The focus was definitely on fiscal committees this week as legislators work to meet the next significant cut-off date of this legislative session on Monday, February 22. By the end of that day, bills need to be passed out of the House fiscal committees
and Senate Ways & Means and Transportation committees in each house of origin. Some of these committees will meet on Saturday to continue this work.
Advocacy Continues
Our partners at WASA, WASBO, and WSSDA will be working on Sunday this weekend when they meet in the afternoon for their annual legislative conference. District administrators, superintendents and school directors will have their virtual “week on
the hill” March 15–19. Advocacy always continues and our stories about what students and staff need to operate schools safely are critical to keep sharing with policymakers so that funding meets these needs.
We will turn our attention to some national advocacy efforts next week when NAESP holds their on February 22–24. NASSP holds their
on April 20–21, registration is free for either of these events. We will also meet virtually with some of our members of Congress and/or
their staff over these next few weeks to share what we have been doing in our state and to ask for their continued support for schools.
Graduation Waiver
We were thrilled that the graduation waiver bill passed the Senate this week and is headed to Governor Inslee for his signature. The next step in this process is to quickly get feedback to the State Board of Education (SBE) to help them with their rule-making
process. Provide input on key decision points (outlined in this video brief) by completing before February 25. The SBE hopes to adopt these new rules
at their March 10–11 meeting.
Budget
Work to get federal funds via out to school districts is ongoing and districts are required to review and update their reopening
plans for the 2020–21 school year by March 1st. . We’ve heard
that the funds could be in districts’ hands as early as March 13. In concert with these funds, we are working to ensure that state funding for enrollment and transportation is held steady for districts for next year using 2019–20 numbers.
(transportation) and (enrollment/categorical programs) are the vehicles for the state dollars, in addition to the supplemental and operating budgets. We also continue to follow which would lower the voter approval threshold from 60 percent to 55 percent of voters for school districts to issue general obligation bonds as well as the Capital Budget.
COVID–19 Information
Here is additional information that the Department of Health released about efforts to expand the school testing initiative to .
And here is the link for the new “” with guidance on best practices
and protocols for implementing a COVID–19 testing strategy. 51¸£ÀûÉç 10 districts contributed to this document and they are sharing their experiences to help all of those who are working to reopen schools. We meet weekly with the Governor’s
office, Department of Health, and Labor and Industries about COVID–19 related issues and communication and if you have any questions, let me know.
Important Bills Still Moving:
House
| Repealing the EdTPA
| Concerning school attendance
| Emergency graduation waivers
| Addressing lead in drinking water
| Increasing language access in schools
| Adding a performance exhibition pathway and changing to 20 credits for graduation
| Concerning student fines and fees
| Concerning the LAP program
| Expanding child care and early learning programs
| Concerning training for and data collection of school safety staff
| School based health centers
| Concerning basic education and salary review and rebase
| Concerning menstrual products in schools
| Concerning institutional education
| College in the high school programs
| Youth behavioral health
| Reduced price lunch copays
| Prohibiting the inappropriate use of Native American names, symbols or images
| Secondary trauma resources for K–12 staff HB 1373 Promoting student access to information about behavioral health
resources
| Highly capable programs
| Skill center class size
| Adjusting experience factors for certificated instructional staff
| Continuing education requirements for administrators and teachers
| Procuring and supporting the use of appropriate computers and devices for schools
| ECEAP entitlement date and definition
| Promoting access to outdoor education
| National 988 system for suicide prevention
| Concerning the first responder building mapping information system
Senate
| School counseling programs
| School employee housing
| Concerning equity training and dismantling institutional racism in public schools
| Exploring alternative school calendars
| Teaching tribal history
| Establishing a foster care point of contact in each building
| Media literacy and digital citizenship
| Mastery-based learning
| Chinese American history
| Creating a bridge year pilot program
| Allowing the use of computer science credits for the purpose of a third year math or science credit
| Expanding access to the college bound scholarship
| Prohibiting SEBB and PEBB dual enrollment
| Creating a confidential youth safety and well-being tip line
| Creating teaching endorsements in computer science
More Links