In this this special edition of AWSP News, we discuss:

• our role in the Inclusionary Practices Project,
• common language on what inclusion looks, feels, and acts like within a school context,
• the difference between inclusion, exclusion, integration, and segregation,
• what we learned along the way,
• and some incredible content, tool boxes, webinars, podcasts and more for school leaders and school teams to learn from and implement in their buildings.

Prefer to read the news? Check out the script.

“Want to see how people really are? Wait until money is involved.” ~ Anonymous

Review of the 2021 Legislative Session

The legislative session has concluded, the Governor has acted, and now as the show goes on, districts have to adjust. Clearly, the COVID virus, and Federal and state efforts to lessen the financial impacts on states, businesses, and individuals, came into play during this session.

There were 1,448 bills introduced in this session. In total, 335 bills passed the Legislature. Democrats passed 266 (79.4%) and Republicans passed 69 (20.6%). Of the 335 total bills that passed, 24 bills (7.1%) squeaked through on party line votes. So, what happened regarding pensions, health care, financials, and other issues? Listed, unless stated otherwise, are bills that have passed both Houses and been signed by the Governor.

Pension/Retirement Related Proposals 

SB 5021 | Re: retirement benefits/ furlough: This bill provides that specified public pensions will not be reduced as a result of compensation reductions that are part of a public employer’s expenditure reduction efforts during the 2019–2021 and 2021–23 fiscal biennia. It also provides that the pension benefit of an employee covered by a pension system that is administered by the Department of Retirement Systems is not reduced as a result of participation in an unemployment insurance shared work program, retroactive to July 28, 2013. Effective 7/25/21.

SB 5367 | Retirement Contributions Refunds: This bill directs the Department of Retirement Systems to establish rules for closing and refunding inactive member accounts with a balance of less than $1,000. Effective 7/25/21.

SB 5453 | was a bill proposing a merger of LEOFF 1 fund balance (Law Enforcement/Fire Fighters) with TRS 1 as a means to reduce the unfunded liability (UAAL) of TRS Plan 1. The bill never got beyond an introduction. However, legislators, primarily Republican leadership, and Senator Rolfes have been concerned over the UAAL. So much so, that Section 747 of the adopted budget ( ESSB 5092) reads: “The appropriation in this section ($800 Million) is subject to the following conditions and limitations: The entire general fund—state appropriation is provided solely for expenditure on June 30, 2023, into the teachers’ retirement system plan 1 fund, to be applied to the unfunded actuarial accrued liability.

Comment: When the $800 M gets added to the TRS 1 plan in 2023, the UAAL surcharge (See selected financials below) should go down quite a bit saving employers/school districts money. But¸ there are two sessions left where the legislature could tinker with the amount or decide not to do it at all.

The unfunded liability balances to date are $3.4 B in TRS 1 and $5.099 B in PERS 1. It is estimated that the UAAL would become fully funded in 2026 and 2027. This is all assuming a 7.5% return on investments since the funds paying over 70% of retirement payments are from investment earnings.

The Governor has signed the budget and did not veto this section. It stands as an approved intent.

HB 1040 | Concerning health care coverage for retired or disabled school employees. This bill was introduced but had no further action. It would have allowed PEBB to open a window for earlier retirees who only had one option for PEBB insurance when they retired to re-enter PEBB since there are now a minimum three options available. Although not heard, Section 212 of the adopted budget reads, “The health care authority shall analyze and report on the potential impacts of providing a one-time enrollment window for retirees to reestablish eligibility for enrollment in retiree benefits under the public employees’ benefit board program. The authority shall submit the report to the appropriate committees of the legislature by January 1, 2022. At a minimum, the report must include an estimate of the employer cost and a description of the assumptions used.

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School Employee Benefit Board (SEEB) and Other Health-Related Proposals

SB 5322 | Re: SEBB and PEBB dual enrollment. This bill has been signed by the Governor. It requires an employee who is eligible for both Public Employees’ Benefits Board and School Employees’ Benefits Board insurance coverage to choose health, dental, and vision coverage from the same program beginning with the 2022 plan year.

This is not new, but as a reminder: Section 1212 (3) of the budget reads “The health care authority must study the potential cost savings and improved efficiency in providing insurance benefits to the employers and employees participating in the public employees’ (PEBB) and school employees’ benefits board (SEBB) systems that could be gained by consolidating the systems. The consolidation options studied must maintain separate risk pools for Medicare-eligible and non-Medicare eligible employees and retirees, assume a consolidation date of 8 January 1, 2022, and incorporate the experiences gained by health care authority during the initial implementation and operation of the school employees’ benefits board program. The study must be submitted to the committees of the house of representatives and the senate overseeing health care and the omnibus operating budget by November 15, 2020.” The HCA submitted a study that recommended a consolidation. However, this would require legislation which will be pursued in future sessions. Effective 7/25/21.

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Other Bills:

SSB 5326 (ESHB 1813) | mandates that the costs of contracted employee health and retirement benefits must be built into school district contracts for pupil transportation. This bill died by Senate action placing it on the “X” file, but it is expected to return in some form during the 2022 session. (See future projections below.) Other Bills that may have fiscal/HR impacts for Districts.

Caveat: These bills may or may not impact districts. For unemployment (UI), as an example, many districts belong to insurance pools administered by ESD’s; some districts do not. Changes in UI may affect districts or not. The issue of whether a bill such as ESSHB 1073 below applies is not clear to this author. When in doubt, it is reported. Human Resource departments or WASBO are the final arbiters of applicability.

ESSHB 1073 | Re: Paid Leave Coverage: This bill provides grants to certain employees ineligible for paid family and medical leave benefits due to insufficient hours worked. Provides grants to smaller employers with employees taking leave in receipt of a grant. Effective 7/25/21.

HB 1087 | Family/Medical Leave Continuity: This bill specifies that the Family Leave Act, as it existed prior to January 1, 2020, applies to valid claims based on conduct before that date and the Paid Family and Medical Leave Act applies to claims after that date. This was viewed as a ‘technical fix’ to ensure employee rights should there be cause for action. Effective 4/16/21.

ESHB 1214 | K–12 safety & Security Services: This bill creates a new safety and security category of classified staff for public schools. It requires safety and security staff to meet certain training requirements. Directs school districts and charter schools to adopt a policy and procedure with certain elements, adopt an agreement with the law enforcement agency or security guard company supplying the staff, and collect and submit certain information on safety and security staff to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Effective 7/25/21.

SHB 1323 | Long-term Service Trust: HB 1087 passed in 2019 set up this employee-paid long-term trust program. This bill requires that self-employed persons who wish to elect coverage under the Long-Term Services and Supports Trust Program (newly named Washington Cares Fund) exercise that option by January 1, 2025, or within three years of becoming self-employed for the first time. It also authorizes federally recognized tribes to elect to collect the premium assessment for their employees under the Trust Program. The bill was amended to allow employees to opt-out by 11/1/2021. The program is to begin on 1/1/2022. Effective 7/25/21.

Some answers to common questions as listed by Washington State Retail Association:

• How is the self-employed exemption defined? The definition is the same as it is for those who are exempt from Paid Family Medical Leave based on the reference in RCW 50B.04.010 (7–9). Opt-in is available with time limitations.
• Unlike the Paid Family Medical Leave with a deduction limit tied to the Social Security tax ($142,800 in 2021), the $0.58 per $100 of earnings premium rate applies to the whole paycheck without a ceiling.
• Though the contribution rate is based on earnings, the lifetime maximum benefit of $36,500 with cost-of-living built-in is the same for all.
• The benefit is not portable from state to state. In other words, Washington state workers who move out of state or retire to a different state will not be able to access benefits regardless of the amount of their contribution.

Comment: This mandated program was enacted through intense lobbying by AARP. It was intended to provide long-term services and supports benefits to persons who have paid into this Trust Program for a specific amount of time and who had been assessed as needing a certain amount of assistance with activities of daily living. Washington Policy Center, a critic of this program, wrote an article detailing the program's faults.

SHB 1363 | Secondary Trauma/ K–12: This bill requires the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to publish on its website links to resources, self-assessments, and best practices for educators and local policymakers to prevent and address secondary traumatic stress in the workforce. It directs the Washington State School Directors’ Association to develop or revise, and periodically update, a model policy and procedure to prevent and address secondary traumatic stress in the workforce that includes specified elements, for example, establishing a district-wide workforce mental health committee and it requires school districts to adopt, by the beginning of the 2021–22 school year, policies and procedures related to secondary traumatic stress that incorporate specified elements. Effective 7/25/21.

ESSB 5061 | Unemployment Insurance: This bill limits unemployment insurance rate increases by: (1) capping the social tax; (2) suspending the solvency surcharge tax; and (3) relieving certain benefit charges. It also increases access to benefits by: (1) expanding eligibility for those in high-risk households; and (2) waiving the waiting period when federally reimbursed, modifies the weekly benefit amount thresholds by: (1) increasing the minimum from 15 to 20 percent of the average weekly wage; and (2) limiting benefits to a person’s weekly wage. It also ends deductions of lump-sum pensions from weekly benefit amounts and modifies the voluntary contribution and shared work programs, and certain training eligibility. Effective 2/8/21 (Retroactive)

ESSB 5097 | Paid Leave Coverage: (Pending Gov. Action) This bill expands the definition of a family member in the Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program which was established in 2017. It is funded by a payroll tax on employees and employers in Washington (0.4% of gross wages split between employer/employee). This bill requires the Employment Security Department to collect and analyze data and submit reports to the Legislature with certain information relating to the PFML program. It also requires the general fund to cover additional leave expenses under certain circumstances. For an analysis of this issue, see the Washington Policy Center. Effective 7/25/21.

ESSB 5115 | Establishing health emergency labor standards: (Pending Gov. Action). This bill creates an occupational disease presumption for frontline employees during a public health emergency for the purposes of workers’ compensation. It requires employers to notify L&I when a certain percentage of their workforce becomes infected during a public health emergency. Furthermore, it requires employers to provide written notice to employees on the premises and their union of potential exposure to the infectious or contagious disease during a public health emergency. It prohibits discrimination against an employee who is at high risk for seeking accommodation that protects them from the disease or using all available leave options if no accommodation is reasonable. Effective 5/11/21.

SSB 5254 | Protective Devices/ Health: This bill provides that an employer who does not require employees to wear specific personal protective equipment (PPE), must accommodate an employee’s or contractor’s voluntary use of specific PPE, during a public health emergency and when other conditions are met. Effective 4/26/21.

SB 5425 | Unemployment Extended Benefits: This bill allows claimants of unemployment insurance to be eligible for extended benefits regardless of whether their 52-week benefit year has expired. It allows the state’s extended benefit program to “trigger on” without having to wait the 13 weeks between extended benefit periods. It also amends a job search provision, for the purposes of federal conformity, regarding denying extended benefits for failing to accept an offer of, or apply for, suitable work. Effective 4/16/21.

ESSB 5478 | Unemployment Insurance: This bill creates the Unemployment Insurance Relief Account (UI Relief account). It requires the Employment Security Department (ESD) to determine forgiven benefits, based on a calculation, for certain employers which will be reimbursed by the UI Relief account instead of charged to the employers’ experience rating accounts. It mandates ESD transfer from the UI Relief account to the unemployment compensation fund an amount equal to the forgiven benefits. Effective 5/12/21.

Comment: The adopted budget had $500 million put into the UI fund to help replenish its fund balance and to keep employer rates lower than they would be based on their history of claims.

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Selected Financials

ESSB 5092 State Budget

Below are selected financial figures from the adopted supplemental 2021–2023 Budget:

The employer rates do include the UAAL surcharge but do not include the 0.18% administrative rate.

Unemployment Insurance

The budget allocated $600 M + for Employment Security, including staffing to handle backlogs and addressing how to prevent future fraud. (A reminder that ESD paid over $600 M in fraudulent claims, before discovering the fraud.)

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What Will The Future Hold?

At the start of the session, the Democrat majorities in both houses were committed to proposed legislation focusing on: Budget, Covid-related Issues, Race/Equity, Policing, and Climate issues. Substantive pieces of legislation dealing in all these areas were passed.

For the future, the effects of Covid–19 on the state, local governments, and school district budgets will continue to be felt. This patina will continue to color all actions in the foreseeable future. Although many policy bills proposed during the session failed to advance, some components will likely be re-introduced through either new legislation or reviving a previous bill proposed during the recently concluded 2021 Session.

Moving into speculation on the future, some key activities may occur:

1. It will be a priority for the Democrats to not only maintain majorities in both houses but to build a more substantive majority in the Senate which is currently 28–21. The Cap-and-Trade bill passed the Senate 25/24 which is just one example of how some Democrat Senators are not fully in support of leadership. The long-term goal of tax reform will need 60% majorities at a minimum. So, a larger majority would assist. (Note, similarities to Federal Senate situation.)
   


2. Currently, the D’s hold a strong majority in the House, but as stated, a weaker one in the Senate. There is always a chance that the D’s may lose both majorities given the challenges of campaigning and raising dollars in a Covid–19 world, public reaction to tax and fee issues from this recent session, the Governor’s continual role in determining COVID/business restrictions, etc. The long-term consequences are losses in rural Washington. Progressive goals and objectives could lose rural districts that have Democrat members. Legislative districts to watch are 10 (Island, Skagit, Snohomish), 19 (Cowlitz, Grays’ Harbor, Lewis), 24 (Clallam, Grays’ Harbor), and the 42nd (Whatcom). The Republicans will continue to organize opposition by beating up the Democrats over their passage of the Capital Gains tax, their failure to live within the state’s existing means, and the Governor’s continuation of emergency powers. 2) Unions groups like WEA and SEIU and social advocacy associations/organizations like the Economic Opportunity Institute continue to have a great deal of influence on the successful passage of legislation and funding. Many organizations got one-time Federal dollars. When these funds are spent, they will be urging the Legislature to continue funding of these programs. Their impact will continue.
   


3. There continues to be a need to get full funding of the SEBB benefits for districts. The law says that districts are to fund benefits for every employee who qualifies. The state funds benefits on a formula-generated FTE allocation, not based on the actual number of eligible employees that receive the benefit. This results in an unfunded liability to districts that has been estimated to exceed $700 million dollars statewide.
   


4. If there is a missing piece to the financial planning puzzle, it is the failure to appreciate the limits on the state property tax. There is a false hope that property values will continue to soar showing a lack of understanding of business tax shifts and the continuing desire to attach more exemptions to household property taxes. This poses a structural risk to the tax system and makes planning and even supporting levies problematic.
   


5. Past legislation allowed employees to bargain for insurance benefits for employees working less than 630 hours. There will continue to be pressure on districts to offer these benefits to all employees. A proposal before the 2021 legislature dictated that identical SEBB health benefits and retirement benefits be paid to employees who work with private providers of transportation services to school districts. This proposal failed but is likely to return. Should this pass, those contracted employees such as in food service, janitorial, special education, etc. working within school districts may well ask for similar benefit coverage. This is a classic unfunded mandate unless the state funds these changes and even then, the state funds on staff formula basis, not an actual district FTE basis.
   


6. Continued efforts will be made to increase the Medicare insurance subsidy for retirees. Insurance and medical costs have gone up substantially. The current $183/ month is not nearly enough to offset the increased costs.
   


7. Work will continue to put school retirees in the largest risk pool available to reduce their current insurance costs. Currently, K–12 retirees remain in the PEBB program/pool. The HCA has studied the issue and recommends consolidating school retirees into the SEBB program. This, however, will take legislation to accomplish.
   


8. Talk of merging the LEOFF 1 surplus budget funds into the TRS 1 pension fund may come up again. This merger would decrease the unfunded liability in Plan 1. It decreases the added surcharge employers (both state, school districts, counties, and cities) are currently paying to decrease this liability. This is an issue dear to the Republican leaders.
   


9. As passed by the Legislature, 2021–23 NGFO appropriations are $59.193 billion. Of that, the maintenance level (the cost of continuing current services, adjusted for inflation and caseloads) is $55.980 billion. New policies add $3.214 billion. The policy changes include savings from the enhanced federal Medicaid match (FMAP) that was enacted as part of the federal COVID relief bills. This federal funding is used in lieu of the NGFO, saving the state $621.2 million in 2021–23. Given the high level of proposed spending, the use of one-time federal relief to start new, ongoing state programs and the projected GF and Rainy-Day fund balances, sustainability will be a concern. Programs, in addition to those funded in K–12, that were started with a one-time infusion of funds (federal) will be clamoring in the future for dollars to continue these programs and expansions.
   


10. When told that districts need more dollars in any given area, legislators often state that in the words of Wimpy, “I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday, for a hamburger today.” In short, they often put off concerns about low funding by ‘promising’ to make it up in the Supplemental Budget. That will turn out to be a false promise, as the federal dollars dry up and the state getting no new substantial funds.

If you have any questions, please feel free to make contact.

Fred Yancey/ Michael Moran
The Nexus Group LLC

Building Changes is an organization whose mission is to “advance equitable responses to homelessness in Washington State, with a focus on children, youth, and families and the systems that serve them.” They recently shared an important planning document for school districts to use as they develop their Academic and Student Well-Being Recovery Plans. 

In addition to significant amounts of federal funding coming to school districts to help with learning recovery and supports for students, there are federal funds coming to districts that are specifically designed to “identify, provide wraparound services to, and assist students experiencing homelessness in attending schools and participating fully in school activities.” 

Here are four things you can do to make sure your plan accounts for the needs of students experiencing homelessness and advances your equity goals:

1. Include your McKinney-Vento district liaison and building points of contact in district planning both for the specific McKinney-Vento funds and for the larger Academic and Student Well-Being Recovery Plan;
   

2. Use data relevant to student stability to identify gaps and target resources to eliminate racial inequities;
   

3. Expand your reach and capacity through partnerships with community-based organizations; and
   

4. Use federal dollars creatively to provide flexible transportation and support housing stability. 

For more details, check out their planning document. If you have further questions, reach out to their Senior Manager for Policy and Advocacy, Katara Jordan.

The Learn to Return COVID-19 testing program is a FREE and voluntary service to help reduce the transmission of COVID-19 in schools. Over 100 school districts are currently taking part and testing their staff, students and community members. To better understand the reasons the remaining schools have not yet enrolled and to help overcome barriers to enrollment, we are asking school administrators and staff to answer a few questions.

If you or someone you know would be willing to share your thoughts, please take the short, 5-minute survey. Your responses are completely anonymous. Thank you in advance for your time and attention! 

If you have any questions, please email schools@healthcommonsproject.org.

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 newsletter includes links to information on:

Section 504
Schools’ Obligation to Provide Equal Opportunity to Students with Disabilities in Extracurricular Athletics

UDL
Free resources

Health and Safety
DOH COVID-19 Requirements for Summer 2021 and the 2021-22 School Year

Instruction
Tips for teaching a child with dyslexia to read 
Building Bridges Between Reading and Writing

OSPI
We are returning to School Buildings Next Year
Early Childhood Updates
Washington’s Roadmap for Special Education Recovery Services: 2021 and Beyond

Upcoming Classes and Events

• Multiple dates | Special Education Teachers Office Hours
• 5/12 & 26 | Supporting Students With Dyslexia With Courage and Heart
• 5/22 | Hear Me, See Me, Before You Try to Change Me
• 5/25 & 6/2 | Social Emotional Learning for Inclusive Practice
• 5/19 | Cultivating Inclusion Celebration
• 6/9 | Identifying and Teaching Children at Risk for Dyslexia
• 6/29 | Dyslexia & Literacy Instruction: Orthographic & Morphological Skills & Knowledge
• 6/26 | Future-Focused Educators’ Summit: Leadership Pathway
• 6/27-29 | Future-Focused Educators’ Summit

Have a nice weekend, for more information, contact Abby Bowers.

As we get ready to close the doors on the 2020-2021 school year, the big questions and musings are starting to rumble beneath the surface.

"I can't wait until we can ______________ again."

"Remember when we use to _________________? I cannot wait until we can do that again."

Now is an extraordinary time to assess these ponderings and begin to examine what "needs" to come back in our post-COVID era and what is best for students as we continue to move through these times of "what's next?"

This week I got to work with middle school students, and I asked the question, "What have been some positives of the past year?" Their answers were riveting, powerful, profound, and revealing! 

Some of their responses:

• "I was able to get closer to my family. This was something that I cherished and didn't realize how much I valued this time."
• "I was able to take more care of myself. I needed this year to recenter myself."
• "I realized how much my friendships mean to me!"
• "I realized how much I took for granted. I started intentionally focusing on gratitude and building my life around being grateful."
• "I am not the same person I was before the pandemic. I have grown and transformed into a better version of myself."
• "I found myself. I have been able to make myself a better person by focusing more on hobbies, passions, and rest."
• "I was actually able to stop and think about my future. I realized how badly I wanted to play basketball in high school. So I took time to practice my basketball skills to prepare for what I want in my future. The pandemic allowed me to do this."
• "My mental health has dramatically improved. My mindset has changed, and I can prioritize and navigate what is important and what isn't important."
• "The pros just keep on coming from what the pandemic afforded me, and others. It allowed us to pause, learn and grow."
  

Nobody (especially me) is trying to convince you that this pandemic has not created havoc, mayhem, pain, and turbulence. It has created a laundry list of issues and systemic challenges. However, what if we flip the question for a moment... what have been the positives? When we consider those positives, it begs the question of what 'should' return in our post-COVID world? When we begin to assess some of the positives that have occurred, we can start to ask ourselves, "How can we create opportunities for these positives to exist moving forward?" 

When our 11, 12, and 13-year-olds communicate so brilliantly what they have gained from this past year, it makes it clear that we must explain what we do and what we want to do in the future so that we don't move backward (U-turn). There are some things from B.C. (before COVID) that we can leave in the past. This allows for a collective effort to push towards the on-ramp that leads us into the future. 

Check in with your students, families, communities, and staff and evaluate what the good stuff has been! The path may not be clear, but we know that we cannot afford to allow for U-turns. 

This year’s legislative session ended on time after 105 days. It’s been described as unique, historic, surprising, and consequential. Despite economic concerns about our state revenue last summer and fall, and uncertainty about how the Legislature would run its process to hear and pass bills in a mostly virtual manner, some significant bills passed and the final budgets boosted spending on many different programs.

According to the Washington State Wire, “335 bills passed the Legislature in 2021. Democrats passed 266 (79.4%) and Republicans passed 69 (20.6%). Of the 335 total bills that passed, 24 bills (7.1%) squeaked through on party line votes. According to records maintained by the Office of Program Research, the 335 total will be the lowest number for an odd year, 105 day session since at least 1983.”

At the beginning of this session, House Democrats had four priorities for bills they wanted to pass, including those related to racial equity and social justice, climate change, economic recovery and tax reform, and responses to COVID–19. Big policy bills related to each of these areas passed both houses. Because tax collections and future revenue forecasts were strong, along with a massive influx of federal funding, the Legislature was able to fund many programs. For more information on the variety of bills that passed, check out this article from The Seattle Times or this article from Governor Inslee.

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Education Funding

As part of the education community, our goal was to make sure school districts could support immediate student needs by having stable enrollment and transportation funding. We wanted to ensure funding was in place for costs related to safety needs, including additional staffing that could support student mental health. We also stressed the immediate needs for equitable access to technology resources, including devices and broadband connectivity, as well as for staff to continue engaging in professional learning related to both racial literacy and successfully engaging students in online learning.

This year’s operating budget addressed many important priorities for students. Superintendent Chris Reykdal said in his news release that “the budget shows strong support for students, families, and schools.”

As of this writing, Governor Inslee has not yet signed the final budget (SB 5092), but here are some budget highlights. If you want a really thorough look into the supplemental, operating, and capital budgets, check out Dan Steele’s Sine Die edition of This Week in Olympia (TWIO). A huge thank you to Dan and others at WASA, WASBO, OSPI, and the ESDs who work tirelessly to help make sense of a very complicated K–12 funding structure.

K–12 Education Increases

Federal ESSER Grants – $1.74 Billion (2021–23).
$1.67 billion of federal funding allocated by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and $74.2 million of federal funding allocated by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act is provided to assist school districts with response to the COVID–19 pandemic. For a look at how much federal funding your district receives, check out OSPI’s Budget Preparations page.

Enrollment Stabilization – $95.9 million (2021 supplemental), $27.8 million (2021–23).
One-time funding is provided for enrollment stabilization in the 2020–21 school year. State stabilization amounts are provided to local education agencies that do not receive sufficient subgrants from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief fund to offset reductions to state revenues due to drops in enrollments from the 2019–20 school year.

Transportation Stabilization – $117.1 million (2021 supplemental), $34.0 million (2021–23).
One-time funding is provided for one-time pupil transportation payments to school districts to address lower pupil transportation payments for the 2020–21 school year.

School Funding Stabilization – $16.2 million (2021–23).
One-time funding is provided to ensure school districts receive at least $500 per pupil for COVID–19 relief funding when combined with federal relief dollars.

Learning Recovery – $23.4 million (2021–23).
One-time funding is provided to OSPI to administer grants to school districts for the purposes of learning recovery due to impacts of the COVID–19 pandemic. Additionally, $79.5 million in federal funding from ESSER II and $93.1 million in federal funding from ESSER III state amounts are provided for learning recovery.

Counselors for High Poverty Schools – $51.6 million (2021–23), $137 million (2023–25) .
Funding is provided to add 0.5 FTE guidance counselors per high poverty school for each prototypical school level (elementary, middle school and high school) beginning in the 2022–23 school year.

Learning Devices – $24.0 million (2021–23), $4.3 million (2023–25).
Funding is provided to OSPI for grants to assist districts in acquiring and supporting learning devices and to ESDs to provide technology procurement, training and consultation, as described in E2SHB 1365.

Connectivity – $23.5 million (2021–23), $62.3 million (2023–25).
Beginning in the 2022–23 school year, additional technology funding to support broadband connectivity is provided through an increase of $25 per student to the MSOC rate.

Special Education Professional Development – $12 million (2021–23).
Funding is provided for professional development to promote the inclusion of students requiring special education within the general education classroom.

Special Education Transition Services – $17 million (2021–23).
Federal funding is provided for extension of transition services for students with disabilities who turned age 21 during the 2019–20 or 2020–21 school years and did not graduate with a regular diploma.

Paraeducator Training – $14.8 million (2021–23), $32.1 million (2023–25).
Funding is provided for two days of training in the Paraeducator Certificate Program per year ongoing beginning in fiscal year 2023. Funding is also provided to create online training for paraeducators on community, family and student engagement.

ESD Nurse Corp, Safety Staff, and Stabilization Funding – $3.3 million (2021 supplemental), $13.6 million (2021–23), $14 million (2023–25).
Additional staff is provided to ESDs for the School Nurse Corps to support one day a week of support for all school districts with less than 2,000 students enrolled (second class districts). Staffing at regional school safety centers are increased to 2.5 FTEs per ESD. Also, stabilization funding in fiscal year 2021 is provided to address COVID–19 impacts.

Eliminating School Lunch Copays – $8.9 million (2021–23), $8.9 million (2023–25).
School lunch copays are eliminated for students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grades eligible for reduced-price lunches, expanding beyond the current coverage for grades kindergarten through third.

After School Programs – $18.5 million (2021–23).
One-time federal funding is provided to OSPI from ESSER III state amounts to support after school programs.

Summer Enrichment – $18.5 million (2021–23).
One-time federal funding is provided to OSPI from ESSER III state amounts to support summer programs.

Residential Outdoor School – $10 million (2021–23).
One-time federal funding is provided for OSPI to contract with the Washington School Principals’ Education Foundation (woohoo AWSP!!) to support pandemic-related learning loss through outdoor learning and overnight camp experiences.

Individuals with Disabilities Act – $57.1 million (2021–23).
Federal funding is provided under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for special education services in addition to regularly provided federal IDEA funding.

Supports for Children Experiencing Homelessness – $12 million (2021–23).
One-time federal funding is provided for the purpose of identifying children and youth experiencing homelessness and providing them with wraparound services due to the challenges of COVID–19.

Emergency Food Reimbursements – $14.2 million (2021–23).
Appropriations are provided for federal reimbursements for emergency costs in child nutrition programs.

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Passed Bills

Equity Related Bills

HB 1113 | Concerning school attendance. This bill promotes the expectation that districts used tiered supports to increase student attendance. “Community Truancy Boards” are changed to “Community Engagement Boards”.

HB 1140 | Juvenile access to attorneys when contacted by law enforcement. This bill requires law enforcement to provide juveniles with access to an attorney prior to any waiver of the juvenile’s constitutional rights when law enforcement: (1) questions a juvenile during a custodial interrogation; (2) detains a juvenile based on probable cause of involvement in criminal activity; or (3) requests that the juvenile provide consent to an evidentiary search of the juvenile or the juvenile’s property, dwellings, or vehicles under the juvenile’s control.

HB 1176 | Access to higher education (fines and fees). This bill prevents districts from withholding grades/transcripts (but not diplomas) of a student who is responsible for damaging school property, or property belonging to a contractor of the districts, an employee, or another student.

HB 1295 | Concerning institutional education. This bill implements numerous requests made by the Task Force on Improving Institutional Education Outcomes and Programs such as increased support for students, professional learning for adults, and updated reporting requirements for programs for students who are in or released from secure facilities.

HB 1342 | Eliminating lunch copays for students who qualify for reduced-price lunches. Beginning in the 2021–22 school year, school districts with school lunch programs must eliminate lunch co-pays for students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade who qualify for reduced-price lunches. OSPI must allocate funding for this purpose.

HB 1356 | Prohibiting the inappropriate use of Native American names, symbols or images. This bill prohibits public schools from using Native American names, symbols, or images as school mascots, logos, or team names and establishes exceptions to the prohibition if certain requirements are met, including consultation with and authorization by, the applicable tribe or tribes. It allows for the phasing out of uniforms or other materials bearing Native American names, symbols, or images as mascots, logos, or team names if specified requirements are met. A temporary grant program is established to provide grants for schools that incur costs resulting from compliance with the prohibition.

Health and Safety Related Bills

HB 1085 | Students with seizure disorders. This bill requires districts to provide individual health plans for students with seizure disorders.

HB 1139 | Taking action to address lead in drinking water. This bill requires school districts to cooperate with DOH or contract for sampling and testing for lead contamination at drinking water outlets in school buildings built, or with all plumbing replaced, before 2016 and it directs school districts and schools to communicate certain information, take mitigation measures, and adopt an action plan if test results reveal lead concentrations that exceed stated thresholds.

HB 1214 | Providing K–12 public school safety and security services by classified staff. This bill requires enhanced training and accountability for school resource officers and classified safety and security staff in schools.

HB 1225 | School-based health care centers. This bill establishes the school-based health center program office within the Department of Health.

HB 1273 | Concerning menstrual products in schools. This bill requires school districts, private K–12 schools, charter schools, state tribal compact schools, and public and private institutions of higher education to make menstrual hygiene products available at no cost by the beginning of the 2022–23 academic year. These entities must bear the cost of supplying these products.

HB 1325 | Implementing policies related to children and youth behavioral health. This bill converts the pilot programs for the Partnership Access Line for Moms and Mental Health Referral Service for Children and Teens into permanent programs. It also expands Medicaid benefits to enhance the number of mental health assessment visits for infants from birth to six months and modifies criteria for mental health assessment and diagnosis for children aged birth through five.

HB 1363 | Addressing secondary trauma in the K–12 workforce. This bill requires OSPI to provide resources, self-assessments, and best practices to prevent and address secondary traumatic stress for adults in the workforce.

HB 1373 | Promoting student access to information about behavioral health resources. This bill requires public schools to post contact information for behavioral health organizations on their website home pages and to post corresponding information on social media websites used by the school district.

HB 1477 | Implementing the national 988 system to enhance and expand behavioral health crisis response and suicide prevention services statewide. In October 2020 Congress passed the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020. This act designates the number 988 as the universal telephone number within the US for the purpose of accessing the National Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Crisis Hotline system that is maintained by Lifeline and the Veterans Crisis Line. The Washington State Department of Health must provide adequate funding for an expected increase in the use of the state’s crisis lifeline call centers once the 988 hotline number is established.

HB 1484 | Concerning the statewide first responder building mapping information system. This bill repeals provisions directing the operation and use of the first responder building mapping information system for schools and other public buildings, and directs transfer of the mapping system information to OSPI, the Governor, and other public entities upon request.

SB 5030 | Comprehensive school counseling programs. This bill requires school districts to implement comprehensive school counseling programs, ensuring that counselors spend at least 80 percent of their work time providing direct and indirect services to students.

SB 5115 | Establishing health emergency labor standards. This bill creates an occupational disease presumption for frontline employees during a public health emergency for the purposes of workers’ compensation and requires employers to notify L&I when a certain percentage of their workforce becomes infected during a public health emergency. It also requires employers to provide written notice to employees on the premises and their union of potential exposure to the infectious or contagious disease during a public health emergency and prohibits discrimination against an employee who is high risk for seeking accommodation that protects them from the disease or using all available leave options if no accommodation is reasonable.

SB 5184 | Establishing a point of contact in all K–12 schools for students in foster care. This bill requires K–12 public schools to establish a contact person in each elementary, middle, and high school building to coordinate services and resources for students in foster care.

Professional Learning Related Bills

HB 1028 | Repealing the EdTPA. This bill repeals the requirement that candidates for residency teacher certification pass the EdTPA and would require PESB to implement new procedures for evaluating and recommending candidates for residency teacher certification.

HB 1426 | Continuing education requirements for administrators and teachers. This bill directs PESB to adopt rules for renewal of administrator and teacher certification. Beginning July 1, 2023, administrators who are submitting certificate renewals need to complete 10 clock hours on equity-based school practices, 10 clock hours on educational leadership standards, and 5 clock hours on government-to-government relations with tribal nations. AWSP is working closely with PESB on these rules and will have some fantastic professional learning opportunities available in each of these areas. Teachers must complete 15 clock hours focused on equity-based school practices beginning July 1, 2023.

SB 5044 | Professional learning related to equity, cultural competency, and dismantling institutional racism in schools. PESB must develop or update cultural competency, diversity, equity, and inclusion (CCDEI) standards of practice for preparation, continuing education, and other training of school district staff and post it on its website. WSSDA must develop CCDEI standards for school director governance and post it on its website. WSSDA and PESB must collaborate to compare and align CCDEI standards. EOGOAC must, and the Office of Equity may, review the CCDEI standards. In the 2021–22 school year, school districts must use one of the professional learning days to train school district staff in one or more of the following topics: cultural competency, diversity, equity, or inclusion. Beginning in the 2023–24 school year, and every other school year thereafter, school districts must use one of the professional learning days to provide a CCDEI training program to school district staff. School district staff includes classified staff, certificated instructional staff, certificated administrative staff, and superintendents.

High School and Graduation Related Bills

HB 1121 | Emergency graduation waiver. This bill permits schools to grant individual student emergency waivers from credit and subject area graduation requirements, graduation pathway requirements, or both, due to a disruption from a local, state, or national emergency. Proposed final waiver rules are being discussed at next week’s State Board of Education meeting and should be adopted in July, 2021.

HB 1302 | Concerning college in the high school programs This bill allows 9th grade students to participate in college in the high school programs and sets the maximum tuition fee for courses at $65 per credit.

SB 5249 | Mastery-based learning. This bill extends the mastery-based learning work group and expands its membership. The State Board of Education (SBE) has to review a Washington profile of a graduate developed by the workgroup and submit a report of related findings and recommendations to the Governor and the education committees of the Legislature by December 31, 2022. This bill also requires the SBE to seek input from high school students and recent graduates on the graduation pathways, and submit a second graduation pathways report to the education committees of the Legislature by December 10, 2022.

SB 5299 | Allowing computer science courses as a third year of either a math or science graduation requirement. This bill allows a student, upon approval, to substitute an approved computer science course for a third-year math or science credit for graduation purposes. It also requires that a substituted computer science course align with the student’s High School and Beyond Plan.

SB 5321| Expanding access to the college bound scholarship. This bill eliminates the requirement that a student sign a pledge to be eligible for the College Bound Scholarship (CBS). It requires the Washington Student Achievement Council to automatically enroll eligible students in the CBS program and for students to acknowledge receipt of their enrollment.

Miscellaneous and Budget Related Bills

HB 1208 | Modifying the learning assistance program. This bill requires that school districts budget and expend Learning Assistance Program (LAP) funds: (1) immediately and temporarily to identify and address the academic and nonacademic needs of students resulting from and exacerbated by the COVID–19 pandemic; and (2) beginning with the end of the COVID–19 emergency or September 1, 2025, whichever is later, using the framework of the Washington Integrated Student Supports Protocol. It makes changes to requirements and restrictions on the use of LAP funds and directs the Center for the Improvement of Student Learning to review and report on programs and practices used in the LAP. It also expands the Extended Learning Opportunity Program to ninth and tenth grades.

HB 1365 | Procuring and supporting appropriate computers and devices for public school students and staff. This bill directs OSPI to develop and administer a technology grant program to help schools attain a universal 1:1 student to learning device ratio and to support staff, students, and families in using technology to support student learning. It requires each ESD to provide technology consultation, procurement, and training to school districts, and directs OSPI to survey school districts and report to the Legislature with technology levy information. It also requires OSPI to report to the Legislature biennially with a summary of technology initiative information and recommendations and directs OSPI to establish a grant program to support media literacy and digital citizenship and to convene two regional conferences on this topic.

HB 1476 | Addressing enrollment declines. This bill revises enrichment levy formulas in the 2022 calendar year, requiring 2019–20 school year enrollments to be used in place of 2020–21 if 2019- 20 enrollment is greater and a school district is open for in-person instruction at the beginning of the 2021–22 school year.

SB 5128 | Concerning student transportation funding. The final bill allows districts, during the current or future emergencies, to use pupil transportation allocations for “expanded services,” including delivering meals, instructional materials, and technology devices; and transporting students to/from learning centers where educational and support services are being provided to students.

SB 5237 | Expanding accessible, affordable child care and early childhood development programs. This bill establishes a new account for child care and early learning purposes expands eligibility and decreases copayments in the Working Connections Child Care Program and expands eligibility in the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program. It provides for increased rates, training, grants, supports, and services for child care and early learning providers and increases supports for families of children from birth to age 3, as well as for providers.

SB 5322 | Prohibiting dual enrollment between SEBB and PEBB. This bill states that an employee who is eligible for both Public Employees’ Benefits Board and School Employees’ Benefits Board insurance coverage needs to choose health, dental, and vision coverage from the same program.

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Thank You!

Finally, a huge THANK YOU to our AWSP Advocacy Council and to our Principal Partners for Legislators for all of their time and effort spent discussing bills, reaching out to legislators, and submitting written and verbal testimony this session to share the principal perspective and experience.

Thank you also goes to all of you who engage in advocacy efforts within your district, region, and across our state.

If you would like to get involved in AWSP’s advocacy efforts, please reach out to me. Look for more updates throughout the interim as we continue conversations with education advocates and policymakers.

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 newsletter includes links to information on:

Section 504
Title IX Protections for Pregnant and Parenting Students

Case Law
Special Education Legal Alert

Improving Outcomes
How to Provide Students with IEPs Access to Their Grade-Level Curriculum Through Text to Speech

Instruction
Estimating quantity
Number reversal challenges

IEPs
Assessment Data is Critical for Writing IEPs, Especially This Year

Secondary Transition
District Information Session: Transition Recovery Services Beyond Age 21
Family Information Session: Transition Recovery Services Beyond Age 21
Voices of Change Transition Forum

OSPI
Washington’s Roadmap for Special Education Recovery Services: 2021 and Beyond

Upcoming Classes and Events 

• Multiple dates | Special Education Teachers Office Hours
• 5/8 & 15 | Adverse Childhood Experiences
• 5/12 & 26 | Supporting Students With Dyslexia With Courage and Heart
• 5/22 |  Hear Me, See Me, Before You Try to Change Me
• 5/13 | Identifying and Serving Students With Disabilities Learning English
• 5/25 & 6/2 | Social Emotional Learning for Inclusive Practice
• 5/19 | Cultivating Inclusion Celebration
• 6/9 | Identifying and Teaching Children at Risk for Dyslexia
• 6/29 | Dyslexia & Literacy Instruction: Orthographic & Morphological Skills & Knowledge
• 6/26 | Future-Focused Educators’ Summit: Leadership Pathway 
• 6/27-29 | Future-Focused Educators’ Summit

Have a nice weekend. For more information, contact Abby Bowers.

Over the last year during the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve all heard this sentiment over and over: “I can’t wait to get back to normal!” As leaders, we’ve likely uttered that very statement many times in moments of exhaustion. Yet as we think about equity and inclusive practices that move us towards meeting the needs of all children, do we really want to go “back to normal?”  If we are honest with ourselves, going back to normal is the last thing we should be trying to do.

Pre-COVID-19, “normal” is, quite frankly, harmful and broken when it comes to equity and inclusive practices in many schools and districts. Normal is massive opportunity and achievement gaps for students of color, students living in poverty, and students receiving English Language Learner (ELL) and special education supports. Normal is these same students placed on more restrictive pathways rather than least restrictive pathways towards graduation. Normal is a “send them down the hall” mentality, viewing special education and ELL support as a place rather than a service. Normal is antiquated grading practices that punish students for not learning it the first time and that train students to chase points rather than chase learning. Normal is tracking, sorting, and ranking students at an early age, making it nearly impossible for our most disenfranchised students to catch up with their peers. Normal is teacher isolation that places value upon independence above collaborative practices. Normal is a “my kids” versus an “our kids” approach. 

We could go on and on about what normal looks like within many layers of our system. If we are honest with ourselves, going back to normal is the last thing we should be trying to do. Instead, we should strive to create a “new normal” (also a phrase we hear a lot right now) that puts an end to these practices. Our new normal needs to look ahead toward creating schools and districts where our students that need us the most are thriving and placed at the center of all that we do. As school and district leaders, there are a myriad of action items we can take to move our schools and districts away from normal and towards a new reality for the students counting on us to do so. If we embrace the following three strategies, which are both simplistic and challenging at the same time, the students we serve will never have to worry about us taking our schools and districts “back to normal.”

Leading with “The Why”

Starting with and focusing on the “what” and the “how” of a new idea, program, or initiative is a mistake we make far too often in our profession. Over time, our staff rightly develop a callous to this approach and a “this too shall pass” sentiment. It’s hard to blame them. With all of the complexities and challenges our staff have to manage in order to be effective, one more thing usually feels overwhelming. 

But leading with the “why” shifts the narrative and the experience for our staff. If we begin with the assumption all staff members within our system are here for the right reasons and genuinely want to make a difference for the children they serve, leading with the “why” connects the dots for our staff in a way they don’t often experience. 

To put it bluntly, equity work and inclusionary practices aren’t initiatives, they are best practices with a moral imperative component that we can’t continue to ignore. Statistically speaking, we already know what life looks like for students that don’t make it through our system – higher rates of poverty, incarceration, health complications, and even early death. Leading our staff through a journey towards equity and inclusion, where the “why” is front and center for them in that process paves the way for a new normal that benefits every student who walks through our doors.

Building Collaborative Cultures

The second leadership action item we can and must leverage is collaboration. Whether grounded in the work of a Professional Learning Community (Solution Tree) or another collaborative schoolwide strategy, we must help our staff experience the reality that collaboration, focused on the right work, leads to higher levels of learning for all students. Identifying which standards are most essential, building common formative and summative assessments as a team, and analyzing the results of those assessments to (1) identify and share which instructional strategies were successful, and (2) identify which students need more time and support in their learning...this is the right work when it comes to collaboration. 

It’s ironic that during the COVID-19 pandemic, these collaborative strategies bubbled to the surface all across our schools and in our districts. Over the last year, we’ve been told to help our teachers get clear on what’s most essential, make sure our assessments are tied to what’s most essential, and so on. In some ways our teachers have been put in a position where they have no choice but to collaborate, just to survive. We should capitalize on these experiences from the last year and work with our staff to continue that momentum forward, even if these large-scale changes and improvements resulted from a worldwide pandemic and were not mapped out on a whiteboard. While collaboration is not the end goal in itself, it is one of the most powerful ways we reach our ultimate goal – higher levels of learning for all of our students. 

Learning By Doing

Finally, as leaders, we must embrace, and help our staff embrace, the concept of learning by doing. That is, we will never be completely ready to take the next step towards equity and inclusion. All of the training and information we can gather will never be enough. So, we must take the next step! As leaders, this takes courage, confidence, trust in the process of learning, and a commitment to high levels of support for those that need it. 

Within the idea of learning by doing, there is an element of proving to ourselves that we can do it. With our staff, we use the analogy of riding a bike. We can spend all day looking at the bike, getting the tires filled with air, making sure the seat is at the right height, testing the brakes, admiring the bike, imagining how we are going to ride the bike and dreaming of what it will be like, one day, to actually ride the bike! Or we can get on the bike and with a little guidance and a helping hand from behind, start pedaling the bike forward. We will make mistakes and have several starts and stops, but if we keep at it, eventually we will learn how to ride the bike and continue to get better, gaining confidence in the process. Once we learn how to ride the bike and experience the joy and thrill of doing it on our own, we never really think about going back to the days when we didn’t know-how. 

Implementing practices that increase inclusion and equity are much the same. It takes time, practice, encouragement, and support, but the end result and experience is far better than it was at the beginning. The only way to get there is to jump on and start pedaling! Leveraging these three leadership strategies (leading with “the why”, building collaborative cultures, and learning by doing) on behalf of the students that need us the most will guarantee we don’t drift “back to normal.’  We simply can’t afford to do so. It’s our job to guide our schools and districts forward towards a new normal that erases the inequities that existed prior to COVID-19.

Brett Wille is the principal at Monroe HS (Monroe, WA) and an advocate for inclusionary practices in the state of Washington. He and his former staff at Hidden River Middle School (Monroe School District) became a nationally recognized Professional Learning Community (Solution Tree) and are a University of Washington demonstration site for exemplary practices in inclusive education. 

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 newsletter includes links to information on:

Section 504
Preventing and Addressing Discrimination in Student Discipline

Autism
Brain Study Suggests ASD Develops Differently in Girls than Boys

ESY
2 Keys for IEP teams planning extended school year services

Instruction
Why Some Kids Struggle With Math Word Problems

Secondary Transition
Voices of Change Transition Forum

Upcoming Classes and Events 

• Multiple dates | Special Education Teachers Office Hours
• 5/4 | Early Learning Summit
• 5/8 & 15 | Adverse Childhood Experiences
• 5/12 & 26 | Supporting Students With Dyslexia With Courage and Heart
• 5/22 | Hear Me, See Me, Before You Try to Change Me
• 5/13 | Identifying and Serving Students With Disabilities Learning English
• 5/25 & 6/2 | Social Emotional Learning for Inclusive Practice
• 5/19 | Cultivating Inclusion Celebration
• 6/9 | Identifying and Teaching Children at Risk for Dyslexia
• 6/29 | Dyslexia & Literacy Instruction: Orthographic & Morphological Skills & Knowledge
• 6/26 | Future-Focused Educators’ Summit: Leadership Pathway 
• 6/27-29 | Future-Focused Educators’ Summit

Have a nice weekend, for more information, contact Abby Bowers.

On April 22, 2021, SHB 1484 was sent to the Governor for his signature. SHB 1484 is an act relating to the statewide first responder building mapping information system, commonly referred to as the ‘school mapping system.’

By way of history, following the Columbine High School mass shooting in 1999 and the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, a lot of national attention focused on school safety. Within the state of Washington, two parallel sets of requirements were soon put into law. In 2002, the Legislature passed SSB 5543 (RCW28A.320.125) requiring districts and schools to develop comprehensive school safety plans. In 2003, RCW 36.28A.060 called for the development of a statewide first responder mapping system for all state and local government buildings.  

The safety planning requirements of RCW28A.320.125  have been adapted and modified over time. One example of such change came in 2007 when the RCW was modified to specifically incorporate the mapping system, (RCW 36.28A.060)  into comprehensive school and district safety plans. However, the legislation noted that this was a requirement when funding was provided.

(Interestingly, one of the requirements around school mapping has been the use of the system in at least one safety drill each year. We have answered a lot of calls over time asking just how that might be done.)

Over the years, $24M has been expended on the mapping system. The amounts allocated to districts and schools decreased significantly over those same years. For the last several fiscal cycles, appropriations have been provided for operations costs only, while no funds were appropriated for districts to actually map new schools or update existing information.

Because active shooter situations were a prime consideration when the system was first developed, it is important to note that law enforcement response to active shooters has evolved over time. In such situations, time is of the essence. Earlier on, law enforcement would open and look at floor plans before moving in as one unit. This took valuable time. Now, the first law enforcement officer to arrive at the scene is more likely to immediately move in and other law enforcement officers follow. 

Over time, added features have augmented the baseline system. However, the backend software standards for the database have not been updated while other, newer technologies have become commercially available.

In 2019, the Legislature tasked the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC) with conducting a study of school districts' use of the First Responder Mapping System in K-12 schools. That final Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee study was presented to the Legislature in January 2020. The bottom-line conclusion was that the existing school mapping system had outlived its usefulness and was no longer necessary. As a result, SHB 1484 eliminates all requirements for schools and districts around the use of the mapping system.  (It is important to note that the state owns the existing data which currently resides in the system; that data will be transferred to OSPI in the coming months.)

One final note. Although the use of the old school mapping system is no longer required, RCW 28A.320.126 does still require school districts to work collaboratively with local law enforcement agencies and school security personnel to develop protocols to expedite the response and arrival of law enforcement in the event of a threat or emergency at a school. This process should be a part of the district and school safety plan.

This comes to us from Cindy Cromwell, a principal in the Kelso School District. If you registered for our Virtual Summer Conference, be sure to watch her course, A Commitment to Supporting the "Whole" Staff on our learning management system.

It's May

'Tis the month of celebrations. May is the month we honor teachers, nurses, and our lunch heroes. This is also the month when we start to see the light at the end of this school year. In our quest to finish strong we sometimes need the extra acknowledgment that someone believes in us and is by our side to finish out these last weeks. I want to encourage you to go outside the traditional celebrations and have some fun with your staff. May is a great month for a few simple celebrations to add to your calendar. As always feel free to reach out to me if I can support your work. We are in this together and I BELIEVE in you.

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MAY DAYS OF CELEBRATION

May 3 – National Two Different Colored Shoes Day. This is super simple to pull off. Encourage your staff to wear two different shoes (maybe in your school colors).

May 4 – National Star Wars Day (May the 4th be with you), National Renewal Day, AND National Teacher Appreciation Day. Combine your teacher appreciation and renewal day to turn your staff room into a serenity room OR add some Star Wars theme to your Teacher Appreciation by using Yoda phrases all day and purchase candy light sabers to pass out with a sticker that says “You are the Force that makes a difference in our students lives.”

May 5 – Cinco de Mayo. I LOVE this day! I could honestly eat tacos every day of the year. Celebrate this year by filling a piñata with treats of snacks and office supplies (post–its, sharpies), AND have a nacho or taco bar. You truly can not go wrong with this day.

May 6 – National Beverage Day. Load the refrigerator or your treat cart with beverages for staff.

May 7 – School Lunch Hero Day. Celebrate your food service workers today. Do not forget those special individuals who support feeding our students either by delivering milk or taking care of the district food services program.

May 8 – National Miniature Golf Day. I know this is a Saturday but you could set up a miniature putt putt course in your school with a couple putters and red solo cups.

May 11 – National Eat What You Want Day. Have a potluck where everyone brings their favorite comfort food. Or this is a great day to bring out your treat cart and have staff choose a fun snack.

May 12 – National Limerick Day and National School Nurses Day. Combine these two and throughout the day use limericks to make announcements, say thank yous, and as you interact with students.

May 13 – National Apple Pie Day. Go to the grocery store and purchase individual apple pies for your staff in honor of this day. “You are the ‘APPLE’ of our eye. Thank you for all you do.”

May 14 – National Dance Like a Chicken Day. Have a chicken dance party at lunch, recess, and in bus lines.

May 17 – National Pack Rat Day. This is a day to encourage students and staff to clean up desks, backpacks, school bags, lockers, and that scary staff refrigerator.

May 19 – National Devil’s Food Cake Day. Nowadays you can purchase these as cupcakes or cookies. This might be a great way to help your staff get their chocolate fix today.

May 20 – National Be a Millionaire Day. Purchase 100 Grand Candy Bars for today to celebrate. May 20 is also National Pick Strawberries Day – have a variety of strawberry and strawberry flavored items that staff can choose from.

May 21 – National Pizza Party Day – Ask your PTO to purchase pizza for lunch for staff today.

May 21 is also NASCAR Day – Decorate a table, staff room, or snack wagon with checkered flags. “We Are Zooming Towards the Finish Line.” Have chex mix available along with beverages and decorate with hot wheels cars.

May 24 is both National Scavenger Hunt Day and National Escargot Day – – So hide a few pictures of Gary the snail from SpongeBob and the staff that find them win a prize.

May 25 – National Brown Bag It Day – Hide different treasures or party favors in brown bags and have staff choose these grab bags for a special treat.

May 26 – National Paper Airplane Day – Have a paper airplane competition for staff to participate.

May 27 – National Grape Popsicle Day – It's been a “grape” of a year. Hand out popsicles this Thursday afternoon.

May 28 – National Road Trip Day. (This is the Friday before Memorial Day) Make a road trip goodie bag for all of your staff. Include a bottle of water, granola bar, licorice, pack of gum, lifesavers, and a note to encourage them to charge their batteries over this three-day weekend.

I’m sure you all have varying opinions about the dangers of flooding the system with money to address the social, emotional, relational, achievement, access, hope, and expectation gaps that exist for our kids (and adults). Either way, the gaps persist and must be addressed. The scary part is the timing and pressure to put strategic, equity-focused plans in place. But what I fear even more is planning that doesn’t involve the voice of principals, and especially, our students.

The research continues to be very clear about the important role principals play in the system – as leaders of culture, systems, and learning – and as creators of hope. This became even more clear as I watched our amazing principals lead during COVID. Their leadership during the last year has been nothing short of extraordinary. Let's not overlook their leadership, persistence, commitment, and experience as districts begin developing those plans. Who has the best glimpse into what each individual school needs? Principals. Let’s make sure we ask them.

So guess what we did? We asked our members what they want and I encourage leaders across the system to authentically engage principal voice in their ongoing discussions.

What did our members say? Whatever is decided, it must be strategic and sustainable.

Here are a few additional suggestions…

1. Principal Input is Critical. Don’t make decisions for us, make decisions with us.

2. Change the Narrative from Loss to Hope. We need to celebrate the successes of students and adults during this past year. Yes, we’ve experienced loss, but we’ve also seen incredible stories of courage and resilience. Let’s stop spreading a narrative of loss and shift public opinions of public education to the hope we will be creating for each and every student in the system as we rebuild a newer and better public school system.

3. There’s Nothing Typical About Prototypical. Our students need hope and hope requires relationships with caring adults. If we want to recover quicker then we need to fund more building leaders, counselors, social workers, behavior specialists, family engagement coordinators, mentors, etc.

4. Smaller Class Sizes. One of the benefits of hybrid learning has been smaller class sizes, attention to the social-emotional needs of our students, the ability to personalize learning for each and every student, and very few discipline matters.

5. Sustainable and Equitable Systems for our Students and Staff. We need broadband access and support to purchase computers/devices. Our staff need continued professional learning around maximizing online learning. We need to continue engaging in inclusionary and equitable teaching and leadership practices. Our students need funding for future curricular and extracurricular activities.

6. Continue to Engage Families and Community Partners. In this crisis, we’ve reached out in very creative ways to our families and have developed more tools to effectively connect with them. We need to continue as partners with families as we work together with students.

7. Keep What’s Working. We need time to reinvent our education system and time to redefine the time and space we use to educate students (mastery-based learning, flexible schedules/hours, assessment, etc.).

Bottom line, let’s not rush into decision-making around how to use these emergency funds. Let’s think about strategically taking the lessons and silver linings from the last year and build a much brighter, more equitable, and hope-filled future for our students. And in case you didn’t catch my emphasis at the top, please involve principals in the dreaming, deciding, and planning process.

If you want someone other than Scott’s opinion, see what the national elementary and secondary principal associations say on this topic. You should also watch the LEV's "Levinar" embedded below, or at least read their summary. 

To Our School Leaders Across the State:

This past Tuesday, a jury in Minnesota found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of murder and manslaughter in George Floyd’s death. This poignant and pivotal moment represents another chapter in our country's dialog on policing and race relations. As educators, we should use it to elevate our conversations on race, on justice and accountability, and on the future of our communities.

For far too long, those in the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities have been victims of police brutality. In George Floyd’s case, it took a video, recorded by 17-year old Darnella Frazier, to pull back the curtain on this brutality for the entire world to see. And for far too long, there's been little to no accountability for police brutality and violence, even for repeat offenders or those officers with a long history of complaints and allegations. 

Tuesday’s verdict was one small step forward and an overdue acknowledgment from the justice system that yes, Black lives do matter. The verdict is only a beginning. Not every victim, family, and community has justice and accountability yet, and tragically, many never will. 

The verdict is incredibly emotional for many people. For some people, it helps the healing process begin. For others, they've finally allowed themselves to feel a sense of hope – hope for change and for a future where historically racist and inequitable systems are dismantled, and in their places, systems that provide equitable opportunities for people to not just survive, but to thrive. 

AWSP's mission statement is simple: supporting principals and the principalship in the education of all students. It's beautiful in its simplicity and breadth. However, if we don't define what it means to support the education of all students and act on that, the statement is just empty words. 

AWSP, and the other organizations in our family (the Association of Washington Student Leaders [AWSL] and Cispus Learning Center), have increased the time, energy, and resources spent in creating more equitable systems and opportunities in recent years. From AWSL and AWSP’s efforts to recruit and retain more teachers of color to putting equity as the number one goal of our strategic plan in 2016, we've prioritized diversity, equity, racial literacy, and inclusion as an organization and in our efforts to help you lead those same efforts in your own school. 

Let's be honest; the work is essential, but it’s not easy. A change of this order will take time – and this verdict is one very crucial step forward. We want to give our school leaders the knowledge, confidence, and resources they’ll need to become anti-racist leaders in order to start dialogues where none existed and take action where inertia was the status quo. 

If we're still being honest, there are parts of our state where that means equipping a lot of white principals to lead equity work for a lot of white teachers teaching a lot of white students. In other parts, it’s a whole lot of white educators teaching growing populations of students of color. It’s critical our BIPOC students see themselves in their teachers and their school’s leaders. Schools need to be a place where they feel safe, welcomed, and accepted. We take on this work for them, not only because it's the right thing to do, but also because of the fundamental American value – the American Dream if you will – that our outcome in life isn't determined by birthright. 

Our world is becoming increasingly diverse and our economy increasingly global. So even in the least diverse parts of our state, that means it’s imperative we prepare our students for a world where not everyone looks like them, speaks their language, and shares their values or customs. BIPOC students still carry a burden and experience discrimination. We need our educators and our students to understand diversity is an opportunity, not a threat.

As your professional association, our job is to prepare school leaders to eliminate systems that constrict, refrain, and oppress students and transform them into systems where everyone is given the opportunities and provided the resources they need to thrive. Our job is also to support you as a school leader. No matter how you feel after the verdict, remember to practice self-care and show care and compassion for your students, staff, faculty, and community. Please reach out to us if you need support. 

The Chauvin verdict was a defining moment in our ongoing discussion of race and equity in America. It cannot be the last. We aren't there yet, and we'll keep working because it's the right thing to do. Our students, and our communities, deserve it.

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Reading & Resources

• Superintendent Reykdal's Statement
• Governor Inslee's Statement 
• Student Equity Guide (and more resources) | AWSL
• 21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge  | America & Moore
• 16 Resources on Talking to Students About Police Killings and Racism | EdWeek
• Resources for Talking to Students about Police Violence and the Murder of George Floyd  | OSPI
• Discussing the Derek Chauvin Trial in Class: How Teachers Are Doing It and Why  | EdWeek
• The Chauvin Verdict Is Simply Justice. Why Are We Celebrating It? | The Seattle Times
• Lesson of the Day: ‘How Teachers Are Exploring the Derek Chauvin Trial With Students’ | The New York Times

In this edition of AWSP News, we discuss:

• a benefit concert for Cispus Forever on June 19th at Cispus,
• AWSL’s Summer Leadership Series,
• an on-demand library of presentations and workshops provided by AWSL Summer Camps,
• our FREE Inclusion 360 webinar,
• the annual AWSP/WASA Summer Conference,
• a reminder that we are the 911 call center for principals and assistant principals in need of support, and
• the Chauvin verdict and creating hope for your students, school and community.

Prefer to read the news? Check out the script.

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 newsletter includes links to information on:

Section 504
A Teacher's Guide to Section 504

School Behavior
How to Calm Turbulent Transitions Back to School

Inclusive Practices
10 Steps for Implementing Effective Inclusive Practices

OSPI
New: Guidance for Supporting Class of 2020 and 2021 Seniors
​New:  ​2021 Virtual Unified Youth Summit
April Special Education Updates
WAC revisions

Upcoming Classes and Events 

• Multiple dates | Special Education Teachers Office Hours
• 5/4 |  Early Learning Summit
• 5/8 & 15 |  Adverse Childhood Experiences
• 5/12 & 26 | Supporting Students With Dyslexia With Courage and Heart
• 5/13 | Identifying and Serving Students With Disabilities Learning English
• 5/25 & 6/2 | Social Emotional Learning for Inclusive Practice
• 5/19 | Cultivating Inclusion Celebration
• 6/9 | Identifying and Teaching Children at Risk for Dyslexia
• 6/29 | Dyslexia & Literacy Instruction: Orthographic & Morphological Skills & Knowledge

Have a nice weekend. For more information, contact Abby Bowers.

The final week of this year’s legislative session is about to come to a close. The last day is Sunday, April 25 and we are all anxiously awaiting final budget details. Earlier this week, there was a “handshake deal” between the House and the Senate on the operating budget. The staff has been working for the past few days to put the final bill together. It should be released on Saturday. It is usually the last bill passed before the Legislature adjourns.

I will send out a much more comprehensive legislative update when we know more about the budget.

Besides reaching a budget deal, the last week of the session was extremely busy as legislators worked to agree on final versions of bills related to police reform, the Blake Decision, climate change, capital gains tax, transportation, childcare, and other issues. If you are interested in short, succinct, non-partisan news about any of these topics or bills, check out The Washington State Wire.

These education bills have passed both houses and have either already been signed by Governor Inslee or await his signature in the next few days.

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Passed Bills

House Bills

• HB 1028 | Repealing the EdTPA
• HB 1085 | Students with seizure disorders
• HB 1113 | Concerning school attendance
• HB 1121 | Emergency graduation waiver
• HB 1139 | Taking action to address lead in drinking water
• HB 1176 | Access to higher education (fines and fees)
• HB 1208 | Modifying the learning assistance program
• HB 1214 | Providing K–12 public school safety and security services by classified staff
• HB 1225 | School-based health care centers
• HB 1273 | Concerning menstrual products in schools
• HB 1295 | Concerning institutional education
• HB 1302 | Concerning college in the high school programs
• HB 1325 | Implementing policies related to children and youth behavioral health
• HB 1342 | Eliminating lunch copays for students who qualify for reduced-price lunches
• HB 1356 | Prohibiting the inappropriate use of Native American names, symbols or images as public school mascots, logos, or team names
• HB 1363 | Addressing secondary trauma in the K–12 workforce
• HB 1365 | Procuring and supporting appropriate computers and devices for public school students and staff
• HB 1373 | Promoting student access to information about behavioral health resources
• HB 1426 | Continuing education requirements for administrators and teachers
• HB 1476 | Addressing enrollment declines
• HB 1484 | Concerning the statewide first responder building mapping information system

Senate Bills

• SB 5030 | Comprehensive school counseling programs
• SB 5044 | Professional learning related to equity, cultural competency, and dismantling institutional racism in schools
• SB 5128 | Concerning student transportation funding
• SB 5184 | Establishing a point of contact in all K–12 schools for students in foster care
• SB 5237 | Expanding accessible, affordable child care and early childhood development programs
• SB 5249 | Mastery based learning
• SB 5299 | Allowing computer science courses as a third year of either a math or science graduation requirement
• SB 5322 | Prohibiting dual enrollment between SEBB and PEBB
  

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More Links

• How to Sign-in for Remote Testimony (register a position, written, or live testimony)
• Fred Yancey’s Retirement & Health Benefits Update
• Dan Steele’s (WASA) This Week in Olympia (TWIO)
• TVW
• Legislative Website
• AWSP Advocacy and Action Center

“I’m not making any plans. I’m going to let the universe (Legislature) surprise me.” ~ Anonymous

Or

“The only things you like sprung on you are snacks.” ~ Abby Jimenez

The biennial budget, worked out in secrecy, will supposedly be released after this report is due. Dollars drive or kill policies, so there may be some surprises in the agreed upon document.

Meanwhile, here is a brief report on bills that are still in play and/or that have changed status since previous reports.

Retirement Related Proposals

HB 1565 would grant a one-time 1.5% COLA to TRS1/PERS1 members. It has not had a hearing before the House Appropriations Committee. Without it and passage by the committee, the COLA will not be funded. This bill and COLA are likely ‘dead’ unless the COLA is maintained in the budget and the implementing bill is brought directly to the floor as part of the bills needed to implement the budget.

SB 5453 | Concerning plans 1 and 2 of the state retirement systems by combining LEROFF 1 and TRS Plan 1 assets to retire the unfunded liability of TRS 1.

This bill is ‘dead’ BUT, the concept of paying down the unfunded liabilities (UAAL) in TRS1 and PERS1 plans is a sound, fiscal move with strong support of some legislative leaders from both parties.

The Senate budget included a commitment to spend $800 million of the Rainy-Day Fund (to be replaced with Federal dollars) on June 30, 2023 to decrease UAAL in TRS1. The House did nothing on this issue.

This issue may appear in the final budget. It does not need a hearing and committee action, unlike HB 1565 above.

ESSB 5097 expands coverage of the paid family and medical leave program. (The Senate concurred 29–19 and the bill will be sent to the Governor.)

ESHB 1214 | Creates the category of safety and security staff for kindergarten through grade 12 public schools. (The Governor already signed this bill. It will go into effect 7/25/21.)

SSB 5425 | Concerning extended benefits in the unemployment insurance system. (The Governor signed. Effective 4/16/2021.)

Fred Yancey
The Nexus Group LLC

The focus was on floor action this week as legislators either agreed with changes made to bills in the opposite house (concurrence) or worked to resolve their differences. Several bills are still waiting on the final agreement and, of course, final behind-the-scenes budget negotiations are ongoing. Legislators are tackling a lot of big issues this session – from police reform to transportation to climate change, housing, and more. If you’re interested in some really good nonpartisan independent news about politics and policy in our state, check out the Washington State Wire.

Our message continues to be that the Legislature should invest state dollars to stabilize school funding for districts and that the focus of federal funding from ESSER III should be on learning recovery efforts moving forward. We also hope that some state investment is made for those districts that receive little to no federal funds.

The School Funding Coalition sent a letter to budget chairs describing the two most critical issues.

Enrollment Stabilization/Base Funding: The Senate proposal provides $192 million for a $1,500 per pupil floor. This additional state funding would supplement the federal funds. This funding floor approach provides a base level of added funding for schools and helps those districts that receive little or no ESSER funds. Our hope is that this baseline amount provides enough funding for districts that lost enrollment and as a result will lose funding for all of those enrollment-based programs (LAP, TBIP, special ed, etc.). We appreciate the House language from HB 1476 (enrollment stabilization) that corrects future funding formula problems related to pandemic enrollment numbers. As you reach a compromise, please allow districts discretion on how best to meet student needs using this one-time funding. We prefer the Senate approach of providing a base level of state funding to support all school districts and the House language fixing future year funding formulas.

Transportation Stabilization Funding: The Senate provides $356 million for transportation, subject to the passage of SB 5128. This investment in state funds allows school districts to maintain a viable transportation system as we work to get all of our students back to in-person learning. There were many concerns about SB 5128 as it passed off the Senate floor and some of those issues are reflected in the restrictions identified in the budget. We would like to work with you to address the concerns with SB 5128 and the budget language to ensure transportation stabilization dollars are available for districts that need it. Please consider funding at the Senate level and clarifying the implementation process for OSPI to distribute funds.

Bill Tracker

House Bills

• HB 1028 | Repealing the EdTPA
• HB 1085 | Students with seizure disorders
• HB 1113 | Concerning school attendance
• HB 1121 | Emergency graduation waiver
• HB 1139 | Taking action to address lead in drinking water
• HB 1176 | Access to higher education (fines and fees)
• HB 1208 | Modifying the learning assistance program
• HB 1214 | Providing K–12 public school safety and security services by classified staff
• HB 1225 | School-based health care centers
• HB 1273 | Concerning menstrual products in schools
• HB 1295 | Concerning institutional education
• HB 1302 | Concerning college in the high school programs
• HB 1325 | Implementing policies related to children and youth behavioral health
• HB 1342 | Eliminating lunch copays for students who qualify for reduced-price lunches
• HB 1356 | Prohibiting the inappropriate use of Native American names, symbols or images as public school mascots, logos, or team names
• HB 1363 | Addressing secondary trauma in the K–12 workforce
• HB 1365 | Procuring and supporting appropriate computers and devices for public school students and staff
• HB 1373 | Promoting student access to information about behavioral health resources
• HB 1426 | Continuing education requirements for administrators and teachers
• HB 1476 | Addressing enrollment declines
• HB 1484 | Concerning the statewide first responder building mapping information system

Senate Bills

• SB 5030 | Comprehensive school counseling programs
• SB 5044 | Professional learning related to equity, cultural competency, and dismantling institutional racism in schools
• SB 5128 | Concerning student transportation funding
• SB 5184 | Establishing a point of contact in all K–12 schools for students in foster care
• SB 5237 | Expanding accessible, affordable child care and early childhood development programs
• SB 5249 | Mastery based learning
• SB 5265 | Creating a bridge year pilot program
• SB 5299 | Allowing computer science courses as a third year of either a math or science graduation requirement
• SB 5322 | Prohibiting dual enrollment between SEBB and PEBB

If you are interested and able to advocate with your legislators, feel free to use any of the above statements in your messages to them. A short email to your legislators that shows your support for any or all of these issues, as well as mentioning other supports for students like additional counselors or mental health supports, etc… would be greatly appreciated. Your personal stories to lawmakers make a difference! Here’s a link to find their contact information.

More Links

• How to Sign-in for Remote Testimony (register a position, written, or live testimony)
• Fred Yancey’s Retirement & Health Benefits Update
• Dan Steele’s (WASA) This Week in Olympia (TWIO)
• TVW
• Legislative Website
• AWSP Advocacy and Action Center

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.