WSPTA LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM:
2019-2020 WSPTA SUPPORTED ISSUES:
- Social Emotional Learning
- School Construction and Simple Majority for Bonds
- Prevent Gun Violence
- Strategies to Address the Teacher Shortage
- Strategic K-12 Investments to Close Gaps
2019-2020 WSPTA SUPPORTED ISSUES:
- Best Practices for School Meals - Lunch
- Best Practices for School Recess
- Engaging Families for Student Success
- Equitable Identification of Highly Capable Students
- Fund Paraeducator Training
- Increase Access to High-Quality Preschool
- Raise the Age of Tobacco and Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems to 21
- Safe School Plans and Emergency Preparedness
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UPCOMING ADVOCACY EVENTS
Tuesday, April 28, 2020: Everett Public Schools Capital Bond Vote BOND RESOURCES FOR PTAs:
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FORMER ADVOCACY EVENTS
Monday, January 20, 2020: Focus Day
Members of Everett PTSA Council celebrated Focus Day by visiting our State Capitol in Olympia and meeting with legislators to discuss key PTA legislative priorities and supported platforms. Interested participants contacted our Advocacy Chair to arrange meetings and carpools.
POST-EVENT SUMMARY (PER ADVOCACY CHAIR): Focus Day was a great day filled with lots of meetings with legislators. Our own Laura Peterson testified before the House Education Committee about improving the prevention and treatment of students with life threatening allergic reactions. PTA leaders met with State Representatives, heard from Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal, testified at committee hearings on bills related to children and education, and learned so much. Thank you to all the PTA leaders who advocate in big and small ways on a daily basis. Your voice makes a difference!
Saturday-Sunday, October 26-27, 2019: WSPTA Legislative Assembly
This annual event provided an opportunity for PTA leaders from across Washington state to learn more about advocacy, vote on resolutions and issues, and network with PTA peers. Interested participants contacted our Advocacy Chair or signed-up on the WSPTA Legislative Assembly website. At the event, attendees participated in legislative discussions pertaining to our WSPTA Legislative Principles and WSPTA Legislative Platform.
LOCATION: Bellevue College - 3000 Landerholm Circle SE, Bellevue, WA 98007
POST-EVENT SUMMARY (PER ADVOCACY CHAIR): We adopted 1 NEW legislative principle, 1 NEW legislative issue that will be added to our also supported issues on the platform, AMENDED 1 legislative issue, adopted 4 NEW resolutions and adopted 15 AMENDED resolutions. There was a lot of good debate and amendments to the proposed issues, principles, and resolutions. It was our new parliamentarian’s first Legislative Assembly and he did a great job. It’s not easy when there are people lined up at the For and Against microphones making motions to amend, extend debate time, or close debate while others are standing at the Information microphone to ask a question about the process; all of this is happening fairly quickly and at the same time! Thank you!
Monday, October 7, 2019: School Board Candidate Forum
Everett PTSA Council hosted this free event, which gave community members an opportunity to submit questions and hear from the candidates running for seats on the Everett Public School Board. The moderator for this event was Nancy Chamberlain, current WA State PTA Finance Officer and immediate past WA State PTA Advocacy Director. We appreciate her willingness to moderate this event for us.
THE CANDIDATES:
April Berg, Brian Hollingshead, Jamyang Dorjee Nhangkar, and Andrew J. Nicholls (Unable to attend due to a schedule conflict)
FORMER ADVOCACY EVENTS
Monday, January 20, 2020: Focus Day
Members of Everett PTSA Council celebrated Focus Day by visiting our State Capitol in Olympia and meeting with legislators to discuss key PTA legislative priorities and supported platforms. Interested participants contacted our Advocacy Chair to arrange meetings and carpools.
POST-EVENT SUMMARY (PER ADVOCACY CHAIR): Focus Day was a great day filled with lots of meetings with legislators. Our own Laura Peterson testified before the House Education Committee about improving the prevention and treatment of students with life threatening allergic reactions. PTA leaders met with State Representatives, heard from Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal, testified at committee hearings on bills related to children and education, and learned so much. Thank you to all the PTA leaders who advocate in big and small ways on a daily basis. Your voice makes a difference!
Saturday-Sunday, October 26-27, 2019: WSPTA Legislative Assembly
This annual event provided an opportunity for PTA leaders from across Washington state to learn more about advocacy, vote on resolutions and issues, and network with PTA peers. Interested participants contacted our Advocacy Chair or signed-up on the WSPTA Legislative Assembly website. At the event, attendees participated in legislative discussions pertaining to our WSPTA Legislative Principles and WSPTA Legislative Platform.
LOCATION: Bellevue College - 3000 Landerholm Circle SE, Bellevue, WA 98007
POST-EVENT SUMMARY (PER ADVOCACY CHAIR): We adopted 1 NEW legislative principle, 1 NEW legislative issue that will be added to our also supported issues on the platform, AMENDED 1 legislative issue, adopted 4 NEW resolutions and adopted 15 AMENDED resolutions. There was a lot of good debate and amendments to the proposed issues, principles, and resolutions. It was our new parliamentarian’s first Legislative Assembly and he did a great job. It’s not easy when there are people lined up at the For and Against microphones making motions to amend, extend debate time, or close debate while others are standing at the Information microphone to ask a question about the process; all of this is happening fairly quickly and at the same time! Thank you!
Monday, October 7, 2019: School Board Candidate Forum
Everett PTSA Council hosted this free event, which gave community members an opportunity to submit questions and hear from the candidates running for seats on the Everett Public School Board. The moderator for this event was Nancy Chamberlain, current WA State PTA Finance Officer and immediate past WA State PTA Advocacy Director. We appreciate her willingness to moderate this event for us.
THE CANDIDATES:
April Berg, Brian Hollingshead, Jamyang Dorjee Nhangkar, and Andrew J. Nicholls (Unable to attend due to a schedule conflict)
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ADVOCACY CHAIR REPORT
Hi Everyone~
We are at the halfway mark of the legislative session which ends on March 12. There were many bills that didn’t make it thru policy cutoff and there are still some great ones that will hopefully make it to a vote on the floor and then eventually to the governor’s desk. Please see Marie Sullivan’s weekly updates on the state website under advocacy for the latest information. Also read any of the action alerts that are sent out and if you’re not signed up to receive them then it’s easy to do by clicking here. The most recent action alert was on preventing gun violence which is one of our top 5 issues.
Coming up is Advocacy Week February 24-28. During Advocacy Week we encourage members to advocate from home by sending an email or by speaking on the phone with someone who can help make a change. Advocacy isn’t limited to just your state elected officials, but also local officials. You can try to meet with a city council member or someone from the school board to talk about the issues that are important to you or write an editorial in your local paper. WSPTA will also be sending out communication each day during the week to highlight a topic that is related to our legislative platform.
I hope that you have all been enjoying the bond presentations and hopefully will be able to or have already attended one of the community forums that have been promoted on the Everett School District website. If you have any questions, want a yard sign, buttons or window clings or you want to volunteer to help please visit the bond committee’s website www.imvotingyes.com to get more information. Remember don’t put any endorsement of the bond in your PTA communications unless your PTA has voted to yes to support it.
Lastly, please check out our website and FB pages for information on any events legislators will be hosting. I do want to mention that there is an opportunity to learn about the 2020 census on Saturday February 29 from 10 am- 12 pm at the Community of Color Coalition’s office. There will be a Spanish interpreter there too. This is FREE event and I encourage anyone who wants to educate themselves on an important process that happens every 10 years to come. Information is posted on our FB page or you can contact me for details.
Lizzy Sebring
Advocacy Chair
Hi Everyone~
We are at the halfway mark of the legislative session which ends on March 12. There were many bills that didn’t make it thru policy cutoff and there are still some great ones that will hopefully make it to a vote on the floor and then eventually to the governor’s desk. Please see Marie Sullivan’s weekly updates on the state website under advocacy for the latest information. Also read any of the action alerts that are sent out and if you’re not signed up to receive them then it’s easy to do by clicking here. The most recent action alert was on preventing gun violence which is one of our top 5 issues.
Coming up is Advocacy Week February 24-28. During Advocacy Week we encourage members to advocate from home by sending an email or by speaking on the phone with someone who can help make a change. Advocacy isn’t limited to just your state elected officials, but also local officials. You can try to meet with a city council member or someone from the school board to talk about the issues that are important to you or write an editorial in your local paper. WSPTA will also be sending out communication each day during the week to highlight a topic that is related to our legislative platform.
I hope that you have all been enjoying the bond presentations and hopefully will be able to or have already attended one of the community forums that have been promoted on the Everett School District website. If you have any questions, want a yard sign, buttons or window clings or you want to volunteer to help please visit the bond committee’s website www.imvotingyes.com to get more information. Remember don’t put any endorsement of the bond in your PTA communications unless your PTA has voted to yes to support it.
Lastly, please check out our website and FB pages for information on any events legislators will be hosting. I do want to mention that there is an opportunity to learn about the 2020 census on Saturday February 29 from 10 am- 12 pm at the Community of Color Coalition’s office. There will be a Spanish interpreter there too. This is FREE event and I encourage anyone who wants to educate themselves on an important process that happens every 10 years to come. Information is posted on our FB page or you can contact me for details.
Lizzy Sebring
Advocacy Chair
ADVOCACY CONTACTS:
Everett PTSA Council Advocacy Chair: Lizzy Sebring, rungal20@msn.com
Region 7 Advocacy Chair:
WSPTA Legislative Director: Nancy Chamberlin - ptalegdir@wastatepta.org
WA State Advocacy Webpage (Legislative Platform, how to take action): www.wastatepta.org/focus-areas/advocacy/
Sign up to take action with "Voter Voice": https://www.votervoice.net/WAPTA/register
HELPFUL LINKS:
Find and Contact Your Legislators
WA State Legislative Resolutions
Advocacy and Legislative Resources
U.S. Department of Education
WA Family Engagement
Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)
Washington State Office of the Education Ombudsman (OEO)
WSPTA
WSPTA Bylaws
WSPTA Directory
Conducting PTA Endorsement Vote PDF
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