AWSP Blog

For decades, thousands of children and adults around the state have been going to Cispus Learning Center in Randle, WA. But did you know about our facility in eastern Washington? Located outside of Spokane, Chewelah Peak Learning Center offers outdoor learning, leadership training and an affordable retreat center for youth groups or hobbyists; a perfect place to reflect, re-focus and re-energize.

In our annual Summer Conference Luncheon special edition of AWSP News, we highlight three of our Principals of the Year and are back with everyone's favorite segment, our celebrity interview where we ask, "who's your favorite principal?" Thanks to the Seattle Mariners organization and Manager Scott Servais for this All-Star edition.

Passed this session, HB 1599 transforms the assessment expectations for graduation and how students can approach fulfilling requirements for earning a diploma. We know principals and districts are clamoring for more information, so we partnered with OPSI and the SBE to bring you two episodes of AWSP TV on this topic. First up is our episode with OSPI's Deputy Superintendent Dr. Michaela Miller (our returning champion).

In this episode of AWSP News, we discuss Brad Tilden, CEO of Alaska Airlines, and his visit with our CEO Network,our Association of Washington Student Leaders summer programs, our student leadership curriculum, our incredible professional learning cohort-based series, our principal mentoring program for principals in their first three years, a bill removing the personal and philosophical option to exempt children from the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine, resources on changes to the requirements for school and child care immunizations, getting your accreditation through your ESD, Summer Conference, this year’s NAESP National Conference, senior graduation, High School and Beyond Plan resources for teachers and counselors, and the end-of-the-year activities you lead in your school.

In this episode of AWSP News, we discuss an email we received about the selfless dedication of principal Dorothy Day of Oak Harbor Elementary; registration for two of AWSP’s Launching Principal Leadership and Building Effective Leadership; Summer Conference and our surprise guest for our Special Edition of AWSP News; our Assistant Principal Leadership Network; AWSL's La Cima, Deaf Teen Leadership camp, and native American camps; ASB Finance workshops; the Blue Ribbon Schools Program; and Pride Month and additional resources to support LGBTQ students in your school.

In this episode of AWSP News, we discuss a visit from Kaiser Permanente Susan Mullaney, principal Jason Smith from John R. Rogers High School in Puyallup and his national recognition, our state principals of the year, the Washington College Grant, registration for AWSP’s Launching Principal Leadership Network AND Building Effective Leadership Network, a Ph.D. candidate wanting to learn more about principals as transformational and instructional leaders, a survey on Washington’s STEM educator pipeline, the winter/spring issue of our Washington Principal magazine, and our business partners VEBA and PEMCO.

AWSP is helping recruit participants for a doctoral research study titled, “An Exploration of Methods for Promoting Student Performance Used by Transformational Leaders and Instructional Leaders.” The research will explore the methods of principals, who self-identify as transformational leaders and/or instructional leaders, used to promote high student achievement.

In this episode of AWSP News, we discuss the end of session, our Spring Board meetings, AWSL and the student representatives to the State Board of Education, the 2019 Native American Leadership Camp, a cool way to motivate and support your kids during testing, the Professional Educators Standards Board, this year's Summer Conference, changing your status with us if you change jobs, our business partner Clear Risk, and introduce Jack Arend (our newest Associate Director).

While not completely accurate, this headline reflects the feeling of many principals Washington grappling with changes to state laws for suspensions and expulsion. To be clear, schools can still use exclusion as a tool, but the new discipline rules put a significant squeeze on when and how it is applied.

The great mystery is the upcoming release of the agreed upon 2019–21 budget. It is to be released Saturday, the 27th. While budget negotiations were occurring behind closed doors, both chambers passed a number of bills. A few pertain to this report.