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  • Special Education and 504 Tips & Resources | January 20, 2023

    Dr. James Whitehead | Director of Special Programs & Services, Integrated Student Support | Capital Region ESD 113
    Jan 23, 2023
    These resources are sent out weekly to leaders in special education and Section 504. Each post contains tips and resources on a variety of topics that are meant to keep you informed and up-to-date.
  • Quick Inclusion Takeaway and Member Spotlight

    Ashley Barker, Inclusion Director, AWSP
    Jan 23, 2023
    This week, we would like to spotlight Hazen High School in Renton, WA. Principal Ashley Landes created this auto-reply email in collaboration with her counseling team and shared it with her staff at their meeting before the break to help staff understand the additional community resources to support students while school wasn’t in session. Knowing that their students had access to support beyond school allowed many staff to disengage from email and enjoy their time off.  At Hazen, this auto-reply was added to staff email over the holiday; however, a similar message could be used after school hours and on weekends to ensure access to available resources. Thank you, Team Hazen, for this great idea and powerful inclusionary practice, which allows students with diverse needs to access community resources.  This template was adapted from their resource list so our members can add their local resources.
  • Retirement & Health Benefits for January 20, 2023

    Fred Yancey, The Nexus Group LLC
    Jan 20, 2023
    Bills continue to be introduced but the real action happens as committees hold public hearings and executive sessions on various bills. Executive sessions often follow. Changes in planned agendas also often happen at the last moment. Listed below are bills that show some movement. Others were reported last week but are not repeated this week if no activity has occurred to date.
  • Legislative Update | January 16 - 20, 2023

    Roz Thompson, Governmental Relations & Advocacy Director, AWSP
    Jan 20, 2023
    The second week of the session is coming to an end. Almost 1,000 bills have been introduced so far, with more on the way. The highlight of the week was that our two bills related to principal and assistant principal employment were both passed out of the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee. SB 5085 and SB 5175 now move on to the Rules Committee, where legislators on that committee will decide if and when to bring it to the full Senate for a vote.
  • Share Your Elementary Schedule: Science

    Kimberley Astle, Associate Director of Elementary Science, OSPI and Shelley Barker, Director of School Engagement, Outdoor Schools WA
    Jan 19, 2023
    Kimberley Astle, Associate Director of Elementary Science at OSPI, is currently collecting examples of elementary (K-5) instructional schedules at the classroom, school, and district level that include time allocated for science learning. The goal is to understand how teachers, schools, and districts are finding successful ways to organize instructional minutes so that elementary students are provided with the learning time they need for a quality science education.
  • Legislative Update | January 9 - 14, 2023

    Roz Thompson, Governmental Relations & Advocacy Director, AWSP
    Jan 13, 2023
    This year’s legislative session kicked off on Monday, January 9th, and the Capitol was hopping! It was so great to see legislators, staffers, lobbyists, and other people bustling around the buildings and walkways of the Capitol Campus. For the most part, things feel the same as they did in 2020 when legislators last met in person. There are some new security features, such as metal detectors prior to going into the gallery sitting areas of the House and Senate floors, and there are more locked doors in the Cherberg and O’Brien office buildings. But, there are plenty of friendly faces to greet you in hearing rooms or escort you to members’ offices.
  • Renton High School Assistant Principal Jessica Buchan is the 2023 Washington State Secondary Assistant Principal of the Year

    David Morrill, Communications & Technology Director, AWSP
    Jan 11, 2023
    Jessica Buchan, assistant principal at Renton High School in the Renton School District, was named this year’s Washington State Secondary Assistant Principal of the Year. Buchan will also be recognized at the national level by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), where she will compete with winners from other states for the NASSP’s National Assistant Principal of the Year award, announced in early April.
  • Pine Tree Elementary Principal Dana Stiner is the 2023 Washington State Elementary Principal of the Year

    David Morrill, Communications & Technology Director, AWSP
    Jan 11, 2023
    Dana Stiner, principal at Pine Tree Elementary School in the Kent School District, was named this year’s Washington State Elementary Principal of the Year. Stiner will also be recognized at the national level by the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP). She will be recognized with winners from other states as one of NAESP’s National Distinguished Principals.
  • Spanaway Middle School Principal Shannon Leatherwood is the 2023 Washington State Secondary Principal of the Year

    David Morrill, Communications & Technology Director, AWSP
    Jan 11, 2023
    Shannon Leatherwood, principal at Spanaway Middle School in the Bethel School District, was named this year’s Washington State Secondary Principal of the Year. Leatherwood will also be recognized at the national level by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). She will compete with winners from other states for the NASSP National Principal of the Year award.
  • Frank Wagner Elementary School Assistant Principal Deborah Henderson is the 2023 Washington State Elementary Assistant Principal of the Year

    David Morrill, Communications & Technology Director, AWSP
    Jan 11, 2023
    Deborah Henderson, assistant principal at Frank Wagner Elementary School in the Monroe School District, was named the 2023 Washington State Elementary Assistant Principal of the Year. In addition, she will represent Washington as our state’s winner of the National Association of Elementary School Principals National (NAESP) Outstanding Assistant Principal award. The NAESP recognizes one winner from each state every year.

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For More Information 

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

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