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Jun 12, 2023
We know, we know…hundreds of you just completed a survey this winter for us about your job satisfaction and working conditions. Why are we back again with another one? We’ve partnered with Strategies 360, one of the west coast’s leading government relations and communications firms, to help us grow, support, and sustain the principalship. This survey will help us understand what our members need from us, and prioritize the most impactful policies to pursue. The questions align with the Wallace Foundation's Principal Pipeline Sustainability Guide. This guide explains what it takes to sustain an effective principal pipeline and provides tools to help school district teams keep the pipeline going.
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May 31, 2023
Session has concluded, and the Governor has acted. Below is a brief summary of pension, health care, and other benefit legislation that will impact school districts, present and future retirees. The work continues...
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May 30, 2023
ESB 5175 passed this last legislative session, allowing a district to offer a principal a contract of up to three years if certain conditions are met. The bill was introduced by Senator Lisa Wellman in order to help recruit and retain quality school leaders. We know it takes time to change systems and culture, and that nothing changes without relationships. A three-year contract might help reduce principal churn, and at the same time, help a principal lead with a long-term vision and plan.
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May 23, 2023
OSPI, the State Board of Education, and the Washington Student Achievement Council held a webinar this week where they shared updates on new legislation related to graduation, as well as career and college readiness. These groups provided updates on changes coming to graduation pathways, the High School and Beyond Plan, the Washington College Grant, Mastery-Based Learning, and more. Here are some highlights. The State Board of Education explained HB 1308, which establishes another graduation pathway that districts can choose to use for their students. This performance-based pathway is an opportunity for students to demonstrate knowledge and skills in a real-world context, providing evidence that the student meets or exceeds state learning standards in English and mathematics.
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May 04, 2023
As a 2022 interim project, Senator Lisa Wellman (D-Mercer Island), Chair of the Senate Committee on Early Learning and K-12 Education, asked committee staff to put together a document that identifies and categorizes references to parents and guardians in state law, rules, and model policies. The final document organizes these policies by topics such as attendance and truancy, classroom access and parental involvement, curriculum and instructional materials, special education, graduation, and more.