Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Advocacy proposals due Friday

Help decide our legislative priorities. Proposals are due JUNE 1
State board of education needs your feedback on waivers (survey)
What Every Parent Needs Know – Find Your Voice training comes to Renton on June 9

Final countdown … Help decide WSPTA's Top 5

2012-13 Platform: Information & Proposal Form

Proposals for Washington State PTA’s short-term legislative platform are due June 1. Only PTA/PTSA members may turn in proposals. These will be voted on at our legislative assembly in October. Forms may be emailed, faxed, snail-mailed or hand-delivered, but MUST be in before midnight June 1.


Submitted so far: Discipline policies

Interest expressed:
  • Access and equity in special education
  • Family engagement
  • Social emotional learning
  • Early learning
  • Closing educational opportunity gaps
  • Education funding
  • Revenue to cover both education and children’s well-being
  • Standards-based grading
  • Multi-age classrooms
  • Emergency preparedness
  • Universal access to qualified and fully-prepared teachers
  • Educator professional development – highly capable
  • Literacy screening (kids) and reading certification requirements (educators)
If you are interested in any of these issues, email rhattendorf@wastatepta.org and I will help connect you. If you think an obvious issue is missing from this list, please submit a proposal.

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Feedback needed for school-day waivers

Please give the State Board of Education a few minutes of your time and take its quick survey.
By law, school districts must provide a minimum of 1,000 instructional hours (450 in kindergarten) and 180 school days. Many school districts apply for and receive waivers from the 180-day requirement. For example, school days might be traded for professional development days, curriculum alignment work sessions, or all-day parent-teacher conferences.
The State Board of Education is considering adopting rules to evaluate waiver requests and would like your feedback on criteria that they should consider.
The survey should take about 3-5 minutes to complete and closes June 15. Please share these links and help draft good governance policy.

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Two new tools for advocates

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What Every Parent Needs to Know: Live! June 9 in Renton

  • How do school districts work? 
  • How can you partner with your school to support your child?
  • How can you communicate your child’s learning needs (and get them met)?
  • How can you prepare your child for college?
Join volunteers with the Office of Education Ombudsman for their Finding Your Voice Parent Institute. This 1-day program is designed for ALL parents – including immigrants and refugees.
WHEN: Saturday, June 9, 2012; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
WHERE: Black River Conference Center at the Puget Sound Educational Service District, 800 Oakesdale Ave. SW, Renton, WA 98057
We know that when families and public schools work together, schools do better and students succeed academically. Please share this information and help build strong family-school partnerships.
- Ramona Hattendorf, Government Relations Coordinator, WSPTA 

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