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Know the Facts About Firearm Injury
Right now, most students get their information about firearms from television, movies, social media—even video games. By the time the average U.S. student graduates from high school, they’ve seen more than 200,000 acts of violence on TV alone, many involving firearms. Yet instruction on firearm violence is not included in Washington State’s health education standards.…
Learn MoreUpdates to OSPI Student Discipline Rules and WSSDA Model Policy/Procedure
As many of you know, OSPI has completed its permanent rulemaking process regarding student discipline. The updated permanent rules took effect on July 11, 2025. These rules mostly mirror the emergency rules issued in September 2024, but also include additional changes that school districts should carefully review. To help school districts comply with the new…
Learn MoreThe Power of Alignment
What do Monsters, Inc., TPEP, and PLCs have in common? More than you think. This post explores how one school flipped the script on isolated goal-setting by aligning TPEP, PLC, and SIP efforts into one shared system — turning disconnected “containers of energy” into a powerful, unified grid. The result? Purposeful evaluations, real-time instructional impact,…
Learn MoreTogether for Safety: Lower Columbia School Safety Summit
School safety is not the responsibility of a single person, department, or profession—it is a shared mission that thrives when schools and communities come together. That belief is at the heart of the Lower Columbia School Safety Summit, an annual event dedicated to fostering a united, proactive, and resilient approach to school safety by bringing…
Learn MoreStart Strong: Cathy Sork Shares Nine Ways to Boost Student Engagement from Day One
How you start the school year matters. The first days and weeks set the tone for everything that follows — and no one knows that better than Cathy Sork, 2024 AWSP Elementary Principal of the Year and principal at Dorothy Fox Elementary in Camas. In her recent article for NAESP’s Communicator, Cathy shares nine creative,…
Learn MoreYou are the Architect of Your Impact: Start the 2025–26 School Year with Purpose
You are the architect of your building’s culture, its systems, and its commitment to learning. That’s not small work—that’s transformational. So here’s your invitation: Before the first bell rings, take some time to reflect. What do you want to be true about your school by October? What will you design now to make that vision…
Learn More2025 Schools on the Rise Winners
The Association of Washington Student Leaders (AWSL) and the Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP) will present 42 schools across the state with our Washington Schools on the Rise Award this fall. This is double of the submissions from the 2024 award year.
Learn MoreThe Influence of Leadership – Remembering Dr. Gay Selby
Dr. Selby was a legend whose influence on others across our state and country is truly unmeasurable. We remember her fondly at AWSP.
Learn MoreExpand Access to Books for Your Students with AWSP’s Partner, Books Are Fun
AWSP has partnered with Books Are Fun to promote their Book Blast program, which is already making an impact in schools across Washington. Every student receives at least one brand-new, age-appropriate book. There’s no cost to your school—no invoices, no budget concerns. The Book Blast team handles 90% of the work, minimizing the lift for…
Learn MoreAWSP and AWSL Bring Home National Communication Honors from NSPRA
The Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP), alongside its student leadership division—the Association of Washington Student Leaders (AWSL)—has been nationally recognized by the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) for outstanding achievement in school communications.
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