken’s staff in embracing culture and identity in their practice while tapping into family and community knowledge to support this work. Haas is the driving force for McMicken’s shared vision for excellence, and as a result, the school has been recognized for its impact on student achievement, inclusion, family engagement, and more. 

When asked to name three of her favorite big accomplishments as principal, no easy task for a school with so many accomplishments, Haas mentioned breaking down barriers to an inclusive culture, impacting student growth, and developing a more equitable partnership with families. 

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National Distinguished Principal of the Year Program
Haas will be honored next fall in Washington D.C. as part of the National Distinguished Principal of the Year program, sponsored by the National Association of Elementary School Principals in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Education. All state winners participate in a series of events and activities over the course of two days, culminating in a formal awards banquet. There is no national winner at the elementary level.      

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Download the press release (PDF). 

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For More Information  David Morrill | Communications & Technology Director | (800) 562-6100

This content is emailed weekly to leaders in special education and Section 504. Each newsletter contains tips and resources on a variety of topics that are meant to keep you informed and up to date. Please consult your district attorney if you are looking for legal advice.  

This week’s email includes links to information on:

Section 504
Returning to School Must Include a Reinvestment in 504 Plans
Long COVID under Section 504 and the IDEA
Section 504 and Students with Disabilities 
Protecting Students with Disabilities

TIES Center
Comprehensive Inclusive Education: General Education and the Inclusive IEP

Expanding Capacity for Special Education Leadership
ECSEL is accepting applicants

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

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Upcoming Classes and Events
1/11-31 | Operating from the Third Side: Supporting Others to Navigate Conflict
1/22 | We are Family
2/5 | The Why’s of Behavior
2/5 | Know Your Triggers
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.

“The key to success is action, and the essential in action is perseverance.” ~ Sun Yat-Sen

The 2022 Session began virtually on January 10th. It will be 60-day, mad dash to a March 10th finish line. Numerous bills were pre-filed. In fact, in excess of 600, a record. Being introduced, however, being heard, and then advanced in committee are three different processes. One does not guarantee the others. Meanwhile, below is a brief report on these bills by title. Some titles are self-explanatory; others have a brief summary. And as a reminder to be involved, know that “If you are not at the table; you’re on the menu.”

General remarks/opinion: This session will move very quickly. Key themes that will dominate are working on the long-term care issue, reforming the previously implemented police reforms, housing/zoning/homeless issues, dealing with modifying the Governor’s power to issue emergency resolutions, and oh, yes…. building a supplemental budget when everyone has their hand out. Spending will be primarily focused on helping those in need.

Although, there will be a number of groups asking for funding ‘modest amounts’, after a while all that modesty totals a big grab of the extra dollars. Education funding, surprise! surprise!, will continue to be a battle for resources.

Retirement Related Proposals

HB 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.

Sponsors: Bergquist, Volz, Ryu, Leavitt, Chase, Robertson, Graham, Springer, Sells, Valdez, Dolan, Paul, Callan, Gilday, Goodman, Taylor, Macri, Ramos, Santos, Pollet, Griffey, Riccelli, Frame, Kloba.

This bill has been scheduled for a public hearing on 1/20 @ 3:30 PM before the House Appropriations Committee.

Comment: It has been suggested and many legislators agree to amend this bill to include building administrators and to add an emergency clause that would it to go into effect during the current school year. Legislators need to hear from the field that this bill is needed with the proposed amendments. Swift passage is essential.

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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.

Sponsors: SCPP, Stokesbary, Ormsby, Leavitt, Sells, Johnson, J., Fitzgibbon, Robertson, Walen, Dolan, Valdez, Bateman, Callan, Goodman, Macri, Paul, Simmons, Wylie, Sullivan, Bergquist, Pollet, Young, Kloba, Frame.

Summary: This bill would provide a 3% increase not to exceed $110/month for TRS1/PERS1 Plan retirees. The Governor included this one-time increase in his released supplemental budget. (The Washington State School Retirees’ Association will be advocating for a higher percentage than the proposed 3% to account for lost purchasing power over time and current inflation. A reminder that these are the only two plans of the 15 offered by the State that do not grant automatic COLA’s.)

Both bills have been scheduled for public hearings before the House Appropriations and Senate Ways and Means Committees on Jan. 17th.

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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.

Sponsor: Conway.

Summary: See HB 1721 above.

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

Sponsors: Stokesbary, Bergquist.

Comment: This bill is scheduled for a public hearing before the House Appropriations Committee on Jan. 17th.

Other areas of potential fiscal ($$) impact (often, unfunded) to districts:

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HB 1485 | Designates March 22 to be a state legal holiday, recognized as Women’s Suffrage Day.

Sponsors: Representatives Caldier, Chambers, Graham, Lekanoff, Volz, Sutherland, Jacobsen, Eslick and Pollet.

Comment: This will be another holiday to build into school calendars. A public hearing before the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations was on January 10th and an Executive Session was scheduled for 1/13.

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HB 1594 | Repealing the long-term services and supports trust program.

Sponsors: Abbarno, Robertson, Maycumber, Boehnke, Corry, Chase, McCaslin, Caldier, Eslick, Walsh, Klippert, Dye, MacEwen, Stokesbary, Hoff, Barkis, Graham, Schmick, Chambers, Dufault, Gilday, Kraft, Jacobsen, Orcutt, Dent, Griffey, Young.

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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.

Sponsors: Sells, Berry, Ryu, Wicks.

Comment: This bill was heard on Jan. 11th and is scheduled for Executive Session on 1/19 before the House Labor and Workplace Standards Committee.

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HB 1617 | Aligning state and school holidays.

Sponsors: Morgan, Leavitt, Johnson L., Ramel, Callan, Davis, Taylor, Santos, Simmons, Riccelli, Ormsby, Harris-Talley.

Comment: The legislature intends to clarify that Juneteenth, like all other state legal holidays, is a school holiday on which school may not be taught. A public hearing was held Jan. 10th in the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations and an Executive Session was scheduled for 1/13.

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HB 1732 | Delaying the implementation of the long-term services (LTS) and supports trust program by 18 months. Sponsors: Sullivan, Chopp, Johnson, J., Walen, Chapman, Berry, Cody, Dolan, Fey, Macri, Peterson, Ryu, Santos, Senn, Shewmake, Wylie, Simmons, Callan, Slatter, Ramos, Bergquist, Tharinger, Valdez, Thai, Pollet, Morgan, Taylor, Stonier, Ortiz-Self, Gregerson, Davis, Riccelli, Ormsby, Duerr, Orwall, Bateman, Kloba, Frame.

Summary: As proposed, the LTS program will begin 7/1/2023. Individuals can qualify for partial coverage after one year at 1/10th of the benefit earned per premium year. A public hearing was on Jan. 11th and an Executive Session was scheduled for 1/13. This bill is expected to be ‘fast-tracked’ given all the outcry legislators have heard from the public and the press.

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HB 1733 | Establishing voluntary exemptions to the long-term services and supports trust program for certain populations. Sponsors: Paul, Macri, Johnson, J., Leavitt, Bronoske, Chapman, Senn, Berry, Cody, Dolan, Fey, Peterson, Ryu, Santos, Shewmake, Wylie, Simmons, Callan, Chopp, Slatter, Ramos, Bergquist, Tharinger, Valdez, Thai, Pollet, Morgan, Taylor, Stonier, Ortiz-Self, Gregerson, Riccelli, Davis, Ormsby, Duerr, Orwall, Bateman, Kloba, Frame.

Summary: AN ACT Relating to establishing voluntary exemptions to the long term services and supports trust program for certain populations identified in the long-term services and supports trust commission’s 2022 recommendations report, specifically including exemptions only for veterans with a service-connected disability of 70 percent or higher, the spouses or domestic partners of active duty service members, persons residing outside of Washington while working in Washington, and persons working in the United States under a temporary, nonimmigrant work visa. A public hearing was held on Jan. 11th and an Executive Session was scheduled for 1/13 before the House Appropriations Committee.

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HB 1757 | Concerning educational service district participation in health benefit plans offered by the public employees’ benefits board.

Sponsors: Cody, Harris, Santos, Pollet, Riccelli.

Summary: This will allow non-representative ESD employees to participate in benefit plans developed by the public employees’ benefits board. A public hearing is scheduled before the House Appropriations Committee on Jan. 17th.

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HB 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.

Sponsors: Callan, Harris, Berry, Davis, Ramos, Santos, Senn, Sullivan, Valdez, Pollet, Peterson, Goodman, Macri, Dolan.

Comment: A public hearing is scheduled Jan. 20th before the House Education Committee.

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HB 1762 | Concerning state funding for educational service districts.

Sponsors: MacEwen.

Summary: State funding shall be provided to each educational service district for the employer cost of school employees’ benefits that are provided to employees of an educational service district that are covered by a collective bargaining agreement.

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HB 1803 | Updating school district director compensation through the revision and preservation of a uniform compensation structure and an examination of future needs.

Sponsors: Callan, Harris, Dolan, Davis, Ramos, Santos, Senn, Sullivan, Pollet, Frame.

Comment: Districts may compensate school directors up to $128 per board meetings or other services for the district. Reimbursable expenses will also include childcare. Scheduled for a public hearing Jan. 18th before the House Education Committee.

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HB 1898 Providing property tax relief by reducing both parts of the state school levies.

Sponsor: Orcutt.

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HB 1900 | Improving school districts’ responses to complaints of discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying.

Sponsors: Senn, Thai.

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HB 1902 | Providing an exception to the process for reopening a workers’ compensation claim when the claimant submits a reopening application in a timely manner.

Sponsor: Schmick

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HB 1935: Addressing workplace bullying by making it an unfair practice to subject an employee to an abusive work environment.

Sponsors: Wicks, Berg.

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SB 5539: Concerning state funding for educational service districts.

Sponsors: Hunt. Summary: Companion bill to HB 1762 above.

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SB 5562 | Concerning health care for nonrepresented employees of educational service districts.

Sponsors: Wellman, Mullet.

Summary: This is a variation on HB 1757 above.

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

Sponsors: Dhingra.

Comment: This whole area of internet ‘bullying’ either at or outside of school is a landmine of potential liability for districts. (IMHO). It was scheduled for a public hearing on 1/13 before the Senate Law and Justice Committee. Executive Session is scheduled for Jan. 20th.

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SB 5649 | Modifying the Washington state paid family and medical leave act.

Sponsors: Robinson.

Comment: This adds post-natal eligibility for coverage and modifies other elements including a collective bargaining exception which would expire 1/31/23. A public hearing was scheduled for 1/13 before the Senator Labor and Commerce Committee.

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SB 5718 | Concerning insurance benefits for retired or disabled school employees.

Sponsors: Conway.

Comment: This bill would have many future K–12 retirees stay in the SEBB risk pool while until they become Medicare eligible. It was intended to implement the recommendation made in a Dec. 2018 legislative report on this topic; see Retired and Disabled School Employees Risk Pool Analysis. However, the HCA is withdrawing it because of some unexpected complexities. They will resubmit next session.

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SB 5737 | Suspending premium assessments for pending exemption applications for the long-term services and supports trust program.

Sponsors: Wilson, L.

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SB 5833 | Increasing compensation options for directors of a school district board.

Sponsors: Carlyle.

Comment: This bill would allow reimbursement for $50/meeting or school business event not to exceed $5,000.See HB 1803 above.

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SB 5835 | Concerning workers’ compensation.

Sponsors: Saldaña, Keiser.

Comment: As proposed, it deletes references/qualifications related to marriage by removing those references related to payments. It is scheduled for a public hearing before the Senate Committee on Labor, Commerce & Tribal Affairs on Jan. 17th.

The saying that short legislative sessions are like sprints and long legislative sessions are like running marathons is completely true! This week, the 2022 legislative session got off to a rapid start. With about 1,500 bills either recently introduced or leftover from last year and more on the way, bill hearings began right away on Monday and both the House and Senate began voting bills out of their respective chambers on Wednesday.

Hearings on the Governor’s supplemental budget (which provides a starting point for the final adjusted budget of the 2021–23 biennium) took place in both Appropriations and Ways and Means early in the week. I supported the budget, specifically for the investment in updating the prototypical funding model ratios for support staff positions such as nurses, counselors, social workers, and psychologists.

Besides several other significant budget items, we are thrilled Governor Inslee’s budget includes $52 million for outdoor education for 5th and 6th-grade students all across the state.

Since our state has a substantial surplus — as well as unspent money from federal relief funds — there should be a way to keep school funding stable and support some additional funding needs, like permanently updating the critical staffing section in the prototypical model. But how the different pieces of this very complicated school funding puzzle all fit together by the end of this session is still to be determined.

Here are important budget and policy bills I am tracking and weighing in on, either by remote or written testimony.

Budget Bills

• 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)

Policy Bills

• HB 1162 | High School Graduation
• HB 1611 | Highly Capable Students
• HB 1699 | Increasing Hours for Retired School Workers
• HB 1759 | Health and Safety Information on Websites
• HB 1760 | Dual Credit Program Access
• HB 1800 | Increasing Access to Behavioral Health Services for Minors
• HB 1829 | African American Studies
• HB 1834 | Student Absences for Mental Health
• HB 1835 | FAFSA/WAFSA Completion Initiatives
• HB 1938 | Student Financial Education
• HB 1941 | Active Shooter Drills
• HB 1942 | Paraeducator Course of Study
• SB 5487 | Small District Consolidation
• SB 5497 | Student Board of Education Members
• SB 5537 | Compulsory School Attendance
• SB 5719 | Dual Credit Costs
• SB 5720 | Student Financial Literacy
• SB 5734 | Student PE and Health Requirements

A huge thank you to Derek Forbes, Principal at Meridian High School and your AWSP Advocacy Council Chair, for testifying this week on adding a performance exhibition pathway to graduation requirements as described in HB 1162.

In this remote environment, it’s easy to sign up to share your voice in public hearings. Learn more about testifying remotely. If there is a bill you are passionate about and you’re interested in testifying on behalf of AWSP, let me know.

Anyone can be an advocate and our “Virtual Week on the Hill” will be January 31 – February 4, 2022. Stay tuned for more information on how you can get involved. Thank you for all that you are doing to support students and staff!

This content is emailed weekly to leaders in special education and Section 504. Each newsletter contains tips and resources on a variety of topics that are meant to keep you informed and up to date. Please consult your district attorney if you are looking for legal advice.  

This week’s email includes links to information on:

Section 504
Returning to School Must Include a Reinvestment in 504 Plans
Long COVID under Section 504 and the IDEA
Section 504 and Students with Disabilities 
Protecting Students with Disabilities

Special Education Legal Alert
ABA services and specialized reading methodology

ESY
2 keys for IEP teams planning extended school year services
Data collection to prepare for ESY  (OSPI)

ADHD
Study Tips for Students with ADHD 

TIES Center
Taking the Alternate Assessment Does NOT Mean Education in a Separate Setting!

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

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Upcoming Classes and Events
1/11 | What Dog do You Have in the Fight Today?
1/12 | Dyslexia & Literacy Instruction: Syllabification & Orthography
1/12-13 | Foundations of Effective Teaming
1/13 | Explicit Literacy Instruction for Students with Dyslexia and Others Who Struggle to Read and Write
1/13 | Coding LRE in Pre-K IEPs
1/11-31 | Operating from the Third Side: Supporting Others to Navigate Conflict
2/9-17 | Engaging Challenging Conversations
2/25 & 26 | SLP Reconnect: An Education and Networking Event for School-Based SLPs
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.

January 2022 School Safety Blog

In preparing to write this school safety blog, I have found myself falling down a rabbit hole. Initially, I wanted to open 2022 with a positive follow-on to events which closed out the 2021 calendar year for schools. I was searching for some good, solid, after-action advice around digital safety and how to most efficiently build that into school safety planning. But in doing so, several other related yet tangential topics and questions arose.

I wondered, “How big is the internet these days?” (Pretty big! We think of Google as having things pretty much cataloged and available, but one source tells us that Google has only indexed roughly .004% of what’s out there!)

I thought of the interconnectedness of almost everything, the IoT, of Alexa and Siri. I remember conversations I have had with students when they asked me, “Mr. D, why do you talk about cyberbullying like it was different from regular bullying? It’s all the same to us – just as real.”

I jumped into the Deep Web and the Dark Web. (I better understand why Google probably only has just .004% of all the content.)

And of course, I read all that I could find following that December 17, TikTok hoax. What was most interesting in all that was the fact that there was no, real, actual, posted threat, per se. However, there were numerous postings suggesting that there was a threat.

All of which brought me back to my search for good, solid advice. It led me back to the basics. So, paraphrasing steps complied by stopbullying.gov, and expanding them to any online experience,

• Everyone: See something; say something. Students, if something makes you uncomfortable, tell a teacher, parent, administrator, counselor, SRO…. Find a trusted adult. Tell somebody.
• Adults, pay attention to a young person’s mood or behavior while or after they have been online.
• Talk to them. Ask questions. Have a conversation.
• Proactively teach digital safety and remind students that there is no real privacy online. (Nor can things ever really be totally deleted. Digital footprints never wash away.)
• Report cyberbullying, abuse, threats, etc. to the social media platform. If there are serious threats, crimes, or other illegal behaviors, contact the police.
• Be supportive. Intervene. Seek professional help, when needed.

I often close my cyberbullying trainings by reminding the audience that most young people are safe online most of the time. And most are doing amazing things.

But sometimes, some young people need help and support. 

Plan for that.

For more hands-on resources for educators, students, and families, visit the Cyberbullying Research Center.

Happy New Year! We are days away from January 10th, which marks the beginning of the 2022 legislative session. This short, 60-day session will go fast and is expected to end on March 10. In a 60-day legislative session, the supplemental budget makes spending adjustments to the 2021–2023 biennial budget passed last year.

The initial plans for this session were for hybrid operations with committee hearings held online (which is fantastic for busy school leaders), in-person floor sessions for voting by legislators, and some access for the public to observe floor action. The omicron variant has caused some changes. The House and Senate will now have more limited or entirely remote floor sessions. This will be re-evaluated every two weeks.

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AWSP Platform

Our executive board approved our 2022 AWSP Legislative Platform. Along with our partners in the School Funding Coalition, our main priority is to update the prototypical model to increase funding levels for support staff such as nurses, counselors, and social workers.

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Budget

Governor Inslee’s $62 billion supplemental budget proposal released mid-December does just this. We are hopeful the Legislature will finally take steps to address this outdated staffing model and include this in their final budget. Governor Inslee’s budget also prioritizes climate, salmon recovery, and homelessness and makes new investments in poverty reduction, transportation, and public health.

Here are three key education components of the Governor’s budget, with all of the credit for this summary going to Dan Steele, WASA’s Assistant Executive Director for Government Relations. Thank you, Dan! Read Dan’s full TWIO (This Week in Olympia) report on the budget.

Accelerated Learning Opportunities—$746 million

The 2021–23 Operating Budget appropriated state and federal funds totaling almost $600 million to address learning recovery, accelerated learning opportunities, and “learning loss” (as designated by Congress). Last year’s significant investment was a major highlight of the K–12 budget. Unfortunately, most of the resultant programs are supported with one-time funds. A signature component of the education portion of the governor’s Supplemental Operating Budget is another significant investment to expand accelerated learning. The $746 million recommendation would assist school districts to improve educational outcomes for all students and to address educational opportunity gaps. The funding would allow for additional tutoring and enrichment, as well as offer more student supports. School districts would have the flexibility to increase: instructional time before or after school; additional days during the year or in the summer; or additional enrichment activities. Funding would be provided based on an evaluation of student needs. School districts would be required to identify specific assessment tools, pinpoint student learning and well-being gaps, and focus additional time and supports on evidence-based interventions.

Student Support Staffing—$184 million

A major part of Superintendent Reykdal’s 2022 Decision Package is a request to phase-in increased staffing allocations for school nurses ($48.2 million in FY 2023, with a total of $339.7 million over three years). The request would increase current state-funded staffing levels for nurses to meet ratios adopted by voters in Initiative 1351 (2014) and as later recommended by the Staffing Enrichment Workgroup (2019). The Governor’s 2022 Supplemental Operating Budget proposes funding of $184.0 million to not only phase-in increased staffing allocations for nurses, but also for other Social-Emotional Health staff—specifically social workers, counselors, and psychologists. As proposed, all staffing ratios would be increased and funded using I–1351 values. The updated values and the associated funding is embedded in the budget bill; however, a policy bill will also be introduced to update staffing ratios in statute.

Residential Outdoor School—$52 million

The Governor believes students need to experience the natural world if they are to learn to care for it. Outdoor education gives students the chance to develop teamwork, social-emotional skills, and learn about environmental and earth science. To ensure all students can access these opportunities, the governor proposes $52.0 million to expand outdoor education. This funding will provide all fifth or sixth-grade students in Washington the chance to experience the outdoors.

Our staff at AWSP, AWSL, and Cispus are SUPER excited about this budget proposal, as you can imagine. Learn more about Outdoor Schools Washington.

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Bills

Here are some of the pre-filed bills I’m tracking. There will be more to share throughout the coming weeks.

• HB 1590 | Enrollment stabilization (companion bill SB 5563)
• HB 1611 | Highly capable students
• HB 1664 | Concerning prototypical school formulas for support in schools
• HB 1699 | Permitting retirees additional hours to work in school districts
• HB 1760 | Expanding access to dual credit programs
• SB 5497 | Extending voting authority to student members on the state board of education
• SB 5630 | Expanding basic education to include the basic education program of early learning

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Get Involved!

• Use our platform to connect with your local legislators. This can be as easy as a quick email to let them know the challenges and successes you are experiencing this school year! Everyone can help advocate for the principalship and student needs by emailing, calling, or meeting with your legislators to share stories about what priorities and needs exist in your building and district. Find legislator contact information.

• Connect with your district administrators and school board members to discuss collective advocacy efforts.

• Consider sharing our platform with your staff, students, and families to have conversations about what would most improve their experiences in school.

• If you are interested in getting even more involved with AWSP’s advocacy efforts, email me.

 

2022 Marks AWSP's 50th Anniversary

Welcome back everyone! We hope you enjoyed your break. We also hope you prioritized taking care of yourself by completely disconnecting from work. It’s no secret that the first half of this school year was daunting to say the least; so resting, recharging, and self-care were necessary.

So here we are again. Back at it. 2022 sitting new at the top of our calendars, yet our circumstances and contexts remain the same. You are right back in the middle of this fast-paced and ever-changing river of public education. And, we are right there with you just like we’ve been for the last five decades. That’s right…50 years of supporting all principals, and the principalship, in the education of each and every student in our state.

This year we are celebrating our 50th year in existence as one of the country’s premier professional membership organizations for principals. Our humble beginning started in 1972 thanks to a handful of courageous leaders who believed “principals” needed their own voice in the P16 educational system. And, 50 years later, AWSP has maintained that vision and continues to be a leading voice for principals and assistant principals throughout our state and across the country.

There has never been a more important time for us to make a stand for the important role and work principals and assistant principals do every day for students, staff, and school communities. As we embark on our 50th anniversary, we will spend the year celebrating you and the organization that has faithfully and consistently represented you. The work you do every day for students, staff, and your community is too important not to be recognized and celebrated. We will use this 50th anniversary as an opportunity to continue sharing with the world the work and impact you have day in and day out. Principals matter.

We will also use this opportunity to fight for the principalship. It is often described as the best job in the world, yet the most challenging. We can also safely say that during the last ten years it has become daunting, unrealistic, untenable, and borderline unbearable. Something needs to change because our students cannot afford ineffective or inconsistent leadership. They need you to be great and stay in your role. It’s time for action. Time for us to stand up and fight for more realistic working conditions and expectations. Everyone needs to be paying attention to the plight of our school leaders and coming together to brainstorm solutions that provide immediate relief before it’s too late. The urgency is real and you can read more if you missed my previous blog, “Grace is Gone; Our School Leaders Might be Next.”

Research and recent national principal surveys indicate that many of our best and brightest principals have considered and/or are considering leaving the profession because of the unbearable nature of the work, especially this past year. Clearly that’s an option you must consider if you or your family are suffering as a result of the stress, anxiety, and demands of the job. However, I would encourage you to channel your frustration into a different kind of change. Help us change the landscape of the principalship. Instead of walking away from your passion and impact, step forward with us and your colleagues to build a new future for school leaders. Join us in taking this vitally important message to everyone with influence in the education system. If you don’t, then who will? Together we can set the stage for the next 50 years and create inspirational and hope-filled schools for each and every student.

50 years from now I’m hoping that whoever stands in our shoes will be able to say that not only did we fight for that change, but that we did it. That thanks to courageous leadership from current and future school principals we were able to completely rethink the P16 experience for our students and families. That thanks to persistent and highly effective leadership we rebuilt schools to meet the needs of each and every one of our students, not the needs of the system. And, that thanks to a collective effort we reimagined the roles and expectations placed upon school leaders so that everyone aspires to school leadership. That’s what I hope for.

As always, reach out to me directly with thoughts, questions, or ideas. Our students depend on it.

Hey there all you amazing school leaders and blog readers. I'm excited to share a quick update and ask a favor. Many of you know about our partner organization, the Association of Washington Student Leaders (AWSL). They've put together another amazing MLK Day Program. Last year, I was blown away by how amazing James Layman's keynote address was. He's back with another one this year. 

If you don't have your MLK Day celebration plans already, or even if you do and would like to supplement them, I would highly advise you to check out the I AM | WE ARE program James and the AWSL team put together. There's a version for elementary and secondary. Both versions include the keynote address, an implementation guide, and discussion questions. There's the update I promised.  I've embedded two short trailers below so you can get a sense of the program.

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Belonging and Humanity

 

Creating Light

 

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If those don't move or inspire you, maybe check your pulse. Just kidding. But am I though? Hmmm. We're marketing this program hard because we believe in the impact it can make, but also because this can help AWSL recover some of the lost revenue from the pandemic (no summer camps 😳). That's the favor part of the message. If you decide to purchase the program, we'd love for you to help spread the word so we can create more light in more schools AND support AWSL to develop even more amazing, impactful, and life-changing content. 

Here's a link to a toolkit you can use to share on social media, with other school leaders in your district, or within your region. You could even just share this blog post! Turn it into a challenge by daring your colleagues to watch this video and not feel anything. Another great option – listen to the podcast between James and our Jack  Arend where they talk about this program and other great ways to increase student voice and belonging in your schools. It's 22-minutes long and I promise every one of them is worth your time.

We appreciate all the help and support. Keep creating light for others with your amazing leadership. And of course, happy holidays!

This content is emailed weekly to leaders in special education and Section 504. Each newsletter contains tips and resources on a variety of topics that are meant to keep you informed and up to date. Please consult your district attorney if you are looking for legal advice.  

This week’s email includes links to information on:

Section 504
New: Returning to School Must Include a Reinvestment in 504 Plans
Long COVID under Section 504 and the IDEA
Section 504 and Students with Disabilities 
Protecting Students with Disabilities

High School and Beyond Plans
HSBP/IEP Transition Planning Checklist for Educators 

Evaluation/Eligibility Meeting
Signature requirements

OSPI
December Special Education Update

Upcoming Classes and Events
1/11 | What Dog do You Have in the Fight Today?
1/12 | Dyslexia & Literacy Instruction: Syllabification & Orthography
1/12-13 | Foundations of Effective Teaming
1/13 | Explicit Literacy Instruction for Students with Dyslexia and Others Who Struggle to Read and Write
1/13 | Coding LRE in Pre-K IEPs
1/11-31 | Operating from the Third Side: Supporting Others to Navigate Conflict
2/9-17 | Engaging Challenging Conversations
2/25 & 26 | SLP Reconnect: An Education and Networking Event for School-Based SLPs
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

Best wishes to all of you during this holiday season. For more information, contact Abby Bowers, Capital Region ESD 113's Director of Special Programs.

In this episode of AWSP News, we discuss:

• mental, physical and spiritual rest,
• our “A Matter of Principals” podcast,
• the I AM: WE ARE MLK Day Celebration program,
• the opportunity to share the amazing things happening in your school and district,
• our Washington Principal magazine,
• sharing your successes with us,
• gearing up for the legislative session and our continued advocacy for principals and assistant principals in our state, and
• our 50th Anniversary as the Association of Washington School Principals

Prefer to read the news? Check out the script.

We are all tired. Everyone is exhausted and barely hanging on. Last year was tough, and this year has been twice the challenge. It’s no secret that patience, perseverance, and persistence are wearing thin. It’s also no secret that grace is gone.

Schools used to be a place where students and adults would use the lessons learned from mistakes or failure to move forward and improve, but not anymore. The new normal is to no longer have grace, assume best intentions in others, or respect those placed in leadership positions. What does that mean for school principals and assistant principals? An already nearly impossible job becoming even more impossible.

As we crawl into a much-needed Winter Break, I worry about our leaders and how much more they can endure. I field nightly calls from principals and assistant principals throughout the state, quietly seeking advice about leaving the profession. They all say enough is enough and that they simply cannot continue. Their feelings and emotions match recent survey results conducted nationally by both NASSP and NAESP. The emotional, physical, and spiritual toll of the work is impacting their health and personal lives, and far too many are at a breaking point. This should be concerning to everyone.

During the last two years, the demands placed on school leaders have been overwhelming and unbearable. And if you consider decades of unfunded mandates piled on top of the plates of principals, the job was already untenable and increasingly unrealistic. Covid just exposed even more the daunting world our school leaders have faced for years. 

I’m not downplaying the strife everyone has faced during the last two years. I get it. Everyone has suffered. What I’m stressing is that those in leadership positions have been pushed to the brink, and something has to change. In addition to serving their schools as Chief Covid Officers, they’ve attempted to rebuild positive school culture, navigate and deescalate societal conflict, reteach school-appropriate behavior to students who’ve been de-socialized for the last two years, and press to quickly close massive gaps in learning despite daily staffing shortages. It’s been brutal.

Despite the challenges, they press on. There have been amazing stories of resilience, persistence, and success because that’s what principals do. They step into leadership positions to lead and have an immediate and lasting impact. They sacrifice everything in the name of serving others to create the best possible hope-filled schools for our students. They are dying as they fight for each and every student, which explains the dark circles under their eyes and the uptick in calls to AWSP for help. We must do something.

Parents have decided that if you don’t like the principal or a decision made by the building administration, you can just create a Facebook page, storm board meetings, and stir up community pressure. Students have decided to stage sit-ins, walkouts, or skip days if they don’t like a decision. They are also masters at leveraging the power of social media to ruin the name and career of a school leader. Staff decided that filing grievances or conducting votes of no confidence are easy ways to remove a principal. Somehow, someway, in the last few years, it has become blatantly acceptable to defame, destroy, and remove a school leader without just cause or a presumption of good intent. Guilty until proven innocent is the new norm. So, why again would someone want to be a school leader?

That answer is easy. People choose school leadership to have an impact on an entire school community. They understand the sacrifices they will make and the bullseye on their back when assuming a leadership position, but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve grace. They take on the challenge because they want to make a difference in the lives of students, staff, and the community. What I’m asking for today is for all of us to stand together to protect these valuable heroes in the system. Let’s bring grace back. Let’s enter into collective problem solving, seek to understand, and authentically engage student and parent voices with positive intent and in a proactive manner. Let’s take this moment in time as we learn to live in an endemic to redefine what we expect of our school leaders. Let’s hit reset on the unrealistic demands of the job, the workload, expectations, etc. Let’s think about redesigning our schools so that one school principal doesn’t carry the burden of the entire school community.

While our state transitioned to the Prototypical School Funding Model in 2011, that doesn’t mean we’ve significantly changed the number of adults in schools. In fact, WASA’s 2022 Legislative Platform says of the new funding model, “original staffing allocations were funded at artificially low ratios based on historical staffing levels that had been in place since the late 1980s to ensure the conversion was cost-neutral.” The world has changed immensely; so has what we expect our teachers and administrators to accomplish every day. Yet, we haven’t made significant changes to staffing levels in decades. We cannot continue to apply the same thinking about the number of adults or traditionally defined roles as a solution to addressing the looming leadership crisis.

As I work with leaders across the country, the common concern is the same. There are not enough leaders in the pipeline to fill our schools' current or future demands. We are sitting on the verge of a massive crisis. School leadership is far too important for this not to be elevated as a high priority for everyone. Our students and staffulty deserve the best leaders possible, so we must act now. 

Let’s bring grace back, support our leaders, and work to build a new set of realistic expectations before we are all standing around looking at each other, wondering why no one wants to be a school principal. If you are a principal reading this right now, continue sharing with us the realities of your work (both good and bad). If you are a district leader or school board member, consider what you can do at the local level to alleviate the relentless pressure on your principals. If you are a policymaker, please prioritize and consider both short and long-term solutions that might save our principals.

Got creative ideas? Email is best because I’m doing principal therapy phone calls at night. Grace is gone, and our leaders might be next. 

This content is emailed weekly to leaders in special education and Section 504. Each newsletter contains tips and resources on a variety of topics that are meant to keep you informed and up to date. Please consult your district attorney if you are looking for legal advice.  

This week’s email includes links to information on:

Section 504
Long COVID under Section 504 and the IDEA
Section 504 and Students with Disabilities 
Protecting Students with Disabilities

Student-to-Student Conflict
Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Solutions on the Playground

Understood.org
What are nonverbal learning disabilities?
Classroom Accommodations for Nonverbal Learning Disabilities

National Center on Intensive Intervention
Monitoring Student Progress for Behavioral Interventions

Classroom Strategies
Understanding and Supporting Your Student with ADHD

OSPI
Myths and Facts About Inclusionary Practices in Washington State
Updated Continuous Learning 2.0: Absences due to quarantine
Updated Special Education COVID Q&A

Upcoming Classes and Events
12/8-16 | Engaging Challenging Conversation
1/11 | What Dog do You Have in the Fight Today?
1/12 | Dyslexia & Literacy Instruction: Syllabification & Orthography
1/12-13 | Foundations of Effective Teaming
1/13 | Explicit Literacy Instruction for Students with Dyslexia and Others Who Struggle to Read and Write
1/13 | Coding LRE in Pre-K IEPs
1/11-31 | Operating from the Third Side: Supporting Others to Navigate Conflict
2/9-17 | Engaging Challenging Conversations
2/25 & 26 | SLP Reconnect: An Education and Networking Event for School-Based SLPs
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

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

December 2021 School Safety Blog

I have started this month’s school safety blog many times. Many times. A tragedy occurred, yet another school shooting. The focus of this blog changed. I have been talking to educators, parents, and others. I have been reading, seeing, and listening to stories. I am sure that you have, as well.

Several themes seem to be playing out once again. We hear things like:

• Pictures were posted on social media.
• He’d been bullied.
• Guns don’t kill people; people kill people.
• Copycat.
• We never thought it would happen here.
• Safety is our top priority.
• Out of an abundance of caution.
• And many more phrases we've heard far too many times.
  

As time goes on, I have no doubt that more details will come out surrounding this terrible event. But even as the story has been breaking, there have been some positives. There were warnings that something was ‘wrong.’  Although students and staff seemed to have tried to “see and say something,” events happened way too fast. Yet, school staff and students had practiced appropriate responses to emergency situations. They had practiced lockdown protocols. What they did to protect themselves and others worked. The lockdown protocols saved lives.

Lessons learned: be prepared. Plan ahead. Think prevention, mitigation, protection, response, and recovery. Assess your threats and hazards. Include the behavioral health of your students in that process. Have your Threat Assessment protocols in place. School comprehensive safety plans, aka emergency operations plans (EOPs), help prepare for all emergencies and help ensure the safety of your students and staff. That preparation is meant to help you prevent, mitigate, protect, respond to, and recover from a variety of events. 

Finally, as I mentioned last month, you are not alone. The School Safety Teams at OSPI and at each of your ESDs are here to help. Please call on any of us. For any questions, feel free to email me or visit the School Safety Center website.

As 2021 come to a close, please find time to take care of yourself and your loved ones. Enjoy the holiday season ahead of us. And plan for a joyful, peaceful 2022 New Year.

This content is emailed weekly to leaders in special education and Section 504. Each newsletter contains tips and resources on a variety of topics that are meant to keep you informed and up to date. Please consult your district attorney if you are looking for legal advice.  

This week’s email includes links to information on:

Section 504
Long COVID under Section 504 and the IDEA
Section 504 and Students with Disabilities
Protecting Students with Disabilities

December 2021 Legal Update
School district mask mandate and special education teachers’ lack of regular certification

Dyslexia
Dyslexia Affects Children’s Processing Beyond Just Reading 

Student Anxiety5 ways to help special education students manage testing anxiety

Twice Exceptional
Gifted, ADHD, or Both?

Autism Strategies
Teaching Reading and Spelling to Students with Autism   

OSPI
Updated Continuous Learning 2.0: Absences due to quarantine
Updated Special Education COVID Q&A

Upcoming Classes and Events

• 12/4 | Blueprint of a PBIS Classroom
  
• 12/8 | Dyslexia & Literacy Instruction: Sound/Symbol Correspondence
  
• 12/8-16 | Engaging Challenging Conversation 
• 1/11| What Dog do You Have in the Fight Today?
  
• 1/12 | Dyslexia & Literacy Instruction: Syllabification & Orthography
  
• 1/12-13 Foundations of Effective Teaming
  
• 1/13 | Explicit Literacy Instruction for Students with Dyslexia and Others Who Struggle to Read and Write
• 1/13 | Coding LRE in Pre-K IEPs
  
• 1/11-31 | Operating from the Third Side: Supporting Others to Navigate Conflict
  
• 2/9-17 | Engaging Challenging Conversations
  
• 2/25 & 26 | SLP Reconnect: An Education and Networking Event for School-Based SLPs
  
• 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

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

Happy Anniversary! This month marks 46 years since the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was enacted.  

In 1975, it was a different world for children with disabilities. Prior to the enactment of IDEA, more than 1.8 million students with disabilities were denied access to an education. For those who receive any services, most were delivered in segregated settings and few children had access to the same educational curriculum as their non-disabled peers. 

Today, more than 70 percent of students in special education graduate with a standard high school diploma. Hundreds of thousands of infants and toddlers are reaching developmental milestones thanks to effective early intervention services.

Yet, we still have work to do.  In 2019 Washington state was one of the ten least inclusive states in the nation.  To support shifting practices, the State Legislature provided OSPI in 2019 with twenty-five million dollars for the Inclusionary Practices Professional Development Project (IPP). Funding for IPP will continue until June of 2023 with an additional twelve million dollars.  The goal is to provide educators and leaders with professional development opportunities in support of inclusion and inclusionary practices.  

AWSP is actively leading in the Inclusionary Practices Professional Development Project and has a variety of resources and tools to support our school leaders efforts to grow inclusive communities.  Whether you join our Shelley Moore cohort of learning, use our learning series such as the Data-Literate Inclusionary leader, or use our Evidence of Impact tool, all are developed to support leaders and teams in their inclusion journey.  Check out our Inclusionary Practices Project Resource page and also know that we have Dr. Chris Espeland, our Director of Inclusion, who is a resource and thought partner at the ready.

Let's walk this work together to ensure that IDEA is fully realized within our schools and systems to fully embrace and support each and every child to succeed.

As school leaders and staffulty wait for the return of SBA data, do not let the information (aka attendance and re-engagement data) we have on AND from students (daily, weekly, monthly) go unnoticed! Lean into this data to guide your leadership moves. Timely analysis of attendance data can help your system identify factors that are contributing to chronic absences. School culture, relationship building, team responses to data, simple communications that are easily accessible by busy families, and grading practices, all could be contributing! Get your teams meeting/huddling regularly and start with tier 1, universal (low lift/high-yield) efforts. If you’d like to know more about how to become more Data Literate, sign up to participate in our winter series of the Data Literate School Leader! 

 

This content is emailed weekly to leaders in special education and Section 504. Each newsletter contains tips and resources on a variety of topics that are meant to keep you informed and up to date. Please consult your district attorney if you are looking for legal advice.  

This week’s email includes links to information on:

Section 504
Long COVID under Section 504 and the IDEA
Section 504 and Students with Disabilities 
Protecting Students with Disabilities 

Mindset
Ableism/Language

TIES Center
Creating communities of belonging for students with significant cognitive disabilities 

National Center on Intensive Intervention
Goal Setting Tools

Understood.org
Why kids struggle with time management

Classroom Management
How to deal with low-level disruption in the classroom   

OSPI
November Special Education Update
Updated Continuous Learning 2.0: Absences due to quarantine
Updated Special Education COVID Q&A
 

Upcoming Classes and Events
12/1 | WaKIDS Data Debrief for Administrators
12/2 | Coding LRE in Pre-K IEPs
12/4 | Blueprint of a PBIS Classroom
12/8 Dyslexia & Literacy Instruction: Sound/Symbol Correspondence
12/8-16 | Engaging Challenging Conversation
1/11 | What Dog do You Have in the Fight Today?
1/12 | Dyslexia & Literacy Instruction: Syllabification & Orthography
1/12-13 | Foundations of Effective Teaming
1/13 | Explicit Literacy Instruction for Students with Dyslexia and Others Who Struggle to Read and Write
1/13 | Coding LRE in Pre-K IEPs
1/11-31 | Operating from the Third Side: Supporting Others to Navigate Conflict
2/9-17 | Engaging Challenging Conversations
2/25 & 26 | SLP Reconnect: An Education and Networking Event for School-Based SLPs
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

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

Creating A School of TikTok Dancers, Not Devious Lickers: How do we get the student body to change their focus and convince them it was their idea? 

What is the "Devious Lick Challenge"? It is a challenge on TikTok, where students are encouraged to take something from their school; these items may include the bathroom sink, a soap dispenser, or even a teacher's desk. Schools have tried a multitude of ways to stop students, yet this challenge is just as popular today as ever. Clearly, many solutions aren't working. So, what is the solution? 

The solution lies in your student leaders. First, you must use them to redirect the climate of your school. You have to make students think that it is their idea to stop. Think of a toddler for a moment: if they are behaving unacceptably, it is almost impossible to reason with them. Instead, a parent typically has to get the toddler to change their focus, and in the process, convince them it was their idea. The same applies to our schools. When students are doing these challenges, we have to convince them it is "cool" to pivot away and try something new; a culture needs to be put into place where students say, "we don't do that here!" 

However, when this announcement comes from the building principal, students will want to do the exact opposite. Students and principals often can have a hard time connecting. But, what if, instead, we take a new approach to changing the climate and culture? What if the admin utilizes their student leaders to set the tone? Research shows, "Peers influence people because they want to fit in, be like peers they admire, do what others are doing, or have what others have" (KidsHealth.Org). Like a toddler, when the students set the tone, rather than the principals, students will follow because it is "their idea;" the culture change is coming from their peers, rather than a distant force. When student leaders change the tone from being a TikTok devious licker to being a TikTok dancer, students willingly follow because of their need to fit in. 

Your student leaders are going to know the climate of your student body better than anyone else. They will know exactly what is needed to change the focus from devious licking to dancing. It is important to use your student leaders as a resource. Remember, they were elected because of their influence over the student body, so use that to your advantage. Your student leaders set the expectation that their peers will follow. By no means am I saying that your student leaders are hall monitors. What I am saying is they know their peers better than anyone. So utilize them to change your school's culture for the better. Utilize their knowledge of their peers and their ability to redirect the culture's focus from devious licking to dancing!