• School Celebration Newsletter | April 2023 Edition

    by Julie Woods | Mar 27, 2023

     



    IT'S OFFICIALLY SPRING TIME

    I love APRIL. Springtime brings crazy schedules for the Cromwell Family. However, I am determined to enjoy these precious moments with my family along with the later sunsets, the blooming flowers, the birds chirping in the morning, and evenings on the back deck. All of these beautiful signs of spring make me smile. This month of April, you need to not feel guilty about shutting down your phone for an evening or weekend. Go for a walk, turn the music up a bit louder on your drive to and from work, get a massage, AND treat yourself to some me time. April is when we are starting to see the finish line for this school year, so fill YOUR bucket. I know you will find this edition of the School Celebration Newsletter helpful to bring laughter, joy, and appreciation to your work. As always, feel free to reach out to me @sholtys on twitter if I can do anything to support your work or be a sounding board of ideas. I believe in you!


    Image of siblings, cat, person with 8 arms doing multiple tasks at once

     

    APRIL DAYS TO CELEBRATE

    April 3 | Tweed Day. Can you have a fun tweed dress-up day today?

    April 4 | National Vitamin C Day. Pick up a box of "Emergen C" at Costco and share with staff to encourage them to build up their immune system to get through this spring.

    April 5 | National Deep Dish Pizza Day. Check with your local pizza restaurants and see if they would be willing to donate a few pizzas to honor your staff. Either treat staff to a pizza lunch or utilize them as prizes for a drawing for dinner.

    April 6 | National Carmel Popcorn Day. Individual bags of Carmel Popcorn with a note that reads, “I am popping for JOY that you are a part of our staff. Happy National Popcorn Day.” April 6 is also National Burrito Day. What a great day for a staff burrito potluck to “wrap up your staff” with the good stuff.

    April 7 | National Coffee Cake Day. Pick up a couple boxes of Little Debbie Coffee Cakes for an easy way to celebrate this day.

    April 10 | National Siblings Day. Have staff share pictures of themselves with their siblings and post them on a bulletin board or on your school's media screens. What a great way for your students to get to know the faculty.

    April 11 | National Pet Day. Have staff share pictures of their pets. Then have a class competition to see which classroom can match the most staff with their pets.

    April 12 | National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day. Ask your PTO or school booster group to make grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch today. April 12 is also National Licorice Day. Have staff vote on preferences for Red Vines vs. Twizzlers?? Or provide licorice in your staff room for a quick snack. Include a note to say, “I am extending a vine to help you pull through the week.”

    April 13 | National Make Lunch Count Day. Provide staff a list of relaxing activities they could do at lunchtime, either individually or with their class. April 13 is also National Scrabble Day. Set out a few Scrabble boards in the staff room for staff to use or write out your school name and mascot, such as "Kelso Virtual Academy Chargers" on a piece of paper and hand it out to your staff. Give staff a set amount of time to create as many words from the phrase.

    April 14 | National Gardening Day. This could be an awesome theme for your Teacher Appreciation Week also. As an idea--"We grow great learners at Loowit High School (fill in your school)." Provide a basket of seeds for your staff with a note of thanks for helping grow students or a tiny (cheap) fushcia start with plant stake.

    April 15 | National Laundry Day—Yes, it is a Saturday, but you can celebrate this on Friday, April 14th, because it is a fun one. Purchase Shout Wipes with a sticker or note that says I want to shout out to the world how thankful I am for you. (Shout Wipes are a must have in the Cromwell Household)

    April 18 | National Animal Cracker Day. Do you remember the red circus boxes of animal crackers? Add a stick on each one that says, “I am thankful you are a part of our circus.”

    April 19 | National Garlic Day. Give everyone a bulb of garlic and a pack of Tic Tacs with a note "I will always have you covered." Or create a poster in the staff room where staff could share favorite things to use garlic in and for. It is also National Banana Day. OK, so let me share with you that my grandmother believed in the power of bananas. Those, along with peppermint and honey, could cure just about everything. Bananas have potassium along with a ton of other good for you nutrients, and well, they do amazing things for the human body. On this day I will be providing bananas for every staff member and a note that says, “Have a Banana. It cures just about everything. –Grandma Alice”

    April 20 | National Look-Alike Day. Can you have a dress-up day where students dress up like a staff member? OR maybe teachers partner with their grade level or content area teams to dress up similarly?

    April 21 | National Tea Day. A tea buffet to greet everyone in the morning with some breakfast pastries. Add a few signs that say, "We are brewing up a successful year. Thank you".

    April 24 | National Bucket List Day. Create a bucket list board in your staff room. Ask staff to write on a post-it something that is on their bucket list and place it on the board.

    April 26 | National Pretzel Day. Pretzels in the staff room or handed out in your treat cart with a note "Everywhere I turn, I see great things happening in your classroom/school." AND April 26 is also National Administrative Professionals Day. The most important day of the month to remember.

    April 27 | National Babe Ruth Day. As Washington State’s BIGGEST Red Sox Fan, I have mixed feelings about this one. However, what a great day to celebrate baseball!! Fill your treat cart or staff room with Cracker Jacks, Peanuts, and Licorice. You could also include Big League Gum and sunflower seeds to add to a baseball feel.

    April 28 | National Superhero Day. Turn lanyards into superhero badges with superhero names, emblems, or a special power they have, OR pass out capes (purchased online) to all of the Superheroes you work with.


    Cindy is in her 23rd year as a school administrator. She is currently the principal of Kelso Virtual Academy and Loowit Alternative High School within the Kelso School District in Kelso, Washington. Cindy has been recognized by the National Association of Secondary School Principals as the 2021 National Digital Principal of the Year. She has two teenagers and has been married to her husband, Leszek for 23 years. Find her on Twitter @sholtys.

  • Legislative Update | March 20-24, 2023

    by David Morrill | Mar 24, 2023


    legislative update header graphic

    This was another full week in the Legislature with jam-packed agendas in committee hearings, a bit of floor action sprinkled here and there, and plenty of attention on the Senate as they released their budgets. One of my personal highlights of the week was listening to our very own Tricia Kannberg, principal at Deer Park Elementary, share how her Classroom Support App (CSA) works during a work session with members of the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee. Tricia and her team created the CSA to provide an immediate response to the needs of students and staff. It has been extremely effective, and the app is now used in 35 different schools. For more information, check out the video of Tricia walking through her app.

    SB 5175 was heard this week in the House Education Committee. Dr. Scott Seaman and I testified in support of the option to allow districts to offer principals up to three-year contracts. We were joined by two of our amazing members, Carlos Gonzalez, principal at McFarland Middle School in Othello, and Gerrit Kischner, principal at Thornton Creek Elementary in Seattle. Dr. Ken Bergevin from Heritage University also testified in support, and we appreciate their time and expertise very much. Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos, Chair of the House Education Committee, has included SB 5175 on her list of bills for executive action next Monday, March 27. You can watch all the testimony on SB 5175 on TVW.


    Budget

    Here are some of the major K-12 public school funding increases in the Senate operating budget, which was released yesterday. OSPI and our colleagues at WASA (and others) are combing through over 1,200 pages looking at the details. The House will release its operating budget next Monday, March 27, and then negotiations will begin to hammer out a final budget.

    SPECIAL EDUCATION – $372 million NGF-O (2023-25); $447 million NGF-O (2025-27) Funding is provided to increase the enrollment cap used to calculate the excess cost allocation for state special education programs and increase the excess cost multiplier for 3 to 5-year-old students not yet enrolled in kindergarten and students in grades K-12 eligible for and receiving special education services pursuant to ESSB 5311.

    K-12 SALARY INFLATION – $264 million NGF-O (2023-25); $630 million NGF-O (2025-27) Funding is provided to change the inflationary adjustment applied to educator salaries pursuant to ESB 5650. IPD is 3.7% for the 2023-24 school year and is estimated at 3.9% in 2024-25.

    PASSENGER REIMBURSEMENT (Transportation) – $100 million NGF-O (2023-25); $100 million NGF-O (2025- 27) Funding is provided for the special passenger safety net program created in ESSB 5174, which provides reimbursement for school districts for excess costs associated with the transportation of passengers eligible for and receiving special education that require transportation as a related service of their individualized education program, homeless students requiring transportation under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, and foster students receiving transportation as required under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act.

    COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY PROVISION EXPANSION – $26.5 million NGF-O (2023 SUPPLEMENTAL); $59 million NGF-O (2023- 25); $61 million NGF-O (2025-27) Funding is provided to reimburse additional school districts required to participate in the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for school meals. The funding will support schools not eligible for the full federal reimbursement rate.

    In addition to these programs, funding is provided by the Senate to cover the cost of College in the High School courses, which is tremendous, as well as to continue funding for Outdoor Education. There is no increase in funding for principal internships or mentorships, so I will be asking for additional investment for both of these important programs in today’s budget hearing in Senate Ways and Means.


    Bills That Keep Moving

    Both of the special education funding bills are still alive. The Senate bill, SB 5311, would raise the special education cap from 13.5% to 15% and increase the multiplier at a greater rate than the House. The House version, HB 1436, funds special education at a lower level.

    SB 5174 is the transportation funding bill. This bill was narrowed from its original version and would create the Transportation Safety Net. Safety net awards would be provided to school districts with a demonstrated need for additional transportation funding for special passengers, as mentioned above.

    HB 1479, the restraint and isolation bill, would prohibit chemical restraint and mechanical restraint, and prohibit isolation beginning August 2, 2025. It prohibits the creation of isolation rooms and requires isolation rooms to be removed or repurposed by January 1, 2026. It also adds training and professional development requirements. Building administrators are added to this list of people who would be prioritized for this training. We are hearing this bill may not move out of the Senate Education Committee.

    HB 1550 is the Transition to Kindergarten bill. The current version is much improved, and it would rename Transitional Kindergarten as the Transition to Kindergarten program, and state that this program is not part of the state's program of basic education. It directs OSPI to adopt rules for the administration and the allocation of state funding for this program and specifies minimum requirements for these rules. And it provides a funding formula for the program using certain portions of the prototypical school funding model and requires certain data to be reported. Current TK programs will remain in place for the 2023-24 school year, but changes would come in the following school year.

    HB 1658 would authorize high school students to earn up to two elective credits for paid work experience.

    If you are interested in small school construction, SB 5126 (common school trust revenue to the small school modernization program) and HB 1044 (capital financial assistance to small districts with demonstrated funding challenges) were heard this week, and the Senate Capital budget gets a good review by OSPI for its attention to public schools small schools.

    SB 5048 is a fantastic bill that passed the Senate. This bill will require institutions of higher education to provide enrollment and registration in College in the High School courses at no cost to students in grades 9 through 12 at public high schools.

    HB 1207 is now in the Senate, and it would change the term "emergency expulsion" to "emergency removal" and permit certain students to request that their records use the new term. It would also require OSPI to develop a model student handbook that includes, among other things, a complaint procedure related to harassment, intimidation, bullying, and discrimination.

    HB 1478 establishes student rights and is in the Senate. It requires each public school to develop student-focused educational and promotional materials that incorporate the statement and to include the materials into required civics instruction. It directs OSPI to make the statement available on its website.

    HB 1308 passed out of Senate Education yesterday. This bill says that school districts may offer students the opportunity to meet graduation pathway requirements by completing a performance-based learning experience through which the student applies knowledge and skills in a real-world context, providing evidence of applying state learning standards to ELA and math standards (this was amended from the original version that allowed students to choose two of the core areas).

    SB 5243 passed the Senate, and it would revise high school and beyond plan (HSBP) requirements and require OSPI to facilitate the transition to and adoption of a common online platform for HSBPs. It would require school districts to provide access to an adopted universal platform within two years of platform development. I don’t see this bill on the House Education Committee agenda for executive action next week so I’m not sure this bill will keep moving.

    The recess bill, SB 5257 has now passed both the House and the Senate and requires 30 minutes of recess and encourages recess before lunch. It also includes language that discourages withholding recess for disciplinary or academic reasons.

    HB 1316 is another dual credit bill that would allow Running Start students to be funded up to a combined maximum enrollment of 1.6 FTE. It would also allow high school graduates with 15 or fewer college credits to earn before meeting associate degree requirements to continue participation in the summer academic term following graduation. Senator Hawkins intends to add a floor amendment to this to add 10th grade Running Start (one online class only per quarter).

    HB 1565 has a short title of the “Educator Workforce Act.” This bill establishes a teacher residency program and continues work to identify the quality and effectiveness of educator preparation and workforce programs. It has been amended to focus on establishing residency programs for special education teachers only.


    Next Week

    There will be lots more news coming next week regarding the bills that make it out (or don’t) from each policy committee. Wednesday, March 29, is the cutoff date for this to happen. As I mentioned earlier, the House will release its budget on Monday, March 27. I’m off to Washington, D.C., tomorrow morning with a group of 12 of our amazing principals and assistant principals. I look forward to sharing more with all of you next week about that adventure and the conversations we have with our Members of Congress on our Day on the Hill in D.C. on Wednesday, March 29.


    Bill Tracking

    For a quick look at the bills being acted upon next week and a list of the bills that are still moving through the Legislature, check out my bill tracking list.


    Get Involved

    Our advocacy efforts need all of our voices to contribute to the process. There are many different ways (big and small) that you can get involved in these efforts. If you have questions or comments or want to get involved, please reach out to me.

    Thank you so much!

  • Retirement & Health Benefits for March 24, 2023

    by Julie Woods | Mar 24, 2023


    Retirement Blog

    “The level of analysis that is done when you see laws (substitute ‘budgets’) created, whether it’s the city, state or federal level, it’s much more horse-trading than analysis.”

    Michael Bloomberg

    The Senate budget proposal has been released. The House proposal is yet to come. The big-ticket items have been covered earlier in this TWIO. The other financial figures related to funding benefits will be finalized once the assumed differing budget proposals are reconciled. A fuller report detailing those finances will come after the final is done.  

    Below are bills that appear still ‘alive’ and are either reflected in the budget or awaiting further action by the opposite house. Remember that negotiations between both houses are still to occur. Bills from the opposite house that have been amended once passed the floor will either need to be approved by their house of origin or not. Let the horse trading begin.


    Retirement Related Proposals

    SHB 1007: Concerning interruptive military service credit for members of the state retirement systems.

    Comment: Retirement credit can be awarded if, in any armed conflicts, the participant was awarded the respective campaign or expeditionary badge or medal…. the ‘expeditionary badge qualifier was added.

    This bill passed the Senate 49/0 and will be sent to the Governor.

    SHB 1056: Repealing some postretirement employment restrictions.

    Comment: Changes the postretirement employment restrictions on benefits eligibility for Public Employees' Retirement System, Teachers Retirement System, and School Employees Retirement System Plans 2 and 3 members that retired under the 2008 Early Retirement Factors (ERFs). • Permits 2008 ERF members to work in retirement system–covered employment for up to 867 hours per year without suspension of retirement benefits. • Adjusts benefits for individuals that chose the 3 percent per year early retirement reduction to the level of reduction in the 2008 ERFs for future benefit payments. Effective 1/1/2024.

    This bill is scheduled for Executive Session on 3/28 before Senate Ways and Means.

    ESSB 5294: was amended by the House Appropriations Committee. It changes the contribution rates in effect for the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) and the Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) Plans 1 UAAL rates in effect from Fiscal Year 2024 until Fiscal Year 2028 by increasing them generally from 0.50 to 1.0.  This was done to address concerns that, with the original rate proposal, the unfunded liability may continue or worsen. It continues to reduce the scheduled payment of $800 million into the TRS 1 fund to $250 million. The substitute Senate bill was included in their budget.

    SSB 5350: would grant a one-time, capped 3% COLA for TRS1/PERS1 plan members. It also directs the SCPP to recommend a path to regain a permanent COLA for these retirees. It was amended by the House Appropriations Committee. Delays the impact of the benefit cost on the contribution rate for benefits added to the PERS and TRS 1 after June 30, 2009, until July 1, 2027. Specifies that a supplemental contribution rate shall not be charged for the benefits granted in the bill. The original Senate bill was included in their budget. (HB 1057, a companion bill, is likely to be in the upcoming House budget.)

    SSB 5121: Extending the expiration date of the joint select committee on health care oversight.

    Comment: Extends the expiration date of the Joint Select Committee on Health Care Oversight from December 31, 2022, until December 31, 2026, and renames it the Joint Select Committee on Health Care and Behavioral Health Oversight.

    The bill passed House 97/0 and will be sent to the Governor.

    SSB 5490: Concerning health care coverage for retired or disabled employees denied coverage for failure to timely notify the authority of their intent to defer coverage.

    Comment: Allows certain retired public employees who were denied retiree health care coverage by the Public Employees Benefits Board another limited opportunity to enroll. • Only retired or disabled employees who were denied coverage for failure to notify the Health Care Authority of their deferral of coverage, and appealed the denial before December 31, 2022, are provided the new opportunity to enroll.

    This bill passed the House 97/0 and will be sent to the Governor.


    Other Areas of Potential Fiscal Impact (and often unfunded) to Districts

    SHB 1068: Concerning injured workers' rights during compelled medical examinations.

    Comment: Allows an injured worker to make an audio and video recording of an independent medical examination and to have one person of the worker's choosing present during the examination.

    This bill passed Executive Session 3/23 before Senate Labor and Commerce and will be sent to Rules.

    SHB 1105: Requiring public agencies to provide notice for public comment that includes the last date by which such public comment must be submitted.

    Comment: Mandates a public agency that is required to solicit public comment for a statutorily specified period of time and to provide notice that it is soliciting public comment to include in the notice the last day by which written public comment may be submitted. • Makes an agency that violates the requirement to include in a notice for public comment the last day by which written comment may be submitted subject to a civil penalty of $500 for the first violation and $1000 for any subsequent violation. 

    Executive Session is scheduled 3/28 before Senate State Government.

    ESHB 1106: Concerning qualifications for unemployment insurance when an individual voluntarily leaves work.

    Comment: Expands access to unemployment insurance benefits by adding circumstances where a person may voluntarily quit for a good cause. The bill was amended and requires unemployment benefits based on the good cause quit for certain non-temporary shift changes made by the separating employer to be proportionally charged to the experience rating accounts of all of the claimant's employers from his or her base year rather than charged to the experience rating account of the separating employer only as provided in the underlying bill. Modifies certain verbs from present to past tense to conform amendatory language with current language in the applicable statute.

    This bill is scheduled for Executive Session 3/27.

    ESHB 1187: Concerning privileged communication between employees and the unions that represent them.

    Comment: Creates a privilege from examination and disclosure for a union representative and a union employee concerning any communication between the union representative or union employee made during union representation. • Applies the privilege from examination and disclosure to the union members and organizations that represent: employees of college districts, public employees, faculty at public four-year institutions of higher education, civil service employees, ferry employees, port employees, and labor unions. It was amended and makes the privilege from testifying that is created in the bill for communications between an employee and union representative inapplicable to circumstances when a union employee discloses information to a union representative about the employee's commission of a crime or intent to engage in criminal conduct.

    Executive Session scheduled before Senate Law and Justice 3/28.

    SHB 1200: Requiring public employers to provide employee information to exclusive bargaining representatives.

    Comment: Requires certain public employers (including school districts) to provide exclusive bargaining representatives information, such as contact information, date of hire, salary, and job site location, of employees in bargaining units if the employer has that information in its records. • Allows an exclusive bargaining representative to bring a court action if a public employer fails to comply with the requirement to provide information.

    Senate Labor and Commerce has scheduled Executive Session 3/27.

    EHB 1210: Concerning the recording of school board meetings.

    Comment: Requires all school district board meetings to be audio recorded, subject to exceptions for executive sessions and emergencies, with recordings kept for one year. • Specifies that a public records request for recordings of meetings of a school district board of directors must include the date of the meetings requested or a range of dates. • Encourages school districts to make the content of school board of directors meetings available in formats accessible to individuals who need communication assistance and in languages other than English. It reduces the amount of time a school board must retain recordings of its meetings from five years to one year.  

    This bill has been moved to Senate Rules.

    E2SHB 1320: Concerning access to personnel records.

    Comment: Requires an employer to furnish an employee or former employee with a complete copy of their personnel file at no cost within fourteen calendar days of a request. • Mandates an employer to furnish a former employee with a signed written statement with the effective date of discharge, whether the employer had a reason for the discharge, and if so, the reasons, within 14 calendar days of the written request. • Allows an employee or former employee to bring a private action for violations of certain rights regarding personnel files, discharge information, and redaction logs, and entitles the employee to equitable relief, graduated statutory damages up to $1,000, and reasonable attorneys' fees and costs of each violation. • • Allows for redaction of personnel files under certain circumstances.  An adopted amendment amends the requirement that employers must furnish unredacted personnel files in order to account for the exception in the underlying substitute bill requiring redaction. Specifies that, in the definition of "personnel file," the term "however designated" refers to the file in which records are maintained. Specifies that records to be furnished are those records that the employer actually included in a personnel or employment file. It was amended to change the requirement that employers must furnish unredacted personnel files in order to account for the exception in the underlying substitute bill requiring redaction. Specifies that, in the definition of "personnel file," the term "however designated" refers to the file in which records are maintained. Specifies that records to be furnished are those records that the employer actually included in a personnel or employment file. The public employer bears the burden of proving that it redacted only such information as required and is subject to liability under this section for bad faith redaction.

    Moved to Senate Rules, awaiting further action.

    HB 1656: Concerning unemployment insurance benefits appeal procedures.

    Comment: It adds disputes of unemployment insurance (UI) determinations of allowance or denial of allowance of benefits or redeterminations, in addition to a dispute of initial determinations, as issues in appeals proceedings regardless of the grounds in the notice of appeal. • Removes provisions that in a UI appeal on a dispute of a claimant's claim for waiting period credit or UI benefits claim that all UI issues relating to the claimant's right to receive such credit or UI benefits for the period in question are deemed to be in issue regardless of the particular grounds in the notice of appeal; and the claimant's availability for work is determined apart from all other matters.

    It passed the House 96/0 and has been moved to Senate Rules.

    2SSB 5048: Eliminating college in the high school fees.

    Comment: Requires institutions of higher education to provide enrollment and registration in College in the High School (CHS) courses at no cost to students in grades 9 through 12 at public high schools. • Requires the Legislature to appropriate funds to fund CHS courses at inflation-adjusted rates. • Directs high schools that provide a CHS course to include information in the course catalog that there is no fee for students to enroll in a CHS course.

    Executive Session 3/24 has been scheduled before Senate Post-Secondary Education.

    SB 5084: Creating a separate fund for the purposes of self-insured pensions and assessments.

    Comment: Creates a self-insurance reserve fund for payments from self-insured employers related to workers' compensation pensions and from the overpayments reimbursement fund.

    Executive Session has been scheduled 3/29 before House Labor.

    ESSB 5123: Concerning the employment of individuals who lawfully consume cannabis.

    Comment: Prohibits employers from discriminating against a person in an initial hiring decision based on the person's use of cannabis outside of work or based on a finding of no psychoactive cannabis metabolites in an employer-required drug screening test, subject to certain exceptions and other limitations. An adopted amendment excludes safety-sensitive positions for which impairment while working presents a substantial risk of death from the bill. Requires the positions to be identified by the employer prior to the applicant's application for employment.

    Moved to House Rules, awaiting further action.

    E2SSB 5174: Providing adequate and predictable student transportation.

    Comment: Requires the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to provide an analysis of school district transportation costs and allocations to the Legislature by June 1, 2026. • • Creates a special passenger safety net program. It was amended to (1) Provide that transportation safety net awards may only be provided when a school district's allowable transportation expenditures exceed student transportation allocations and any excess transportation costs reimbursed by child welfare agencies. (2) Provide that a transportation safety net award may not exceed a school district's excess expenditures directly attributable to serving special passengers in the pupil transportation program.

    It should be moved to House Rules.

    Note: The original bill and withdrawn proposed amendment mandated employees receive same pension/health benefits paid to state employees. This language has been deleted but may well return during any floor debate. A similar bill, HB 1248, concerning pupil transportation remains in House Rules. It requires that school district contracts for pupil transportation services must include sufficient funds to provide employees of the contracting employer with health benefits and pension contributions equivalent to those of school district classified employees. • Provides one-time supplemental allocations to districts that experience higher costs because of the new contract requirements. A proposed amendment, among other changes, replaces one-time supplemental allocations of $200 per employee working more than 630 hours per month for districts that experience higher costs under the new contract requirements with a reimbursement subject to funding provided specifically for increased costs. It, too, is in House Rules.

    SSB 5275: Expanding access to benefits provided by the school employees' benefits board.

    Comment: Allows tribal compact schools, employee organizations representing school employees, and school board directors the option of providing health care through the School Employees Benefits Board through SEBB beginning January 1, 2024. Employers opting into coverage under SEBB may determine the terms of employee and dependent eligibility and must pay premiums set by HCA.

    Passed the House and will be sent to the Governor.

    SSB 5286: Modifying the premium provisions of the paid family and medical leave program.

    Comment: Modifies the statutory formula for determining the premium rates for the Paid Family and Medical Leave Program.

    Referred to House Appropriations.

    2SSB 5593: Improving equity in the transfer of student data between K-12 schools and institutions of higher education.

    Comment: Requires institutions of higher education to enter into data-sharing agreements with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to facilitate the transfer of high school student directory information for purposes of informing students about postsecondary educational opportunities. • Requires school districts to annually transmit directory information for all enrolled high school students to the OSPI and directs the OSPI to make that information available to institutions of higher education. • Directs the OSPI to identify a process for making information about a student's enrollment in an institution of higher education available to the student's school district.

    Referred to House Appropriations.

     

    Fred Yancey
    The Nexus Group LLC

  • Legislative Update | March 13-17, 2023

    by David Morrill | Mar 17, 2023


    legislative update header graphic

    Marching Closer to the Finish Line

    March can feel like a long and busy month in schools, and it is the same in the Legislature. This week, there were lots of hearings on bills by committees in the opposite house. Next week is more of the same. The updated revenue forecast comes out on Monday, March 20, and this will be used to help determine the final operating budgets (and other budgets) for this year’s legislative session. We will see the Senate budget on Thursday, March 23, and it will be heard in Senate Ways and Means on Friday, March 24. We should also see the Senate Capital Budget next week. I’m hearing the House will release its budget the week after.


    Bill Tracking

    For a quick look at the bills being heard next week and a list of the bills that are still moving through the Legislature, check out this bill tracking list.


    Bills That Keep Moving

    Senator Lisa Wellman sponsored SB 5175, which allows districts to offer principals up to a three-year contract. We see this as an option that districts may choose to use to recruit and retain leaders, especially for high school positions. We support this bill because we hope school districts see this as an opportunity to maintain consistent leadership. Dismantling bad-for-student systems and working to make deep, systemic change, takes time and consistent, effective leadership. Principals deserve this job security due to the complex nature of their jobs and the years of experience required to become a highly effective and impactful school leader.

    SB 5175 will be heard in the House Education committee on Tuesday, March 21, at 4 pm. We know there are groups who oppose this bill. They’ll either be testifying or sending emails to legislators voicing their opposition, so we encourage all of you to email your legislators asking for their support. You can do that easily with our latest Action Alert for SB 5175.

    Both of the special education funding bills had hearings this week. The Senate bill, SB 5311, would raise the special education cap from 13.5% to 15% and increase the multiplier at a greater rate than the House. Most groups signed as “pro” or as “other” because this is a higher level of funding, but they wanted the Legislature to go further. The House version, HB 1436, funds special education at a lower level, and most groups signed in as “con.” We’ll see how this comes out next week when these bills should be exec’d (amended and voted out) from the education committees.

    SB 5174 is the only transportation funding bill that survives. This bill was narrowed from its original version and would create the Transportation Safety Net. Safety net awards must be provided to school districts with a demonstrated need for additional transportation funding for special passengers. Special passengers include:

    • students eligible for and receiving special education that require transportation as a related service of their individualized education program,
    • homeless students requiring transportation under the federal McKinney-Vento homeless assistance act, and
    • foster students receiving transportation as required under ESSA.

    HB 1479, the restraint and isolation bill, would prohibit chemical restraint and mechanical restraint, and prohibit isolation beginning August 2, 2025. This bill will be heard next Monday in the Senate Early Learning and K-12 committee. It prohibits the creation of isolation rooms and requires isolation rooms to be removed or repurposed by August 1, 2025. It also adds training and professional development requirements. Building administrators are added to this list of people who would be prioritized for this training.

    HB 1550 is the Transition to Kindergarten bill. Legislators are trying to ensure funding stays the same for the current programs while creating statutes and procedures for future programs. This bill will be heard next Wednesday in the Senate Early Learning and K-12 committee. Current TK programs will remain in place for the 2023-24 school year, but changes would come in the following school year.

    HB 1658 would authorize high school students to earn up to two elective credits for paid work experience. This will be heard on Wednesday, March 22 in the Senate Early Learning and K-12 committee.

    If you are interested in small school construction, SB 5126 (common school trust revenue to the small school modernization program) and HB 1044 (capital financial assistance to small districts with demonstrated funding challenges) have been scheduled next week for public hearings.

    SB 5048 is a fantastic bill that passed the Senate. This bill will require institutions of higher education to provide enrollment and registration in College in the High School courses at no cost to students in grades 9 through 12 at public high schools.

    HB 1207 moves over to the Senate, and it would change the term "emergency expulsion" to "emergency removal" and permit certain students to request that their records use the new term. It would also require OSPI to develop a model student handbook that includes, among other things, a complaint procedure related to harassment, intimidation, bullying, and discrimination.

    HB 1478 establishes student rights and moves over to the Senate. It requires each public school to develop student-focused educational and promotional materials that incorporate the statement and to include the materials into required civics instruction. It directs OSPI to make the statement available on its website.

    HB 1308 was heard this week in the Senate. This bill says that school districts may offer students the opportunity to meet graduation pathway requirements by completing a performance-based learning experience through which the student applies knowledge and skills in a real-world context, providing evidence of applying state learning standards in at least two of the core subject areas identified by the State Board of Education that are most directly aligned with the student's education or career goals as stated in their HSBP.

    SB 5243 passed the Senate, and it would revise high school and beyond plan (HSBP) requirements and require OSPI to facilitate the transition to and adoption of a common online platform for HSBPs. It would require school districts to provide access to an adopted universal platform within two years of platform development. This bill was heard in the House Education Committee this week.

    The recess bill, SB 5257, passed out of the House Education committee this week and is on the second reading calendar in the House Rules committee. The bill was amended to more closely match the House bill (HB 1504), and it requires 30 minutes of recess and encourages recess before lunch. It also includes language that discourages withholding recess for disciplinary or academic reasons.

    HB 1316 is another dual credit bill that would allow Running Start students to be funded up to a combined maximum enrollment of 1.6 FTE. It would also allow high school graduates with 15 or fewer college credits to earn before meeting associate degree requirements to continue participation in the summer academic term following graduation.

    HB 1565 has a short title of the “Educator Workforce Act.” This bill establishes a teacher residency program and continues work to identify the quality and effectiveness of educator preparation and workforce programs. This bill also addresses the BEST program. We are hopeful funding for principal mentorships will increase, as well as funding for principal internships.


    Get Involved

    Our advocacy efforts need all of our voices to contribute to the process. There are many different ways (big and small) that you can get involved in these efforts. Your participation can be as easy as doing an action alert to email your legislators or signing in support of a specific bill. Or, if you feel really passionate about a particular bill, we would love to have you testify. It takes all of us to make an impact!

    If you have questions or comments or want to get involved, please reach out to me.

    Thank you so much!

  • Principal Mentoring: The Leaders Lens

    by David Morrill | Mar 17, 2023

    Principal Mentoring

    Leader’s Lens Newsletter, by Jacob Espinoza, has been a new find since about mid-February. I love Jacob’s writing voice, and you know what? It’s so practical! The newsletter starts with a short set of statements that ABSOLUTELY apply to leadership. There is a little bit of self-care, thought-provoking questions (great daily journal prompts), and then a “Deep Dive.” The February 19 Deep Dive leaned into The 6 Heads of Leadership…powerful read and so applicable to our AWSP Mentor Program.

    If you remember back to AWSP Mentor Training, we looked at an article that had mentors comparing the difference between mentoring and coaching. I know…it caused some cognitive dissonance…but that’s a good thing because it got all of you thinking about what you do actively to support your new leaders. What I really liked about the 6 Heads deep dive was the applicable tools outlined. Give it a read, I’d love to hear what you think!

    Additionally, as you cruise through the website, you’ll see multiple opportunities to check out other newsletters. Are you trying to think through your communications to families? Maybe you’d be interested in checking out Tracey Wallace’s Contentment Newsletter. Are you feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, frustrated, and hanging on by a thread? Maybe you’d like to read Hebba Youssef’s “I hate it here” newsletter, lots of great nuggets here. Her most recent post on Inclusive Environments was thought-provoking. Until next time…

  • Retirement & Health Benefits for March 17, 2023

    by Julie Woods | Mar 17, 2023


    Retirement Blog

    Appropriation:

    “The bill contains a null and void clause requiring specific funding be provided in an omnibus appropriation act.”

    The revenue forecast is set to be released on the afternoon of March 20th. Budget releases and hearings follow shortly after. Therein lies the importance of the null and void clause. As Casey Stengel might have said, “If it cost somethin’ and ain’t in the budget, it ain’t going to happen.”

    Listed below are bills that appear still "alive", remembering that negotiations are expected between both houses as they work out differences between the competing budgets. And as always, NTIB bills remain in the background and may come forward at any time.


    Retirement Related Proposals

    As a repeat of a repeat: Previous reports have covered the bills related to addressing the lack of a Cost-Of-Living increase (COLA) for members in TRS/PERS Plans 1 and requesting a COLA for members of those plans. They are: ESHB 1057, ESSB 5294, and HB 1201.

    There are three basic bills currently moving that deal with pensions. These address the request for a one-time 3% COLA, employer rates, and how to deal with the $800 million the legislature set aside last session to lower the unfunded liability within TRS Plan 1.

    ESSB 5294 was amended. Reduces the minimum contribution rates for the Plan 1 Unfunded Actuarial Accrued Liability (UAAL) in the Public Employees' and Teachers' Retirement System Plans 1 (PERS 1 and TRS 1) to 0.5 percent. • Sets UAAL rates for PERS 1 and TRS 1 for fiscal years 2024 through 2027. • Reduces the scheduled payment of $800 million into the TRS 1 fund to $250 million.

    The Senate passed the bill 48/0. A public hearing was held on 3/9, and the bill awaits further action by the House Appropriations Committee.

    HB 1201 Eliminates the minimum contribution rates for amortizing the unfunded liabilities in the Teachers' Retirement System Plan 1 (TRS 1), beginning August 31, 2024, and for the Public Employees' Retirement System Plan 1 (PERS 1), beginning June 30, 2025. • Fixes the employer contribution rate for the unfunded liabilities in PERS 1 and TRS 1 at zero until 2029, excluding amounts to amortize benefit improvements made after June 30, 2009. • Repeals the scheduled payment of $800 million into the TRS 1 fund scheduled for June 30, 2023.

    The bill remains on the floor calendar and may well be NTIB since it deals with what to do with the previously dedicated millions.

    Comment:  A key difference between 5294 and 1201 deals with the $800 Million the legislature budgeted last session to pay down the unfunded liability in TRS Plan1. Do we (legislators/budget writers) take all $800 million for use elsewhere? (HB 1201) or, Do we legislators/budget writers take all but $250 million? (ESSB 5294). The soon-to-released budgets will tell the tale. The other key difference is the effect on rates both short and long-term. Each deals with these projected rates differently.  

    ESHB 1057: Would grant a one-time, capped 3% COLA for TRS1/PERS1 plan members. It also directs the SCPP to recommend a path to regain a permanent COLA for these retirees. Unlike its companion, an adopted amendment froze current rates until 2027.

    The amended bill passed the House 96/0. The Senate Ways and Means Committee passed a striker that made it an identical companion to SB 5350 and struck out the rate freeze language.

    SHB 1007: Concerning interruptive military service credit for members of the state retirement systems.

    Comment: Retirement credit can be awarded, in any armed conflicts, if the participant was awarded the respective campaign or expeditionary badge or medal…. the ‘expeditionary badge qualifier was added.

    This bill is on the Senate floor calendar awaiting further action.

    HB 1008: Concerning participating in insurance plans and contracts by separated Plan 2 members of certain retirement systems.

    Comment: This bill would simply make retiree insurance provisions uniform and equitable for Plan 2 and 3 members.

    This bill is on the Senate floor calendar awaiting further action.

    SHB 1056: Repealing some postretirement employment restrictions.

    Comment: Changes the postretirement employment restrictions on benefits eligibility for Public Employees' Retirement System, Teachers Retirement System, and School Employees Retirement System Plans 2 and 3 members that retired under the 2008 Early Retirement Factors (ERFs). • Permits 2008 ERF members to work in retirement system–covered employment for up to 867 hours per year without suspension of retirement benefits. • Adjusts benefits for individuals that chose the 3 percent per year early retirement reduction to the level of reduction in the 2008 ERFs for future benefit payments. Effective 1/1/2024.

    This bill is scheduled for a public hearing on 3/16 before Senate Ways and Means.

    SSB 5121: Extending the expiration date of the joint select committee on health care oversight.

    Comment: Extends the expiration date of the Joint Select Committee on Health Care Oversight from December 31, 2022, until December 31, 2026, and renames it the Joint Select Committee on Health Care and Behavioral Health Oversight.

    The bill is in House Rules, awaiting further action.

    SSB 5490: Concerning health care coverage for retired or disabled employees denied coverage for failure to timely notify the authority of their intent to defer coverage.

    Comment: Allows certain retired public employees who were denied retiree health care coverage by the Public Employees Benefits Board another limited opportunity to enroll. • Only retired or disabled employees who were denied coverage for failure to notify the Health Care Authority of their deferral of coverage, and appealed the denial before December 31, 2022, are provided the new opportunity to enroll.

    This bill is in House Rules awaiting further action.


    Other Areas of Potential Fiscal Impact (and often unfunded) to Districts

    SHB 1068: Concerning injured workers' rights during compelled medical examinations.

    Comment: Allows an injured worker to make an audio and video recording of an independent medical examination and to have one person of the worker's choosing present during the examination.

    This bill is scheduled for Executive Session 3/21 before Senate Labor and Commerce.

    SHB 1105: Requiring public agencies to provide notice for public comment that includes the last date by which such public comment must be submitted.

    Comment: Mandates a public agency that is required to solicit public comment for a statutorily specified period of time and to provide notice that it is soliciting public comment to include in the notice the last day by which written public comment may be submitted. • Makes an agency that violates the requirement to include in a notice for public comment the last day by which written comment may be submitted subject to a civil penalty of $500 for the first violation and $1000 for any subsequent violation.

    A public hearing is scheduled 3/24 before Senate State Government.

    ESHB 1106: Concerning qualifications for unemployment insurance when an individual voluntarily leaves work.

    Comment: Expands access to unemployment insurance benefits by adding circumstances where a person may voluntarily quit for good cause

    This bill is scheduled for Executive Session 3/21 before Senate Labor and Commerce even before the public hearing on 3/16.

    ESHB 1187: Concerning privileged communication between employees and the unions that represent them.

    Comment: Creates a privilege from examination and disclosure for a union representative and a union employee concerning any communication between the union representative or union employee made during union representation. • Applies the privilege from examination and disclosure to the union members and organizations that represent: employees of college districts, public employees, faculty at public four-year institutions of higher education, civil service employees, ferry employees, port employees, and labor unions.

    A public hearing before Senate Law and Justice is scheduled 3/23.

    SHB 1200: Requiring public employers to provide employee information to exclusive bargaining representatives.

    Comment: Requires certain public employers (including school districts)  to provide exclusive bargaining representatives information, such as contact information, date of hire, salary, and job site location, of employees in bargaining units if the employer has that information in its records. • Allows an exclusive bargaining representative to bring a court action if a public employer fails to comply with the requirement to provide information.

    SHB 1200 passed the House 56/41 and has been moved to Senate Labor and Commerce for a public hearing 3/16.

    EHB 1210: Concerning the recording of school board meetings.

    Comment: Requires all school district board meetings to be audio recorded, subject to exceptions for executive sessions and emergencies, with recordings kept for one year. • Specifies that a public records request for recordings of meetings of a school district board of directors must include the date of the meetings requested or a range of dates. • Encourages school districts to make the content of school board of directors meetings available in formats accessible to individuals who need communication assistance and in languages other than English.

    This bill is scheduled for Executive Session before the Senate State Government Committee 3/17.

    E2SHB 1320: Concerning access to personnel records.

    Comment: Requires an employer to furnish an employee or former employee with a complete copy of their personnel file at no cost within fourteen calendar days of a request. • Mandates an employer to furnish a former employee with a signed written statement with the effective date of discharge, whether the employer had a reason for the discharge, and if so, the reasons, within 14 calendar days of the written request. • Allows an employee or former employee to bring a private action for violations of certain rights regarding personnel files, discharge information, and redaction logs, and entitles the employee to equitable relief, graduated statutory damages up to $1,000, and reasonable attorneys' fees and costs of each violation. • • Allows for redaction of personnel files under certain circumstances.  An adopted amendment reads: “Provides that a public employer has the burden of proving that it redacted only information as required and is subject to liability for bad faith redaction.”

    Scheduled for Executive Session 3/21 before Senate Labor and Commerce.

    2SSB 5048: Eliminating college in the high school fees.

    Comment: Requires institutions of higher education to provide enrollment and registration in College in the High School (CHS) courses at no cost to students in grades 9 through 12 at public high schools. • Requires the Legislature to appropriate funds to fund CHS courses at inflation-adjusted rates. • Directs high schools that provide a CHS course to include information in the course catalog that there is no fee for students to enroll in a CHS course.

    A public hearing 3/21 and Executive Session 3/24 have been scheduled before Senate Post-Secondary Education.

    SB 5084: Creating a separate fund for the purposes of self-insured pensions and assessments.

    Comment: Creates a self-insurance reserve fund for payments from self-insured employers related to workers' compensation pensions and from the overpayments reimbursement fund.

    A public hearing has been scheduled 3/22 before House Labor.

    ESSB 5123: Concerning the employment of individuals who lawfully consume cannabis.

    Comment: Prohibits employers from discriminating against a person in an initial hiring decision based on the person's use of cannabis outside of work or based on a finding of no psychoactive cannabis metabolites in an employer-required drug screening test, subject to certain exceptions and other limitations.

    Executive Session before House Labor has been scheduled 3/21.

    E2SSB 5174: Providing adequate and predictable student transportation.

    Comment: Requires the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to provide an analysis of school district transportation costs and allocations to the Legislature by June 1, 2026. • • Creates a special passenger safety net program. (Note: The original bill and withdrawn proposed amendment mandate employees receive same pension/health benefits paid to state employees. This language has been deleted.)

    Had a public hearing before House Appropriations 3/15 and is awaiting further action.

    SB 5240Concerning unemployment insurance benefits appeal procedures.

    Comment: A dispute of an individual's initial determination, determination of allowance or denial of allowance of benefits, or redetermination of allowance or denial of benefits, all matters covered by such initial determination, determination, or redetermination shall be deemed to be in issue subject to appeal.

    SB 5240: House Labor Committee had a public hearing 3/15, and the bill is awaiting further action. HB 1656 passed the House 96/0 and has been moved to Senate Labor and Commerce awaiting scheduling.

    SSB 5275: Expanding access to benefits provided by the school employees' benefits board.

    Comment: Allows tribal compact schools, employee organizations representing school employees, and school board directors the option of providing health care through the School Employees Benefits Board through SEBB beginning January 1, 2024. Employers opting into coverage under SEBB may determine the terms of employee and dependent eligibility and must pay premiums set by HCA.

    This bill has been sent to House Rules for further action.

    SSB 5286: Modifying the premium provisions of the paid family and medical leave program.

    Comment: Modifies the statutory formula for determining the premium rates for the Paid Family and Medical Leave Program.

    Scheduled for Executive Session before House Labor Committee 3/17.

    2SSB 5593: Improving equity in the transfer of student data between K-12 schools and institutions of higher education.

    Comment: Requires institutions of higher education to enter into data-sharing agreements with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to facilitate the transfer of high school student directory information for purposes of informing students about postsecondary educational opportunities. • Requires school districts to annually transmit directory information for all enrolled high school students to the OSPI and directs the OSPI to make that information available to institutions of higher education. • Directs the OSPI to identify a process for making information about a student's enrollment in an institution of higher education available to the student's school district.

    Scheduled for Executive Session before House Education 3/20.

    Fred Yancey
    The Nexus Group LLC

  • Two Washington Students Selected for the 2023 United States Senate Youth Program

    by David Morrill | Mar 13, 2023


    United States Senate Youth Program - education leadership public service

    The United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) announces that high school students Mr. Rishi Hazra and Ms. Claire Anne Michal joined Senator Patty Murray and Senator Maria Cantwell in representing Washington during the 61st annual USSYP Washington Week, held March 4 — 11, 2023. Rishi Hazra of Sammamish and Claire Michal of Marysville were selected from among the state’s top student leaders to be part of the 104 national student delegation. Each delegate will also receive a $10,000 college scholarship for undergraduate study. 

    The alternates, Ms. Madhumitha Gandhi, a resident of Snoqualmie, who attends Mount Si High School, and Ms. Dwija Adamala, a resident of Olympia, who attends Olympia High School, will receive $250 from AWSP to help with their higher education costs. Read the full press release to learn more about the winners and the program . To learn how to apply in the future, read AWSL's USSYP page .

    Contact Information: For questions about Washington's delegates, alternates, or selection process, email Roz Thompson  or Julie Woods or reach them by phone at (360) 357-7951. For general information about the United States Senate Youth Program, email Program Director Ms. Rayne Guilford or reach her by phone at (800) 425-3632.


    Winners   

    headshot of Rishi Hazar

    Rishi Hazra

    Rishi Hazra

    Rishi Hazra is a Senior at Skyline High School in Sammamish, Washington. He leads environmental efforts within his community on the Issaquah and Sammamish Community Boards and has engaged in research and written articles related to science, the environment, and student voice. Rishi plans to study Environmental Policy and Chemistry in college and eventually pursue a law degree. He also intends to run for public office in the future.

    headshot of Rishi Hazar

    Claire Michal

    Claire Michal

    Claire Michal is a Senior at Marysville Getchell High School in Marysville, Washington. She is the Founder and President of the Future Voters Club, the President of the Business and Marketing Club for DECA and FBLA, and participates on her school’s basketball and track teams. Claire’s goal is to serve our country as a diplomat, and her passion for this has been fueled by her studies of American history and government. In college, she plans to pursue a degree in International Relations with a possible minor in Political Science or Arabic.


    Alternates

    Madhumitha Gandhi

    Madhumitha Gandhi is a Senior at Mount Si High School in Snoqualmie, Washington. She is a Coalition Leader for the Empower Youth Network and a student representative on the Snoqualmie Valley School Board. Madhumitha also participates in many different clubs, such as Speech and Debate, National Honor Society, Key Club, and Diversity Club. She intends to study Computer Science in college so she can use technology to help improve the lives of others.

    Dwija Adamala

    Dwija Adamala is a Senior at Olympia High School in Olympia, Washington. She is the Capital Region Vice President for FBLA, a TEDx Lead Organizer for her school, the President of the Speech and Debate Club, and an officer in the National Honor Society. In college, Dwija intends to complete a double major in Computer Science and Economics and Public Policy. After that, she plans to attend law school and will continue to work on social justice issues within communities.

  • Retirement & Health Benefits for March 10, 2023

    by Julie Woods | Mar 10, 2023


    Retirement Blog

    "A camel is a horse designed by a committee."

    Alec Issigonis

    The deadline for bills to pass their house of origin has passed. Committee agendas are now full of hearings on bills from the opposing house.

    Listed below are bills that appear still ‘alive’ remembering that NTIB bills are always in the background and may come forward at any time.


    Retirement Related Proposals

    As a repeat of a repeat: Previous reports have covered the bills related to addressing the lack of a Cost-Of-

    Living increase (COLA) for members in TRS/PERS Plans 1 and requesting a COLA for members of those plans. They are: ESHB 1057/SB 5350, HB 1201/ESSB 5294, and HB 1459.

    There are three basic bills currently moving that deal with pensions. These address the request for a one-time 3% COLA, employer rates, and how to deal with the $800 million the legislature set aside last session to lower the unfunded liability within TRS Plan 1.

    SB 5350 would grant a one-time, capped 3% COLA for TRS1/PERS1 plan members. It also directs the Select Committee on Pension Policy (SCPP) to recommend a path to regain a permanent COLA for these retirees.

    The Senate passed the bill 48/0, and it is scheduled for a public hearing 3/9 before House Appropriations.

    ESSB 5294 was amended. Reduces the minimum contribution rates for the Plan 1 Unfunded Actuarial Accrued Liability (UAAL) in the Public Employees' and Teachers' Retirement System Plans 1 (PERS 1 and TRS 1) to 0.5 percent. • Sets UAAL rates for PERS 1 and TRS 1 for fiscal years 2024 through 2027. • Reduces the scheduled payment of $800 million into the TRS 1 fund to $250 million.

    The Senate passed the bill 48/0, and it is scheduled for a public hearing 3/9 before House Appropriations.

    ESHB 1057 would grant a one-time, capped 3% COLA for TRS1/PERS1 plan members. It also directed the SCPP to recommend a path to regain a permanent COLA for these retirees. Unlike its companion, an adopted amendment froze current rates until 2027.

    The bill passed the House 96/0 and is scheduled for Executive Session 3/21 before Senate Ways and Means.

    SHB 1007: Concerning interruptive military service credit for members of the state retirement systems.

    Comment: Retirement credit can be awarded if, in any armed conflicts, the participant was awarded the respective campaign or expeditionary badge or medal…. the ‘expeditionary badge qualifier was added.

    SHB 1007 passed the House 97/0 and has moved to Executive Session 3/13 before Senate Ways and Means.

    HB 1008Concerning participating in insurance plans and contracts by separated Plan 2 members of certain retirement systems.

    Comment: This bill would simply make retiree insurance provisions uniform and equitable for Plan 2 and 3 members.

    HB 1008 passed the House 93/0 and has been moved to Executive Session 3/13 before Senate Ways and Means.

    SHB 1056Repealing some post-retirement employment restrictions.

    Comment:Changes the postretirement employment restrictions on benefits eligibility for Public Employees' Retirement System, Teachers Retirement System, and School Employees Retirement System Plans 2 and 3 members that retired under the 2008 Early Retirement Factors (ERFs). • Permits 2008 ERF members to work in retirement system–covered employment for up to 867 hours per year without suspension of retirement benefits. • Adjusts benefits for individuals that chose the 3 percent per year early retirement reduction to the level of reduction in the 2008 ERFs for future benefit payments. Effective 1/1/2024.

    SHB 1056 passed the House 93/0 and has moved to Executive Session 3/13 before Senate Ways and Means.

    SSB 5121Extending the expiration date of the joint select committee on health care oversight.

    Comment: Extends the expiration date of the Joint Select Committee on Health Care Oversight from December 31, 2022, until December 31, 2026, and renames it the Joint Select Committee on Health Care and Behavioral Health Oversight.

    Passed Senate 48/0. Executive Session before the House Health Care and Wellness Committee is scheduled 3/10.

    SSB 5490: Concerning health care coverage for retired or disabled employees denied coverage for failure to timely notify the authority of their intent to defer coverage.

    Comment: Allows certain retired public employees who were denied retiree health care coverage by the Public Employees Benefits Board another limited opportunity to enroll. • Only retired or disabled employees who were denied coverage for failure to notify the Health Care Authority of their deferral of coverage, and appealed the denial before December 31, 2022, are provided the new opportunity to enroll.

    This bill passed the Senate 48/0 and was sent to House Appropriations for a public hearing 3/9 and Executive Session 3/15.


    Other Areas of Potential Fiscal Impact (and often unfunded) to Districts

    SHB 1068Concerning injured workers' rights during compelled medical examinations.

    Comment: Allows an injured worker to make an audio and video recording of an independent medical examination and to have one person of the worker's choosing present during the examination.

    This bill passed the House 65/33 and will have a public hearing 3/14 before the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee.

    SHB 1105: Requiring public agencies to provide notice for public comment that includes the last date by which such public comment must be submitted.

    Comment: Mandates a public agency that is required to solicit public comment for a statutorily specified period of time, and to provide notice that it is soliciting public comment to include in the notice the last day by which written public comment may be submitted. • Makes an agency that violates the requirement to include in a notice for public comment the last day by which written comment may be submitted subject to a civil penalty of $500 for the first violation and $1000 for any subsequent violation.

    Passed the House 95/0 and has been moved to Senate State Government awaiting scheduling.

    SHB 1106Concerning qualifications for unemployment insurance when an individual voluntarily leaves work.

    Comment: Expands access to unemployment insurance benefits by adding circumstances where a person may voluntarily quit for good cause

    This bill passed House 51/44 and has been sent to Senate Labor and Commerce awaiting a hearing.

    SHB 1187Concerning privileged communication between employees and the unions that represent them.

    Comment: Creates a privilege from examination and disclosure for a union representative and a union employee concerning any communication between the union representative or union employee made during union representation. • Applies the privilege from examination and disclosure to the union members and organizations that represent: employees of college districts, public employees, faculty at public four-year institutions of higher education, civil service employees, ferry employees, port employees, and labor unions.

    This bill passed the House 95/0 and has been sent to Senate Law and Justice for scheduled hearing.

    SHB 1200: Requiring public employers to provide employee information to exclusive bargaining representatives.

    Comment: Requires certain public employers (including school districts)  to provide exclusive bargaining representatives information, such as contact information, date of hire, salary, and job site location, of employees in bargaining units if the employer has that information in its records. • Allows an exclusive bargaining representative to bring a court action if a public employer fails to comply with the requirement to provide information.

    SHB 1200 passed the House 56/41 and has been moved to Senate Labor and Commerce for a public hearing 3/16.

     EHB 1210 Concerning the recording of school board meetings.

    Comment: Requires all school district board meetings to be audio recorded, subject to exceptions for executive sessions and emergencies, with recordings kept for one year. • Specifies that a public records request for recordings of meetings of a school district board of directors must include the date of the meetings requested or a range of dates. • Encourages school districts to make the content of school board of directors meetings available in formats accessible to individuals who need communication assistance and in languages other than English.

    This bill passed House 96/1 and is scheduled for Executive Session before the Senate State Government Committee 3/17.

    SHB 1248Concerning pupil transportation.

    Comment: Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to provide transportation safety net awards to school districts with excess special passenger costs for special education, homeless, and foster students, as defined in the operating budget. • Requires that school district contracts for pupil transportation services must include sufficient funds to provide employees of the contracting employer with health benefits and pension contributions equivalent to those of school district classified employees. • Provides one-time supplemental allocations to districts that experience higher costs because of the new contract requirements. (According to the fiscal note, these allocations are just partial and paltry reimbursement for added costs for the benefits.)

    This bill did not advance out of Rules and is ‘dead’ subject to legislative whim.

    ESSHB 1320: Concerning access to personnel records.

    Comment: Specifies that an employer must provide the employee's complete, unredacted personnel file within 14 calendar days of the request from the employee, former employee, or their attorney, agent, or fiduciary. • Requires an employer to provide to a former employee, upon request, a statement of the employee's discharge date and reasons, if any, for the discharge. • • Creates a private cause of action to enforce the requirements. Requires the Department of Labor and Industries and the Employment Security Department to provide employers with information regarding the employer's obligations and the employee's rights.

    Passed the House 56/40 and will be moved to Senate Labor and Commerce committee.

    2SSB 5048: Eliminating college in the high school fees.

    Comment: Requires institutions of higher education to provide enrollment and registration in College in the High School (CHS) courses at no cost to students in grades 9 through 12 at public high schools. • Requires the Legislature to appropriate funds to fund CHS courses at inflation-adjusted rates. • Directs high schools that provide a CHS course to include information in the course catalog that there is no fee for students to enroll in a CHS course.

    Passed the Senate 48/0 and has been sent to the House awaiting assignment.

    SB 5084: Creating a separate fund for the purposes of self-insured pensions and assessments.

    Comment: Creates a self-insurance reserve fund for payments from self-insured employers related to workers' compensation pensions and from the overpayments reimbursement fund.

    SB 5084 passed the Senate 47/2 and is awaiting assignment.

    ESSB 5123: Concerning the employment of individuals who lawfully consume cannabis.

    Comment: Prohibits employers, with some exceptions, from discriminating against a person in hiring if the discrimination is based on the person's use of cannabis outside of work or on certain employer-required drug screening tests.

    Passed Senate 28/21. Sent to House Labor for public hearing 3/14.

    SHB 5174: Providing adequate and predictable student transportation.

    Comment: Requires the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to provide an analysis of school district transportation costs and allocations to the Legislature by June 1, 2026. • • Creates a special passenger safety net program.

    This bill passed Senate 48/0 and is scheduled for a public hearing before House Appropriations 3/15.

    SB 5240/ HB 1656: Concerning unemployment insurance benefits appeal procedures.

    Comment: A dispute of an individual's initial determination, determination of allowance or denial of allowance of benefits, or redetermination of allowance or denial of benefits, all matters covered by such initial determination, determination, or redetermination shall be deemed to be in issue subject to appeal.

    SB 5240 passed the Senate 47/0 and has been moved to House Labor Committee for a public hearing 3/15. HB 1656 passed the House 96/0 and has been moved to Senate Labor and Commerce awaiting scheduling.

    SSB 5275: Expanding access to benefits provided by the school employees' benefits board.

    Comment: Allows tribal compact schools, employee organizations representing school employees, and school board directors the option of providing health care through the School Employees Benefits Board through SEBB beginning January 1, 2024. Employers opting into coverage under SEBB may determine the terms of employee and dependent eligibility and must pay premiums set by HCA.

    Passed Senate and has been moved to House Appropriations for a public hearing 3/9 and Executive Session on 3/15.

    SSB 5286: Modifying the premium provisions of the Paid Family and Medical Leave program.

    Comment: Amends the premium rate calculation in the Paid Family and Medical Leave Program (PFML) to be based on a specified formula rather than the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Account (Account) balance ratio on September 30th of the previous year. • Sets a maximum rate of 1.2 percent and removes the Employment Security Department's authority to assess a solvency surcharge if the Account balance ratio falls below a certain threshold. • Removes expired and outdated language in the PFML premium provisions.

    Passed Senate 48/0 and moved to House Labor Committee for public hearing 3/14 and Executive Session 3/17.

    SB 5296: Concerning interruptive military service credit for members of the state retirement systems.

    Comment: Members of the state's retirement systems who leave employment to enter the armed forces of the United States may be eligible for interruptive military service credit. Interruptive military service credit applies to all Washington state retirement systems. A member can qualify for up to five years of no-cost interruptive military service credit. The employer and state pay their contributions plus interest, and the system subsidizes the member contributions and interest.

    Passed the House 49/0 and will be sent to House Appropriations awaiting scheduling.

    2SSB 5593: Improving equity in the transfer of student data between K-12 schools and institutions of higher education.

    Comment: Requires public institutions of higher education to enter into data-sharing agreements with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to facilitate the transfer of high school student directory information for informing high school students of postsecondary educational opportunities in the state. • Requires school districts with a high school to annually transmit directory information to OSPI by November 1st. • Directs OSPI, by no later than the 2025-26 school year, to identify a process for providing student enrollment information to school districts. • Permits the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges to coordinate with all community and technical colleges (CTCs) to develop a single data-sharing agreement between the CTCs and OSPI.

    Passed the Senate 40/8 and has been moved to House Education for a public hearing 3/13.

    Fred Yancey
    The Nexus Group LLC

  • Special Education and 504 Tips & Resources | March 10, 2023

    by David Morrill | Mar 10, 2023

     

    image of inclusion cutout people

    The content from this post comes from Dr. Whitehead's weekly email.


    These emails are sent out weekly to leaders in special education and Section 504. Each email contains tips and resources on a variety of topics that are meant to keep you informed and up to date. Please consult your district attorney if you are looking for legal advice, as this is out of my realm. The opinions contained herein are my own.

    Please feel free to reach out if you have ideas on topics and resources. This week’s emails include links to information on: 

    Everyone:
    5 Ways to Inspire a Love for Learning in Students

    504:
    Section 504: Beyond the Basics

    Special Education & 504 Case Law:
    Statute of Limitation and Duty to Assess all Areas – March Edition NEW
    National Compilation of Case Law 1998 to present

    Special Education:
    January CASE Training 2023
    Legislative Tracker Link

    • Yellow — OSPI requested
    • Purple — Sped 

    Upcoming Classes and Events:

    Special Education Teacher PD

  • Legislative Update | March 6-10, 2023

    by David Morrill | Mar 10, 2023


    legislative update header graphic

    One Through, One To Come Back To

    On the morning of the house of origin cutoff, SB 5175 passed the Senate. Many thanks to all of you who engaged with your Senators and sent emails encouraging them to support this bill.

    Senator Lisa Wellman sponsored SB 5175, which allows districts to offer principals up to a three-year contract. We see this as an option that districts may choose to use to recruit and retain leaders, especially for high school positions. We support this bill because we hope school districts see this as an opportunity to maintain consistent leadership. Dismantling bad-for-student systems takes time and consistent, effective leadership. Principals deserve this job security due to the complex nature of their jobs and the years of experience required to become a highly effective and impactful school leader.

    The Senate added two amendments. One requires a record check before signing a three-year contract. The other amendment says a contract can’t be renewed until the final year of the contract.

    We’re disappointed the bill we wrote, SB 5085, didn’t pass this session. However, we feel good about elevating the conversation around support for principals and assistant principals. We will continue our advocacy around the various pieces of this bill and involve even more education advocates in this conversation.


    Other Bills That Keep Moving

    The big budget push in education this year is for increased special education funding. The House had a robust and passionate discussion about how to accomplish this. HB 1436 ultimately passed after much discussion on the House floor with lower funding levels than many would have liked. The Senate passed SB 5311, and it would raise the special education cap from 13.5% to 15% and increase the multiplier at a greater rate than the House.

    SB 5174 is the only transportation funding bill that survives. This bill was narrowed from its original version and would create the Transportation Safety Net. Safety net awards must be provided to school districts with a demonstrated need for additional transportation funding for special passengers. Special passengers include:

    • students eligible for and receiving special education that require transportation as a related service of their individualized education program,
    • homeless students requiring transportation under the federal McKinney-Vento homeless assistance act, and
    • foster students receiving transportation as required under ESSA.

    The recess bill, SB 5257, was heard last week in the House Education Committee and passed out of that committee this week. The bill was amended to more closely match the House bill (HB 1504), and it requires 30 minutes of recess and encourages recess before lunch. It also includes language that discourages withholding recess for disciplinary or academic reasons.

    HB 1479, the restraint and isolation bill, would prohibit chemical restraint and mechanical restraint, and prohibit isolation beginning August 2, 2025. It prohibits the creation of isolation rooms and requires isolation rooms to be removed or repurposed by August 1, 2025. It also adds training and professional development requirements. Building administrators are added to this list of people who would be prioritized for this training.

    HB 1550 is the Transition to Kindergarten bill. Legislators are trying to ensure funding stays the same for the current programs while creating statutes and procedures for future programs. Current TK programs will remain in place for the 2023-24 school year, but changes will come in the following school year.

    HB 1308 will be heard next Monday in the Senate. This bill says that school districts may offer students the opportunity to meet graduation pathway requirements by completing a performance-based learning experience through which the student applies knowledge and skills in a real-world context, providing evidence of applying state learning standards in at least two of the core subject areas identified by the SBE that are most directly aligned with the student's education or career goals as stated in their HSBP.

    SB 5243 passed the Senate, and it would revise high school and beyond plan (HSBP) requirements and require OSPI to facilitate the transition to and adoption of a common online platform for HSBPs. It would require school districts to provide access to an adopted universal platform within two years of platform development. This bill will be heard in the House Education Committee next week.

    SB 5048 is a fantastic bill that passed the Senate this week. This bill will require institutions of higher education to provide enrollment and registration in College in the High School courses at no cost to students in grades 9 through 12 at public high schools.

    HB 1316 is another dual credit bill that would allow Running Start students to be funded up to a combined maximum enrollment of 1.6 FTE. It would also allow high school graduates with 15 or fewer college credits to earn before meeting associate degree requirements to continue participation in the summer academic term following graduation.

    HB 1565 has a short title of the “Educator Workforce Act”. This bill establishes a teacher residency program and continues work to identify the quality and effectiveness of educator preparation and workforce programs. This bill also addresses the BEST program. We are hopeful funding for principal mentorships will increase, as well as funding for principal internships.

    HB 1207 moves over to the Senate, and it would change the term "emergency expulsion" to "emergency removal" and permit certain students to request that their records use the new term. It would also require OSPI to develop a model student handbook that includes, among other things, a complaint procedure related to harassment, intimidation, bullying, and discrimination.

    HB 1478 establishes student rights and moves over to the Senate. It requires each public school to develop student-focused educational and promotional materials that incorporate the statement and to include the materials into required civics instruction. It directs OSPI to make the statement available on its website.


    Bill Tracking

    There are more bills still moving through the Legislature. Here are the bills being heard next week and the complete list of bills that I’m tracking.


    Get Involved

    Our advocacy efforts need all of our voices to contribute to the process. There are many different ways (big and small) that you can get involved in these efforts. Your participation can be as easy as doing an action alert to email your legislators or signing in support of a specific bill. Or, if you feel really passionate about a particular bill, we would love to have you testify. It takes all of us to make an impact!

    If you have questions or comments or want to get involved, please reach out to me.

    Thank you so much!

  • Legislative Update | Feb 27 - March 3, 2023

    by David Morrill | Mar 03, 2023


    legislative update header graphic

    Urgent Action Needed on Our Bills!

    We are halfway to the end of this year’s legislative session, and we are fast approaching the next legislative cutoff date when bills must pass out of their house of origin. We need SB 5085 and SB 5175 to get pulled to the Senate floor by Wednesday, March 8th for a vote, or their journey this legislative session ends.

    I’ve heard this week that SB 5175 may get a vote but SB 5085 may not. There is a potential concern with the salary piece in SB 5085, so I told Senator Wellman to remove that section if that is what is needed to keep the bill moving.

    We need YOU to email senators to urge them to bring these bills up for a vote.

    Here are the key senators and staff to email. Feel free to include your own local senator. Find the email for your senator here.

    Email Addresses of Senate Leadership:


    Suggested Email (please edit as you'd like):

    Dear Senators and Lt. Gov Heck, 

    SB 5085 and SB 5175 address some essential pieces to providing principals and assistant principals with greater support and job protection. The demands and expectations of these jobs are significant. We need these specific changes for current and future leaders. As it is now, we feel like we are managing our buildings and not truly leading instruction and change.We urge you to bring these to the Senate floor for a vote and to support these bills.

    SB 5085 would do these three things:

    • provide more protections for assistant principals,
    • allow principals and assistant principals to retain years of experience as educators if transferring to different roles,
    • and clarify required training for evaluations.

    We asked for the section on bargaining working conditions to be removed.

    We appreciate Senator Van de Wege's attempt to set a minimum salary for principal and assistant positions, but if this is problematic, we urge you to leave this out and move the rest of the bill forward. SB 5175 would allow (not require) districts to provide principals with contracts of up to three years. Currently, all principals have year-to-year contracts.

    For more information and to learn why we brought these bills forward, read our latest update on our blog, watch the video, or listen to the podcast. Each format has the same message, so we’ve got you covered whether you want to read, watch, or listen.


    Other Bills This Week

    As floor action was taking place this week, a few bills that have passed out of either the House or Senate are starting to go to the opposite house. Here are some updates on bills that continue to move.

    One is SB 5257, the recess bill. We worked with a coalition of groups on this, and the final bill should require 30 minutes of recess, and encourage recess before lunch. There is also language that discourages withholding recess for disciplinary or academic reasons. Thank you to Patrick Vincent, Principal at Union Gap School, for providing testimony to the House Education Committee this week.

    We worked with another group of associations (WEA, AFT, and the Washington School Counselors Association) on a joint letter related to SB 5670, adding 10th graders to Running Start. We’ve been opposed to this bill from the beginning. We have strong concerns with expanding this program before investing in College in the High School programs, as well as with the potentially negative social and academic experiences for 10th-grade students.

    HB 1479, the restraint and isolation bill, would prohibit chemical restraint and mechanical restraint, and prohibit isolation beginning August 2, 2025. It prohibits the creation of isolation rooms and requires isolation rooms to be removed or repurposed by August 1, 2025. It also adds training and professional development requirements. Building administrators are added to this list of people who would be prioritized for this training.

    HB 1308 passed out of the House yesterday. School districts may offer students the opportunity to meet graduation pathway requirements by completing a performance-based learning experience through which the student applies knowledge and skills in a real-world context, providing evidence of applying state learning standards in at least two of the core subject areas identified by the SBE that are most directly aligned with the student's education or career goals as stated in their HSBP.

    HB 1207 passed the House this week, and it would change the term "emergency expulsion" to "emergency removal" and permit certain students to request that their records use the new term. It would also require OSPI to develop a model student handbook that includes, among other things, a complaint procedure related to harassment, intimidation, bullying, and discrimination.

    SB 5243 passed the Senate today, and it would revise high school and beyond plan (HSBP) requirements and require OSPI to facilitate the transition to and adoption of a common online platform for HSBPs. It would require school districts to provide access to an adopted universal platform within two years of platform development.

    HB 1238 is titled “An act relating to free school meals for all”. This bill passed the House yesterday, but it was narrowed significantly and will fund meals for about 40,000 additional students in our state rather than all.

    HB 1478 passed the House yesterday, and this bill establishes student rights. It also requires each public school to develop student-focused educational and promotional materials that incorporate the statement and to include the materials into required civics instruction. It directs OSPI to make the statement available on its website.

    The big budget push in education this year is for increased special education funding. The House had a robust and passionate discussion about how to accomplish this yesterday. HB 1436 ultimately passed with lower funding levels than many would have liked. The Senate is scheduled to vote on its special education bill (SB 5311) today.

    HB 1550 is the Transitional Kindergarten bill, and it is awaiting a vote on the House floor. Legislators are trying to ensure funding stays the same for the current programs while creating statutes and procedures for future programs. Current TK programs will remain in place for the 2023-24 school year, but changes will come in the following school year.


    Bill Tracking

    There are more bills still moving through the Legislature. For more information, here is the complete list of bills that I’m tracking.


    Get Involved

    Our advocacy efforts need all of our voices to contribute to the process. There are many different ways (big and small) that you can get involved in these efforts. Your participation can be as easy as doing an action alert to email your legislators or signing in support of a specific bill. Or, if you feel really passionate about a particular bill, we would love to have you testify. It takes all of us to make an impact!

    If you have questions or comments or want to get involved, please reach out to me.

    Thank you so much!

  • Special Education and 504 Tips & Resources | March 3, 2023

    by David Morrill | Mar 03, 2023

     

    image of inclusion cutout people

    The content from this post comes from Dr. Whitehead's weekly email.


    These emails are sent out weekly to leaders in special education and Section 504. Each email contains tips and resources on a variety of topics that are meant to keep you informed and up to date. Please consult your district attorney if you are looking for legal advice, as this is out of my realm. The opinions contained herein are my own.

    Please feel free to reach out if you have ideas on topics and resources. This week’s emails include links to information on: 

    Everyone
    Trauma Informed Practices

    504
    FAQ about Section 504

    Special Education & 504 Case Law
    Statute of Limitation and Duty to Assess all Areas – March Edition NEW
    National Compilation of Case Law 1998 to present

    Special Education
    Fact Sheet: Diversity & Inclusion Activities Under Title VI
    Legislative Tracker Link

    • Yellow — OSPI requested
    • Purple — Sped 

    OSPI
    February Updates


    Upcoming Classes and Events:

    Special Education Teacher PD

  • Retirement & Health Benefits for March 3, 2023

    by Julie Woods | Mar 03, 2023


    Retirement Blog

     

    "The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress."

    Joseph Joubert

     

    Both houses were and remain in caucus or in debate on the floor, considering various bills on their respective calendars. Committee work will begin in earnest once the deadline to pass bills from their house of origin. (March 8th). House bills that passed will then be heard in Senate committees and vice versa.

    Listed below are bills that have either moved or appear still ‘alive’. Remember that NTIB bills are always in the background and may come forward at any time. And, technically, any bill can be resurrected.


    Retirement Related Proposals

    As a repeat: Previous reports have covered the bills related to addressing the lack of a cost-of-living increase (COLA) for members in TRS/PERS Plans 1 and requesting a COLA for members of those plans. They are: ESHB 1057/SB 5350, HB 1201/ESSB 5294, and HB 1459.

    There are four bills currently moving that deal with pensions: two sets/companions per chamber, and all four slightly differing.

    SB 5350 would grant a one-time, capped 3% COLA for TRS1/PERS1 plan members. It also directs the Select Committee on Pension Policy (SCPP) to recommend a path to regaining a permanent COLA for these retirees.

    The Senate passed the bill 48/0, and it has been moved to House Appropriations.

    ESSB 5294 was amended. The principal change was that, as originally proposed, it took the $800 Million last session budgeted to lower the unfunded liability in TRS Plan 1. The amended bill leaves $250 Million toward the liability and transfers the rest to the General Fund. In short, it: Removes the underlying provisions of the bill. • Sets the existing minimum UAAL rates to end after FY 2023. • Sets UAAL rates for FY 2024 through 2027. Establishes a new minimum UAAL rate of 0.5 percent that goes into effect in FY 2028.  

    The Senate passed the bill 48/0, and it has been moved to House Appropriations.

    ESHB 1057 would grant a one-time, capped 3% COLA for TRS1/PERS1 plan members. It also directed the SCPP to recommend a path to regaining a permanent COLA for these retirees. Unlike its companion, an adopted amendment froze current rates until 2027.

    The bill passed the House 96/0 and will be moved to Senate Ways and Means.

    HB 1201 Eliminates the minimum contribution rates for amortizing the unfunded liabilities in the Teachers' Retirement System Plan 1 (TRS 1), beginning August 31, 2024, and for the Public Employees' Retirement System Plan 1 (PERS 1), beginning June 30, 2025. • Fixes the employer contribution rate for the unfunded liabilities in PERS 1 and TRS 1 at zero until 2029, excluding amounts to amortize benefit improvements made after June 30, 2009. • Repeals the scheduled payment of $800 million into the TRS 1 fund scheduled for June 30, 2023.

    This bill remains in Rules. *Note* Senate passed its companion.

    Regarding costs:

    Numerous fiscal notes are attached to each of these bills. The bottom line is that they all address the unfunded liability and the resulting surcharges that employers are currently paying to lower the UAAL.

    A simple, generalized summary is that current surcharge rates (paid by employers only) are PERS 3.85%/ TRS1 6.46%. Effective in 2023: Under HB 1201 the rates go to 0% in 2026 for PERS and 0.71% for TRS 1 in 2025. Savings to the state’s General Fund will be $427.7 million in 2023-2025. Obviously, savings will also go to employers such as school districts. The other bills also have various projections as to future rates. All lower the current surcharge rates. ESHB 1057 also includes language that any benefit improvements (such as a COLA) will have no effect on rates until July 1, 2027.

    HB 1007: Concerning interruptive military service credit for members of the state retirement systems.

    Comment: Retirement credit can be awarded in any armed conflicts if the participant was awarded the respective campaign or expeditionary badge or medal…. the ‘expeditionary badge' qualifier was added.

    HB 1007 passed the House 97/0 and has moved to the Senate Ways and Means.

    HB 1008Concerning participating in insurance plans and contracts by separated Plan 2 members of certain retirement systems.

    Comment: This bill would simply make retiree insurance provisions uniform and equitable for Plan 2 and 3 members.

    HB 1008 passed the House 93/0 and has been moved to Senate Ways and Means.

    SHB 1056Repealing some post-retirement employment restrictions.

    Comment:Changes the post-retirement employment restrictions on benefits eligibility for Public Employees' Retirement System, Teachers Retirement System, and School Employees Retirement System Plans 2 and 3 members that retired under the 2008 Early Retirement Factors (ERFs). • Permits 2008 ERF members to work in the retirement system–covered employment for up to 867 hours per year without suspension of retirement benefits. • Adjusts benefits for individuals that chose the 3 percent per year early retirement reduction to the level of reduction in the 2008 ERFs for future benefit payments. Effective 1/1/2024.

    SHB 1056 passed the House 93/0 and has moved to Senate Ways and Means.

    SSB 5121Extending the expiration date of the joint select committee on health care oversight.

    Comment: Extends the expiration date of the Joint Select Committee on Health Care Oversight from December 31, 2022, until December 31, 2026, and renames it the Joint Select Committee on Health Care and Behavioral Health Oversight.

    Passed Senate 48/0. Executive Session before the House Health Care and Wellness Committee is scheduled 3/10.

    SSB 5490: Concerning health care coverage for retired or disabled employees denied coverage for failure to timely notify the authority of their intent to defer coverage.

    Comment: A retired or disabled employee who was eligible to defer coverage when they left employment, but failed to do so and later applied for retiree coverage and was denied solely for failure to notify HCA of their plan to defer coverage, and appealed the denial of benefits by December 31, 2022, may enroll in retiree health care. A retired or disabled employee enrolling in benefits may only enroll in a fully-insured Medicare advantage or Medicare supplement plan. A retiree taking advantage of this provision must apply by the end of the open enrollment period for the plan year beginning January 1, 2024.

    This bill passed the Senate 48/0 and sent to House Health Care Committee.


    Other Areas of Potential Fiscal Impact (and often unfunded) to Districts

    SHB 1068Concerning injured workers' rights during compelled medical examinations.

    Comment: This allows an injured worker to make an audio and video recording of a compelled medical examination and to have one person of the worker's choosing present during the examination. 

    This bill passed the House 65/33 and will be moved to the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee.

    SHB 1106Concerning qualifications for unemployment insurance when an individual voluntarily leaves work.

    Comment: Expands access to unemployment insurance benefits by adding circumstances where a person may voluntarily quit for good cause.

    This bill remains on the House floor calendar for possible action.

    SHB 1136: Requiring employers to reimburse employees for necessary expenditures and losses.

    Comment: Requires employers to reimburse employees for all necessary expenditures and losses incurred in direct consequence of their duties.

    This bill is in House Rules awaiting action.  

    SHB 1187Concerning privileged communication between employees and the unions that represent them.

    Comment: A testimonial privilege is established for a union representative and an employee the union represents or has represented from being examined or required to disclose any communication between an employee and union representative or between union representatives that is made in the course of union representation. Exceptions to this privilege are established.

    This bill is in House Rules waiting movement.

    SHB 1200: Requiring public employers to provide employee information to exclusive bargaining representatives.

    Comment: Requires certain public employers to provide exclusive bargaining representatives' information, such as contact information, date of hire, salary, and job site location, of employees in bargaining units if the employer has that information in its records. The employer must provide the information within 21 business days from the date of hire for new employees in an appropriate bargaining unit and every 120 business days for all employees in an appropriate bargaining unit. In addition, the employer must provide the information in an editable format. • Allows an exclusive bargaining representative to bring a court action if a public employer fails to comply with the requirement to provide information.

    HB 1200 has been moved to House Rules.

     EHB 1210 Concerning the recording of school board meetings.

    Comment: Requires all school district board meetings to be audio recorded, subject to exceptions for executive sessions and emergencies, with recordings kept for one year. • Specifies that a public records request for recordings of meetings of a school district board of directors must include the date of the meetings requested or a range of dates. • Encourages school districts to make the content of school board of directors meetings available in formats accessible to individuals who need communication assistance and in languages other than English.

    This bill passed House 96/1 and had a public hearing before the Senate State Government Committee 2/17.

    SHB 1248Concerning pupil transportation.

    Comment: Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to provide transportation safety net awards to school districts with excess special passenger costs for special education, homeless, and foster students, as defined in the operating budget. • Requires that school district contracts for pupil transportation services must include sufficient funds to provide employees of the contracting employer with health benefits and pension contributions equivalent to those of school district classified employees. • Provides one-time supplemental allocations to districts that experience higher costs because of the new contract requirements. (According to the fiscal note, these allocations are just partial and paltry reimbursement for added costs for the benefits.)

    This bill has been moved to House Rules for possible action.

    ESSHB 1320: Concerning access to personnel records.

    Comment: Specifies that an employer must provide the employee's complete, unredacted personnel file within 14 calendar days of the request from the employee, former employee, or their attorney, agent, or fiduciary. • Requires an employer to provide to a former employee, upon request, a statement of the employee's discharge date and reasons, if any, for the discharge. • Creates a private cause of action to enforce the requirements. Requires the Department of Labor and Industries and the Employment Security Department to provide employers with information regarding the employer's obligations and the employee's rights.

    Passed the House 56/40 and will be moved to Senate Labor and Commerce committee.

    SB 5059:  Concerning prejudgment interest.

    Comment: This was proposed last session. Briefly stated, judgments founded on the tortious conduct of a "public agency" shall bear interest from the date ((of entry)) the cause of action accrued. So, if a district is found liable for neglecting to act in a child’s best interest, years after the fact, it will pay a penalty and interest from the day the neglect/damage first occurred from the date the action is commenced or the date the minor attains the age of eighteen years, whichever is earlier.

    This bill has been moved to Rules for possible pull to floor calendar.  

    SB 5084: Creating a separate fund for the purposes of self-insured pensions and assessments.

    Comment: Creates a self-insurance reserve fund for payments from self-insured employers related to workers' compensation pensions and from the overpayments reimbursement fund.

    SB 5084 is in Senate Rules.

    ESSB 5123: Concerning the employment of individuals who lawfully consume cannabis.

    Comment: Prohibits employers, with some exceptions, from discriminating against a person in hiring if the discrimination is based on the person's use of cannabis outside of work or on certain employer-required drug screening tests.

    The bill does not: prohibit an employer from basing initial hiring decisions on scientifically valid drug screening conducted through methods that do not screen for non-psychoactive cannabis metabolites; • apply to testing for controlled substances other than pre-employment, such as post-accident testing or testing because of suspicion of impairment or being under the influence of alcohol, controlled substances, medications, or other substances; • affect the rights or obligation of an employer to maintain a drug and alcohol-free workplace, or any other right or obligation of an employer required under federal law or regulation; • apply to applicants in the airline or aerospace industries, or applicants applying for a position that requires a federal government background investigation or security clearance; or • apply to safety-sensitive positions for which impairment while working presents a substantial risk of death.

    Passed Senate 28/21. Sent to House Labor for scheduling.

    SHB 5174: Providing adequate and predictable student transportation.

    Comment: Removes provisions that modify the student transportation funding formula. • Removes additional monthly reporting requirements. Removes provision requiring transportation contractors to provide employee health and retirement benefits comparable to those received by school employees. • Creates a special passenger safety net program. • Updates intent section.  

    One proposed amendment of note, sponsored by Sen. Hasegawa, restores the provisions regarding health and retirement benefits. Part of the effect statement reads: Requires OSPI, subject to appropriations, to provide a one-time supplemental transportation allocation to districts that see an increase in costs due to these new requirements, not to exceed $200 per employee per month. Provides reporting requirements and restrictions on use of funds.

    This has been moved to the floor calendar.

    SB 5240/ HB 1656: Concerning unemployment insurance benefits appeal procedures.

    Comment: A dispute of an individual's initial determination, determination of allowance or denial of allowance of benefits, or redetermination of allowance or denial of benefits, all matters covered by such initial determination, determination, or redetermination shall be deemed to be in issue subject to appeal.

    SB 5240 passed the Senate 47/0 and has been moved to House Labor Committee. HB 1656 is in House Rules.

    SSB 5275: Expanding access to benefits provided by the school employees' benefits board.

    Comment: Tribal compact schools, employee organizations representing school employees, and school board directors may enter into a contract with the HCA to provide health care benefits to their employees through SEBB beginning January 1, 2024. Employers opting into coverage under SEBB may determine the terms of employee and dependent eligibility and must pay premiums set by HCA.

    Passed Senate and has been moved to House Appropriations.

    SSB 5286: Modifying the premium provisions of the Paid Family and Medical Leave program.

    Comment: Amends the premium rate calculation in the Paid Family and Medical Leave Program (PFML) to be based on a specified formula rather than the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Account (Account) balance ratio on September 30th of the previous year. • Sets a maximum rate of 1.2 percent and removes the Employment Security Department's authority to assess a solvency surcharge if the Account balance ratio falls below a certain threshold.

    Passed Senate 48/0 and moved to House 2/3, awaiting a date for public hearing before House Labor.

    SB 5296: Concerning interruptive military service credit for members of the state retirement systems.

    Comment: Members of the state's retirement systems who leave employment to enter the armed forces of the United States may be eligible for interruptive military service credit. Interruptive military service credit applies to all Washington state retirement systems. A member can qualify for up to five years of no-cost interruptive military service credit. The employer and state pay their contributions plus interest and the system subsidizes the member contributions and interest.

    Passed the House 49/0 and will be sent to House Appropriations.

    Fred Yancey
    The Nexus Group LLC

  • Dear Sista: A Brave Meeting Space for Black Women School Leaders

    by David Morrill | Mar 02, 2023

    photo of the book dear sista by veronica very


    Black women are the third most represented demographic for the principalship in Washington state. Knowing that, it is vital to create a brave space for black women to connect, support one another, and grow together for us to sustain ourselves in education.

    In response to a request from one of our leaders, AWSP created “Dear Sista,” an affinity group space for African American women leaders. The title Dear Sista is a tribute to Veronica Very’s book of poems that speaks to truth, healing, and supporting the sisterhood. The group meets monthly via Zoom for:

    • Affirmation
    • Networking
    • Book studies
    • Problem-solving
    • Healing/soul care
    • Leadership tips
    • Guest speakers
    • Resource sharing

    Here are the upcoming 2023-24 meeting dates (each at 5:30 pm):

    • August 24, 2023
    • September 28, 2023
    • October 26, 2023
    • November 15, 2023
    • December 14, 2023
    • January 25, 2024
    • February 22, 2024
    • March 28, 2024
    • April 25, 2024
    • May 23, 2024
    • June 20, 2024

    If you’re interested in being a part of Dear Sista, reach out to me.

  • Principal Mentoring: Emotional Agility

    by David Morrill | Mar 01, 2023

    Principal Mentoring

    Emotional Agility is probably one of the trickiest skill sets to learn as you are busy juggling the demands of an intense school year. As we think about all that has happened over the past three years and ALL of the things we are working to handle effectively, the importance of emotional agility cannot be overlooked. Susan David, author, TedTX speaker, and co-founder of the Institute of Coaching (Harvard Medical School), is a leader in this field. Those of you participating as mentors/mentees in our AWSP Mentoring Program have been exposed to the School Leader Paradigm and how our personal and social intelligence positively/negatively impacts our ability to lead in the schoolhouse. I have found Susan David’s monthly newsletter to be an excellent way to get refocused on my own locus of control, and my ability to stay positively focused on what I can/cannot control. I am a work in progress (lol)…but I’d definitely encourage you to sign up for her newsletter and share with us what you think. Maybe this spring, you’ll engage and be better grounded when all the “things” are flying in your direction. You got this! Until next time…

  • Special Education and 504 Tips & Resources | February 24, 2023

    by David Morrill | Feb 24, 2023

     

    image of inclusion cutout people

    The content from this post comes from Dr. Whitehead's weekly email.


    These emails are sent out weekly to leaders in special education and Section 504. Each email contains tips and resources on a variety of topics that are meant to keep you informed and up to date. Please consult your district attorney if you are looking for legal advice, as this is out of my realm. The opinions contained herein are my own.

    Please feel free to reach out if you have ideas on topics and resources. This week’s emails include links to information on: 

    Everyone
    3 Strategies for managing student behavior

    504
    Guidelines for caring for a student with diabetes

    Special Education & 504 Case Law
    National Compilation of Case Law 1998 to present 
    Section 504 and ADA – February Edition 

    Special Education
    Special Education Facilitation Process
    Legislative Tracker Link

    • Yellow — OSPI requested
    • Purple — Sped 

    OSPI
    February Updates


    Upcoming Classes and Events:

    Special Education Teacher PD

  • Retirement & Health Benefits for February 24, 2023

    by Julie Woods | Feb 24, 2023


    Retirement Blog

    “Democracy dies in darkness”

    Washington POST

    Committee hearings are either temporarily suspended or have small agendas as attention changes focus to floor action. Bills that have made it out of committees now must make it to the floor calendar for possible debate and vote. A reminder that March 8th is the deadline for bills to have cleared their house of origin

    As always, and to repeat: Bills that are necessary to implement the budget (NTIB) remain alive beyond any of these deadlines. (Although, what makes a bill NTIB is fairly loosely defined.)

    For an outsider looking in, it is extremely frustrating that much of the action that fine tunes/amends bills occur behind closed doors, out of sight of the general public. This is particularly true of the development of the budget, but as one can observe, amendments often crop up on bills the day of their final hearing or on the floor once brought forward for debate. The net effect is that the public often has little time to read and understand any proposed change(s). This is particularly galling when the budget proposal itself is often released in the morning with a same-day public hearing. But this is the system. So be it.

    Listed below are bills that appear to be moving or that have made it to the opposite house awaiting committee hearings.

    Retirement Related Proposals

    To repeat: Previous reports have covered the bills related to addressing the lack of a cost-of-living increase (COLA) for members in TRS/PERS Plans 1. They are: HB 1057/SB 5350, HB 1201/SB 5294, and HB 1459.

    There are four bills currently moving that deal with pensions; two sets/companions per chamber, and all four slightly differing.

    SB 5350 would grant a one-time, capped 3% COLA for TRS1/PERS1 plan members. It also directs the Select Committee on Pension Policy (SCPP) to recommend a path to regaining a permanent COLA for these retirees.

    SB 5294 was amended. The principal change was that as originally proposed, it took the $800 Million last session budgeted to lower the unfunded liability in TRS Plan 1. The amended bill leaves $250 Million toward the liability and transfers the rest to the General Fund. In short, it: Removes the underlying provisions of the bill. • Sets the existing minimum UAAL rates to end after FY 2023. • Sets UAAL rates for FY 2024 through 2027. Establishes a new minimum UAAL rate of 0.5 percent that goes into effect in FY 2028.  

    HB 1057 would grant a one-time, capped 3% COLA for TRS1/PERS1 plan members. It also directed the SCPP to recommend a path to regaining a permanent COLA for these retirees. Unlike its companion, an adopted amendment froze current rates until 2028.

    HB 1201 Eliminates the minimum contribution rates for amortizing the unfunded liabilities in the Teachers' Retirement System Plan 1 (TRS 1), beginning August 31, 2024, and for the Public Employees' Retirement System Plan 1 (PERS 1), beginning June 30, 2025. • Fixes the employer contribution rate for the unfunded liabilities in PERS 1 and TRS 1 at zero until 2029, excluding amounts to amortize benefit improvements made after June 30, 2009. • Repeals the scheduled payment of $800 million into the TRS 1 fund scheduled for June 30, 2023.

    The Senate Ways and Means Committee and Senate Rules moved SB 5350 and SB 5294. Both are on the floor calendar awaiting action by the full Senate.  HB 1057 and HB 1201 have been moved to Rules.

    SHB 1007: Concerning interruptive military service credit for members of the state retirement systems.

    Comment: Retirement credit can be awarded in any armed conflicts if the participant was awarded the respective campaign or expeditionary badge or medal…. the ‘expeditionary badge' qualifier was added.

    HB 1007 passed the House 97/0 and has moved to the Senate Ways and Means.

    HB 1008Concerning participating in insurance plans and contracts by separated Plan 2 members of certain retirement systems.

    Comment: This bill would simply make retiree insurance provisions uniform and equitable for Plan 2 and 3 members.

    HB 1008 passed the House 93/0 and has been moved to Senate Ways and Means.

    SHB 1056/ SB 5349: Repealing some post-retirement employment restrictions.

    Comment: Beginning January 1, 2024, any current or future retiree under the provisions of early retirement may utilize the 32 postretirement employment provisions of RCW 41.32.802(2) for up to 867 hours per year.

    SHB 1056 passed the House 93/0 and has moved to Senate Ways and Means. SB 5349 is in Senate Rules. It is likely that HB 1056 will be the bill that is moved; SB 5349 will die.

    SSB 5121Extending the expiration date of the joint select committee on health care oversight.

    Comment: The expiration date of this committee is to be extended. Its goal must be to ensure that these multiple health and insurance regulatory agencies are not duplicating their efforts and are working toward a goal of increased quality of services leading to reduced costs to the health care consumer.

    Passed Senate 48/0 and has moved to the House Health Care and Wellness Committee.

    SSB 5490: Concerning health care coverage for retired or disabled employees denied coverage for failure to timely notify the authority of their intent to defer coverage.

    Comment: A retired or disabled employee who was eligible to defer coverage when they left employment, but failed to do so and later applied for retiree coverage and was denied solely for failure to notify HCA of their plan to defer coverage, and appealed the denial of benefits by December 31, 2022, may enroll in retiree health care. A retired or disabled employee enrolling in benefits may only enroll in a fully-insured Medicare advantage or Medicare supplement plan. A retiree taking advantage of this provision must apply by the end of the open enrollment period for the plan year beginning January 1, 2024.

    This bill is in Rules Committee awaiting further action.

    Other Areas of Potential Fiscal Impact (and often unfunded) to Districts

    SHB 1068Concerning injured workers' rights during compelled medical examinations.

    Comment: This allows an injured worker to make an audio and video recording of a compelled medical examination and to have one person of the worker's choosing present during the examination. 

    This bill passed the House 65/33 and will be moved to the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee.

    SHB 1106Concerning qualifications for unemployment insurance when an individual voluntarily leaves work.

    Comment: Expands access to unemployment insurance benefits by adding circumstances where a person may voluntarily quit for good cause.

    This bill has been placed on House floor calendar for possible action.

    SHB 1136: Requiring employers to reimburse employees for necessary expenditures and losses.

    Comment: Requires employers to reimburse employees for all necessary expenditures and losses incurred in direct consequence of their duties.

    This bill is in House Rules awaiting action.  

    HB 1187: Concerning privileged communication between employees and the unions that represent them.

    Comment: To effectuate the public policy favoring effective collective bargaining, it is necessary to protect confidential union–employee communications in the course of union representation against disclosure.

    This bill is in House Rules waiting movement.

    HB 1200: Requiring public employers to provide employee information to exclusive bargaining representatives.

    Comment: Requires certain public employers to provide exclusive bargaining representatives' information, such as contact information, date of hire, salary, and job site location of employees in bargaining units if the employer has that information in its records. Allows an exclusive bargaining representative to bring a court action if a public employer fails to comply with the requirement to provide information.

    HB 1200 has been moved to House Rules.

     EHB 1210 Concerning the recording of school board meetings.

    Comment: Specifies that a public records request for recordings of school district board of directors meetings must include the date of the meetings requested or a range of dates. Provides that searches for public records need not include recordings of school district board meetings unless a date is given. Requires all school district board meetings to be audio recorded, subject to exceptions for executive sessions and emergencies, with recordings kept for at least one year. Encourages school districts to make the content of school board of directors meetings available in formats accessible to individuals who need communication assistance and in languages other than English.

    This bill passed House 96/1 and has been moved to the Senate State Government Committee for a public hearing 2/17.

    SHB 1248Concerning pupil transportation.

    Comment: Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to provide transportation safety net awards to school districts with excess special passenger costs for special education, homeless, and foster students, as defined in the operating budget. • Requires that school district contracts for pupil transportation services must include sufficient funds to provide employees of the contracting employer with health benefits and pension contributions equivalent to those of school district classified employees. • Provides one-time supplemental allocations to districts that experience higher costs because of the new contract requirements. (According to the fiscal note, these allocations are just partial and paltry reimbursement for added costs for the benefits.)

    This bill has been moved to House Rules for possible action.

    SHB 1320: Concerning access to personnel records.

    Comment: Specifies that an employer must provide the employee's complete, unredacted personnel file within 14 calendar days of the request from the employee, former employee, or their attorney, agent, or fiduciary. • Requires an employer to provide to a former employee, upon request, a statement of the employee's discharge date and reasons, if any, for the discharge. • • Creates a private cause of action to enforce the requirements. Requires the Department of Labor and Industries and the Employment Security Department to provide employers with information regarding the employer's obligations and the employee's rights.

    Scheduled for Executive Action on 2/24 in House Appropriations.

    SB 5059:  Concerning prejudgment interest.

    Comment: This was proposed last session. Briefly stated, judgments founded on the tortious conduct of a "public agency" shall bear interest from the date (of entry) the cause of action accrued. So if a district is found liable for neglecting to act in a child’s best interest years after the fact, it will pay a penalty and interest from the day the neglect/damage first occurred, from the date the action is commenced, or the date the minor attains the age of eighteen years, whichever is earlier.

    Executive Session scheduled 2/23 before Senate Ways and Means.  

    SB 5084: Creating a separate fund for the purposes of self-insured pensions and assessments.

    Comment: Creates a self-insurance reserve fund for payments from self-insured employers related to workers' compensation pensions and from the overpayments reimbursement fund.

    SB 5084 is in Senate Rules.


    ESSB 5123: Concerning the employment of individuals who lawfully consume cannabis.

    Comment: Prohibits employers, with some exceptions, from discriminating against a person in hiring if the discrimination is based on the person's use of cannabis outside of work or on certain employer-required drug screening tests.

    The bill does not: prohibit an employer from basing initial hiring decisions on scientifically valid drug screening conducted through methods that do not screen for non-psychoactive cannabis metabolites; • apply to testing for controlled substances other than pre-employment, such as post-accident testing or testing because of suspicion of impairment or being under the influence of alcohol, controlled substances, medications, or other substances; • affect the rights or obligation of an employer to maintain a drug and alcohol free workplace, or any other right or obligation of an employer required under federal law or regulation; • apply to applicants in the airline or aerospace industries, or applicants applying for a position that requires a federal government background investigation or security clearance; or • apply to safety-sensitive positions for which impairment while working presents a substantial risk of death.

    Passed Senate 28/21. Sent to House Labor for scheduling.

    SHB 5174: Providing adequate and predictable student transportation.

    Comment: Removes provisions that modify the student transportation funding formula. • Removes additional monthly reporting requirements. Removes provision requiring transportation contractors to provide employee health and retirement benefits comparable to those received by school employees. • Creates a special passenger safety net program. • Updates intent section.   

    This has been moved to Senate Rules Committee.

    SB 5240/ HB 1656: Concerning unemployment insurance benefits appeal procedures.

    Comment: A dispute of an individual's initial determination, determination of allowance or denial of allowance of benefits, or redetermination of allowance or denial of benefits, all matters covered by such initial determination, determination, or redetermination shall be deemed to be in issue subject to appeal.

    SB 5240 has been sent to Senate Rules Committee. HB 1656 is in House Rules.

    SSB 5275: Expanding access to benefits provided by the school employees' benefits board.

    Comment: Allows tribal compact schools, employee organizations representing school employees, and school board directors the option of providing health care through the School Employees' Benefits Board.

    Placed on floor calendar awaiting further action.

    SSB 5286: Modifying the premium provisions of the Paid Family and Medical Leave program.

    Comment: Amends the premium rate calculation in the Paid Family and Medical Leave program (PFML) to be based on a specified formula rather than the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Account (Account) balance ratio on September 30th of the previous year. Sets a maximum rate of 1.2 percent and removes the Employment Security Department's authority to assess a solvency surcharge if the Account balance ratio falls below a certain threshold.

    Passed Senate 48/0 and moved to House 2/3, awaiting a date for public hearing before House Labor.

    SB 5296: Concerning interruptive military service credit for members of the state retirement systems.

    Comment: Members of the state's retirement systems who leave employment to enter the armed forces of the United States may be eligible for interruptive military service credit. Interruptive military service credit applies to all Washington state retirement systems. A member can qualify for up to five years of no-cost interruptive military service credit. The employer and state pay their contributions plus interest and the system subsidizes the member contributions and interest.

    Passed the House 49/0 and will be sent to Senate Ways and Means.

    Fred Yancey
    The Nexus Group LLC

  • Legislative Update | Feb 20 - Feb 24, 2023

    by David Morrill | Feb 24, 2023


    legislative update header graphic

    It’s Time to Take Action!

    As today comes to a close, so does another cutoff date. All bills with a price tag must be passed out of a fiscal committee (either House Appropriations or Senate Ways and Means) by Friday, February 24. This means the list of bills moving through the Legislature is getting smaller.

    We hope several important bills stay alive, so programs like special education, transportation, dual credit, and nutrition get passed and included in the final budget. Our districts need this basic education funding.

    Along with these issues, legislators, staff, and education advocates are working on fine-tuning other bills related to highly capable programs, transitional Kindergarten, teacher residency programs, restraint and isolation, and more.

    Beginning Monday, February 27, all of the action turns to the House and Senate floor, where legislators will spend the next week and a half passing bills out of each chamber. Bills must pass out by March 8 in order to stay alive. The bills that make it through then go to the opposite house, and the process starts over.

    As we make our way through the session, the next revenue forecast on March 20 will bring new information. We will hear more about how the budget is shaping up after the forecast.


    Principal Bills

    We’ll continue to educate people about our principal bills and why we support and need them in the next week. SB 5085 and SB 5175 address some essential pieces to providing you greater job protection and support. We know the demands of your job are significant. We also believe these changes are critical to attract future leaders.

    We need your help NOW to send a message to your Senator urging them to pass SB 5085 and SB 5175 out of the Senate.

    As a reminder, we brought SB 5085 to Senator Lisa Wellman, and in its current form, it will do these three things:

    • provide more protections for assistant principals,
    • allow principals and assistant principals to retain years of experience as educators if transferring to different roles,
    • and clarify required trainings for evaluations.

    This bill has a striking amendment posted on the Senate Floor Calendar. This amendment removes the section that would have allowed principals and assistant principals to bargain working conditions. We asked Senator Wellman to remove this language after many hours of conversation with our board members and after meeting several times with WASA. We plan to meet soon with WASA to identify tangible solutions to attract, retain, and sustain our school leaders.

    At the same time, Senator Kevin Van de Wege came forward with an idea to provide a minimum salary for principals and assistant principals. His amendment would require an assistant principal salary 5% higher than the maximum salary on each district’s teacher salary schedule (base pay), and a minimum salary 15% higher for principals than the maximum salary on each district’s teacher salary schedule (base pay). An included clause also assures no one would go backward from their current salary. We don’t know the financial impact or cost of this amendment. We hope these gaps exist in most of our districts, but we know this may not be the case everywhere.

    Senator Wellman also introduced SB 5175, which would allow (not require) districts to offer principals up to a three-year contract. This bill moved out of the Senate Early Learning and K–12 Committee and was recently pulled a step closer by the Senate Rules Committee to being placed on the Senate Floor Calendar.


    Take Action

    Head to our Advocacy and Action Center and scroll down to the orange “Take Action” button. Enter your home or school address and then your other information, and you’ll see a written message ready to send to your own Senator. You can edit this or add more information if you wish.

    You can also find your Senator’s email address here and email them directly. Make sure to CC their Legislative Assistant!

    Here is the complete list of bills that I’m tracking. (We’ll update this over the weekend after the February 24 cutoff.)


    Get Involved

    Our advocacy efforts need all of our voices to contribute to the process. There are many different ways (big and small) that you can get involved in these efforts. Your participation can be as easy as doing an action alert to email your legislators or signing in support of a specific bill. Or, if you feel really passionate about a particular bill, we would love to have you testify. It takes all of us to make an impact!

    If you have questions or comments or want to get involved, please reach out to me.

    Thank you so much!

  • Spring is Coming! Register Now for Our Final Forum

    by Julie Woods | Feb 23, 2023

    image of people talking with one another; includes text

    Attend our final forum of the year!

    Your Voice. Your Influence. Your Career.

    Thanks to all of you who attended our Winter Forum in February. Over 150 school leaders joined some crucial conversations with colleagues around the current legislative session, recess, attendance policies, supporting marginalized populations, high school graduation requirements, and other hot topics.

    Why should you join our 1-hour forum when you are pulled in a thousand different directions? When asked about positive takeaways, attendees' top response was the appreciation for the legislative update. In today's  Legislative Update by Dr. Scott Seaman,  he states,

    "We (AWSP) exist to support principals as a means to the same goal we all have in K-12 education: for all of our students to have hope. Today, we find ourselves in one of the most challenging spots in the history of our association, specifically regarding the two “principal bills",  Senate Bills 5085 and 5175."

    We understand your need to be informed about the decisions being made that directly affect you!

    At the Winter Forum, we also heard:

    "I appreciated the conversations with colleagues and learning about their systems.  We do not have time to do this often."
    "Hearing that others are facing similar challenges. Leading a secondary building is extra challenging right now."
    "Connecting and networking with colleagues in our region; sharing tips and strategies in a collaborative format."
    "If we are going to improve the profession, and seriously consider the concept of organizational versus instructional leadership tracks, we have to meet on a regular basis."
    "Getting to hear from other principals in our area about what concerns they are having and successes they are seeing."

    We also listened to your ideas for future forums. Your voice is critical in helping us improve your role in education and support you through your career, so we've planned AWSP's Spring Forum accordingly. This is your opportunity to connect regionally with other school leaders as you plan the wrapping up of your school year.

    Spring Forum Focus:

    • What JUST happened in the 2023 legislative session, specifically Senate Bills 5085 and  5175?
    • What are some ways you successfully close out the school year? Activities, events, appreciation, nuts and bolts, etc.

    Register now for our Spring Forum, coming up May 8, 2023.

    Spring Forum Details

    • Date: Monday, May 8, 2023

    • Location: Virtual via Zoom

    •  Time: 4-5 p.m.

    • Audience:  All school leaders

    Spring Forum Registration | Register now

    The forum is open to all members in all school leadership positions. Registering for this event is free, but please register, so we know how many attendees to expect. This virtual event will be hosted through AWSP's Learning Lab, formerly known as Path.
  • SB 5085 and SB 5175. Why These Bills? Why Now?

    by David Morrill | Feb 23, 2023

     

    an image of the Washington State Capitol on a sunny day with the text and update on SB 5085 and SB 5175


    Video Update


    Listen as a Podcast

    Listen Now


    Read the Script

    For 51 years, AWSP has supported principals and assistant principals (the individuals) and the principalship (the profession) in the education of each and every student. We exist to support principals as a means to the same goal we all have in K-12 education: for all of our students to have hope. Today, we find ourselves in one of the most challenging spots in the history of our association, specifically regarding the two “principal bills", Senate Bills 5085 and 5175

    It seems like the winds are shifting on these bills by the hour, but there’s been one constant: we find ourselves between a rock and a hard place. Many of our principals and assistant principals across the state want us to keep pushing for 5085 to pass in its original form. On the other hand, we have some districts, superintendents, partners, and school boards in opposition and with varying levels of frustration. AWSP is one of the strongest principals’ associations in the country, and our strong partnership and relationships with our districts is the driving force behind that. We know that nothing happens in a school without trust and relationships, so we’ve engaged with our partners on a path forward. {If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together}

    I want to be clear. Our state has phenomenal superintendents and districts who are exemplary in their support of their principals, from strong relationships and partnerships, robust contracts, clear and defined due process protocols, and provide as much support as possible coupled with reasonable expectations. And over the last few years, we’ve heard more and more appreciation, compassion, and support for our principals and assistant principals. We’re not the only voice in the room saying we need to do more to support our principals, but we don’t need the educational equivalent of thoughts and prayers; we need policies and change. We have many options for how to move forward, but doing nothing is not one of them. Let’s talk briefly about why I’m sitting here talking to this camera, and you’re wherever you are, watching or listening to me. 


    Let’s Talk About The Bills

    When Senate Bill 5085 was introduced, these were the key components straight from the Senate’s Bill Report:

    1. Remove statutory limitations on the scope of collective bargaining for bargaining units containing only supervisors, or principals and assistant principals, or both.

    2. Require the citation of specific evaluation criteria when transferring a principal or an assistant principal to a subordinate certificated position.

    3. Require that years of administrator experience count towards total years in future positions when a principal or assistant principal is transferred to a non-administrative, subordinate position.

    4. Apply employment provisions relating to principals to assistant principals as well.

    5. Specify that in addition to whether an applicant has ever been placed on administrative leave, a school district employment application may not include a question asking whether the applicant has ever been on a plan of improvement, has ever been under an investigation, or has ever resigned in lieu of termination.

    6. Require evaluators of principals and assistant principals to receive training in evaluation procedures.

    As we record on February 22nd, the current version of the bill is now different. The fifth bullet point was removed before it passed out of the Senate Education committee. The intent behind that section was to protect principals, who are often put on administrative leave at the drop of a hat for an investigation or grievance, only to be cleared of all wrongdoing. Those questions on a job application are typically used to screen out applicants. We feel the better option is to learn more about the candidates during interviews and reference checks. It’s better for the candidates, and that process can prevent districts from missing out on a great hire. 

    The first bullet point of the bill has been the most controversial. Some superintendents were concerned that if principals and assistant principals were allowed to bargain more than just salary and the number of contract days, it would create another labor group that could create contentious relationships. After meeting with partners, including WASA, we asked for this section of the bill to be removed. There is a striking amendment that has been introduced to do just that. 

    This same amendment also introduces a salary floor for school administrators relative to a district’s teacher salary schedule. It states the lowest paid assistant principal should make 5% more than the highest paid teacher. For principals, the gap should be 15%. Given the typical contract for principals and assistant principals includes 20% more working days, we can’t imagine there are many districts who aren’t already meeting this requirement when comparing base salaries. Unfortunately, the current fiscal note on the bill estimates the potential costs of bargaining working conditions, which should be struck from the bill. We don’t know the extra costs of adding a salary floor. 

    SB 5085 was never intended to be an unfunded mandate or to have a fiscal component. It’s a first step towards making it easier to recruit, retain, and sustain our school leaders.

    The other bill, SB 5175, simply ALLOWS districts to offer a three-year contract. Principal positions, especially at the high school level, are getting harder and harder to fill. The ability to offer or accept a three-year contract is one possible incentive to help reduce principal turnover. It can also provide the support a principal needs to dismantle systems that are bad for kids. We know change takes time, so we need our principals making decisions with a long-term vision and a plan, not simply leading to have a job the following year. 

    As for the concern about buyouts? There are many ways to write a contract to give principals and assistant principals a little more protection and security while protecting the district’s ability to move on from cases of misconduct or mismanagement. 


    Why We’re Here

    Over the past few decades, the expectations for the role of the principal have changed. Principals are no longer just expected to manage the school but also to be the instructional leader, crisis manager, social worker, etc. Many principals report the job has grown more complex post-Covid. And if we want strong students filled with hope, we need strong schools to create them. Strong schools don’t exist without strong principals or assistant principals. 

    Every job in k-12 plays an important role in our students’ success, but systematically, it makes sense to invest in principal leadership. Why? Listen to what The Wallace Foundation has to say.

    ...based on research since 2000, the impact of an effective principal has likely been understated, with impacts being both greater and broader than previously believed: greater in the impact on student achievement and broader in affecting other important outcomes, including teacher satisfaction and retention (especially among high-performing teachers), student attendance, and reductions in exclusionary discipline.

    Can we just break that down for a minute? A greater impact on student achievement, so a direct impact on learning. And a broader impact on other important outcomes, like how they call out better teacher satisfaction and retention. We cannot create more equitable outcomes for students without a focus on attendance and reductions in exclusionary discipline. Just like our School Leader Paradigm, the principal directly affects the school’s culture, systems, and learning outcomes.

    The Wallace Foundation also said:

    An effective principal’s impact is stronger and broader than previously thought, making it ‘difficult to envision’ a higher return on investment in K-12 education than the cultivation of high-quality school leadership.

    When they say the principal’s impact is stronger and broader than previously thought, keep in mind their previous research concluded principals had the second largest impact on student achievement, right behind a great classroom teacher. 

    We’ll be putting together more links and resources to the research about the important roles principals and assistant principals play and the value investing in school leadership can return. But for now, we’ll leave you with two more quick nuggets to think about as we talk about our truths. First, only one in four principals is in the same school after five years. Secondly, it takes years to improve a school’s culture and build the systems necessary to impact learning for all. Those are two conflicting data points when considering the alarmingly high principal turnover rates across all grade levels, regions, and contexts.

    We are the only organization in the state dedicated to advocating for and supporting principals, so it’s our duty to act. The intent of these bills is to provide more support for our current and future school leaders. While there isn't a magic wand or a single fix to make attracting, retaining, and sustaining effective principals, these bills are a good start. And yes, let’s increase the allocation for school leaders in the prototypical funding formula, but the reality we hear from legislators is that’s not going to happen this year. It’s also not going to fix the realities our leaders are facing. Even if every school could hire one additional AP, where are we going to find them? The market of exceptional leaders ready to take on the challenges of school leadership is shrinking fast. 


    Our Truths

    There are many reasons for that. Let’s look at the things we know to be true. 

    • According to our state surveys and in line with national surveys, the average principal or assistant principal is working six days a week for nearly 60 hours a week.

    • We’re receiving more calls in our office from principals in need of support, and we’re seeing an alarming amount of burnout and mid-year resignations.

    • We see far too many principals and APs put on administrative leave for months at a time without any resolution. In most cases, there’s no evidence of any wrongdoing. 

    • We are seeing more jobs posted for longer periods and with fewer applicants. 

    • We hear of more and more AP positions simply going unfilled.

    • In many districts, we’ve also seen the gap between principals' and assistant principals' salaries and teacher salaries narrow substantially. 

    • We’re seeing lower numbers for many of our state's principal prep programs, which holds true for our Washington State Intern Grant Program.

    • Of the people in our intern programs, the number of them wanting to lead a high school is shrinking to dangerously low levels. 

    The question we hear more and more, whether from teachers, legislators, lawyers we work with, or even current principals: “Why would anyone want to be a principal?” 

    Well, the answer is, despite being one of the toughest jobs in the world, we still believe it’s also one of the most rewarding and satisfying jobs. Our school leaders make a difference and leave a forever impact. What else do we believe?


    Our Beliefs

    • Unless we fix some of these structural issues, things will get worse before they get better.

    • The principal problem isn’t just a principal problem. Shrinking numbers of school leaders combined with higher rates of turnover is costly for districts in terms of actual dollars and lost opportunities. It hurts teachers and kids, too, and has a direct impact on student achievement. 

    • Our system needs school leaders to stay in place long enough to make a difference. We also need some of our principals and assistant principals to take on roles in the central office and become superintendents themselves. 

    For all of those reasons and more, we believe this principal problem is everyone’s problem. We need tangible solutions now. 


    What We Hope

    If you’ve stayed with me this long, thank you, and if you know anything about me and AWSP, you know we’re all about hope. I’ll leave you with a few things we hope and are hopeful for. 

    • We hope people are aware this isn’t our bill anymore. We can always advocate, just like we have and the bill’s opponents do, but it’s ultimately up to the Legislature at this point. 

    • We hope people understand principals are always stuck in the middle, just like we find ourselves in. Principals don’t have the power and authority of the superintendent or district office nor the strength in numbers of teachers or classified staff.

    • We hope to see thriving numbers in our intern grant and prep programs again and to stop getting calls from panicked superintendents because they can’t find qualified candidates to fill their open positions. 

    • To our members across the state, we hope you understand how hard we work on your behalf and how much we value and appreciate everything you do. 

    • To our partners across the state, we hope you realize the urgency we feel in doing something concrete and right now. More importantly, we hope you realize how much we value our relationships and partnerships. It takes all of us to make a difference for kids. 

    Thanks again for watching, listening, or reading. We believe every student and teacher deserves great school leaders. Our intent with these bills was to create policy changes to help make that belief a reality. We know the status of these bills is likely to change, and it might even change by the time you’re getting this message. If you have any questions, please reach out to myself or my team. Keep checking our website for more updates and resources. And on behalf of all of us here at AWSP, and our foundation family at AWSL, Cispus, and Outdoor Schools WA, keep up the great work for kids. 

Back To Top