The Top 5 Legislative Priorities for 2020-2021 are:

• Increase Access to Nursing, Mental Health, and Social Emotional Learning Staff
• Support Students and Preserve Education Funding
• Increasing Educational Equity by Closing the Digital Divide
• Supports and Funding for Students with Disabilities and Their Families
• Prevent and Reduce Gun Violence and Suicide

Also supported (listed alphabetically):

• Equitable Identification and Services for Highly Capable Students
• Mitigating the Adverse Impacts of Climate Change
• Safe School Plans and Emergency Preparedness

Visit here for more information and descriptions of each of these issues.

Take Action Here.

Dear Washington State PTA Member,

Every other day, a Washington child or youth dies at the hand of a firearm.  High-capacity magazines make shootings more deadly and allow shooters to fire more rounds, faster.  The Washington Post estimates that more than 240,000 American students have now experienced gun violence at school, including nearly 7,000 students in Washington.

We have the opportunity to restrict the access of these most deadly weapons in SSB 5078, which would limit the sale and transfer of high-capacity magazines over 17 rounds. This common-sense legislation was requested by our Attorney General’s office. Please contact your representatives and ask for their support.

Thank you,

Sherry Rudolph, WSPTA Advocacy Director

Take Action Here.

Take Action Here.

Dear Washington State PTA member,

Right now, we need your voice more than ever as our Washington state legislature grapples with funding choices. We know this year is like no other and we need you to speak up. Legislators often comment that they don’t hear enough from parents – you can change that.

Please take a few minutes to advocate for kids – ask legislators to preserve this school year’s funding and make no mid-year cuts, and to prioritize new revenues and federal stimulus funding for early learning, higher education and programs that help students who struggled the most under this pandemic.

Thank you for supporting kids at this important time,

Sherry Rudolph, WSPTA Advocacy Director

Take Action Here.

Two major events happened in the legislature on March 8th! 

1. SB 5023 was brought to the floor of the Senate (this is the Senate version of the bill that would delay the levy cliff, and companion bill to HB 1059). The Senate voted and passed the bill! It will be sent to the House for consideration tomorrow
   
2. The Senate passed a Para-educator Bill! This bill (SB 5070) will require standards for para-educators, professional development, a career ladder, a more accessible path to teacher certification, and training for teachers who supervise para-educators. This aligns with one of the Top 5 priorities on this year’s WSPTA legislative platform.

Hello Council Members!

Below are 3 action items for this month. Email addresses for your local legislators are listed at the bottom of this email. So many of you have already sent in emails and blue postcards. Please keep them coming! Thank you all so much for all you do!

1. Contact your Senator re: bringing House Bill 1059 (Levy Cliff Extension Bill) to a vote. 

The House passed the levy cliff delay bill nearly a month ago and the Senate has rejected two attempts to bring it to the floor for a vote. This is top priority for Issaquah!

Sample subject line: Urgent – Please Pass the Levy Cliff Extension bill HB 1059

Sample email: I urge you to support HB 1059. Students are counting on you to keep teachers in classrooms next year. Our schools are trying to devise an operating budget for next year before April 1st. They are faced with the stress of uncertainty, and the possibility of having to RIF teachers. Levy dollars are voter approved. We cannot afford to lose teachers or funding in our schools. Thank you for taking care of our students and voting to pass HB 1059. (Please give your name and address in the body of the email.)

 

2. Ask your Representatives to identify new progressive revenue sources to amply fund public education.

The House passed the Democrats’ Education Plan (HB 1843), but they have not yet announced how the state would pay for it.

3. Attend the Education Funding Forum for the 5th and 41st Legislative Districts! 

Join local legislators in a conversation about education funding.

Saturday, March 11, 2017

1:00-3:00pm

Tyee Middle School in Bellevue

More info here: https://www.facebook.com/events/416104822058567/

Contacts:

5th Leg. District

Sen. Mark Mullet – Mark.Mullet@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Paul Graves – PaulGraves@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Jay Rodne – JayRodne@leg.wa.gov

41st Leg. District

Sen. Lisa Wellman – Lisa.Wellman@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Judy Clibborn – JudyClibborn@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Tana Senn – Tana.Senn@leg.wa.gov

Thank you again for your dedication!

 

Portions of this email are from the Washington’s Paramount Duty website. 

You can sign up to receive email updates, newsletters or blog posts in your email for each of these organizations:

Washington State Legislature http://leg.wa.gov/
Washington State PTA Advocacy page http://www.wastatepta.org/advocacy/index.html
Washington State PTA – Advocacy Blog http://wsptagrassroots.blogspot.com/
Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction http://www.k12.wa.us/
Network in Excellence for Washington Schools http://waschoolexcellence.org/
Washington’s Paramount Duty http://paramountduty.org/
Washington’s Paramount Duty – Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/ParamountDuty/
League of Education Voters http://educationvoters.org/
Washington Association of School Administrators (Legislative Updates page) http://wasa-oly.org/WASA/wasa/4_0_Government_Relations/This_Week_in_Olympia_-_TWIO/TWIO.aspx
Washington State School Directors’ Association (legislative updates page) http://www.wssda.org/Legislative/LegislativeUpdates.aspx

Please read and CALL LEGISLATORS listed at the bottom of this email before 10AM tomorrow (Friday) morning!! We NEED the Senate to vote YES on House Bill 1059 to delay the levy cliff!

Issaquah schools stand to lose $7 million in funding next year if this bill does not pass!

Dear WPD Advocate,

We have an urgent opportunity to avoid teacher layoffs and program cuts that would undermine our children’s education — and we need you to make calls right now.

The State Senate will likely be voting on Friday morning at 10AM on an important procedural motion that, if adopted, would allow a vote on the bill to delay the levy cliff soon afterward. We need to flood Senate offices with calls urging them to bring this bill, HB 1059, to the floor and then to vote yes on it.

Need to find your Senator or their phone number? Click here and urge your Senator to immediately pass the bill to delay the levy cliff!

If you need a script: “Hello, I am your constituent from [name your city or town]. I need you to vote to bring HB 1059 to the floor and vote for the bill. We must delay the levy cliff so that teachers don’t get fired and students don’t lose important classes and programs they need to succeed. I know you have the power to save our schools from financial peril and I need you to lead on this.”

The bill to delay the levy cliff is an important part of fully funding our public schools. If this bill doesn’t pass, districts across the state will have to fire teachers and slash important programs for students. This is because school districts would lose part of their funds on January 1, 2018 — but the legislature does not have to deliver full funding for schools under the McCleary decision until September 1, 2018.

The levy cliff represents a big step backward in the state’s compliance with the constitution and the courts. Delaying the levy cliff for one more year allows our teachers to teach and our students to learn while the legislature finally passes the new revenue needed to fully fund public schools, as well as reducing districts’ reliance on levies to pay for basic education.

Call your Senator right now and urge them to immediately pass the bill to delay the levy cliff! Click here if you need to find your Senator or their phone number.

Below are some of the Senators who most urgently need to hear from the public. If even just one of them votes yes, the bill can pass and our schools will be saved from the levy cliff. If you or anyone you know lives in any of these legislative districts/areas, please ask them to call their Senator right now!

Hans Zeiger
25th LD: includes Puyallup, Fife
360 786-7648
hans.zeiger@leg.wa.gov

John Braun
20th LD: includes Chehalis, Centralia, Castle Rock
360 786-7638
john.braun@leg.wa.gov

Joe Fain
47th LD: includes Auburn, Kent, Renton, Covington, Federal Way
360 786-7692
joe.fain@leg.wa.gov

Ann Rivers
18th LD: includes Vancouver, Ridgefield, Camas, Battle Ground, Washougal, La Center, Hockinson
360 786-7634
ann.rivers@leg.wa.gov

Mark Miloscia
30th LD: includes Algona, Auburn, Des Moines, Federal Way, Milton, Pacific
360 786-7658
mark.miloscia@leg.wa.gov

Jan Angel
26th LD: includes Bremerton, Port Orchard, Gig Harbor, Lakebay, Purdy
360 786-7650
jan.angel@leg.wa.gov

Dino Rossi
45th LD: includes Redmond, Kirkland, Sammamish, Woodinville, Duvall
360 786-7672
dino.rossi@leg.wa.gov

Maureen Walsh
16th LD: includes Walla Walla, Prosser, Horse Heaven
360 786-7630
maureen.walsh@leg.wa.gov

Mark Schoesler
9th LD: includes Ritzville, Pullman, Colfax, St. John, Asotin
360 786-7620
mark.schoesler@leg.wa.gov

Phil Fortunato
31st LD: includes Enumclaw, Buckley, Bonney Lake, Auburn, Sumner, Edgewood, South Prairie, Wilkeson and Carbonado
360 786-7660
phil.fortunato@leg.wa.gov

Brad Hawkins
12th LD: includes Wenatchee, East Wenatchee, Twisp, Winthrop, Leavenworth
360 786-7622
brad.hawkins@leg.wa.gov

Randi Becker
2nd LD: includes Eatonville, Yelm, Orting, Graham, Roy, Rainier
360 786-7602 305
randi.becker@leg.wa.gov

Lynda Wilson
17th LD: includes Brush Prairie, Orchards, Cascade Park East (Clark County)
360 786-7632
lynda.wilson@leg.wa.gov

Curtis King
14th LD: includes Stevenson, White Salmon, Naches, Goldendale, Tieton, Roosevelt
360 786-7626
curtis.king@leg.wa.gov

Barbara Bailey
10th LD: includes Stanwood, Camamo Island, Whidbey Island, Oak Harbor, La Connor
360 786-7618
barbara.bailey@leg.wa.gov

Thank you for taking a minute to call and contacting your friend, colleague, or relative out in these critical districts.

Your fellow advocate,
Tali

Tali Rausch
Board President
Washington’s Paramount Duty