Let It Fly

Spring is on its way as you can tell from this crazy weather week with a little snow, a lot of rain, and a bit of wind. Bulbs are coming up, and baseball and fastpitch teams are gearing up for the season ahead. Track and field athletes shift to their outdoor season where they can really let things fly with the discus and javelin. This week, I’m featuring one of Drew’s best buddies from Colorado State, Eli Scott, who absolutely crushed it last week in the final indoor meet of the season.

The beginning of March also means that we are closing in on the end of this year’s short legislative session. Today, March 1, is the last day to consider (or pass) opposite house bills (except initiatives and alternatives to initiatives, budgets and matters necessary to implement budgets, differences between the houses, and matters incident to the interim and closing of the session). March 7 is scheduled to be “Sine Die” – the last day of the legislative session.

Work goes on behind the scenes to reconcile the two different budgets from the House and the Senate. The Senate would increase total state spending by $1.9 billion and the House would increase total spending by $2.2 billion. Of that, about $450 million is expected to go to K-12 education for both maintenance level spending and new policies and programs. The major difference in education funding between the two budgets is that the House is prioritizing increased funding for MSOC and the Senate is prioritizing funding for increasing the prototypical funding model for paraeducators. We expect to see the final budget sometime next Tuesday or Wednesday.

For a detailed look at the current differences in education spending between the House and Senate budgets, see this chart shared by Dan Steele from WASA. Thank you, Dan.

Initiatives

The legislature held hearings this week on three of the six voter-backed initiatives that are up for consideration this year. Initiative 2109 would repeal the state’s new capital gains tax which could mean that the state collects $1 billion less in tax per year. This could impact K-12 funding. In a Seattle Times article, Rep. Steve Bergquist said, “The state must fund basic K-12 education, so a repeal in November would mean that legislators would target early learning and higher education programs, as well as nonbasic spending on K-12, to trim spending of proceeds from the tax.” 

A joint hearing with the House and Senate Education Committees on Initiative 2081 titled “Concerning parental rights relating to their children's public school education” was held on Wednesday. Legislative staff gave an excellent overview of the initiative and how it connects to current laws related to parental rights. Check out this chart to see how at least 90% of issues in this initiative are already covered by current law. Some education advocates weighed in as “other” and stated that they absolutely support parental rights but are concerned that the vagueness of this initiative may cause confusion. The initiative passed out of both committees this morning and will go to the floor of each house for a vote.

Read more about the initiatives in this article from the Seattle Times. 

Below is a re-cap of the major items in K-12 spending for this session. The total amounts are still being adjusted through amendments to the bills or in budget negotiations.

House Budget 

Special Education Enhancements ($32.3 million NGF-O 2023-25; $32.3 million Total 2023- 25; $114.9 million 4-year NGF-O) Funding is provided for an increase to the funded enrollment limit for students eligible for special education from 15 percent to 17.25 percent, as required in HB 2180. Additionally, funding is provided for cohorts of special education teacher residents to participate in training, coursework, and classroom co-teaching with mentor teachers. 

Maintenance, Supplies, and Operating Costs ($43.4 million NGF-O 2023-25; $43.4 million Total 2023-25; $94.7 million 4-year NGF-O) Per pupil rates for maintenance, supplies, and operating costs (MSOCs) are increased by $21 beginning in the current 2023-24 school year, as required under HB 2494. The categories of MSOCs increased are utilities and insurance, instructional professional development, and security and central office. 

Community Eligibility Provision ($41.2 million NGF-O 2023-25; $41.2 million Total 2023- 25; $90.4 million 4-year NGF-O) Funding is provided for additional reimbursements to schools participating in the Community Eligibility Provisions program for school meals not reimbursed at the federal free meal rate. 

Transportation Actuals for 2023-24 ($76.9 million NGF-O 2023-25; $76.9 million Total 2023-25; $165.8 million 4-year NGF-O) Appropriations are increased to reflect updated 2023-24 school year transportation allocations calculated by OSPI in February of this year, which are above the estimated amounts assumed through January.

Senate Budget

Transportation Actuals – $76.9 million NGF-O (2023-25); $88.9 million NGF-O (2025-27) Funding is provided to account for OSPI allocation of transportation funding to school districts. 

K-12 Staffing – $49.6 million NGF-O (2023-25); $129.8 million NGF-O (2025-27) Funding is provided to modify the prototypical school staffing model and to implement SB 5882 (prototypical school staffing) which increases staff allocations for paraeducators, office supports, and non instructional aides. 

CEP Expansion – $45 million NGF-O (2023-25); $45 million NGF-O (2025-27) Funding is provided to reimburse additional school districts required to participate in the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) pursuant to Chapter 7, Laws of 2022 (SHB 1878). The funding will support schools not eligible for the full federal reimbursement rate. 

Transportation – $23.1 million NGF-O (2023-25); $25.6 million NGF-O (2025-27) Funding is provided for adequate and predictable student transportation as proposed in SB 5873. For McKinney-Vento homeless students, $400 per student is provided to 32,086 students. Funding is provided in the amount of $170,000 for OSPI to collect student expenditure data, $6 million is provided to the OSPI for supplemental transportation allocations, and $4 million is provided to OSPI to allow contract bus drivers and related staff to opt-in to benefits. Funding is provided to OSPI in the amount of $130,000 to implement SB 6031. 

Special Education – $13.5 million NGF-O (2025-27); $36 million NGF-O (2025-27) Funding is provided to increase the 15 percent enrollment limit on state special education funding to 15.6 percent.

The House partly honored our request for additional funding for the principal intern grant program and added $223,000 to the current amount of $477,000 for a total of $700,000. The Senate did not add additional funds for the grant. This was well short of the $1 million we requested be added. Neither side added funding to support current building principals so we continue to impress upon the legislature the critical nature of this request.

Bills

I’ve taken the bills from my bill tracking list and put them here by category for your information. A few of these won’t make it past Friday’s deadline and a few others may not make it to the ultimate finish line next week. The restraint and isolation bill did not make it out this session, but additional funds may be put in the final budget for continued professional development. The financial literacy bill did pass out of the Senate last night, but with an amendment that removes the half-credit graduation requirement. 

Budget Bills

• HB 1248 Pupil transportation
• HB 2180 Increasing the special education cap
• SB 5852 Concerning the special education safety net
• SB 5950 Supplemental operating budget

Capital Projects

• HB 1044 Providing capital financial assistance to small school districts
• HB 2089/SB 5949 Supplemental capital budget

Health and Safety

• HB 1618 Concerning the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse
• HB 1956 Addressing fentanyl and other substance use prevention education
• HB 1999 Concerning fabricated intimate or sexually explicit images and depictions
• HB 2256 Addressing the children and youth behavioral health work group
• HB 2260 Establishing civil penalties for the unlawful sale or supply of alcohol to minors
• SB 5790 Concerning bleeding control and medical equipment in schools
• SB 5804 Concerning opioid reversal medication in high schools
• SB 5853 Extending the crisis relief center model to provide behavioral health crisis services for minors
• SB 5891 Designating trespassing on a public school bus as a felony offense
• SB 5906 Implementing a statewide drug overdose prevention and education campaign
• SB 6079 Making juvenile detention records available to managed health care systems
• SB 6109 Supporting children and families by clarifying the child removal process in circumstances involving high-potency synthetic opioids

High School/Graduation

• HB 1146 Notifying high school students and their families about available dual credit programs and any available financial assistance
• HB 2004 Providing early registration at institutions of higher education for military students
• HB 2025 Modifying placement and salary matching requirements for the state work-study program
• HB 2110 Reorganizing statutory requirements governing high school graduation
• HB 2214 Permitting beneficiaries of public assistance programs to automatically qualify as income-eligible for the purpose of receiving the Washington college grant
• HB 2236 Expanding and strengthening career and technical education core plus programs
• HB 2441 Establishing a pilot program eliminating college in the high school fees for private not-for-profit four-year institutions
• SB 5670 Permitting 10th grade students to participate in running start in online settings
• SB 5904 Extending the terms of eligibility for financial aid programs
• SB 5953 Concerning financial aid grants for incarcerated students
• SB 6053 Improving equitable access to postsecondary education with education data sharing

Students/Curriculum

• HB 1879 Naming the curriculum used to inform students about tribal history, culture, and government after John McCoy (lulilaÅ¡)
• HB 1915 Making financial education instruction a graduation prerequisite and a required component of public education
• HB 2331 Modifying requirements for public school instructional and supplemental instructional materials
• SB 5462 Promoting inclusive learning standards and instructional materials in public schools

Workforce

• HB 1228 Building a multilingual, multiliterate Washington through dual and tribal language education
• HB 1239 Establishing a simple and uniform system for complaints related to, and instituting a code of educator ethics for, conduct within or involving public elementary and secondary schools
• HB 1277 Improving the consistency and quality of the implementation of the fundamental course of study for paraeducators
• HB 1377 Posting of approved courses and providers of continuing education
• HB 1889 Allowing persons to receive professional licenses and certifications regardless of immigration or citizenship status
• HB 1950 Concerning the public service loan forgiveness program
• HB 1985 Providing a benefit increase to certain retirees of the public employees' retirement system plan 1 and the teachers' retirement system plan 1
• SB 5180 Adopting the interstate teacher mobility compact
• SB 5647 Providing temporary employees necessary information about school safety policies and procedures
• SB 5882 Increasing prototypical school staffing to better meet student needs (paraeducators)

Other

• HB 2335 Concerning state-tribal education compacts
• HB 2381 Increasing eligibility for economy and efficiency flexible school calendar waivers
• SB 5883 Concerning the burden of proof for special education due process hearings

Here is my complete bill tracking list if you’d like to check out all of the bills.
 

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Take Action!

Send a Quick Action Alert

Here are links to three quick action alerts that will send an email to your legislators after you enter your own name and address. The first one is to ask that the Legislature commit additional available revenue projected in the February revenue forecast to help stabilize school district budgets and address the fiscal crisis facing our school districts. The next is to request support for a budget proviso that would add more funds to the principal intern grant and to provide regional support for current building leaders. The last one allows you to write your own message. Try these now…they are so easy! Scroll down the page until you see the Action Alert you would like to send.

Be a Principal Partner with a Legislator

If you would like to commit to communicating more regularly with your legislators, let me know. Email meif you would like to be a “Principal Partner with a Legislator”.

Invite Your Legislator to be the “Principal for a Day”

We had a very successful pilot project a few weeks ago when Senator Claire Wilson shadowed Principal Terrie Garrison at Fir Grove Elementary in Puyallup and when Representative Clyde Shavers shadowed Principal Jenny Hunt at Broad View Elementary in Oak Harbor. We plan to hold this event again in October, 2024. If you would like a legislator to shadow you next fall, send me an email.

Meet with Your Legislators

It’s really easy to set up meetings either in-person or via Zoom with your legislators. They should prioritize meeting with you because you are their local constituents. Here is a link for their contact information and it’s also helpful to include their legislative assistants in your email to request a meeting. It’s possible to meet with them now during the legislative session, but it will probably be a short 15-minute conversation. During the interim, they should have more time to meet with you. Either option works because it’s all about developing a working relationship with our policymakers.

Participate on our Advocacy Advisory Council

We have over 50 principals and assistant principals who belong to our AWSP Advocacy Advisory Council. During the legislative session, we meet weekly on Zoom to discuss the bills being heard that week and to strategize about how we, as an association, will respond. During the interim, we meet occasionally via Zoom to stay in touch about various issues, meet with legislators about bills that they are considering, and develop our legislative platform. Email me to get involved at this level. 

Below are additional links to find out more about these bills and to contact your own legislators. Legislators care very much about hearing directly from their constituents. When we weigh in as an association, it is helpful and important, but having many of you reach out directly with a short email to legislators can be much more powerful.  

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Important Links:

• Washington State Legislature
• Bill Search
• Find Your Legislators
• Email Your Legislators

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Get Involved

Many thanks for all that you do for students and staff. Please reach out if you have questions or comments. Thank you!

"I have not aligned myself with any party. Sitting tight waiting for an attractive offer." Will Rogers

Action has centered around floor debate and voting on proposed bills from the opposite house. As explained previously in the TWIO, if any bill is changed/amended by action in the opposite chamber, the ‘reconciliation’ process must take place. The “*” before a bill below indicates that reconciliation will need to occur. If no changes take place and the proposed bill is adopted by the opposite house, the bill is signed and then sent to the Governor for his response.

March 1^st is the last day to consider opposite house bills. All attention will then turn to the budget negotiations and reconciling differences between bills. (The negotiations between the houses over the budget occur in some sort of back room.) The release of the budget will come closer to Sine Die on March 7^th.

There are unknown actions yet to come, particularly amendments to proposals, as the deadlines approach. There are also many bills on each chamber’s calendars. Some will advance; some will ‘die’. And then of course, there are bills that are deemed necessary to implement the budget (NTIB) which previously were ‘dead’ can be revived, by whim of legislator, bills can also be resurrected. (zombie bill).

Below is a select summary of proposed legislation and status as of the writing of this report.

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Retirement Related Proposals

SHB 1985: Providing a benefit increase to certain retirees of the public employees' retirement system plan 1 and the teachers' retirement system plan 1.

Comment: This bill passed House 97/0 and passed the Senate 49/0. It would provide an ad-hoc 3% pension increase in 2024 not to exceed $110/month for TRS1/PERS1 Plan retirees. Once signed by leaders in both Houses, the bill will be sent to the Governor for his action.

HB 2481: Waiving health benefit premiums in the public employees' benefits board.

Comment: This bill would waive, as the title suggests, the health benefit premium of the deceased during the month of one’s death. The survivors, if covered by insurance, would still pay the balance of the premium.

It passed House 97/0 and passed the Senate 49/0 and will be sent to the Governor for action.

Other areas of potential fiscal ($$) impact and (often, unfunded) to districts:

Below are selected titles and brief summaries of proposed bills that may have potential impact to the business operations of districts. The TWIO has a more extensive list and explanations.

*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: This bill requires public agency notices for public comment to include the last date by which public comment must be submitted. • • Establishes penalties for agencies failing to provide the notice.

It passed the House 98/0. It was amended by the Senate and passed 49/0.

ESHB 1248: Concerning pupil transportation.

Comment: This bill provides that school districts may only enter into, renew, or extend pupil transportation services contracts with private nongovernmental entities that provide employee health and retirement benefits comparable to those received by school employees. • Directs the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to reimburse school districts for increased costs due to providing these benefits and provides a formula for calculating the reimbursement.

It passed the House 57/37/2 and is on the Senate floor calendar awaiting action.

E2SHB 1618: Concerning the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse.

Comment: It eliminates the statute of limitations for recovery of damages as a result of childhood sexual abuse for all intentional actions occurring after June 6, 2024.

The bill as amended passed the House 93/0/5 and is on the Senate floor calendar awaiting action.

ESHB 1893: Concerning unemployment insurance benefits for striking or lockout workers.

Comment: This bill allows individuals unemployed due to a labor strike to receive up to four weeks of unemployment insurance (UI) benefits following a specified disqualification period and the waiting week, provided that the labor strike is not found to be prohibited by federal or state law in a final judgment, in which case the disqualification resumes as of the date of the judgment. • Removes the provision disqualifying an individual for UI benefits based on an employer-initiated lockout resulting from a strike against another employer in a multi-employer bargaining unit.

It passed the House 53/44/1 and is on the Senate calendar awaiting further action.

SHB 1905:  Including protected classes in the Washington Equal Pay and Opportunities Act.

Comment: This bill extends the prohibitions on discrimination in wages and career advancement opportunities and the remedies to a person's membership in a protected class. • Provides that protected class means a person's age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, honorably discharged veteran or military status, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained guide dog or service animal by a person with a disability.

This bill passed the House 63/34/1 and passed the Senate 36/13. It will be sent to the Governor for action.

HB 1927: Reducing the number of days that a worker's temporary total disability must continue to receive industrial insurance compensation for the day of an injury and the three-day period following the injury.

Comment:  It reduces the number of days – from 14 to 7 – that a temporary total disability must continue to receive workers' compensation time loss benefits for the first three days following the injury.

It passed the House 60/37/1 and is on the Senate floor calendar awaiting further action.

HB 2044: An act relating to standardizing limitations on voter-approved property tax levies.

Comment: This bill removes the restriction on levy lid lift funds supplanting existing funds.

This bill passed the House 56/41/1 and is on the Senate floor calendar awaiting further action.

SHB 2127 - 2023-24 Concerning workers' compensation incentives to return to work.

Comment: This bill modifies certain return-to-work policies and reimbursement amounts under the workers' compensation program. • Increases the maximum amounts of reimbursements paid to employers participating in the Stay at Work Program and Preferred Worker Program by the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I). • Increases the maximum amount paid to qualifying employers for job modification costs by L&I. • Allows L&I to authorize payments for basic skills development for qualifying injured workers.

This bill passed the House 97/0. It passed the Senate 46/0/3 and will be sent to the Governor for further action.

HB 2246: Concerning vacation leave accrual for state employees.

Comment: This bill increases the annual cap on the accrual of unused vacation leave for state employees from 240 hours to 280 hours.

This bill passed the House 97/0/1 and is on the Senate calendar awaiting further action.

*SHB 2381: Increasing eligibility for economy and efficiency flexible school calendar waivers.

Comment: This bill expands eligibility for economy and efficiency waivers to the 180-day school year requirement to school districts with 1000 or fewer students, rather than 500 or fewer students, and increases the cap on the total number of districts that may seek such a waiver from 10 to 30. • Requires school districts to include the following additional information in the waiver application when explaining the impact on employees in education support positions: expected position and work hour reductions, reductions in force, and the loss of work benefits or eligibility for work benefits.

This bill passed the House 97/0/1 and was amended and is currently on the Senate calendar awaiting further action.

E2SSB 5670:  Permitting 10th grade students to participate in running start in online settings.

Comment: This bill permits rising 11th grade students to participate in Running Start courses during the summer academic term. • Requires that rising 11th grade Running Start students take no more than ten quarter credits per summer academic term, or the semester equivalent. • Requires school districts to provide information about Running Start enrollment opportunities during the summer academic term.

This bill passed the Senate 48/0/1 and is on the House calendar awaiting further action.

*ESB 5790: An act relating to bleeding control equipment in schools.

Comment: This bill requires school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools to maintain and make available certain bleeding control equipment and acquire and maintain at least one semiautomatic external defibrillator on each school campus beginning in the 2026-27 school year. • Specifies that schools must have a certain number of employees trained to use the bleeding control equipment. • Directs school districts to comply with existing requirements regarding semiautomatic external defibrillators.

This bill passed the Senate 47/0. It was amended and passed the House 95/0.

ESSB 5793: Concerning paid sick leave.

Comment: This bill allows an employee or transportation network company driver to use paid sick leave when their child's school or place of care is closed after the declaration of an emergency. • Modifies the definition of family member for the purpose of using paid sick leave to include any individual who regularly resides in the employee's home or where the relationship creates an expectation the employee care for the person, and that individual depends on the employee for care, except it does not include an individual who simply resides in the same home with no expectation the employee care for the individual. • • Provides that a child also includes a child's spouse. Requires the Department of Labor and Industries to develop materials and conduct outreach to inform individuals and businesses about the new provisions of the act.

It passed the Senate 28/21 and the House 76/19/3 and has been sent to the Governor for action.

*SSB 5804: Concerning opioid overdose reversal medication in public schools.

Comment: This bill requires all school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools, not just those with 2000 or more students, to obtain and maintain at least one set of opioid overdose reversal medication doses in each of the public schools and to adopt a related policy.

It passed the Senate 49/0 and was amended and passed the House 95/0.

*ESB 5824: Concerning the dissolution of libraries and library districts.

Comment: This bill changes the number of signatures required to file a petition to dissolve a library created by a county, city, or town from 100 taxpayers to 25 percent of qualified electors of that county, city, or town. • Increases the percentage of voters required to file a petition to dissolve a library district, and consequently a library created by that district, from 10 percent of eligible voters residing outside of incorporated cities or towns to 25 percent of all eligible voters residing in the library district. • Removes the exclusion of qualified electors residing in incorporated cities or towns within library districts from voting on propositions to dissolve a library district. • Authorizes a library created by a county, city, town, or library district to also be dissolved by independent action of the legislative body of the governmental unit in which the library is located.

The bill passed the Senate 49/0. The House amended the bill and passed 90/5/3.

SB 5883: Concerning the burden of proof for special education due process hearings.

Comment. This bill provides that a school district has the burden of proof when it is a party to a special education due process hearing. • Creates an exception to this burden of proof requirement in circumstances when a parent seeks reimbursement for a unilateral parental placement.

This bill passed the Senate 48/0/1. It passed the House 94/1/3 and has been sent to the Governor for action.

ESSB 6031: Modifying the student transportation allocation to accommodate multiple vehicle types for transporting students.

Comment: This bill provides that the pupil transportation funding formula may not be construed to mandate the type of vehicle used for pupil transportation and encourages districts to use the vehicle type that the district deems to be the safest and most cost-effective. • Requires district-owned cars to be included in the overall transportation allocation rather than being subject to a private reimbursement rate and requires additional district-owned ridership data to be considered. • Requires school districts to report the number of miles driven per vehicle type when reporting transportation data to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. • Expands the school bus purchase and reimbursement process to include passenger vans used in lieu of school buses. • • Requires that training and qualification rules that apply to school bus drivers must also apply to drivers transporting students in Washington State Patrol-inspected school vehicles other than school buses.

This bill passed the Senate 48/0 and is on the House calendar awaiting further action.

Fred Yancey
The Nexus Group LLC 

 

Welcome to March

There are so many reasons to embrace this month. However, it can be one of the toughest months for our staffs. March lends itself naturally to great opportunities of celebration to love on your staff between college basketball March Madness (Go Zags!), St. Patrick's Day or a few other exciting days I have included in this newsletter. I hope you can find one or two ideas to implement and utilize with your team. Please know I love seeing your creativity and appreciate when you tag me in your celebrations on X/Twitter. March is going to be an AWESOME month. Have fun and remember to take care of you. Peace and love, Cindy.

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A Few of Cindy's Favorites

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March Days to Celebrate

March 1 | "National Peanut Butter Lover's Day" (not fair to those of us with peanut issues but....) | Provide staff with a buffet of peanut butter products (peanut butter cookies, nutter butter cookies, peanut butter cups). Or you could give staff an individual Jiff To Go Peanut Butter cup with their choice of a chocolate bar, apple, pretzel or banana to dip into their cup. Place a little sticker that says "to help charge your batteries when you are on the go."

March 1 | "National Day of Unplugging" | This is a Friday and I want to encourage you to make this a weekend celebration. Encourage your staff and students to unplug ALL weekend. That means YOU too!! No weekend text or emails to your staff; it can wait till Monday.

March 4 | "National Grammar Day" | Create a paragraph with various typos and misuse of punctuation. Provide a copy to each staff member and have them mark the errors and make the corrections on the paper. They can turn it back in to you for a prize or entry into a drawing.

March 6 | "National Oreo Cookie Day" | The easiest one of the month!! Run to your neighborhood grocery store and purchase various flavors of Oreos. Leave them in the staff room for a snack. Play "minute to win it Oreo style" at lunch time with students by having students tilt their head back and place 1 Oreo on it. They have one minute to get the cookie into their mouth and eat it with hands behind their backs. March 6 is also “National Frozen Food Day. What if you asked each staff member to donate a frozen food item to the staff freeze? These could be used for staff who forget their lunch.

March 7 | National Cereal Day | Have a smorgasbord of travel cereals available for staff to greet them this morning. Include a little note of positivity such as "Breakfast the Meal of Educational Champions" or "Hope this starts your Tuesday off healthy and full."

March 12 | "National Girl Scout Day" | A buffet of girl scout cookies provided for a morning pick me up. Have the coffee warm and available for staff to enjoy as they nibble.

March 14 | "National Pi Day" | Treat everyone to an individual pie. March 14 is also National Potato Chip Day. This is ridiculously easy by going to your neighborhood store and picking up a variety pack of chips AND it is also “National Write Down Your Story Day.” What if you asked staff to write about a success they have had this month that will make a difference in someone else’s life? Stories could be shared in the staff room or used on your school's social media account.

March 19 | "National Let's Laugh Day" | A day of "dad" jokes, riddles, and my favorite knock, knock jokes. Share a few fun videos as part of your morning connection to start off the day with a few laughs. A side note: the most popular type of video that makes almost adults smile is a video of a baby laughing; try it.

March 20 | "International Day of Happiness" | Make sure you celebrate and do something today for yourself to bring happiness into your life. Principals spend so much time giving to others that it is important for us to carve out time and intentionally fill our own bucket. Today is your day to do it.

March 21 | “National French Bread Day” | Help staff figure out what they will have as part of their dinner tonight by purchasing a loaf of French bread for everyone.

March 22 | "World Water Day" | Everyone gets a bottle of water and they can choose from various mixtures and flavorings to add such as lemonade, Hawaiian punch, spark, or tea. Basically anything you can find in the powdered drink section.

March 26 | "National Spinach Day" | Provide staff with packs of spinach seeds or other green leafy vegetables staff can plant in their garden. Add a note about growing great learners and you have this day nailed!

March 28 | “National Something on a Stick Day” | Cake pops in the afternoon to help everyone get through this Thursday afternoon.

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	Cindy Sholtys-Cromwell
	Principal, Loowit High School and Kelso Virtual Academy (K-12) Kelso School District

Cindy is in her 24th 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.

 

As busy building leaders, we know we’ve made it past the halfway mark of the school year. Sickness is still hitting our schools, we have district meetings that never land on the right day, many behaviors are here to stay, and sports and activities are on a whole other level. You can see the writing on the wall and need a possible solution.

Now that spring training is kicking off, and there’s a renewed sense of hope for baseball fans across the country, allow me to use a baseball analogy to highlight a possible new tool in your school leadership toolbelt; if you haven’t already, I suggest that busy building leaders call in a “pinch hitter. ” Or, in this case, a substitute administrator to support them. Let me talk through some common baseball strategies connected to what principals can do to ensure they have support in their buildings.

Do you ever wonder why our most valuable educator (next to the classroom teacher) gets pulled from the building for various meetings and events but has yet to have a substitute? Sometimes, a replacement may not be needed for schools with adequate staff resources; however, many elementary and small middle schools need access to administrative staff beyond counselors and administrative assistants. Let’s be honest, no matter how many staff we have, we each have a more than full-time job. And all of us have found ourselves short-handed post-pandemic. Either way, when school leaders are out of the building, ill, or engaged in activities off campus, the work piles up and is waiting for them when they return, not to mention the “S” word: safety. We don’t want any of our players to end up on the injured reserve list.

A logical solution to ensuring building leaders have safe, productive learning environments, not to mention double the work when they return, ensuring they can be present and available to the students and staff they serve, would be to have a substitute administrator cover the building when they are away or are engaged in activities and cannot be disturbed. When thinking about this complex situation, we can liken the school building to a baseball game. We need the team (the teachers), the students (the fans), the coach (the administrative team), and the manager (the district office).

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Winning the World Series

Houghton Mifflin, a long-time curriculum development company, describes model schools as providing opportunities for students to be academically prepared, equipped with social and emotional schools, and engaged in stimulating, joyous learning experiences. For our schools to achieve at high levels and be considered for the Hall of Fame, the conditions must be right, which means having ample support.

Definition: The World Series. The professional championship for North American major league baseball, played at the end of the season between the champions of the American League and the National League. It was first played in 1903.

When considering the needs of our schools, students, and staff, why would we consider putting in a pinch hitter for these valuable leaders, much like we would for a baseball team? The National Education Association (NEA) describes substitutes as “educational bridges” and states the following:

While we’ve spent significant time and attention on improving teaching and learning in America’s public schools over the past 25 years, there is one part of the education equation that is rarely addressed: The important role that substitute teachers play in America’s public schools.

The National Education Association recognizes that effective substitute teachers make a significant contribution to the school program. They serve as educational bridges when regular classroom teachers are absent. The Association urges school districts to employ highly qualified individuals to fulfill the critical role of substitute teachers.

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Post-Game Interviews

How a principal feels about their position and level of support is almost as important as getting their work done.

 

Having a substitute administrator in a building without assistant principals has allowed me to grow professionally and take care of my personal wellness. I have always held to the philosophy that our positions are not a job but a lifestyle, but without a competent substitute whom I confidently know will help navigate the day-to-day challenges, the lifestyle can quickly turn into a never-ending treadmill. - Dr. Jeff Naslund, Elementary Principal 

Having the opportunity to have a sub-principal has been enormously helpful, professionally and personally. Professionally, it has allowed me time to attend meetings or meet with teachers and maintain operational support for students and teachers in my absences. I have been able to be away for training, and bring back those ideas to positively impact student achievement back at school. Personally, it's an incredible support for work-life balance. Maybe other principals are like me and hesitate to take a sick day when sick or a personal day for a special family occasion. This contributes to poor physical and mental health and eventually to burnout. Knowing the building is covered, and I can step away from my phone and email for a few hours is so valuable. - Christine Spinnell, Elementary Principal 

Subbing allows me to experience all the great aspects of the job. I get to connect with students, support teachers, and interact with parents in positive conversations. It is a joy to be in the schools, and I look forward to my days subbing.

 

Whether in a building for a day, week, or long term, staff have a feeling of security knowing someone is present who can answer questions, help with student behavior, manage emergencies, and show a presence around the school. It also makes it much easier for the building administrator to be out of the building, knowing they won’t have as many situations to manage when they return. Lynn Olsen, District Designated Principal Substitute 

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Expand your Roster

Draft Prospects

When considering this strategy, determine who could be “drafted” as substitute principals. Here are some ideas:

• Interns: It would benefit administrative interns to learn in a different context. Consider having them come to your building, do a walkthrough, and set up a time for them to substitute for you.
• University Site Supervisors: Did you know that all the administrative preparation programs across the state employ administrative intern supervisors? These folks may be retired, unable to commit to a full-time position, have flexible schedules, and may be available to support your school.
• Retired District Employees: Consider calling one of your former colleagues. Districts may be more inclined to hire a former administrator for support. Additionally, the HR process may be easier to navigate for former employees.
• District Substitutes or Current Teachers with Administrative Credentials: You may have an administrator in your building or on the substitute list. For various reasons, individuals with administrative credentials don’t go into administration. In these cases, it may be easier to hire a general substitute for their position and have them cover the office in your absence.

Did you know a typical baseball team comprises 26 players; however, all teams develop a 40-man roster that can support teammates for medical, family, and other issues.

Though there is no authentic substitute for a principal besides another principal, consider the following additional players who you can prepare to support you when you are absent or engaged in office-bound activities:

Office Assistant(s) — if you are going to be unavailable, your front office staff, as you know, are your first defense to ensure your building is running smoothly. If something pressing “comes to the office,” be sure they can assign it to someone else in your absence.

Counselor — as we know, counselors play a very different role than administrators. However, their skillset can be utilized by de-escalating a situation, calling parents to notify them of a situation, and ensuring them your support when you return.

Assistant Principals and Athletic Directors (at other buildings, too) — we know that if you have access to these additional staff, you have a backup; however, it’s essential to be explicit with what you want them to do in your absence. For example, supervise arrival and dismissal, check in with specific students, and stop into designated classrooms. Additionally, ensure your staff knows who is “subbing” for you and how to reach your designee if they need anything.

District Office Staff — consider having someone from the district work from your office and address anything that walks through the office door. This would be an excellent way to support their work connected to students and staff in the building and a great opportunity for them to be visible and approachable to school staff.

Support Staff — again, specific staff have job duties and scope based on their title and contract; however, having an extra supervisor and an extra set of eyes may help when you are out of the building. Alternatively, having someone check in with students regarding any issues can prevent situations before they start. Do you have a support staff who is a “kid magnet?” If so, consider getting a sub for their regular duties and having them be more visible and available when you are out of the building. When you return, they can report any situation to you directly.

Supervisor/Superintendent — again, this is an excellent opportunity to be in the “principal’s shoes” and to provide context for both the superintendent and/or your supervisor. You can let them know the measures you have put in place to ensure your students achieve and have rigorous learning opportunities and receive authentic feedback while also gaining empathy and compassion for all you do to support your school.

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On The Field: What Substitute Administrators Can Do:

• Supervise lunch/halls/class/bus
• Take parent calls, identifying themselves as a substitute
• Check-in with substitute teachers and provide support
• Support the counselor
• Cover the office
• Make announcements and be an adult supervisor presence in the principal's absence
• Stop in classrooms and provide feedback to the leader
• Be a second supervisor and provide information/feedback to the principal

Definition: Baseball positions. In baseball, each of the nine players on a team is assigned a particular fielding position when it is their turn to play defense.

In summary, the work of the building principal is complex and cannot be “substituted”; however, even the most famous skilled athletes have access to coaching and support. Why wouldn’t our most valuable player – school principals – have access to similar resources? Asking for a substitute or substitute support could mitigate some of the low-level work that distracts us from the heavy lifting our principals are expected to do every day. This way, when they return to the building without extra work and follow-up to complete, providing an overall sense of efficiency and effectiveness, not to mention enlisting a possible partner to support you in the ongoing work, resulting in overall job satisfaction.

There are three types of baseball players: those who make it happen, those who watch it happen, and those who wonder what happened.” - Tommy Lasorda 

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Our 2019 Interview With Mariners Manager Scott Servais

Budgets are Released and There's No Looking Back Now

A collective “ugh” was felt by the education community this week at the Capitol as the House and Senate released their supplemental budgets. Education advocates remain concerned by inadequate funding and we are using several talking points from OSPI to help explain why districts are facing shortages. Here are a few of them:

Transition from ESSER

• On average, ESSER funds made up just 3-5% of a school district’s budget. These funds bought learning devices, connectivity, PPE, and kept our bus drivers and teachers employed during the pandemic to continue serving students as we adjusted to a new, remote learning environment. 
• When you look at the net impact of ESSER funds, these temporary dollars only slightly offset the permanent state funds that our schools lost due to changes in student enrollment levels during the pandemic. 

Overall K-12 Funding/Enrollment decline

• With ESSER going away, fewer permanent funds mean that some of our districts are making really difficult decisions about their budgets. This in itself is not new, because districts are used to engaging in budget reductions as enrollment fluctuates. 
• However, due to the increasing inflation over the past few years, we are seeing worrisome trends in funding for our state’s paramount duty: our public schools.
• We can see that the share of the state’s budget that the legislature invests in schools has been in a downward trend since 2019, declining from 51% of the budget to now just 43%.
• We are grateful for the legislature’s investments in things like special education, counselors, nurses, and other support staff, however, while the actual dollar amounts provided by the legislature have increased, the buying power of those dollars has actually been decreasing since the 2019-20 school year. 
• If you look at total K-12 spending (local and state) funding per student (taking into account all of the increased investments, the lower enrollment, and adjusted for inflation) we are actually investing $1,000 less per pupil than we were 5 years ago. This is equivalent to almost $1B in state resources. Yet, our systems are expected to provide the same, if not better, level of programming. 

But, there’s no looking back. We have to press on and continue our advocacy efforts to push for adequate funding that meets our state’s “paramount duty” to fund public schools. 

The Washington Research Council wrote a good overview comparing the House and Senate supplemental budgets that were released earlier in the week. Besides increases in maintenance level spending (for COLAs and some additional increases to the prototypical model for nurses, counselors, and social workers), here is a look at the major items of new spending from both sides.

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House Budget

Special Education Enhancements ($32.3 million NGF-O 2023-25; $32.3 million Total 2023- 25; $114.9 million 4-year NGF-O) Funding is provided for an increase to the funded enrollment limit for students eligible for special education from 15 percent to 17.25 percent, as required in HB 2180. Additionally, funding is provided for cohorts of special education teacher residents to participate in training, coursework, and classroom co-teaching with mentor teachers. 

Maintenance, Supplies, and Operating Costs ($43.4 million NGF-O 2023-25; $43.4 million Total 2023-25; $94.7 million 4-year NGF-O) Per pupil rates for maintenance, supplies, and operating costs (MSOCs) are increased by $21 beginning in the current 2023-24 school year, as required under HB 2494. The categories of MSOCs increased are utilities and insurance, instructional professional development, and security and central office. 

Community Eligibility Provision ($41.2 million NGF-O 2023-25; $41.2 million Total 2023- 25; $90.4 million 4-year NGF-O) Funding is provided for additional reimbursements to schools participating in the Community Eligibility Provisions program for school meals not reimbursed at the federal free meal rate. 

Transportation Actuals for 2023-24 ($76.9 million NGF-O 2023-25; $76.9 million Total 2023-25; $165.8 million 4-year NGF-O) Appropriations are increased to reflect updated 2023-24 school year transportation allocations calculated by OSPI in February of this year, which are above the estimated amounts assumed through January.

Senate Budget

Transportation Actuals – $76.9 million NGF-O (2023-25); $88.9 million NGF-O (2025-27) Funding is provided to account for OSPI allocation of transportation funding to school districts. 

K-12 Staffing – $49.6 million NGF-O (2023-25); $129.8 million NGF-O (2025-27) Funding is provided to modify the prototypical school staffing model and to implement SB 5882 (prototypical school staffing) which increases staff allocations for paraeducators, office supports, and non instructional aides. 

CEP Expansion – $45 million NGF-O (2023-25); $45 million NGF-O (2025-27) Funding is provided to reimburse additional school districts required to participate in the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) pursuant to Chapter 7, Laws of 2022 (SHB 1878). The funding will support schools not eligible for the full federal reimbursement rate. 

Transportation – $23.1 million NGF-O (2023-25); $25.6 million NGF-O (2025-27) Funding is provided for adequate and predictable student transportation as proposed in SB 5873. For McKinney-Vento homeless students, $400 per student is provided to 32,086 students. Funding is provided in the amount of $170,000 for OSPI to collect student expenditure data, $6 million is provided to the OSPI for supplemental transportation allocations, and $4 million is provided to OSPI to allow contract bus drivers and related staff to opt-in to benefits. Funding is provided to OSPI in the amount of $130,000 to implement SB 6031. 

Special Education – $13.5 million NGF-O (2025-27); $36 million NGF-O (2025-27) Funding is provided to increase the 15 percent enrollment limit on state special education funding to 15.6 percent.

You can see that the biggest difference between the two budgets is that the House is prioritizing increased funding for MSOC and the Senate is prioritizing funding for increasing the prototypical funding model for paraeducators. 

The House partly honored our request for additional funding for the principal intern grant program and added $223,000 to the current amount of $477,000. The Senate did not add additional funds for the grant. This was well short of the $1 million we requested be added. Neither side added funding to support current building principals so we continue to impress upon the legislature the critical nature of this request.

All of these differences will have to be resolved through budget negotiations in the next two weeks.

Take Action Now!

Please take action now and send an email to your legislators about increasing K-12 funding. This is an easy way to get the word out across our state that they must support our paramount duty. Click on the link above, and scroll down the page until you see the orange “Action Alert” on school funding. Enter your home or school address and then you’ll see a prewritten email that will go to your legislators. You can also add more information or anecdotes to this email if you’d like. 

Bills

The restraint and isolation bill (HB 1479) failed to move out of the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee. 

The computer science competency bill (SB 5849) and the financial literacy requirement for graduation bill (HB 1915) are both still alive. We continue working with other advocates to either amend these bills to direct the State Board of Education to review graduation requirements comprehensively or to not pass them this session. 

Additional bills are still moving through the session, and those with a fiscal implication need to pass out of House Appropriations or Senate Ways and Means by Monday, February 26. After that, they must pass out of the opposite house by March 1. The session is scheduled to end on March 7.
 
Here is my complete bill tracking list if you’d like to check out all of the bills.

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Engage in Advocacy

February is our “Member Engagement Month,” and there is no better way to engage with your professional association this month than by getting involved in our advocacy efforts. There are a variety of ways in which you can do this. Some take a few seconds, and some take a little more time. Choose your own level of engagement, but please do take action to support legislation that would help “Grow, Support, and Sustain” our current and future school leaders.

Send a Quick Action Alert

This is the easiest option of all. Here are links to three quick action alerts that will send an email to your legislators after you enter your own name and address. The first one is to ask that the Legislature commit additional available revenue projected in the February revenue forecast to help stabilize school district budgets and address the fiscal crisis facing our school districts. The next is to request support for a budget proviso that would add more funds to the principal intern grant and to provide regional support for current building leaders. The last one allows you to write your own message. Try these now…they are so easy! Scroll down the page until you see the Action Alert you would like to send.

Be a Principal Partner with a Legislator

If you would like to commit to communicating more regularly with your legislators, let me know. Email me if you would like to be a “Principal Partner with a Legislator”.

Invite Your Legislator to be the “Principal for a Day”

We had a very successful pilot project a few weeks ago when Senator Claire Wilson shadowed Principal Terrie Garrison at Fir Grove Elementary in Puyallup and when Representative Clyde Shavers shadowed Principal Jenny Hunt at Broad View Elementary in Oak Harbor. We plan to hold this event again in October, 2024. If you would like a legislator to shadow you next fall, send me an email.

Meet with Your Legislators

It’s really easy to set up meetings either in-person or via Zoom with your legislators. They should prioritize meeting with you because you are their local constituents. Here is a link for their contact information and it’s also helpful to include their legislative assistants in your email to request a meeting. It’s possible to meet with them now during the legislative session, but it will probably be a short 15-minute conversation. During the interim, they should have more time to meet with you. Either option works because it’s all about developing a working relationship with our policymakers.

Participate on our Advocacy Advisory Council

We have over 50 principals and assistant principals who belong to our AWSP Advocacy Advisory Council. During the legislative session, we meet weekly on Zoom to discuss the bills being heard that week and to strategize about how we, as an association, will respond. This group of people is invited to attend our annual  “AWSP Day on the Hill” which will be held on Monday, February 5th. During the interim, we meet occasionally via Zoom to stay in touch about various issues, meet with legislators about bills that they are considering, and develop our legislative platform. Email me to get involved at this level. 

Below are additional links to find out more about these bills and to contact your own legislators. Legislators care very much about hearing directly from their constituents. When we weigh in as an association, it is helpful and important, but having many of you reach out directly with a short email to legislators can be much more powerful.  

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Important Links:

• Washington State Legislature
• Bill Search
• Find Your Legislators
• Email Your Legislators

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Get Involved

Many thanks for all that you do for students and staff. Please reach out if you have questions or comments. Thank you!

  "People who love sausage and people who believe in justice (politics) should never watch either of them being made." - Otto Bismark

Both the Senate and the House have been busy with committee hearings as the Feb. 21st deadline for policy bills to be released from committees just passed and the Feb. 26th deadline for fiscal bills approaches. 

There has been little floor action. Next week debate and floor passage will begin anew and at a rapid pace given the March 1 deadline for bills to clear their respective houses.

Little has changed since last week’s report. An up-to-date summary will come next week after the deadline dust has settled. 

There are unknown actions yet to come, particularly amendments to proposals, as the deadlines approach. However, one bill has been singled out by the Washington State School Retirees’ Association (WSSRA) for aggressive lobbying. 

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Retirement Related Proposals

SHB 1985: Providing a benefit increase to certain retirees of the public employees' retirement system plan 1 and the teachers' retirement system plan 1.

Comment: This bill passed House 97/0. It was unanimously approved as request legislation by the Select Committee on Penson Policy. It would provide an ad-hoc 3% pension increase in 2024 not to exceed $110/month for TRS1/PERS1 Plan retirees. (The original bill was set at $125/month.) It had a public hearing Feb. 20th before WM and has been scheduled for executive session. If it passes the committee it will go to Rules. Complicating this, however, is the fact that the proposed Senate Budget (PSSSB 5950) does not fund the COLA unlike the House proposal (PSHB 2104) which does. 

WSSRA members/constituents are working with the legislators who sit on the WM, the Rules’ Committee and party leaders urging passage of the bill. It needs to come out of committee and out of the Senate. The appropriation cannot take effect unless a bill authorizes it. The bill is NTIB so there is some flexibility regarding deadlines, but with a March 1 deadline, WSSRA is taking no chances. 

Fred Yancey
The Nexus Group LLC 

Are you getting worn down by responding to student behavior? If you are, please know we hear you and are working diligently to provide immediate relief and hope. If your answer is no, please reach out to me directly to share the structure, context, and resources that are making it possible for you to manage building operations while also serving as the instructional leader.

Members at all levels across the state continue to report that responding to student behavior is the number one issue impacting their own mental health, well-being, job satisfaction, and frankly, willingness to stay in the profession. Living in a constant reactive state to the unknown behaviors that surface daily is draining both emotionally and physically. It’s a pace that is not sustainable or realistic. Something must be done.

While we hear horrific stories of principals and assistant principals physically and verbally assaulted, we also have principals reporting “everything is great,” with daily operations being smooth, predictable, and realistic. While some are looking forward to the spring and continuing to lead their buildings forward, others are resigning midyear or looking to get out. Why is there such a disparity? Where are you on that continuum?

Creating a positive school culture and systems to support student behavior is an expectation for building leaders. However, the post-COVID student behaviors we’ve seen, combined with a uniform lack of clarity and consistency about the discipline laws, are a significant predictor of job satisfaction for the adults in the building. We know the laws were changed for good reasons. We were harming students with disproportionate discipline policies and practices, and because of those changes, we have drastically reduced exclusionary practices while attempting to keep students in school. However, the effect of the rule changes can feel very different from district to district, or even schools within the district. If you are in a school with adequate resources, staffing, and other MTSS strategies, you may not feel as much pressure as some of your colleagues. If you are a middle school principal with 800 students and no assistant principal, counselor, or other support, you may be in daily survival mode and barely hanging on.

Addressing this disparity is a top priority for us. If we want to keep our amazing leaders working to make the magic happen for students and adults, then we need immediate action from educational leaders and policymakers in our state. And if we want to grow a workforce of future educators, we’d better do everything we can to ensure the profession is realistic and rewarding.

We recently hosted a meeting at AWSP with partner agencies from across the state to tackle this very topic. The workload and expectations placed upon our school leaders are untenable and must be adcdressed. The solutions are not easy due to the complex nature of the mess we find ourselves in. From state law to OSPI rules to board policies, district policies, building-level policies, and student handbooks, there is a lack of clarity and consistency across the board. Throw in changes in society and parental expectations, and most principals would tell you “principaling” after Covid is a completely different experience.

So, how do we tackle this massive statewide problem of practice? It must start with all of us in the K-12 system. Everyone has an angle into this complex problem, and we must all work together to provide both short-term relief and long-term solutions that breathe hope back into the system. What does this look like? Here are just a few ideas that surfaced from the meeting with representatives from the WEA, AWSP, WASA, WSSDA, and the ESDs:

• Continue to advocate for more resources so all schools can implement strong and robust Multi-Tier Systems of Support.
• Work with lawmakers on the pros, cons, and consequences of the current discipline laws.
• Work with OSPI on the urgency to provide clarity on the discipline rules.
• Work with WSSDA to provide clarity and consistency on model board policy.
• Work with WASA to identify gaps in the system where schools are grossly understaffed or supported.
• Work with the ESDs to provide regional training on current laws, resources, community partners, and best practices.
• Partner with WEA on the need for cohesive training for all adults in the creation of positive school culture and student/adult relationships
• Increase the prototypical funding model to trigger more assistant principals in the system
• Work with teacher preparation programs about the realities of the mental health needs of students
• Work with principal preparation programs about the complex nature and vastly different contexts facing our school leaders
• Develop new systems and methods of authentically engaging with parents and communities
• Equip our schools to be in a proactive stance vs reactive with resources like the SupportED School app (developed by principals in Washington)

These are just a few of the ideas discussed and this was only the first meeting of the group. We are just getting started. If you have questions or ideas, and/or would like to get involved, please reach out to me directly.

I must provide one final point of clarification. No one in the room at this last meeting representing any of the above agencies wants to see us revert to the old ways of doing. I said this earlier in this post, but it bears repeating; there was a reason we made changes to the discipline laws. We were harming students with disproportionate discipline policies and practices, and because of those changes, we have drastically reduced exclusionary practices while attempting to keep students in school.

What this group would like to see; however, is the ability for the pendulum to swing back to the middle with resources that accompany the unfunded changes in the law. Until then, we need clarity of the rules, the ability to hold students accountable for harmful behaviors, defined boundaries, and a strong message to students and parents about expectations and what is appropriate for school behavior. To quote one principal in the room, “At what point do the needs of the rest of the students matter more than the one who is disrupting the culture of the entire school?”

Until schools are adequately equipped to address the massively demanding and complex mental and emotional health of our students, we need to empower the adults to create and maintain a safe and positive school culture for each and every student.

Finally, not to add more gasoline to this brushfire, but what happens next year in our schools as districts scramble in a budget crisis by cutting assistant principals? What will those schools look, sound, and feel like? That’s my next blog. Stay tuned.

A Retirement Primer From The Nexus Group

Since covering pension/retirement/health insurance issues on behalf of WASA and AWSP, there are a few important points we have learned. This is just a brief summary of selected retirement related topics. However, the importance of advance planning can not be overstated. These are not issues to put off until the last months of either one’s impending retirement or approaching Medicare eligible age. Start by requesting an official benefit estimate from DRS 3 to 12 months prior to your retirement date. 

1. The most important resource for planning one’s retirement pension and finding answers to questions is www.drs.wa.gov (the website for the Dept. of Retirement Systems).
2. On that page, there is a link (Log In) to set up on-line account access. Do so.
3. An important link is checklist for retirement planning: https://www.drs.wa.gov/life/retire/check/
4. Request an official benefit estimate from DRS 3 to 12 months prior to your retirement date. Make this request through your online account or check this link https://www.drs.wa.gov/benefit-estimator-tool-newsfeed/
5. Check to see about either continued enrollment in SEBB or PEBB . Insurance coverage is often a bigger deal to people who are retiring than the COLA (especially since any missed COLA is banked): https://www.drs.wa.gov/tie-your-retirement-newsfeed
6. There is also a “Contact Us”  https://www.drs.wa.gov/contact/ One can fill out a form with specific questions or make a phone call to talk to someone about your specific situation. DRS is very responsive in both cases.

What if I want to return to work?

DRS offers an explanation of the current rules regarding return to work depending on the plan you are under. Contact DRS directly with your situation to insure that your pension payment will not be at risk should you return to work. The link to their information on returning to work is: https://www.drs.wa.gov/life/retired/rrtw/

When do I retire?

There can be two different dates; the separation date and the retirement date. They may be different.Separation Date – the last day you’re paid for employment. Typically, your last day in public service. Retirement Date – the first day of the month AFTER your separation date and you’ve applied to retire.

DRS had previously been encouraging teachers to retire in July but with the advent of SEBB and those benefits stopping in June if they retire we are now seeing most teachers choose a retirement in September so they maintain the SEBB coverage through August and then transition to PEBB in September. This is especially true for teachers who are returning prior to 65 where PEBB is much more expensive. The other reason this can be important is if they forgot to sign up for PEBB for July and August

One issue that affects school administrators is the loss of two months of service credit.Let me explain:

When I began as an administrator, I lost two months of service credit. What’s that about?

If you are a teacher, service credit (years of experience) is calculated from a year that runs from September 1 through September 1. If you are an administrator, service credit runs from July 1 through July 1. So, if you were a teacher and moved into school administration, you ‘lose’ two months of service credit. For example, if you retired from being an administrator after 30 years of service, the Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) would show that you had 29 years, 10 months of service credit. In effect, you have ‘lost’ the two months credit for teaching.

How can I make up those lost two months?

There is little likelihood of a legislative fix, but there are some options. One of the first steps in planning for retirement is to estimate your benefit. This link takes you to that page: http://www.drs.wa.gov/benefit-estimators/html/

You can input your estimated date of retirement. You should input both July 1 of the year you expect to retire and have the estimator calculate your benefit, and you should input September 1 of the year you expect to retire and see the result. Technically, you have never ‘lost’ the two months as a teacher. They have just become phantoms in the system due to the calendar years for the different positions. You are still entitled to that credit.

So you have a decision to make. If you forgo collecting your first retirement check until September 1, you will have full service credit. If you choose July 1 as your retirement date, you will lose two months of pension checks. If the difference in the benefit is enough to justify the wait, then you may decide to do so. If not, then choose July 1.

Another related question is: 

Plan 2/3 teachers and school employees ask: What's the best retirement month for me?
When it comes to retirement planning, teachers and school employees in Plans 2 and 3 often ask whether it’s better to retire at the end of June (when they stop working) or in September (when their contract ends). Another issue to consider is the cost of living adjustment for Plans 2 and 3 balanced against the SEBB/PEBB insurance issue (See discussion above). Some choose a July 1 retirement date if the last day worked is in June. Why? It all has to do with what’s gained from an earlier start to benefits and COLAs (cost-of-living adjustments) compared with what’s earned from two extra months of service.

These two scenarios illustrate the differences: 

• July retirement scenario – Let’s say you decide to retire starting in July 2024. In this circumstance, you’ll receive your pension benefits plus your salary for July and August. In addition, your cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will start in July of the following year (July 1, 2025). What you won’t receive is service credit for July and August. 

• September retirement scenario – If you retire starting in September 2024, your COLA won’t go into effect until July 2026. That’s one year and 10 months after your retirement. This is because you must be retired for an entire year before receiving your first COLA payment. And since COLAs only go into effect on July 1, you must wait. You’ll earn service credit for July and August, but you’ll delay receiving your COLA (and forego pension payments for July and August). 

So what’s best? The fact is, if you wait until September, the increase in your benefit from the service credit is minimal compared to the increase you'd receive by retiring in July with an earlier COLA. 

If you have any questions about your retirement date or COLAs, please contact DRS.

1. Regarding health insurance: Upon retirement a person can choose to purchase insurance with the Public Employee Benefit Insurance Board, a state-wide insurance ‘cooperative’. Their main site is https://www.hca.wa.gov/about-hca/programs-and-initiatives/public-employees-benefits-board-pebb-programand the retiree link is https://www.hca.wa.gov/employee-retiree-benefits/retirees
2. Currently there are two possible accounts depending on your situation: PEBB My Account and SEBB My Account, The department is transitioning both into a new program called Benefits 24/7. If you decide to enroll in a PEBB offering, you have to option to sign on to set up an on-line account. https://fortress.wa.gov/hca/ecoveragepebb/login.aspx (Recommended)
3. Upon retirement, an individual has 60 days of the school district coverage ending to enroll in a selected plan. If one does not do so, he/she will then forfeit any future option to enroll in any PEBB plan.
4. However, if one has a spouse, for example, whose insurance will continue coverage for you as a retiree, one can defer the PEBB option until such time that one would want/need coverage through the PEBB board. However, those deferring need to request proof of employer coverage to keep on file the longer they are deferred. This must be provided to PEBB upon their request to insure continuous coverage. See #11 below. Again, if one does not file a deferral request, he/she will forfeit future enrollment in any of the PEBB plans.
5. Regarding the deferral process; two important caveats: (1) If you are covered through the AppleCare insurance option (which is generally free and income-based), the deferral option is not available, and more importantly, (2) If you want to move from the state exchange coverage or other non-PEBB insurance coverage, you must maintain continuous coverage until the PEBB selection comes into effect. If there is any gap in coverage, the PEBB option is forfeit.
6. Medicare enrollment timelines are tricky and timing is critical to insure adequate coverage and access to Medicare Part B. Research and advance planning are needed here. 

DISCLAIMER: This information not intended to be for official, legal advice on retirement issues. As always, contact DRS or PEBB for a definitive answer/confirmation of your status and situation.

*Important* It is always better to call ahead regarding pension information and health insurance questions rather than making a wrong choice and then either trying to undo it or having to live with what may turn out to be a poorer choice. 

Fred Yancy & Mike Moran
The Nexus Group

It's Been a Grind

This week feels like a grind as legislators and staff continue working weekends and late nights to pass bills and meet deadlines that just keep coming.

Thank you all for indulging me as I continue to use track and field analogies for my legislative updates this year as I’m cheering on my son, Drew, in his last season of college track. Drew uses this phrase on occasion, that he’s just “grinding” away at practice and school work. Instead of a picture of Drew, and in honor of Valentine’s Day this week, I thought I would spotlight the hard work of Drew’s girlfriend, Lexie Keller, who earned a spot on the USA Track Team last summer. Yay, sports! (Another common phrase in our family…)

Legislators grinded through some long hours to meet their deadline of February 13 when bills had to pass off the floor of the House or the Senate to stay alive. Some bills that made it all the way to the floor calendars for a vote died because legislators ran out of time or the bills weren’t prioritized. Now the bills that passed move to the other side and the process repeats. The next cut-off date is February 21 when bills must pass out of policy committees to keep moving.

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Budget

Collective efforts to push the Legislature to maximize state funding for K-12 education are happening in force this week. After Wednesday’s report from the Economic Forecast Council, a letter was immediately sent to all legislators from statewide associations urging them to allocate any additional revenue from this most recent forecast to the state’s paramount duty, K-12 education. Here is an excerpt:

"Due to underfunding, many school districts are being forced to reduce budgets, dip into reserves, and overly rely on enrichment levies. Some school districts are, or are considering, closing schools. Others have begun reducing staff, and several are being forced to reduce nonessential programs or seek loans from their county treasurers to meet payroll. 
 
The Legislature’s recent increases in state funding for K-12 education have been modest at best, while school district expenses have been increasing at a faster rate. When K-12 funding is adjusted for inflation, school districts have seen a net reduction in state funding in the last few years. Further, K-12 education spending as a share of the operating budget continues to decline, from a peak of 52% in 2019 to under 44% in 2023. If the final K-12 funding increase is at the level we are currently assuming, the percentage share of the state budget will further decline.
 
K-12 education is the state’s constitutional paramount duty—the Legislature’s first priority—and, at a minimum, additional available revenue projected in the February revenue forecast should be provided to help stabilize school district budgets and address the fiscal crisis facing our school districts."

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Take Action Now!

Please take action now and send an email to your legislators about increasing K-12 funding. This is an easy way to get the word out across our state that they must support our paramount duty. Click on the link above, and scroll down the page until you see the orange “Action Alert” on school funding. Enter your home or school address and then you’ll see a prewritten email that will go to your legislators. You can also add more information or anecdotes to this email if you’d like. 

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Budget, Continued...

The Washington Research Council (WRC) published a good summary of some of the main budget bills that are still in play. We are pushing for additional funding in special education (raising the cap from 15% to 17.25%), transportation costs for special populations, increasing the prototypical model for paraeducators, and increasing MSOC (Materials, Supplies, and Operating Costs). We are also hopeful that the capital budget provides ample funding for school construction. WRC also just released a thorough analysis of the Senate’s supplemental capital budget that came out yesterday, particularly focused on funding for school construction. 

Here are links to some key budget bills:

• HB 2180 Increasing the special education enrollment funding cap
• SB 5873 Providing adequate and predictable student transportation
• SB 5882 Increasing prototypical school staffing to better meet student needs
• HB 2494 Increasing state funding for operating costs
• HB 1044 Providing capital financial assistance to small school districts
• SB 5789 Concerning the sales and use tax for school construction assistance programs

The Senate is expected to release their supplemental operating budget on Sunday and the House is expected to release theirs on Monday. We hope to see our specific request for increased funds for principal intern grants and immediate support for current principals in the House budget. 

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Bills

Below are the bills that were heard this week in education committees. The restraint and isolation bill (HB 1479) passed out of the House on Tuesday but so far has not yet been scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee.

Several bills related to updating curriculum requirements continue to move including Holocaust and genocide education (HB 2037), Since Time Immemorial curriculum (HB 1332), and fentanyl and substance use prevention education (HB 1956). We submitted a joint letter to the Legislature along with WEA, WASA, WSSDA, the State Board of Education, and the Washington State PTA asking them to amend two bills related to computer science competency for graduation (SB 5849) and financial literacy (HB 1915) to direct the State Board of Education to review graduation requirements comprehensively. We also requested that any new graduation requirements be appropriately timed to include middle school students since planning for High School and Beyond Plans now begins in seventh grade. A big thanks to Jeff Charbonneau, Principal at Zillah High School, for his fantastic testimony on SB 5849 to the House Education Committee.
 
Here is my complete bill tracking list if you’d like to check out all of the bills.

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Bills Heard This Week

HOUSE

Wednesday, 2/14

• SB 5180 Adopting the interstate teacher mobility compact.
• ESB 5462 Promoting inclusive learning standards and instructional materials in public schools. 
• SB 5647 Providing temporary employees necessary information about school safety policies and procedures. 
• SB 5883 Concerning the burden of proof for special education due process hearings. 
• SJM 8007 Requesting Congress to fully fund 40 percent of the costs of IDEA. 
• ESSB 6264 Supporting the implementation of competency-based education. 
• SB 5852 Concerning special education safety net awards. 

Thursday, 2/15

• SSB 5648 Including state-tribal education compact schools and charter schools as entities able to receive waivers from the state board of education.
• ESB 5790 Concerning medical equipment/bleeding control in schools
• SSB 5804 Concerning opioid overdose reversal medication in public schools. 
• E2SSB 5670 Providing summer running start for rising juniors
• E2SSB 5849 Concerning a computer science competency graduation requirement.

SENATE

Wednesday, 2/14

• EHB 1714 Allowing school districts to apply for financial literacy education professional development grants.
• E2SHB 1332 Supporting public school instruction in tribal sovereignty and federally recognized Indian tribes.
• HB 1879 Naming the curriculum used to inform students about tribal history, culture, and government after John McCoy (lulilaš). 
• HB 1146 Notifying high school students and their families about available dual credit programs and any available financial assistance.
• ESHB 1277 Improving the consistency and quality of the implementation of the fundamental course of study for paraeducators.
• HB 2110 Reorganizing statutory requirements governing high school graduation.

Thursday, 2/15

• 2ESHB 1377 Posting of approved courses and providers of continuing education.
• SHB 2335 Concerning state-tribal education compacts.
• SHB 1044 Providing capital financial assistance to small school districts with demonstrated funding challenges.
• SHB 2381 Increasing eligibility for economy and efficiency flexible school calendar waivers.
• ESHB 1608 Expanding access to anaphylaxis medications in schools.
• ESHB 1248 Concerning pupil transportation.
• E2SHB 1956 Addressing fentanyl and other substance use prevention education. 

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Bills Being Heard Next Week

SENATE

Monday, 2/19

• E4SHB 1239 Establishing a simple and uniform system for complaints related to, and instituting a code of educator ethics for, conduct within or involving public elementary and secondary schools. 
• ESHB 2236 Expanding and strengthening career and technical education core plus programs. 
• ESHB 2494 Increasing state funding for operating costs in schools. 
• 2SHB 2124 Supporting and expanding access to child care and early learning programs.
• SHB 1945 Streamlining and enhancing program access for persons eligible for food assistance. 
• 3SHB 1228 Building a multilingual, multiliterate Washington through dual and tribal language education.
• E2SHB 1368 Requiring and funding the purchase of zero emission school buses.
• ESHB 1113 Reviewing reprimands for professional educators

HOUSE

Monday, 2/19

• ESB 5344 Establishing a public school revolving fund. 
• ESSB 5850 Supporting students who are chronically absent and at risk for not graduating high school. 
• SB 5903 Concerning representation in the educator preparation act. 

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Engage in Advocacy

February is our “Member Engagement Month” and there is no better way to engage with your professional association this month than by getting involved in our advocacy efforts. There are a variety of ways in which you can do this. Some take a few seconds, and some take a little more time. Choose your own level of engagement, but please do take action to support legislation that would help “Grow, Support, and Sustain” our current and future school leaders.

Send a Quick Action Alert

This is the easiest option of all. Here are links to three quick action alerts that will send an email to your legislators after you enter your own name and address. The first one is to ask that the Legislature commit additional available revenue projected in the February revenue forecast to help stabilize school district budgets and address the fiscal crisis facing our school districts. The next is to request support for a budget proviso that would add more funds to the principal intern grant and to provide regional support for current building leaders. The last one allows you to write your own message. Try these now…they are so easy! Scroll down the page until you see the Action Alert you would like to send.

Be a Principal Partner with a Legislator

If you would like to commit to communicating more regularly with your legislators, let me know. Email me if you would like to be a “Principal Partner with a Legislator”.

Invite Your Legislator to be the “Principal for a Day”

We had a very successful pilot project a few weeks ago when Senator Claire Wilson shadowed Principal Terrie Garrison at Fir Grove Elementary in Puyallup and when Representative Clyde Shavers shadowed Principal Jenny Hunt at Broad View Elementary in Oak Harbor. We plan to hold this event again in October, 2024. If you would like a legislator to shadow you next fall, send me an email.

Meet with Your Legislators

It’s really easy to set up meetings either in-person or via Zoom with your legislators. They should prioritize meeting with you because you are their local constituents. Here is a link for their contact information and it’s also helpful to include their legislative assistants in your email to request a meeting. It’s possible to meet with them now during the legislative session but it will probably be a short 15 minute conversation. During the interim, they should have more time to meet with you. Either option works because it’s all about developing a working relationship with our policymakers.

Participate on our Advocacy Advisory Council

We have over 50 principals and assistant principals who belong to our AWSP Advocacy Advisory Council. During the legislative session, we meet weekly on Zoom to discuss the bills being heard that week and to strategize about how we, as an association, will respond. This group of people is invited to attend our annual  “AWSP Day on the Hill” which will be held on Monday, February 5th. During the interim, we meet occasionally via Zoom to stay in touch about various issues, meet with legislators about bills that they are considering, and develop our legislative platform. Email me to get involved at this level. 

Shadow Me for the Day

Last week, it was a first for me and an absolute joy to have Principal Lisa Kusche from Ballou Junior High in Puyallup, spend the day with me at the Capitol. Lisa participated with me in all of my usual advocacy and committee meetings with other education stakeholders and legislators. It was so great to have her here (and I’m so bummed that I forgot to take a selfie of us!) Email me if you would like to hang out sometime in Olympia.

Below are additional links to find out more about these bills and to contact your own legislators. Legislators care very much about hearing directly from their constituents. When we weigh in as an association, it is helpful and important, but having many of you reach out directly with a short email to legislators can be much more powerful.  

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Important Links:

• Washington State Legislature
• Bill Search
• Find Your Legislators
• Email Your Legislators

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Get Involved

Many thanks for all that you do for students and staff. Please reach out if you have questions or comments. Thank you!

"A committee is a cu-de-sac down in which ideas are lured and then quietly strangled." Barnett Cocks

Key deadlines have passed, and all action now moves to committee hearings as opposite house bills are discussed and acted upon. Overlaying all of these will be the upcoming proposed budgets whose hearings are scheduled for the upcoming week.

The status of bills continues to change constantly as committees often re-work bills. The summaries below are just as they were when this report was written.

Some bills have shown no movement since the last report, but they are related to the budget. Often called ‘trailer bills’ because the budget pulls them toward passage. In addition, bills can be ruled as ‘necessary to implement the budget’. They can then be revived under that justification which can be arbitrary at times.

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Retirement Related Proposals

SHB 1985: Providing a benefit increase to certain retirees of the public employees' retirement system plan 1 and the teachers' retirement system plan 1.

Comment: This bill passed House 97/0 and is awaiting scheduling before the Senate Ways and Means. This bill would provide an ad-hoc 3% increase in 2024 not to exceed $110/month for TRS1/PERS1 Plan retirees.

It has been scheduled for a public hearing Feb. 20^th before WM.

HB 2481: Waiving health benefit premiums in the public employees' benefits board.

Comment: This bill would waive, as the title suggests, the health benefit premium of the deceased during the month of one’s death. The survivors, if covered by insurance, would still pay the balance of the premium.

It passed House 97/0 and is scheduled for a public hearing Feb. 20^th before WM.

SB 6315: Concerning benefits available to retirees of the state's retirement systems.

Comment: This bill provides a one-time, 3 percent increase to the retirement benefits of retirees in the Public Employees' Retirement System and the Teachers' Retirement System Plan 1, up to $125 per month. • Directs the Public Employees' Benefits Board to eliminate savings banks and to use any savings in UMP-Classic Medicare. • Modifies uses of the retiree drug subsidy available to certain retired public employees to include both medical and prescription drug premiums.

Chair Robinson proposed this bill that addresses a number of retirement and health cost issues. It had a public hearing on Feb. 3^rd before the Senate WM and is awaiting scheduling for executive session.

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

Below are selected titles and brief summaries of proposed bills that may have potential impact to the business operations of districts. The TWIO has a more extensive list and explanation.

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: This bill requires public agency notices for public comment to include the last date by which public comment must be submitted. • • Establishes penalties for agencies failing to provide the notice.

It passed the House 98/0 and had a public hearing Jan 30^th  before Senate Government and Elections. No further action.

ESHB 1248: Concerning pupil transportation.

Comment: This bill provides that school districts may only enter into, renew, or extend pupil transportation services contracts with private nongovernmental entities that provide employee health and retirement benefits comparable to those received by school employees. • Directs the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to reimburse school districts for increased costs due to providing these benefits and provides a formula for calculating the reimbursement.

It has passed the House 57/37/2 and is scheduled Feb. 15^th  for a public hearing before Senate Education. WASA has signed “Con” on the bill and submitted written comments.  

E2SHB 1618: Concerning the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse.

Comment: It eliminates the statute of limitations for recovery of damages as a result of childhood sexual abuse for all intentional actions occurring after June 6, 2024.

The bill as amended passed the House 93/0/5. It had a public hearing before the Senate Committee on Law and Justice Jan. 30^th  and is scheduled for executive session on Feb. 15^th.

SHB 1905:  Including protected classes in the Washington Equal Pay and Opportunities Act.

Comment: This bill amends the Equal Pay and Opportunities Act to prohibit an employer from discriminating in compensation and career advancement opportunities against similarly employed employees based on the employee's age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, honorably discharged veteran or military status, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability.  

This bill passed the House 63/34/1 and is scheduled for executive session Feb. 15^th before Senate Labor and Commerce. Its companion, SSB 5894, remained in Senate Rules and did not advance. It is likely ‘dead’.

HB 1927: Reducing the number of days that a worker's temporary total disability must continue to receive industrial insurance compensation for the day of an injury and the three-day period following the injury.

Comment:  It reduces the number of days – from 14 to 7 – that a temporary total disability must continue to receive workers' compensation time loss benefits for the first three days following the injury.

It passed the House 60/37/1 and executive session is scheduled Feb. 15^th before Senate Labor and Commerce Committee.

HB 2044: An act relating to standardizing limitations on voter-approved property tax levies.

Comment: This bill removes the restriction on levy lid lift funds supplanting existing funds.

This bill passed the House 56/41/1 and is before Senate WM awaiting scheduling.

HB 2058: Increasing student access to free meals served at public schools.

Comment: TWIO has covered this previously. There is no fiscal note to date, although press reports that the state’s cost will be in excess of $80 million dollars. It is indeterminate what other local school district unfunded costs will be.

This bill was moved to Appropriations and is awaiting scheduling. This is an example of a bill that may be ‘necessary to implement the budget’ so may still be alive. Its purpose has support among members.

SHB 2127 - 2023-24

Concerning workers' compensation incentives to return to work.

Comment: This bill modifies certain return-to-work policies and reimbursement amounts under the workers' compensation program. • Increases the maximum amounts of reimbursements paid to employers participating in the Stay at Work Program and Preferred Worker Program by the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I). • Increases the maximum amount paid to qualifying employers for job modification costs by L&I. • Allows L&I to authorize payments for basic skills development for qualifying injured workers.

This bill passed the House 97/0. A public hearing is scheduled for Feb. 15^th before Senate Labor and Commerce.

HB 2246: Concerning vacation leave accrual for state employees.

Comment: This bill increases the annual cap on the accrual of unused vacation leave for state employees from 240 hours to 280 hours.

This bill passed the House 97/0/1 and is before Senate Labor and Commerce.

SHB 2381: Increasing eligibility for economy and efficiency flexible school calendar waivers.

Comment: This bill authorizes the Superintendent of Public Instruction to grant waivers to reduce the minimum number of school days required in a school year to school districts with fewer than 1,000 students.

This bill passed the House 97/0/1 and is scheduled for a public hearing Feb. 15^th before Senate Education.

SB 5059: Concerning prejudgment interest.

Comment: This bill modifies the accrual date for interest on tort judgments for tortious conduct of public agencies, individuals, and other entities to the date the cause of action accrues with some exceptions.

Interest on judgments for tortious conduct of public agencies, individuals, and other entities is modified to run from the date on which the cause of action accrues. This prejudgment interest applies only to arbitration awards and judgments entered following a trial of the matter. All other judgments founded on tortious conduct bear interest from the date of entry. Interest on judgments for nonsexual abuse tortious conduct that occurred while a plaintiff was a minor begins to run from the date the action is commenced or the date the minor turns 18 years old, whichever is earlier, at the same rates as currently provided in statute. Prejudgment interest does not begin to accrue on child sexual abuse claims until a notice of a claim is filed against a public agency defendant or a cause of action is filed against a nonpublic agency defendant. Future damages begin to accrue interest from the date of judgement.

It is scheduled for a public hearing Feb. 15^th before Senate WM.  

ESB 5344: Establishing a public-school revolving fund.

Comment: This bill directs the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to administer a modernization loan program for school districts and state tribal education compact schools with significant building system deficiencies. • Establishes an advisory committee to design the loan application process, develop prioritization criteria, and evaluate grant recipients. • Directs OSPI to submit a list of modernization projects to the Governor and Legislature on an annual basis and directs the State Treasurer to administer loans approved by the Legislature. • Establishes loan criteria including a maximum 1 percent interest rate and a 20-year loan period.

The bill passed the Senate 49/0 and has been sent to the House for action.

E2SSB 5670:  Permitting 10th grade students to participate in running start in online settings.

Comment: This bill permits rising 11th grade students to participate in Running Start courses during the summer academic term. • Requires that rising 11th grade Running Start students take no more than ten quarter credits per summer academic term or the semester equivalent. • Requires school districts to provide information about Running Start enrollment opportunities during the summer academic term.

This bill passed Senate 48/0 and is scheduled for a public hearing Feb. 15^th in House Education. The fiscal note is not available, but this represents a cost to districts and an added administrative burden.

SB 5777: Concerning unemployment insurance benefits for striking or lockout workers.

Comment: Deletes a provision that disqualifies employees in a multi-employer bargaining unit from unemployment insurance benefits when the employees have been locked out following a strike against the employers in the bargaining unit.

This bill is on the Senate calendar awaiting action.

Its companion (ESHB 1893) after much debate passed the House 53/44/1. It is scheduled for a public hearing Feb. 15^th before Senate Labor.

This bill allows individuals unemployed due to a labor strike to receive up to four weeks of unemployment insurance (UI) benefits following a specified disqualification period and the waiting week, provided that the labor strike is not prohibited by federal or state law or court order. • Removes the provision disqualifying an individual for UI benefits based on an employer-initiated lockout resulting from a strike against another employer in a multi-employer bargaining unit.

SB 5789: Concerning the sales and use tax for school construction assistance program capital projects.

Comment: This bill changes the School Construction Assistance Program formula so that the state will pay for the full sales and use tax levied on all costs chargeable to a school construction project.

This bill passed Senate 48/1 and is before House Capital awaiting action.

ESB 5790: An act relating to bleeding control equipment in schools.

Comment: This bill requires school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools to maintain and make available certain bleeding control equipment and acquire and maintain at least one semiautomatic external defibrillator on each school campus beginning in the 2026-27 school year. • Specifies that schools must have a certain number of employees trained to use the bleeding control equipment. • Directs school districts to comply with existing requirements regarding semiautomatic external defibrillators.

This bill passed the Senate 47/0. It is scheduled for a public hearing on Feb. 15^th before House Education.

ESSB 5793: Concerning paid sick leave.

Comment: This bill allows an employee or transportation network company driver to use paid sick leave when their child's school or place of care is closed after the declaration of an emergency. • Modifies the definition of family member for the purpose of using paid sick leave to include any individual who regularly resides in the employee's home or where the relationship creates an expectation the employee care for the person and that individual depends on the employee for care, except it does not include an individual who simply resides in the same home with no expectation the employee care for the individual. • • Provides that a child also includes a child's spouse. Requires the Department of Labor and Industries to develop materials and conduct outreach to inform individuals and businesses about the new provisions of the act.

It passed the Senate 28/21 and is scheduled for public hearing before House Labor and Workforce Standards on Feb. 14^th, and further scheduled for executive session on Feb 16^th. Its companion, (SHB 1991) has been moved to the floor calendar. The substitute expands the definition of "family member" in Washington's Paid Sick Leave Law, allowing employees to use paid sick leave to care for additional specified persons experiencing a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition or needing medical diagnosis, treatment, or preventative care. • Allows an employee to use paid sick leave when the employee's child's school or place of care has been closed due to a public emergency.

SSB 5804: Concerning opioid overdose reversal medication in public schools.

Comment: This bill requires all school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools, not just those with 2000 or more students, to obtain and maintain at least one set of opioid overdose reversal medication doses in each of the public schools and to adopt a related policy.

It passed the Senate 49/0 and is scheduled for a public hearing Feb. 15^th before House Education.

ESB 5824: Concerning the dissolution of libraries and library districts.

Comment: This bill Increases the signature threshold for filing petitions to dissolve libraries from 100 taxpayers to 25 percent of eligible voters in the district. • Increases the signature threshold for filing petitions to dissolve library districts from 10 percent of voters residing outside of incorporated cities or towns to 25 percent of eligible voters in the district. • Expands voter eligibility to allow all qualified electors of a library district to participate in a vote on propositions for library district dissolution.

The bill passed the Senate 49/0 and is scheduled for a public hearing Feb. 16^th before House State Government and Tribal Relations.

SSB 5873 - 2023-24

Providing adequate and predictable student transportation.

Comment: This bill, subject to budget appropriations, requires the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to provide an analysis of school district transportation costs and allocations to the Legislature by June 1, 2027. • Requires OSPI to develop a transparent, predictable, and comprehensive student transportation funding model that addresses the diverse needs of students and the unique characteristics of school districts. • Provides additional funding in the amount of $400 per student for students that require special transportation due to the requirements of the McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Act. • Provides that school districts may only enter into, renew, or extend pupil transportation services contracts with private nongovernmental entities that provide employee health and retirement benefits comparable to those received by school employees

This bill passed the Senate 29/19/1 and has been moved to House Appropriations.  

SB 5883: Concerning the burden of proof for special education due process hearings.

Comment. This bill provides that a school district has the burden of proof when it is a party to a special education due process hearing. • Creates an exception to this burden of proof requirement in circumstances when a parent seeks reimbursement for a unilateral parental placement.

This bill passed the Senate 48/0. It is scheduled for a public hearing on Feb. 14^th before House Education.

SB 5978: Authorizing the office of the superintendent of public instruction to act as a guarantor for a county when the county provides a loan to a school district.

Comment: This bill authorizes the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to serve as guarantor for a county that has agreed to provide a loan to a school district that is on binding conditions. • Directs OSPI to adopt specific rules regarding this new authority, including a process for enhanced financial oversight of defaulting school districts. • Appropriates $10 million, or as much as is necessary, from the general fund to OSPI for the purpose of providing contingent guarantor funding and establishes requirements to access this funding.

It was scheduled for executive session on Feb. 5^th  before Senate WM, and no action was taken.

ESSB 6031: Modifying the student transportation allocation to accommodate multiple vehicle types for transporting students.

Comment: This bill provides that the pupil transportation funding formula may not be construed to mandate the type of vehicle used for pupil transportation and encourages districts to use the vehicle type that the district deems to be the safest and most cost-effective. • Requires district-owned cars to be included in the overall transportation allocation rather than being subject to a private reimbursement rate and requires additional district-owned ridership data to be considered. • Requires school districts to report the number of miles driven per vehicle type when reporting transportation data to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. • Expands the school bus purchase and reimbursement process to include passenger vans used in lieu of school buses. • • Requires that training and qualification rules that apply to school bus drivers must also apply to drivers transporting students in Washington State Patrol-inspected school vehicles other than school buses.

This bill passed the Senate 48/0 and has been sent to the House.

Fred Yancey

The Nexus Group LLC

Fred Yancey
The Nexus Group LLC

We're back with another episode of AWSP News. In this episode, we update you on the legislative session and our principal budget proviso, upcoming professional learning opportunities, our Winter Forum, GLLC openings and engagement, Assistant Principal of the Year and Principal of the Year nominations, and updating your member profile.

Read the script.

Continued Forward Progress

The Legislature continues its forward progress as they passed the halfway point of this year’s legislative session this week. A second cut-off date was reached when bills had to pass out of fiscal committees by Monday. My bill tracking list got even smaller, but you never know what might happen in the remaining weeks. Language from bills that didn’t pass out of committees could still be used as budget provisos so we have to keep paying attention to all of the details.

Legislators now turn their attention to floor action and they have some long days ahead of them as they work to pass bills off the floor of the House or the Senate by February 13. After that, the bills move to the other side and the process repeats.

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Budget

The Washington Research Council published a good summary of some of the main budget bills that are still in play. We are pushing for additional funding in special education (raising the cap from 15% to 17.25%), transportation costs for special populations, increasing the prototypical model for classified staff (paraeducators), and increasing MSOC (Materials, Supplies, and Operating Costs). We are also hopeful that the capital budget gets adequate funds for school construction.

Here are links to some key budget bills:

• HB 2180 Increasing the special education enrollment funding cap
• SB 5873 Providing adequate and predictable student transportation
• SB 5882 Increasing prototypical school staffing to better meet student needs
• HB 1960 Increasing prototypical school staffing to better meet student needs
• HB 2494 Increasing state funding for operating costs
• HB 1044 Providing capital financial assistance to small school districts
• SB 5789 Concerning the sales and use tax for school construction assistance programs

We continue to ask legislators to support two specific budget requests that our partners at OSPI included as a decision package request to Governor Inslee. The first part is a $1 million enhancement to our state’s principal internship grant program and the second part is to continue partnering with OSPI to provide regional support for current building administrators. Rep. Paul Harris (R-Vancouver) submitted these requests to the House Appropriations Committee and we hope to see them both included in the final supplemental operating budget. 

The next economic forecast will be released on Wednesday, February 14 and we should also see both the House and the Senate supplemental budgets next week as well.

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Bills

Two policy bills that remain in play include substance use prevention education on fentanyl (HB 1956), and restraint and isolation (HB 1479 ). The restraint and isolation bill was updated with revised language for some terms and to allow a little more flexibility for schools to use waivers. It also added regional behavioral specialists and some reporting requirements. Much more conversation is coming with this bill as it heads toward the House floor for a vote. I’ve shared some thoughts with both Rep. Lisa Callan (D-Issaquah) and Rep. Skyler Rude (R-Walla Walla) who are both working hard on this bill. We know that student behaviors are the number one concern of educators and how this bill is handled is really important. We aren’t sure what kind of appetite the Senate has for this bill this session but the Senate version did not move out of the Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee.

There are also several bills related to updating curriculum requirements including computer science (SB 5849), financial literacy (HB 1915), Holocaust and genocide education (HB 2037 ), and mandating instruction on the Pledge of Allegiance ( SB 6205). We submitted a joint letter to the Legislature along with WEA, WASA, WSSDA, the State Board of Education, and the Washington State PTA asking them to amend the bills to direct the State Board of Education to review graduation requirements comprehensively to determine the best way to meet financial literacy and computer science literacy goals. We also requested that any new graduation requirements be appropriately timed to include middle school students since planning for High School and Beyond Plans now begins in seventh grade.

There are efforts to support high school students including adding private non-for-profit colleges to College in the High School programs (HB 2441), providing Running Start for rising juniors (SB 5670), and strengthening CTE Core Plus programs ( HB 2236).

There are several bills related to our educator workforce including dual language programs (HB 1228), teacher residency programs (HB 1565), and HB 1950 which would increase efforts to improve access and remove barriers to the public service loan forgiveness program.

Here is my complete bill tracking list if you’d like to check out all of the bills. 

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Bills Being Heard Next Week

HOUSE

Wednesday, 2/14

• SB 5180 Adopting the interstate teacher mobility compact.
• ESB 5462 Promoting inclusive learning standards and instructional materials in public schools. 
• SB 5647 Providing temporary employees necessary information about school safety policies and procedures. 
• SB 5883 Concerning the burden of proof for special education due process hearings. 
• SJM 8007 Requesting Congress to fully fund 40 percent of the costs of IDEA. 

Thursday, 2/15

• SSB 5648 Including state-tribal education compact schools and charter schools as entities able to receive waivers from the state board of education.
• ESB 5790 Concerning medical equipment/bleeding control in schools
• SSB 5804 Concerning opioid overdose reversal medication in public schools. 
• E2SSB 5670 Providing summer running start for rising juniors

SENATE

Wednesday, 2/14

• EHB 1714 Allowing school districts to apply for financial literacy education professional development grants.
• E2SHB 1332 Supporting public school instruction in tribal sovereignty and federally recognized Indian tribes.
• HB 1146 Notifying high school students and their families about available dual credit programs and any available financial assistance.
• ESHB 1277 Improving the consistency and quality of the implementation of the fundamental course of study for paraeducators.
• HB 2110 Reorganizing statutory requirements governing high school graduation.

Thursday, 2/15

• 2ESHB 1377 Posting of approved courses and providers of continuing education.
• SHB 2335 Concerning state-tribal education compacts.
• SHB 1044 Providing capital financial assistance to small school districts with demonstrated funding challenges.
• SHB 2381 Increasing eligibility for economy and efficiency flexible school calendar waivers.
• ESHB 1608 Expanding access to anaphylaxis medications in schools.

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Other Advocacy Efforts

A Successful "Day on the Hill"!

Fifteen school leaders from our Advocacy Advisory Council and AWSP Board met in Olympia on Monday (February 5) for our annual “Day on the Hill”. Thank you to all of you who came out, met with your legislators, and advocated for the principalship! It's not too late to get involved. You can schedule a virtual meeting with your own legislators.

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Engage in Advocacy

February is our “Member Engagement Month” and there is no better way to engage with your professional association this month than by getting involved in our advocacy efforts. There are a variety of ways in which you can do this. Some take a few seconds, and some take a little more time. Choose your own level of engagement, but please do take action to support legislation that would help “Grow, Support, and Sustain” our current and future school leaders.

Send a Quick Action Alert

This is the easiest option of all. Here are links to two quick action alerts that will send an email to your legislators after you enter your own name and address. The first one is to request support for a budget proviso that would add more funds to the principal intern grant and to provide regional support for current building leaders. The second one allows you to write your own message. Try these now…they are so easy! Scroll down the page until you see the Action Alert you would like to send.

Be a Principal Partner with a Legislator

If you would like to commit to communicating more regularly with your legislators, let me know. Email me if you would like to be a “Principal Partner with a Legislator”.

Invite Your Legislator to be the “Principal for a Day”

We had a very successful pilot project a few weeks ago when Senator Claire Wilson shadowed Principal Terrie Garrison at Fir Grove Elementary in Puyallup and when Representative Clyde Shavers shadowed Principal Jenny Hunt at Broad View Elementary in Oak Harbor. We plan to hold this event again in October, 2024. If you would like a legislator to shadow you next fall, send me an email.

Meet with Your Legislators

It’s really easy to set up meetings either in-person or via Zoom with your legislators. They should prioritize meeting with you because you are their local constituents. Here is a link for their contact information and it’s also helpful to include their legislative assistants in your email to request a meeting. It’s possible to meet with them now during the legislative session but it will probably be a short 15 minute conversation. During the interim, they should have more time to meet with you. Either option works because it’s all about developing a working relationship with our policymakers.

Participate on our Advocacy Advisory Council

We have over 50 principals and assistant principals who belong to our AWSP Advocacy Advisory Council. During the legislative session, we meet weekly on Zoom to discuss the bills being heard that week and to strategize about how we, as an association, will respond. This group of people is invited to attend our annual  “AWSP Day on the Hill” which will be held on Monday, February 5th. During the interim, we meet occasionally via Zoom to stay in touch about various issues, meet with legislators about bills that they are considering, and develop our legislative platform. Email me to get involved at this level. 

Shadow Me for the Day

Last week, it was a first for me and an absolute joy to have Principal Lisa Kusche from Ballou Junior High in Puyallup, spend the day with me at the Capitol. Lisa participated with me in all of my usual advocacy and committee meetings with other education stakeholders and legislators. It was so great to have her here (and I’m so bummed that I forgot to take a selfie of us!) Email me if you would like to hang out sometime in Olympia.

Below are additional links to find out more about these bills and to contact your own legislators. Legislators care very much about hearing directly from their constituents. When we weigh in as an association, it is helpful and important, but having many of you reach out directly with a short email to legislators can be much more powerful.  

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Important Links:

• Washington State Legislature
• Bill Search
• Find Your Legislators
• Email Your Legislators

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Get Involved

Many thanks for all that you do for students and staff. Please reach out if you have questions or comments. Thank you!

UPDATE: Fixed as of 9:00 am 2/12/2024.

If you're trying to access your MyAWSP account to register for an event, sign into the Learning Lab, or update your profile, you might be experiencing some issues right now. You're likely getting a "This Site is Not Private" error message, which appears to be limited to just the Safari web browser at this time. The best thing to do now is try another web browswer while we work to resolve this issue.

If you're using a different browswer and still seeing this message, please email me and send a screenshot if possible. We apologize for the inconvenience! 

The 68^th installment of the FAST AND FURIOUS franchise continues…

Debates and floor action continue as both chambers rush to pass house of origin legislation by the end of February 13. The work of all committees will then resume, again, dealing with bills that have passed the opposite house. Some committees are already hard at work.

The status of bills changes constantly, so the summaries below are just as they were when this report was written.

A reminder that regardless of deadlines, bills can be ruled as ‘necessary to implement the budget’ so can be revived under that justification which can be arbitrary at times.

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Retirement Related Proposals

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: This bill requires public agency notices for public comment to include the last date by which public comment must be submitted. • • Establishes penalties for agencies failing to provide the notice.

It passed the House 98/0 and is before Senate Government and Elections.

SHB 1985: Providing a benefit increase to certain retirees of the public employees' retirement system plan 1 and the teachers' retirement system plan 1.

Comment: This bill passed House 97/0 and will be sent to Senate Ways and Means. This bill would provide an ad-hoc 3% increase in 2024 not to exceed $110/month for TRS1/PERS1 Plan retirees.

HB 2481: Waiving health benefit premiums in the public employees' benefits board.

Comment: This is a late entry into Introductions. It is intended to replace HB 2013 mentioned above. It would waive, as the title suggests, the health benefit premium of the deceased during the month of one’s death. The survivors, if covered by insurance, would still pay the balance of the premium.

It is in House Rules awaiting action.

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

Below are selected titles and brief summaries of proposed bills that may have potential impact to the business operations of districts. The TWIO has a more extensive list and explanation.

E2SHB 1618: Concerning the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse.

Comment: It eliminates the statute of limitations for recovery of damages as a result of childhood sexual abuse for all intentional actions occurring after June 6, 2024.

The bill as amended passed the House 93/0/5. It had a public hearing before the Senate Committee on Law and Justice Jan. 30^th.

SHB 1905 -  Including protected classes in the Washington Equal Pay and Opportunities Act. 

Comment: This bill amends the Equal Pay and Opportunities Act to prohibit an employer from discriminating in compensation and career advancement opportunities against similarly employed employees based on the employee's age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, honorably discharged veteran or military status, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability.  

This bill is in House Rules awaiting action. Its companion, SSB 5894, is in Senate Rules awaiting movement to the floor for action.

Comment: The Senate bill extends the prohibitions on discrimination in wages and career advancement opportunities and the remedies to a person's membership in a protected class. • Provides that protected class means a person's age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, honorably discharged veteran or military status, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained guide dog or service animal by a person with a disability.

HB 1927: Reducing the number of days that a worker's temporary total disability must continue to receive industrial insurance compensation for the day of an injury and the three-day period following the injury.

Comment:  It reduces the number of days – from 14 to 7 – that a temporary total disability must continue to receive workers' compensation time loss benefits for the first three days following the injury.

It passed the House 60/37 and is before Senate Labor and Commerce Committee.

HB 2044: An act relating to standardizing limitations on voter-approved property tax levies.

Comment: This bill removes the restriction on levy lid lift funds supplanting existing funds.

This bill is in House Rules awaiting further movement.

HB 2058: Increasing student access to free meals served at public schools. 

Comment: TWIO has covered this previously. There is no fiscal note to date, although press reports that the state’s cost will be in excess of $80 million dollars. It is indeterminate what other local school district unfunded costs will be.

This bill was moved to Appropriations and is awaiting scheduling. This is an example of a bill that may be ‘necessary to implement the budget’ so may still be alive. Its purpose has support among members.

SHB 2127 - 2023-24: Concerning workers' compensation incentives to return to work.

Comment: This bill modifies certain return to work policies and reimbursement amounts under the workers' compensation program. • Increases the maximum amounts of reimbursements paid to employers participating in the Stay at Work Program and Preferred Worker Program by the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I). • Increases the maximum amount paid to qualifying employers for job modification costs by L&I. • Allows L&I to authorize payments for basic skills development for qualifying injured workers.

This bill passed the House 97/0. A public hearing is scheduled for Feb. 15^th before Senate Labor and Commerce.

HB 2246: Concerning vacation leave accrual for state employees.

Comment: This bill increases the annual cap on the accrual of unused vacation leave for state employees from 240 hours to 280 hours.

This bill is before House Rules awaiting action.

SHB 2381: Increasing eligibility for economy and efficiency flexible school calendar waivers.

Comment: This bill authorizes the Superintendent of Public Instruction to grant waivers to reduce the minimum number of school days required in a school year to school districts with fewer than 1,000 students.

This bill passed the House 97/0 and will likely be assigned to Senate Education.

SB 5344: Establishing a public-school revolving fund.

Comment: This bill establishes the Public-School Revolving Fund in the State Treasury for the purpose of issuing low-interest or interest-free loans to qualifying school districts for capital projects. • Establishes the Public-School Revolving Fund Board to administer loans from the fund.

The bill is in House Rules with little expected movement. It is likely ‘dead.’

E2SSB 5670:  Permitting 10th grade students to participate in running start in online settings.

Comment: This bill permits rising 11th grade students to participate in Running Start courses during the summer academic term. • Requires that rising 11th grade Running Start students take no more than ten quarter credits per summer academic term, or the semester equivalent. • Requires school districts to provide information about Running Start enrollment opportunities during the summer academic term.

This bill passed Senate 48/0 and is scheduled for a public hearing Feb. 15^th in House Education. The fiscal note is not available, but this represents a cost to districts and an added administrative burden.

SB 5777: Concerning unemployment insurance benefits for striking or lockout workers.

Comment: Deletes a provision that disqualifies employees in a multi-employer bargaining unit from unemployment insurance benefits when the employees have been locked out following a strike against the employers in the bargaining unit.

This bill is on the Senate calendar awaiting action. Its companion (SHB 1893) is in House Rules awaiting action. It is a change from the Senate bill and specifies that the provision disqualifying a worker for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits based on a labor strike terminates on the second Sunday following the first day of the strike, thereby allowing those workers to access UI benefits following that time period and the waiting week. • Removes the provision disqualifying a worker for UI benefits based on an employer-initiated lockout resulting from a strike against another employer in a multi-employer bargaining unit.

SB 5789: Concerning the sales and use tax for school construction assistance program capital projects.

Comment: This bill changes the School Construction Assistance Program formula so that the state will pay for the full sales and use tax levied on all costs chargeable to a school construction project.

This bill is on the floor calendar awaiting action.

ESB 5790: An act relating to bleeding control equipment in schools.

Comment: This bill requires school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools to maintain and make available certain bleeding control equipment and acquire and maintain at least one semiautomatic external defibrillator on each school campus beginning in the 2026-27 school year. • Specifies that schools must have a certain number of employees trained to use the bleeding control equipment. • Directs school districts to comply with existing requirements regarding semiautomatic external defibrillators.

This bill passed the Senate 47/0. It is scheduled for a public hearing on Feb. 15^th before House Education.

ESSB 5793: Concerning paid sick leave.

Comment: This bill allows an employee or transportation network company driver to use paid sick leave when their child's school or place of care is closed after the declaration of an emergency. • Modifies the definition of family member for the purpose of using paid sick leave to include any individual who regularly resides in the employee's home or where the relationship creates an expectation the employee care for the person, and that individual depends on the employee for care, except it does not include an individual who simply resides in the same home with no expectation the employee care for the individual. • • Provides that a child also includes a child's spouse. Requires the Department of Labor and Industries to develop materials and conduct outreach to inform individuals and businesses about the new provisions of the act.

It passed the Senate 28/21 and is scheduled for public hearing before House Labor and Workforce Standards on Feb. 14^th, and further scheduled for executive session on Fe. 16^th. Its companion, (SHB 1991) has been moved to the floor calendar. The substitute expands the definition of "family member" in Washington's Paid Sick Leave Law, allowing employees to use paid sick leave to care for additional specified persons experiencing a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition, or needing medical diagnosis, treatment, or preventative care. • Allows an employee to use paid sick leave when the employee's child's school or place of care has been closed due to a public emergency.

SSB 5804: Concerning opioid overdose reversal medication in public schools.

Comment: This bill requires all school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools, not just those with 2000 or more students, to obtain and maintain at least one set of opioid overdose reversal medication doses in each of the public schools and to adopt a related policy.

It passed the Senate 49/0 and is scheduled for a public hearing Feb. 15^th before House Education.

ESB 5824: Concerning the dissolution of libraries and library districts.

Comment: This bill Increases the signature threshold for filing petitions to dissolve libraries from 100 taxpayers to 25 percent of eligible voters in the district. • Increases the signature threshold for filing petitions to dissolve library districts from 10 percent of voters residing outside of incorporated cities or towns to 25 percent of eligible voters in the district. • Expands voter eligibility to allow all qualified electors of a library district to participate in a vote on propositions for library district dissolution.

The bill passed the Senate 49/0 and has been sent to the House State Government and Tribal Relations.

SSB 5873 - 2023-24

Providing adequate and predictable student transportation.

Comment: This bill, subject to budget appropriations, requires the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to provide an analysis of school district transportation costs and allocations to the Legislature by June 1, 2027. • Requires OSPI to develop a transparent, predictable, and comprehensive student transportation funding model that addresses the diverse needs of students and the unique characteristics of school districts. • Provides additional funding in the amount of $400 per student for students that require special transportation due to the requirements of the McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Act. • Provides that school districts may only enter into, renew, or extend pupil transportation services contracts with private nongovernmental entities that provide employee health and retirement benefits comparable to those received by school employees

This bill has been moved to the Senate calendar awaiting further action.

SB 5883: Concerning the burden of proof for special education due process hearings.

Comment. This bill provides that a school district has the burden of proof when it is a party to a special education due process hearing. • Creates an exception to this burden of proof requirement in circumstances when a parent seeks reimbursement for a unilateral parental placement.

This bill passed the Senate 48/0. It is scheduled for a public hearing on Feb. 14^th before House Education.

SSB 6031: Modifying the student transportation allocation to accommodate multiple vehicle types for transporting students.

Comment: This bill provides that the pupil transportation funding formula may not be construed to mandate the type of vehicle used for pupil transportation and encourages districts to use the vehicle type that the district deems to be the safest and most cost-effective. • Requires district-owned cars to be included in the overall transportation allocation rather than being subject to a private reimbursement rate and requires additional district-owned ridership data to be considered. • Requires school districts to report the number of miles driven per vehicle type when reporting transportation data to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. • Expands the school bus purchase and reimbursement process to include passenger vans used in lieu of school buses.

This bill is on the Senate calendar awaiting further action.

Fred Yancey
The Nexus Group LLC

“I would never finish a painting if I didn’t have a deadline." Peter Doig

“The thing that would most improve my life is 27 hours in a day. I could meet all my deadlines.” Yoko Ono

The first cut-off of the Session has come and gone. Policy bills not out of committees are ‘dead’, unless revived at legislative whim. Meanwhile, the action now moves to floor debate on bills. The fiscal committees still meet in order to move fiscal bills. Their deadline is February 5^th, the next cut-off. A caveat: Any bill that has dollars connected to it, can be deemed ‘necessary to implement the budget’ and be acted upon at any time regardless of timelines.

Note that a number of bills have an “S” before them. That is because as the process of legislating and hearings occur, changes are often made in the original bill marking the new bill as a substitute. i.e., SHB 1985 is Substitute House Bill 1985.

A brief summary of selected bills:

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Retirement Related Proposals

SHB 1985: Providing a benefit increase to certain retirees of the public employees' retirement system plan 1 and the teachers' retirement system plan 1.

Comment: This bill would provide an ad-hoc 3% increase in 2024 not to exceed $110/month for TRS1/PERS1 Plan retirees.

The House Committee on Appropriations lowered the original increase to the first $44,000 of one’s pension. That figure represents a senior’s income would qualify him/her for a property tax exemption.

This is currently in House Rules waiting to move to the floor for action.

HB 2013: Paying state retirement benefits until the end of the month in which the retiree or beneficiary dies.

Comment: This bill allows the survivor to keep the entire month’s amount regardless of when the person died.

The House Committee on Appropriations did not advance the bill. It is likely ‘dead.’

HB 2481: Waiving health benefit premiums in the public employees' benefits board.

Comment: This is a late entry into Introductions. It is intended to replace HB 2013 mentioned above. It would waive, as the title suggests, the health benefit premium of the deceased during the month of one’s death. The survivors, if covered by insurance, would still pay the balance of the premium.

It is scheduled for executive session in House Appropriations Feb.2.

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

Below are selected titles and brief summaries of proposed bills that may have potential impact to the business operations of districts. The TWIO has a more extensive list and explanation.

SHB 1905 -  Including protected classes in the Washington equal pay and opportunities act. 

Comment: This bill amends the Equal Pay and Opportunities Act to prohibit an employer from discriminating in compensation and career advancement opportunities against similarly employed employees based on the employee's age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, honorably discharged veteran or military status, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability.  

This bill has been referred to Appropriations and is scheduled for executive session Feb. 3^rd. Its companion, SSB 5894, is in Rules awaiting movement to the floor for action.

Comment: The Senate bill extends the prohibitions on discrimination in wages and career advancement opportunities and the remedies to a person's membership in a protected class. • Provides that protected class means a person's age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, honorably discharged veteran or military status, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained guide dog or service animal by a person with a disability.

HB 1927: Reducing the number of days that a worker's temporary total disability must continue to receive industrial insurance compensation for the day of an injury and the three-day period following the injury.

Comment:  It reduces the number of days – from 14 to 7 – that a temporary total disability must continue to receive workers' compensation time loss benefits for the first three days following the injury.

It is currently in House Rules and awaits movement to the floor calendar. Its companion, (SB5932) has not had any movement and is likely ‘dead’.

SHB 1959: Extending parts of the paid family and medical leave program to employers with fewer than 50 employees.

Comment: This bill removes the exemption allowing employers with fewer than 50 employees to not pay any portion of the premium for the Paid Family and Medical Leave Program, thereby requiring those employers to pay at least 55 percent of the medical leave share of the premium.

It has been referred to Appropriations who has yet to schedule it for a public hearing.

HB 2044: An act relating to standardizing limitations on voter-approved property tax levies.

Comment: This bill removes the restriction on levy lid lift funds supplanting existing funds.

This bill is in House Rules awaiting further movement.

HB 2058: Increasing student access to free meals served at public schools. 

Comment: TWIO has covered this previously. There is no fiscal note to date, although press reports that the state’s cost will be in excess of $80 million dollars. It is indeterminate what other local school district unfunded costs will be.

This bill was moved to Appropriations and is awaiting scheduling. The companion bill, (SB 5964) has had no movement since the public hearing in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education on 1/29.

SHB 2127 - 2023-24: Concerning workers' compensation incentives to return to work.

Comment: This bill modifies certain return to work policies and reimbursement amounts under the workers' compensation program. • Increases the maximum amounts of reimbursements paid to employers participating in the Stay at Work Program and Preferred Worker Program by the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I). • Increases the maximum amount paid to qualifying employers for job modification costs by L&I. • Allows L&I to authorize payments for basic skills development for qualifying injured workers.

This bill is before House Rules awaiting movement to the floor calendar.

SB 5059 - Concerning pre-judgment interest. 

Comment: Dan Steele has already addressed this bill and its potential for adversely affecting school district finances.

There has been no movement since the public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means on Jan. 15^th. See E2SHB 1618 below.

E2SHB 1618: Concerning the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse.

Comment: It eliminates the statute of limitations for recovery of damages as a result of childhood sexual abuse for all intentional actions occurring after June 6, 2024.

The bill as amended passed the House 93/0. It had a public hearing before the Senate Committee on Law and Justice Jan. 30^th

SB 5344: Establishing a public-school revolving fund.

Comment: This bill establishes the Public-School Revolving Fund in the State Treasury for the purpose of issuing low-interest or interest-free loans to qualifying school districts for capital projects. • Establishes the Public-School Revolving Fund Board to administer loans from the fund.

The bill is on the second reading in the House.

SB 5777 - Concerning unemployment insurance benefits for striking or lockout workers.

Comment: Deletes a provision that disqualifies employees in a multi-employer bargaining unit from unemployment insurance benefits when the employees have been locked out following a strike against the employers in the bargaining unit.

This bill has been passed to Rules awaiting movement to the Senate calendar. Its companion (HB 1893) is before House Appropriations awaiting action.

ESB 5790: An act relating to bleeding control equipment in schools.

Comment: This bill requires each school district to maintain and make available certain bleeding control equipment on each school campus for use in the event of a traumatic injury beginning in the 2024-25 school year. • Directs each school to have a certain number of employees trained to use the equipment.

This bill passed the Senate 47/0.

SSB 5793 -  Concerning paid sick leave.

Comment: Allows an employee or transportation network company driver to use paid sick leave when their child's school or place of care is closed due to a public emergency. • Modifies the definition of family member for the purpose of using paid sick leave to include any individual who regularly resides in the employee's home or where the relationship creates an expectation the employee care for the person, and that individual depends on the employee for care, except it does not include an individual who simply resides in the same home with no expectation the employee care for the individual. • • Provides that a child also includes a child's spouse. Requires the Department of Labor and Industries to develop materials and conduct outreach to inform individuals and businesses about the new provisions of the act.

It is currently in Senate Rules awaiting movement to the floor calendar. Its companion, (SHB 1991) is in House Rules awaiting movement to the floor calendar. The substitute expands the definition of "family member" in Washington's Paid Sick Leave Law, allowing employees to use paid sick leave to care for additional specified persons experiencing a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition, or needing medical diagnosis, treatment, or preventative care. • Allows an employee to use paid sick leave when the employee's child's school or place of care has been closed due to a public emergency.

SB 5824: Concerning the dissolution of libraries and library districts.

Comment: This bill Increases the signature threshold for filing petitions to dissolve libraries from 100 taxpayers to 25 percent of eligible voters in the district. • Increases the signature threshold for filing petitions to dissolve library districts from 10 percent of voters residing outside of incorporated cities or towns to 25 percent of eligible voters in the district. • Expands voter eligibility to allow all qualified electors of a library district to participate in a vote on propositions for library district dissolution.

The bill passed the House 49/0 and has been sent to the House.

SB 5873 - 2023-24: Providing adequate and predictable student transportation.

Comment: This bill, subject to budget appropriations, increases funding for student transportation. Of added import is that it provides that pupil transportation services contracts entered into, renewed, or extended after September 1, 2024, must require the contractor to provide employee health and retirement benefits comparable to those received by school employees. It also states: “Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this purpose, OSPI must provide a one-time supplemental transportation allocation to school districts that experience an increase in costs to pupil transportation services contracts due to the new benefit requirements. To be eligible for the supplemental allocations, a school district must report to OSPI regarding the number of contracted employees that worked at least 630 hours performing contract services in the school year prior to entering a contract with the new benefits. Supplemental allocations may only be used as payments under pupil transportation services contracts for employee compensation and may not exceed $200 per contracted employee per month.”

There has been no further action since the public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways and Means on Jan 23rd.

SB 5883: Concerning the burden of proof for special education due process hearings.

Comment. This bill provides that a school district has the burden of proof when it is a party to a special education due process hearing. • Creates an exception to this burden of proof requirement in circumstances when a parent seeks reimbursement for a unilateral parental placement.

It is on second reading awaiting action on the floor.

SSB 5924 - 2023-24 Concerning access to personnel records.

Comment:  This bill requires an employer to furnish an employee, former employee, or their designee with a copy of the employee's personnel file at no cost within 21 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 21 calendar days of the written request. • Allows an employee or former employee to bring a private action, after five days’ notice, for violations of certain rights regarding personnel files, and discharge information, for equitable relief, graduated statutory damages up to $1,000, and reasonable attorneys' fees and costs of each violation.

This is before Senate Ways and Means awaiting scheduling.

SB 5978: Authorizing the office of the superintendent of public instruction to act as a guarantor for a county when the county provides a loan to a school district.

Comment: Scheduled for executive session by the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education on Jan. 31^st.

SB 6031: Modifying the student transportation allocation to accommodate multiple vehicle types for transporting students.

Comment: This bill provides that the pupil transportation funding formula may not be construed to mandate the type of vehicle used for pupil transportation and encourages districts to use the vehicle type that the district deems to be the safest and most cost-effective. • Requires district-owned cars to be included in the overall transportation allocation rather than being subject to a private reimbursement rate and requires additional district-owned ridership data to be considered. • Requires school districts to report the number of miles driven per vehicle type when reporting transportation data to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

This bill is scheduled for a public hearing before the Senate Ways and Means on /Feb. 3^rd.

SB 6045 - Concerning school district efficiencies and consolidation.

Comment: Self-explanatory. This is not the first time this idea of forcing efficiencies has been introduced.

A public hearing in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education was on 1/25. No further action scheduled. Likely ‘dead’.

SB 6223: Updating school district director compensation.

Comment: Each member of the board of directors of a school district may receive compensation in an annual amount not to exceed the combined total of $500 per month plus 50 cents per student enrolled in the school district based on prior year actual enrollments.

A public hearing was held before the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education on 1/29. No further action to date.

Fred Yancey
The Nexus Group LLC

One Hurdle Cleared

We cleared the first big hurdle of this year’s legislative session this week when bills had to pass out of their policy committees. Bills with fiscal implications must pass out of House Appropriations or Senate Ways and Means by February 5. The next step after that is for bills to be passed off the floor of the House or the Senate and the deadline for that is February 13. After that, the bills move to the other side and the process repeats.

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Bills and Budget

My bill tracking list got a lot smaller this week which is good news. Some of the policy bills that remain in play include substance use prevention education on fentanyl (HB 1956/SB 5923), establishing a statewide network for student mental and behavioral health (SB 6216), and restraint and isolation (HB 1479). The restraint and isolation bill was updated with revised language for some terms and to allow a little more flexibility for schools to use waivers. It also added regional behavioral specialists and some reporting requirements. Much more conversation is coming with this bill as it heads toward the House floor for a vote. We aren’t sure what kind of appetite the Senate has for this bill this session but the Senate version did not move out of the Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee.

There are also several bills related to updating curriculum requirements including computer science (SB 5849), financial literacy (HB 1915), Holocaust and genocide education (HB 2037), and mandating instruction on the Pledge of Allegiance (SB 6205). There is an effort to support high school students through bills such as ninth grade success grants (HB 2052), paying for AP/IB exams (HB 2326), adding private non-for-profit colleges to College in the High School (HB 2441), increasing student navigational support for postsecondary preparation (SB 6254), and strengthening CTE Core Plus programs (HB 2236).

There are several bills related to our educator workforce including dual language programs (HB 1228), teacher residency programs (HB 1565), and phasing in additional staff allocations for teaching assistants, office support staff, and non instructional aides in the prototypical school funding model (HB 1960/SB 5882). Related to paraeducators, there is a bill that would increase compensation for this group (HB 2380/SB 6082).

As the fiscal committees now begin to seriously consider the many policy bills that remain, they will have to decide what they truly value and whether they will commit to funding these policies. If the bill related to restraint and isolation practices continues to move, how much funding would be provided for professional learning? If the bill related to paraeducator compensation moves forward, will it be a $7/hour increase or might that be decreased as budget priorities change and settle?

In further budget news, districts have organized efforts to point out how underfunded MSOC (materials, supplies and operating costs) has been over the past few years as the state has not kept up with the rising costs of insurance, utilities, curriculum, and more. The state needs to fully fund district costs for MSOC, special education, or transportation to name three big areas. Education advocates are pushing on legislators to do more with the state budget to support K-12 schools.

We continue to ask legislators to include two specific budget asks that our partners at OSPI included as a decision package request to Governor Inslee. The Governor did not include these requests in his budget, so we are asking legislators to include them in the final supplemental budget.

Our first request is an enhancement to our state’s principal internship program. Currently, funding is available to cover only 8-10 substitute days for interns receiving this grant. This is not sufficient preparation. We are asking for an additional one million dollars so grant recipients can have at least 25-30 days covered. 

The second item is for $860,000, which allows OSPI to partner with us and provides more secure funding and support for associate director positions. These positions support principal professional learning, respond to member support calls, and provide coaching. They also support ongoing work related to instruction, evaluation, behavior, mental health, and more.

As a member of the School Funding Coalition, we continue to work alongside other statewide associations, like WASA and WSSDA, to urge legislators to update the prototypical funding model for principals and other staff. We thank Representative Alicia Rule for sponsoring HB 2212, which would update the ratio for building administrators. Even though this bill failed to get a hearing, it is good to have language to point to as we talk about the workload of principals and one idea to help alleviate some burdens.

Here is my complete bill tracking list if you’d like to check out all of the bills. 

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Engage in Advocacy

February is our “Member Engagement Month” and there is no better way to engage with your professional association this month than by getting involved in our advocacy efforts. There are a variety of ways in which you can do this. Some take a few seconds, and some take a little more time. Choose your own level of engagement, but please do take action to support legislation that would help “Grow, Support, and Sustain” our current and future school leaders.

Send a Quick Action Alert

This is the easiest option of all. Here are links to two quick action alerts that will send an email to your legislators after you enter your own name and address. The first one is to request support for a budget proviso that would add more funds to the principal intern grant and to provide regional support for current building leaders. The second one allows you to write your own message. Try these now…they are so easy! Scroll down the page until you see the Action Alert you would like to send.

Be a Principal Partner with a Legislator

If you would like to commit to communicating more regularly with your legislators, let me know. Email me if you would like to be a “Principal Partner with a Legislator”.

Invite Your Legislator to be the “Principal for a Day”

We had a very successful pilot project a few weeks ago when Senator Claire Wilson shadowed Principal Terrie Garrison at Fir Grove Elementary in Puyallup and when Representative Clyde Shavers shadowed Principal Jenny Hunt at Broad View Elementary in Oak Harbor. We plan to hold this event again in October, 2024. If you would like a legislator to shadow you next fall, send me an email.

Meet with Your Legislators

It’s really easy to set up meetings either in-person or via Zoom with your legislators. They should prioritize meeting with you because you are their local constituents. Here is a link for their contact information and it’s also helpful to include their legislative assistants in your email to request a meeting. It’s possible to meet with them now during the legislative session but it will probably be a short 15 minute conversation. During the interim, they should have more time to meet with you. Either option works because it’s all about developing a working relationship with our policymakers.

Participate on our Advocacy Advisory Council

We have over 50 principals and assistant principals who belong to our AWSP Advocacy Advisory Council. During the legislative session, we meet weekly on Zoom to discuss the bills being heard that week and to strategize about how we, as an association, will respond. This group of people is invited to attend our annual  “AWSP Day on the Hill” which will be held on Monday, February 5th. During the interim, we meet occasionally via Zoom to stay in touch about various issues, meet with legislators about bills that they are considering, and develop our legislative platform. Email me to get involved at this level. 

Shadow Me for the Day

Last week, it was a first for me and an absolute joy to have Principal Lisa Kusche from Ballou Junior High in Puyallup, spend the day with me at the Capitol. Lisa participated with me in all of my usual advocacy and committee meetings with other education stakeholders and legislators. It was so great to have her here (and I’m so bummed that I forgot to take a selfie of us!) Email me if you would like to hang out sometime in Olympia.

Below are additional links to find out more about these bills and to contact your own legislators. Legislators care very much about hearing directly from their constituents. When we weigh in as an association, it is helpful and important, but having many of you reach out directly with a short email to legislators can be much more powerful.  

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Important Links:

• Washington State Legislature
• Bill Search
• Find Your Legislators
• Email Your Legislators

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Other Advocacy Efforts

Day on the Hill

Many of our Advocacy Advisory Council and AWSP Board Members are planning a visit to Olympia on February 5 for our annual “Day on the Hill”. They will be meeting with their own legislators and perhaps attending some committee hearings. You can get involved by scheduling a virtual meeting with your own legislators that week. See the links shared above to find your district legislators and their email addresses. 

Here is my complete bill tracking list for this week.

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Get Involved

Many thanks for all that you do for students and staff. Please reach out if you have questions or comments. Thank you!

With Black History Month here, you may ask, "What does this mean for me?" In our daily lives, many of us may not know how to best honor, acknowledge, or celebrate cultures, whether our own or somebody else's. 

Black History Month allows us to shine a light and learn more about historical figures and pioneers in Black History who may be lesser known to the general public. Even within Washington state, we have our share of Black History woven into the fabric of our state’s history. Studying the lives and contributions of these individuals aids in our collective understanding and growth regarding the history of our state, particularly in relation to Black History Month. 

Below are some maybe lesser-known Black individuals who hold an honorable place in Washington state history. You’re invited to read through the list, open up the articles on a few, learn something new, and pass it on throughout the month. At the end of the list are a couple of great links with many articles, exhibits, videos, and resources to further explore and expand your knowledge and understanding.

Bertha Pitts Campbell (1889–1990): A civil rights activist, Campbell was the first African American woman to graduate from the University of Washington School of Law. She became the first African American woman to practice law in the state.

Gordon McHenry Sr. (1931–2015): The first African American engineer promoted to management at Boeing, McHenry also served as the executive director of the Seattle Urban League and played a crucial role in addressing racial inequality and social justice issues.

Roberta Byrd Barr (1919–1993): The first female and African American principal in Seattle, Barr also worked at KOMO-TV and covered stories highlighting racial and social justice issues.

Sam Smith (1934–1995): A community organizer and political leader, Smith was the first African American elected to Seattle’s City Council after serving five consecutive terms as a House Representative for Seattle’s 37th District.

Thelma Dewitty (1900–1997): The first African American teacher hired by the Seattle School District, Dewitty made significant contributions to education and the African American community in Seattle.

Vickie Williams (1952-2017) With a goal to serve the Black community, Williams opened the first African American-owned bookstore in Washington state. She provided a safe place for African Americans to learn about their history and gather to celebrate their culture.

E. June Smith (1900-1982) A trailblazing educator in Seattle and advocate for Black history, Smith was actively involved in advocating for and contributing to the desegregation of schools, leaving an indelible mark on the pursuit of educational equity.

Reverend Sam McKinney (1926-2018) As a prominent figure in civil rights and social justice, Rev. McKinney was a key leader in the Seattle civil rights movement. He co-founded the Seattle Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC) and played a crucial role in advocating for racial equality, education, and economic empowerment, leaving a lasting impact on the fight for justice in the Pacific Northwest.

Delbert Richardson: Founder of the American History Traveling Museum, Richardson is dedicated to preserving and sharing African American history. He has been active in educating communities about the contributions of Black Americans.

Celebrating Black History Month is not just about looking back; it's about creating a present and future that honors diversity, equality, and understanding. By taking tangible actions, we contribute to a more inclusive society where the achievements and contributions of Black individuals are acknowledged and celebrated throughout the year. Let this month be a catalyst for ongoing awareness and appreciation! 

Visit ICONS from the Washington State History Museum’s Black Washinton Virtual Exhibit (desktop version) to learn more about the icons, stories, and landmarks that shaped history and culture in Washington. If using a cell phone, find the Black Washington app here to view the exhibit.

BlackPast is another great site that strives “to promote greater understanding of our common human experience through knowledge of the diversity of the Black experience and the ubiquity of the global Black presence.”

Welcome to February

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A Few of My Favorites in January

 

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Days to Celebrate in February

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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.

As we usher in February, we are thrilled to announce the launch of our Member Engagement Month – a month-long campaign dedicated to fostering connection, amplifying your voices, and providing you with exciting opportunities to shape the future of education for principals and assistant principals across the state.

At AWSP, we believe that an engaged and active membership is the heartbeat of our professional association. It is your passion, dedication, and insights that drive positive change in the educational landscape. That's why we're rolling out a series of initiatives, blog posts, and weekly emails throughout the month to help you make the most of your membership.

One way to get involved is with our Grade Level Leadership Committees (GLLC). You can view current openings, and later this week, you'll get an email inviting you to apply if you're in a grade-level and ESD region with open positions. Our GLLC members consistently say their involvement is one of the highlights of their professional careers. Don't take our word for it, hear what they say about their experience engaging with AWSP.

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What to Expect

Each week, you'll receive an email highlighting:

1. Winter Forum Advocacy Update

Stay informed about the latest developments in education policy and advocacy. Register now for the Winter Forum, February 13, 4-5pm. You'll hear important updates from our Director of Advocacy and Government Relations, Roz Thompson, on crucial issues affecting school leaders.

2. Update Your Profile and Tap a Future Leader on the Shoulder

Do we have all your important information on record, and is it up-to-date? Cell phone, address, ethnicity, etc. Log in to your profile to check or update your records. Also, what a perfect time to tell someone else that you see them as an effective future leader. 

3. Professional Learning Updates, Summer Conference, and Clock Hours Certification Update

Explore upcoming learning opportunities, mark your calendar for essential events, and ensure your professional certifications are up-to-date. Our commitment to your continuous growth is unwavering.

4. Get Involved in Grade Level Leadership Committees and Nominate for Principal/Assistant Principal of the Year

Take an active role in shaping education by participating in grade-level committees. Nominate outstanding colleagues for Principal and Assistant Principal of the Year awards – recognizing excellence and innovation in leadership.

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Why Get Involved?

Your involvement is more than a checkbox on your membership journey. It's about actively contributing to the educational community, sharing your expertise, and helping shape the future. When you engage, you empower yourself and others, and collectively, we elevate the standard of education.

By participating in Member Engagement Month, you not only enhance your professional development but also play a pivotal role in influencing the trajectory of education. Your voice matters, and AWSP is the platform that amplifies it.

Get ready for an exciting month filled with opportunities to connect, learn, and make a meaningful impact. Keep an eye on your inbox for our weekly emails, each focusing on a specific theme aimed at enriching your membership experience.

Let's make this month a celebration of collaboration, growth, and advocacy. Together, we can build a brighter future for education.

We've Reached the Peak of New Bills

This week, we reached the peak of new policy bills being heard in committees. The first significant cut-off of this year’s legislative session is next Wednesday, January 31 when bills must be passed out of committee. Those with fiscal implications must pass out of House Appropriations or Senate Ways and Means by February 5. The next step after that is for bills to be passed off the floor of the House or the Senate and the deadline for that is February 13. After that, the bills move to the other side and the process repeats.

We signed in “pro” this week for bills related to dual language and teacher residency programs, modifying requirements for instructional materials and supplemental instructional materials committees, social emotional learning, and supporting a statewide network of mental and behavioral health support for students through the ESDs. 

A BIG thank you to Jake Tyrrell, Principal at Steilacoom High School, and Mark Beddes, Principal at Surprise Lake Middle in Fife, for testifying in the Senate about the critical need for our state to support students with their mental and behavioral health.

We also weighed in “pro” for bills in other committees besides K-12 education, such as programs that would support students headed to post-secondary programs and improving school safety at school and athletic events.

We weighed in as “other” for HB 1922 which would provide grant funding for vape detectors and said that while these devices can help improve the school culture of using restrooms, we would rather see resources go to prevention and cessation support for students. We also said “other” for HB 2018 that would require districts to adopt a policy to restrict the use of mobile devices. 

Another issue that we continue to weigh in on is restraint and isolation. The House and Senate bills for this topic are slightly different and in general, the education community prefers the Senate version as it has fewer changes to the reporting process and more flexible definitions. The Senate bill (SB 5966) has not yet been scheduled for executive session, but the House version (HB 1479 ) has been scheduled for executive action next week. I haven’t seen any specific amendments yet but will be watching to see what happens.

Many thanks to our High School Grade Level Leadership Committee for their robust discussion of SB 5670 which would allow 10th graders to take one online course in Running Start. We provided feedback to Senator Brad Hawkins that we were a bit mixed about this and that our primary concerns were academic readiness and support and logistics. We would like to see a deeper dive into the data around Running Start success rates as well as additional funding gaps addressed. OSPI and WEA are weighing in as well and it sounds like the bill will be modified to codify the 10 credits of summer Running Start courses that rising juniors can take as well as add some additional notification requirements for 9th and 10th graders.

We are also still working on SB 5085. This bill would update 28A.405.245 related to employment provisions. Our goal is to add assistant principals and require that specific evaluation criteria be used if principals or assistant principals are being moved to a subordinate position. We also want to ensure that all years of experience in education count, no matter the role (teacher or administrator). We do not see this RCW connected to moving staff to subordinate positions due to enrollment or funding declines, which, unfortunately still may have to occur in districts.

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Budget

Supplemental Operating Budget discussions are ramping up and it sounds like more attention is being paid to increasing funding for MSOC (Materials Supplies and Operating Costs). Districts are sharing data to show how utility and insurance costs in particular have risen dramatically and state funding has not kept up. Some legislators are focused on funding transportation costs and of course the conversation about paraeducator pay and updating the prototypical model for paraeducators continues. The state will not pay for all of these things, however, as the total amount is well outside the “box” of money that they will allocate for K-12 Education. We are hearing that there will be good news for school construction projects in the Capital Budget.

We continue to ask legislators to include two specific budget asks that our partners at OSPI included as a decision package request to Governor Inslee. The Governor did not include these requests in his budget, so we are asking legislators to include them in the final supplemental budget.

Our first request is an enhancement to our state’s principal internship program. Currently, funding is available to cover only 8-10 substitute days for interns receiving this grant. This is not sufficient preparation. We are asking for an additional one million dollars so grant recipients can have at least 25-30 days covered. 

The second item is for $860,000, which allows OSPI to partner with us and provides more secure funding and support for associate director positions. These positions support principal professional learning, respond to member support calls, and provide coaching. They also support ongoing work related to instruction, evaluation, behavior, mental health, and more.

As a member of the School Funding Coalition, we continue to work alongside other statewide associations, like WASA and WSSDA, to urge legislators to update the prototypical funding model for principals and other staff. We thank Representative Alicia Rule for sponsoring HB 2212, which would update the ratio for building administrators, and we are now working to get the bill a hearing in House Appropriations.

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Bills this Week

Here are the bills that were heard in the House and Senate Education Committees this week. I also have been tracking a few bills in the Higher Education and Healthcare Committees.

House Education

Monday

• HB 1228 | Building a multilingual, multiliterate Washington through dual and tribal language education. 
• HB 1239 | Establishing a simple and uniform system for complaints related to, and instituting a code of educator ethics for conduct within or involving public elementary and secondary schools. 
• E2SHB 1565 | Supporting and strengthening the professional education workforce. 
• HB 2335 | Concerning state-tribal education compacts.
• HB 2381 | Increasing eligibility for economy and efficiency flexible school calendar waivers. 

Tuesday

• HB 2331 | Modifying requirements for public school instructional and supplemental instructional materials. 
• HB 2398 | Requiring parent representation on instructional materials committees. 
• HB 2037 | Concerning Holocaust and genocide education in public schools. 
• HB 2018 | Improving student outcomes by restricting mobile device use by public school students. 
• HB 1922 | Establishing a grant program for the purchase and installation of vape detectors in public schools.

Thursday

• HB 2130 | Extending special education services. 
• HB 2239 | Supporting student well-being through instruction in social-emotional skills. 

Senate Education

Monday

• SB 5969 | Adjusting school districts' authority to contract indebtedness for school construction. 
• SB 5978 | Authorizing the office of the superintendent of public instruction to act as a guarantor for a county when the county provides a loan to a school district.
• SB 5903 | Concerning representation in the educator preparation act. 
• SB 6012 | Helping approved teacher preparation programs respond to the continuously changing needs of the modern classroom.
• SB 5966 | Concerning restraint or isolation of students in public schools and educational programs.

Wednesday

• SB 6082 | Increasing compensation for Washington paraeducators.
• SB 6123 | Adjusting classified school employee salaries.
• SB 6208 | Modifying requirements for public school instructional and supplemental instructional materials.
• SB 6216 | Establishing a statewide network for student mental and behavioral health.
• SB 6236 | Filing a declaration of intent to provide home-based instruction.

Thursday

• SB 6031 | Modifying the student transportation allocation to accommodate multiple vehicle types for transporting students.
• SB 6205 | Mandating instruction on the meaning and history of the pledge of allegiance in public schools. 
• SB 6045 | Concerning school district efficiencies and consolidation.
• SB 6264 | Supporting the implementation of competency-based education.

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Next Week’s Bills

There will only be two new bills heard next week in the Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee in the Senate. The House Education Committee will only hold executive sessions as legislators work to meet the deadline of passing bills out by January 31.

House Education

Monday

• SB 6223 | Updating school district director compensation.
• SB 5964 | Increasing student access to free meals served at public schools.

Below are additional links to find out more about these bills and to contact your own legislators. Legislators care very much about hearing directly from their constituents. When we weigh in as an association, it is helpful and important, but having many of you reach out directly with a short email to legislators can be much more powerful. Find your legislator and email them here if you have any thoughts to share. 

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Important Links:

• Washington State Legislature
• Bill Search
• Find Your Legislators
• Email Your Legislators

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Other Advocacy Efforts

Day on the Hill

Many of our Advocacy Advisory Council and AWSP Board Members are planning a visit to Olympia on February 5 for our annual “Day on the Hill”. They will be meeting with their own legislators and perhaps attending some committee hearings. You can get involved by scheduling a virtual meeting with your own legislators that week. See the links shared above to find your district legislators and their email addresses. 

Here is my complete bill tracking list for this week.

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Get Involved

Many thanks for all that you do for students and staff. Please reach out if you have questions or comments. Thank you!