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Rep. Steve Bergquist Wins AWSP’s 2025 Torch of Leadership Award
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. We’re thrilled to announce that our 2025 Torch of Leadership Award is presented to Representative Steve Bergquist (D-Renton), who currently serves on the Appropriations, Education,…
Learn MoreGive Teachers the Learning you Want for Students
While virtually every school leader wishes they had more resources to support their school improvement efforts—more time, funding or staff—they also know their most valuable resource isn’t a line in the budget, calendar, or policy manual. It’s their staff’s minds: their knowledge, mindset and motivation. School leaders routinely invest in professional development aligned to improvement…
Learn MoreMiddle and High School Surveys from Washington Breathes
Washington Breathes has two active surveys for middle and high school staff to inform our work across the state. We know school staff are always busy, so these are ongoing surveys without a specific deadline for responses. We will share the aggregated data from these surveys to inform school leaders, community leaders and policymakers about…
Learn More64th Anniversary of the United States Senate Youth Program: Apply by Sept. 26
The 64th anniversary of the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) will take place in Washington, D.C. from March 7–14, 2026. For the past 64 years, two students per state have been selected to receive a $10,000 scholarship and attend this week-long program, funded by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation. This program is a national…
Learn MoreNew Wellness Resources from Kaiser Permanente Thriving Schools
As another school year begins, we know the back-to-school season can bring a mix of excitement and stress for teachers and school staff. That’s why Kaiser Permanente Thriving Schools is proud to champion the well-being of the entire school community. Let us help you set the right tone for the year with these resources and…
Learn MoreKnow 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,…
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