Legislative Update

From how many classrooms have unfilled substitute positions, to how many students you’ll need to contact trace and quarantine, to dealing with out-of-character student behavior, to keeping up the morale of your teaching staff, to standing in the gap of conflicting beliefs with parents, etc., your daily routine is relentless and like drinking from a fire hose. We’ve heard from our members that working 70-80 hours per week, including Saturday and Sunday, is more of a norm than an exception. That pace is unrealistic, unhealthy, and has to stop before you collapse and give up. So, what do we do? While we fight for system changes, we encourage you to fight for yourself. Get networked now. Do it for yourself and do it for your colleagues. We can’t afford to not have Every Principal Networked Now.

It is no secret that although we are all excited to have students back in our schools, the consistent message coming from principals and assistant principals across the state is that this year is quickly proving to be even more challenging than last year. We want you to know that we hear you and that we are here for you. The layers of school leadership right now are massively complex and challenging.

Each year, AWSP’s Advocacy Advisory Council has the opportunity to select a state-level public servant who has demonstrated support of principals and the principalship in the education of all students. For 2021, the Council selected Senator Sam Hunt as AWSP’s 2021 Torch of Leadership Award winner. Senator Hunt is a Democrat representing the 22nd legislative district, which includes Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, and the surrounding areas.

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.

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.