League of Education Voters: Recent Episodes
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In our Putting Students First podcast, we interview students, policymakers, partners, and thought leaders to spotlight education policies, research, and practices so that together we can create learning environments where every Washington student feels safe, supported, and a positive sense of belonging.
In this episode, League of Education Voters CEO Arik Korman interviews Kelly Guilfoil from the Lake Stevens School District, one of eight 2025 Washington Regional Teachers of the Year, about how her students are doing in the wake of the national election, what worked and what didn’t work in her own education journey, and how she would change Washington state’s education system if she were in charge and there were no budgetary constraints.
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https://educationvoters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/LEV-2025-WA-Regional-Teacher-of-the-Year-Kelly-Guilfoil-interview-January-2025.mp3Visit our podcast page for more interviews.
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By Eric Holzapfel
Chief Engagement Officer
I find myself in a state of déjà vu. Eight years ago, I stood in my office uncertain about what effects the federal election would have on the clients and community I served. At the time, I was in charge of an immigration program for LGBTQ+ Latinos at Entre Hermanos. Our clients expressed a great deal of fear around the anti-immigrant and mass deportation rhetoric coming from the Trump administration. Over the course of the Trump administration, many policies had dire effects on the clients we served but in turn were successfully defeated, specifically public charge and family separation. Public charge had a particularly detrimental effect on immigrant communities accessing public benefits. And family separation inhumanely, as I personally witnessed working with attorneys at a detention center in Laredo, separated thousands of children from their mothers and families. We also saw great victories on the state level to protect our immigrant communities, including Keep Washington Working (SB 5497) and a slew of successful legal challenges by then attorney general, Bob Ferguson.
Now, serving as the Chief Engagement Officer of the League of Education Voters Foundation (LEV), I find myself wondering what the results of the federal election will have on the community we serve: students furthest away from education opportunities. At this current moment, there is a great deal of speculation on what the Trump administration will do in regard to federal policy and funding for education. The Presidential Advisory Commission — Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and its chairmen, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, have pledged deep cuts in federal spending, including to education. The nominee for Education Secretary, Linda McMahon, has little experience in education and has been a fierce advocate for Parents’ Rights, a policy platform that typically erodes the civil liberties of youth (i.e. LGBTQ+ youth), and school choice (i.e. school vouchers), which erodes our public education system. There is also speculation that the administration will attempt to implement its policies through strings-attached funding through Title I (financial assistance to school districts for children from low-income families) and Title IX (prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex), but at this point, it is purely speculation.
With uncertainty on the next four years of education policies and funding at the federal level and the increase in anti-immigrant and anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric emanating from the incoming administration, it is more important than ever to have strong education advocates at the state level. LEV looks forward to working with incoming and existing leaders in the executive, legislature, and the attorney general’s office to ensure the civil liberties and safety of Washington’s immigrant and LGBTQ+ students are safeguarded, as well as to ensure the appropriate federal funding streams persist for our state’s public education system.
Over the coming four years, LEV will be active in Olympia to ensure equitable policies and funding for Washington students. We will also continue engaging with student and parent groups, and nonprofit partners to highlight their experiences and expertise and ensure they have the knowledge about education governance and policy in our state. We cannot do this work without your support.
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In our Putting Students First podcast, we interview policymakers, partners, and thought leaders to spotlight education policies, research, and practices so that together we can create learning environments where every Washington student feels safe, supported, and a positive sense of belonging.
In this episode, League of Education Voters CEO Arik Korman interviews Kim Broomer, the 2025 Washington state Teacher of the Year, about what inclusion is, why inclusion is important, how inclusionary practices can be implemented, and how she would change Washington state’s education system if she were in charge and there were no budgetary constraints.
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Listen:
https://educationvoters.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/LEV-2025-WA-Teacher-of-the-Year-Kim-Broomer-interview-December-2024.mp3Visit our podcast page for more interviews.
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By Natalie So
Guest Blogger
Natalie, a current student at the International School in Bellevue, reflects on the impact financial literacy courses in school would have on her and her community.Growing up, I often witnessed how a lack of financial knowledge could negatively impact people’s lives. This understanding deepened when I began volunteering with the Korean Adoptee Family Foundation (KORAFF), an organization dedicated to empowering Korean adoptee communities through education and advocacy. It was during my term serving as president of KORAFF that I truly grasped the transformative power of advocacy, no matter what age you are. I once believed that change could only be made from positions of power, but as I helped adoptees grow and flourish, I saw the significant impact that grassroots advocacy can have on making influential changes within society.
These experiences fueled my passion for addressing other systemic issues, such as the educational inequities within my school, where children with disabilities were often neglected due to a lack of funding and resources. Witnessing these challenges led me to passionately support House Bill 1915, which aims to make financial literacy education a mandatory part of the school curriculum.
Overview of House Bill 1915House Bill 1915 proposes the inclusion of comprehensive financial literacy courses in the school curriculum, ensuring that students graduate with a fundamental understanding of personal finance, budgeting, debt management, and investing. This bill aims to prepare students for real-world financial decisions, equipping them with skills that can significantly impact their futures.
Why House Bill 1915 Matters to Me1. At School
At school, I recognized the inequalities that persist in our education system. Just as KORAFF seeks to provide adoptees with the support and advocacy they need to thrive, House Bill 1915 seeks to provide all students, regardless of socio-economic background, with the financial tools they need to succeed. By making financial education mandatory, this bill aims to level the playing field and bridge the knowledge gap for all students.
2. Engaging Students Through Practical Learning
Reflecting on my own educational experiences, I recall how transformative it was to see adoptees in KORAFF grow and flourish through tailored advocacy and support. Just as we engaged these young people through meaningful, real-world applications, House Bill 1915 has the potential to engage students through practical financial education. The bill would use interactive and practical learning methods to make financial literacy relatable and applicable, helping students understand how to manage their finances effectively.
3. Cultural Relevance and Inclusivity
Advocacy work with KORAFF taught me the importance of culturally relevant support systems. Friends at school, who grew up in low-income households, found success through programs that understood and addressed the specific challenges faced by our community. Similarly, House Bill 1915 could make financial education more inclusive by integrating culturally relevant examples and teaching methods, ensuring that all students see themselves reflected in the curriculum.
4. Long-Term Benefits for Society
A financially literate population contributes to a stable and prosperous society. Just as the advocacy efforts in KORAFF empowered individuals and strengthened communities, House Bill 1915 represents an investment in our collective future. It would foster a generation of financially responsible and knowledgeable citizens who can navigate economic challenges more effectively, ultimately benefiting society as a whole.
ConclusionHouse Bill 1915 is more than just a legislative proposal; it embodies a vision for a more equitable and financially secure future for all students. My experiences with KORAFF, and personal observations at school have shown me the profound impact that education and advocacy can have on individuals and communities. I believe that supporting and advocating for House Bill 1915 is crucial for ensuring that all students have the opportunity to thrive financially and contribute positively to their communities. Thank you for taking the time to read about why House Bill 1915 is so important to me. I hope it empowers and informs you about the vital role of financial literacy in shaping our society. By working together, we can ensure that all students have the opportunity to succeed and make a lasting impact on their communities.
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In our Putting Students First podcast, we interview students, policymakers, partners, and thought leaders to spotlight education policies, research, and practices so that together we can create learning environments where every Washington student feels safe, supported, and a positive sense of belonging.
In this episode, League of Education Voters CEO Arik Korman interviews Yale School of Management professor Ebony Reed, a seasoned journalist who is also the Chief Strategy Officer at The Marshall Project, a news outlet focused on the justice system, who discusses the intersection of race and money, how the current Black/white wealth gap compares to the gap after the Civil War, and how we should talk to our kids about wealth. Ebony’s new book, co-authored with Louise Story, is Fifteen Cents on the Dollar: How Americans Made the Black-White Wealth Gap.
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Listen:
https://educationvoters.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/LEV-Ebony-Reed-15-Cents-on-the-Dollar-interview-Sep-2024.mp3Visit our podcast page for more interviews.
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We are weeks away from the start of a new school year. Educators are busy preparing for their new students, students are enjoying the last weeks of the summer break, and families are looking forward to leaving the childcare challenges of the summer behind. However, there is an undercurrent of concern from many as the upcoming school year will look different for students, families, and educators in many districts as they have had to make some difficult decisions in response to the budget crises that have been amplified by the drying up of one-time federal stimulus funding.
In anticipation of this challenging time for districts, League of Education Voters undertook a research project during the 2023-2024 school year to better understand district budget challenges. We wanted to understand how our current resourcing approach wasn’t meeting district needs, how student needs have evolved in recent years, and how districts are responding to this challenging time. In Underfunded and Unsustainable, we share findings from in-depth interviews with district superintendents from 28 Washington state school districts and a look at district staffing and spending data to help inform how we can respond and ensure that students are centered as we look to how we can emerge from this challenging time with a system that is more responsive to student needs.
You can read the executive summary and full report here.
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In our Putting Students First podcast, we interview students, policymakers, partners, and thought leaders to spotlight education policies, research, and practices so that together we can create learning environments where every Washington student feels safe, supported, and a positive sense of belonging.
In this episode, League of Education Voters CEO Arik Korman interviews game-changing disability rights attorney Bill Dussault, who discusses how Washington state’s special education law came to be, how Washington’s law impacted federal policy and the creation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, what needs to happen next with Washington’s special education system, and what we in the community can do to help make the necessary changes happen.
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Listen:
https://educationvoters.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/LEV-Bill-Dussault-interview-July-2024.mp3Visit our podcast page for more interviews.
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Want to find out the latest in education news in Washington? Subscribe to our newsletter
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In our Putting Students First podcast, we interview students, policymakers, partners, and thought leaders to spotlight education policies, research, and practices so that together we can create learning environments where every Washington student feels safe, supported, and a positive sense of belonging.
In this episode, League of Education Voters CEO Arik Korman interviews Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, New York Times bestselling author and Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia University, who discusses whether you can be a fan of consumer sports like the NFL and still criticize them, how we can disrupt America’s systemic racism, unchecked capitalism, and mass incarceration, and why it’s important to value and respect the leadership of our youth.
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Listen:
https://educationvoters.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/LEV-Nana-Kwame-Adjei-Brenyah-interview-May-2024.mp3Visit our podcast page for more interviews.
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By League of Education Voters Policy Team
The 2024 supplemental budget makes adjustments to the 2023-25 biennial budget and impacts funding for the remainder of the biennium, which ends in June of 2025. The amounts below are in addition to funds that have already been appropriated in the 2023-25 budget. In the final budget agreement, all amounts are per biennium unless noted.
| Early Childhood Education | | Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) Rate Increases | +$8.3 millionTo support ECEAP school day and working day rate increases | | Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) Rate Increases and Eligibility Expansion | +$7.4 millionTo increase reimbursement rates for infant care as well as expand eligibility to the program per House Bill 2124 | | Early Achievers Grant Program | +$801,000To support childcare providers and early learning educators in attaining a credential in early childhood education | | Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) Program | +$30 millionTo require the Washington state Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) to improve how they count babies receiving early support services (House Bill 1916) and to align the reimbursement rate for these services with the proposed K-12 basic education allocation rate | | Fingerprinting and Background Checks for Child Care Providers (Federal Funds) | +$254,000To support DCYF’s capacity to provide fingerprinting and background check services in 10 of their offices around the state (Senate Bill 5774) | | Early Learning Facilities (Capital Budget) | +$26.7 millionTo support building and renovation grants as well as designated projects | | K-12: Funding and Educator Workforce | | K-12 Funding Increases | +$115 millionTo increase paraeducator staffing allocations in education funding formulas and increase funding for school operating costs beginning in the current school year (House Bill 2494 and Senate Bill 5882) | | Teacher Residency ProgramTeacher residency programs provide teacher candidates with a paid residency consisting of a full academic year in the classroom | +$3.5 millionTo support teacher residencies for teachers who specialize in special education | | K-12: Student Supports | | Inclusionary Practices Project (IPP) Provides professional development to support teachers in adopting and implementing inclusionary practices | +$409,000To continue the work of the Washington state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction’s (OSPI) Inclusionary Practices Professional Development Project for the 2024-25 school year | | Addressing Isolation and Restraint Practices in Schools | No Additional FundingThe legislature sees continuing support of the IPP (see above row) as a tool to reduce isolation and restraint | | Mental and Behavioral Health | +$1.2 millionTo continue behavioral health regional services grants and require OSPI to conduct an evaluation of the behavioral health support system | | Incorporating Tribal Curriculum into Social Studies | +$400,000For OSPI to administer a grant program to support districts at incorporating the history, culture, and government of nearby federally recognized tribes into district social studies curriculum | | Opioid Use Education and Prevention | +$459,000For OSPI to review and update the learning standards related to substance use and make materials available to school districts (House Bill 1956) | | Student Food Security | +$45 millionTo fund a previously passed expansion of access to free school meals under the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). No new changes in law | | Dropout Reengagement and Prevention | +$250,000To support dropout prevention, intervention, and reengagement programs | | Ensuring Inclusive Curriculum | +$430,000To support the implementation of curricula that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive of underrepresented perspectives (Senate Bill 5462) | | K-12: Special Education | | Special Education Enrollment Cap Currently, districts can only receive state funding for up to 15% of their students receiving special education services | +$19.6 millionTo increase the funded enrollment cap from 15% to 16% starting in 2024-25 | | Special Education Safety NetA reimbursement program for districts to account for higher-than-expected costs of providing special education services | +$581,000To support improvements in the safety net application system (Senate Bill 5852) | | Statewide Individualized Educational Program (IEP) Feasibility Study | +$500,000To conduct a study on the feasibility of an online, statewide IEP system | | K-12: Other Program Areas | | Compliance Review of School Districts | +$1.5 millionFor OSPI to conduct a one-time review to assess district compliance with state and federal nondiscrimination laws | | College Advising | +$3 millionTo prepare students to enroll in and enter college through advising, community-building activities, and other supports | | Ninth Grade Success Programs | +$3 millionTo provide grants to school districts to support ninth grade success programs and conduct an evaluation of programs | | Statewide Complaint System | +$626,000To support the implementation of a statewide system on complaints and requires a report on Educator Code of Ethics (House Bill 1239) | | Youth Development Capacity-Building | +$100,000For OSPI to develop and implement capacity-building supports for youth development programs in the state | | Higher Education | | Washington College Grant Eligibility | +$239,000To allow students to be automatically considered income-eligible for the Washington College Grant if they are eligible for Basic Food (SNAP) and Washington’s Food Assistance Program (House Bill 2214) | | Student Supports | +$767,000To increase funding for benefit navigators at all Washington public higher education institutions | | Financial Aid Eligibility | +$1.5 millionTo allow recipients of the Washington College Grant, College Bound Scholarship, and Passport to Careers to access funds for up to 150% of program length (Senate Bill 5904) | | Capital Budget (Addresses construction and repair of public buildings and other long-term investments) | | Capital Improvements for Small districts and Tribal Compacts | +$115 millionTo support a competitive grant program for building repairs and project planning for districts under 1,000 students | | Access to Clean Air in Schools Includes funding from the Climate Commitment and Common School Construction Accounts | +$45 millionTo support a grant program for HVAC systems and other air quality improvements | | School Construction Assistance Program Enhancements | +$79 millionTo make funding formula changes for fiscal year 2025 to better account for the actual cost of school construction for districts |
2024 Supplemental Budget Summary (PDF)
Read our 2024 Supplemental Budget Side-By-Side of the House, Senate, and Governor’s supplemental budget proposals
Read our 2024 Legislative Session Funding Equity Assessment
Read our 2024 Legislative Platform
Plataforma Legislativa de la Liga de Votantes por la Educación 2024 (PDF)
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By League of Education Voters Policy Team
The Washington state House and Senate have released their 2024 supplemental budget proposals. The 2024 supplemental budget makes adjustments to the 2023-25 biennial budget and impacts funding for the remainder of the biennium, which ends in June of 2025. The amounts below are in addition to funds that have already been appropriated in the 2023-25 budget.
| Governor ProposedAll amounts are per biennium unless noted.(The Governor’s budget was proposed prior to the most recent revenue forecast) | House ProposedAll amounts are per biennium unless noted | Senate ProposedAll amounts are per biennium unless noted | | Early Childhood Education | | Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) Rate Increases | +$10.2 million To support ECEAP school-day and working-day rate increases | +$8.3 million To support ECEAP school-day and working-day rate increases | +$10.2 million To support ECEAP school-day and working-day rate increases | | Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) Rate Increases | No Additional Funding | +$2.6 million To increase the reimbursement rates for infant care | +$6.2 million To increase the reimbursement rates for infant care | | Early Achievers Grant Program | +$2.4 millionTo support childcare providers and early learning educators in attaining a credential in early childhood education | +$800,000To support childcare providers and early learning educators in attaining a credential in early childhood education | No Additional Funding | | Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) Program | +$4.4 million To require the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) to improve how they count babies receiving early support services (House Bill 1916) only | +$5.1 million To require DCYF to improve how they count babies receiving early support services (House Bill 1916) and to align the reimbursement rate for these services with the proposed K-12 basic ed allocation rate | No Additional Funding | | Fingerprinting and Background Checks for Child Care Providers | No Additional Funding | No Additional Funding | +$254,000To support DCYF’s capacity to provide fingerprinting and background check services in ten of their offices around the state (Senate Bill 5774) | | Early Learning Facilities | No Additional Funding | +$50 millionTo support building and renovation grants as well as designated projects | +$8.8 millionTo support building and renovation grants as well as designated projects | | K-12: Funding and Educator Workforce | | K-12 Funding Increases | +$64 millionTo increase state-funded salary for paraeducators | +$21 millionTo increase funding for Materials, Supplies, and Operating Costs (MSOC) that support school and district operations | +$50 million To increase staffing allocations in education funding formulas | | Teacher Residency Program (Teacher residency programs provide teacher candidates with a paid residency consisting of a full academic year in the classroom) | +$6.7 millionTo support teacher residencies for teachers who specialize in special education | +$3.8 millionTo support teacher residencies for teachers who specialize in special education | +$3.5 millionTo support teacher residencies for teachers who specialize in special education | | K-12: Student Supports | | Addressing Isolation and Restraint Practices in Schools | No Additional Funding | +$2.2 millionTo eliminate the practice of isolating students in some grades, limiting the use of restraint, and providing professional development support to support the policy changes (House Bill 1479) | No Additional Funding | | Mental and Behavioral Health | +$2.4 millionTo continue behavioral health regional services grants and require the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to conduct an evaluation of the behavioral health support system | +$1.2 millionTo continue behavioral health regional services grants and require the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to conduct an evaluation of the behavioral health support system | +$2.4 millionTo continue behavioral health regional services grants and require the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to conduct an evaluation of the behavioral health support system | | Social Emotional Learning (SEL) | No Additional Funding | +$1.3 millionTo support the expansion of SEL instruction aligned to state SEL standards (House Bill 2239) | No Additional Funding | | Opioid Use Education and Prevention | +$125,000 For OSPI to review and update the learning standards related to substance use and make materials available to school districts | +$334,000For OSPI to review and update the learning standards related to substance use and make materials available to school districts (House Bill 1956) | +$125,000For OSPI to review and update the learning standards related to substance use and make materials available to school districts (House Bill 1956) | | Student Food Security | +$30 million To fund a previously-passed expansion of access to free school meals under the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). No new changes in law | +$45 million To fund a previously-passed expansion of access to free school meals under the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). No new changes in law | +$45 million To fund a previously-passed expansion of access to free school meals under the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). No new changes in law | | Dropout Reengagement and Supporting Chronically Absent Students | No Additional Funding | No Additional Funding | +$2 millionTo improve dropout reengagement and supports for chronically absent students through Senate Bill 5850 | | Ensuring Inclusive Curriculum | No Additional Funding | No Additional Funding | +$430,000To support the implementation of curricula that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive of underrepresented perspectives (Senate Bill 5462) | | Tribal Sovereignty Curriculum | No Additional Funding | +$850,000To support the implementation of requiring Tribal Sovereignty curriculum to be included in social studies curricula (House Bill 1332) | No Additional Funding | | K-12: Special Education | | Special Education Enrollment Cap(Currently, districts can only receive state funding for up to 15% of their students receiving special education services) | +$13 millionTo increase the funded enrollment cap from 15% to 17.25%. Difference in cost between House and Governor budgets is due to updated fiscal notes. No difference in policy | +$28.5 millionTo increase the funded enrollment cap from 15% to 17.25%. Difference in cost between House and Governor budgets is due to updated fiscal notes. No difference in policy (House Bill 2180) | +$13.5 millionTo increase the funded enrollment cap from 15% to 15.6% | | Special Education Safety Net (A reimbursement program for districts to account for higher-than-expected costs of providing special education services) | No Additional Funding | No Additional Funding | +$581,000 To support improvements in the safety net application system (Senate Bill 5852) | | Statewide Individualized Educational Program (IEP) Feasibility Study | No Additional Funding | +$500,000 To conduct a study on the feasibility of an online, statewide IEP system | No Additional Funding | | Transportation Funding | No Additional Funding | No Additional Funding | +$23 million To support the development of a new transportation funding formula, as well as provide funding of up to $400 per student for costs related to transporting students experiencing homelessness (Senate Bill 5873) | | K-12: Other Program Areas | | College Advising | +$3 millionTo expand access to advisors and coaches to support students in navigating college admissions and financial aid processes | +$3 millionTo expand access to advisors and coaches to support students in navigating college admissions and financial aid processes | No Additional Funding | | Ninth Grade Success Programs | No Additional Funding | No Additional Funding | +$3 millionTo provide grants to school districts to support ninth grade success programs and conduct an evaluation of programs | | Computer Science Graduation Requirement | No Additional Funding | No Additional Funding | +$4 million To establish computer science competency as a graduation requirement (Senate Bill 5849) | | Statewide Complaint System | No Additional Funding | +$210,000To support the implementation of a statewide system on complaints and requires a report on Educator Code of Ethics (House Bill 1239) | No Additional Funding | | Youth Development Capacity-Building | No Additional Funding | No Additional Funding | +$100,000For OSPI to develop and implement capacity-building supports for youth development programs in the state | | Higher Education | | Washington College Grant Eligibility(House Bill 2214) | +$239,000To allow students to be automatically considered income-eligible for the Washington College Grant if they are eligible for Basic Food (SNAP) and Washington Food Assistance Programs | +$239,000To allow students to be automatically considered income-eligible for the Washington College Grant if they are eligible for Basic Food (SNAP) and Washington Food Assistance Programs | No Additional Funding | | Student Supports | +$471,000To increase access to basic needs barrier reduction funding at Central Washington University and The Evergreen State College | No Additional Funding | No Additional Funding | | Financial Aid Eligibility | +$1 millionTo allow recipients of the Washington College Grant, College Bound Scholarship, and Passport to Careers to access funds for up to 150% of program length (Senate Bill 5904) | No Additional Funding | +$8.3 millionTo allow recipients of the Washington College Grant, College Bound Scholarship, and Passport to Careers to access funds for up to 150% of program length (Senate Bill 5904) | | Capital Budget(Addresses construction and repair of public buildings and other long-term investments) | | Capital Improvements for Small Districts and Tribal Compacts | +$177 millionTo support a competitive grant program for building repairs and project planning for districts under 1,000 students | +$162 millionTo support a competitive grant program for building repairs and project planning for districts under 1,000 students | +$102 millionTo support a competitive grant program for building repairs and project planning for districts under 1,000 students | | Access to Clean Air in Schools(Includes funding from the Climate Commitment and Common School Construction Accounts) | +$40 million To support a grant program for HVAC systems and other air quality improvements | +$55 million To support a grant program for HVAC systems and other air quality improvements | +$40 million To support a grant program for HVAC systems and other air quality improvements |
2024 Supplemental Budget Proposal Side-By-Side (PDF)
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By League of Education Voters Policy Team
Students from South Shore PreK-8School districts across the state are in the midst of some of the most challenging budget decisions they have had to make in years. Districts are still adjusting to the long-term impacts of the pandemic and how it has affected what students need to be well and thrive at school. Districts have responded to these budget challenges in a number of ways, including by reducing staff, delaying the adoption of updated curriculum, or reducing extracurricular offerings. No one has been immune – districts big and small, higher-income and lower-income, urban and rural, and everything in between are facing serious challenges resourcing everything their students need.
So how has the legislature responded? At this point in the 2024 Legislative Session, there are two main education funding bills that attempt to address some of these challenges. And while there is no one right way to envision and create equity across a system, we at LEV believe that as we take steps – whether they are incremental or foundation-shifting – we must keep students at the center. We stand by the idea that funding equity boils down to a straightforward principle: all students should get what they need, when they need it.
We will share the different funding approaches that the Washington state Legislature has coalesced around this year with a focus on whether they build student-centered equity or strengthen existing inequities in how we fund schools. Below are the House and Senate proposals that have recently been passed out of their respective chambers (this doesn’t include a more targeted special education funding bill, House Bill 2180, that is more limited in scope).
The Proposals
| Washington State SenateSenate Bill 5882 – Increasing prototypical school staffing to better meet student needs. | Washington State House of RepresentativesHouse Bill 2494 – Increasing state funding for operating costs in schools. | | Summary | This bill would make a permanent increase in the prototypical School Funding Model allocation for teaching assistants (paraeducators) and office support workers starting in 2024-25. | This bill would permanently increase funding for Materials, Supplies, and Operating Costs (MSOC) that each student generates in state funding models. | | What You Need to Know | Districts will ultimately get to decide how to spend the new funds, except for the 2024-25 school year.* Schools are not required to spend this funding to attract or retain any specific staff. The prototypical school funding model is for “allocation purposes only,” which means districts can decide to spend the funding on something else. * However, there is an exception to this for the 2024-25 school year: schools will be required to spend funds next year to increase paraeducator staffing levels, prevent layoffs, or increase existing salaries.
Students will generate different levels of additional funding, with those in high-cost-of-living districts generating more. * A significant, but not well-understood, aspect of Washington’s education funding system is a funding enhancement some districts receive based on the housing values in their district, called “regionalization factor.” Regionalization factors provide a funding increase to schools in areas with higher housing costs in order to help boost the salaries of K-12 staff. * Many districts don’t receive a regionalization factor enhancement, but those that do receive an extra 6% to 18% more in funding for staff salaries. You can find your district’s regionalization factor here. * This ultimately means the higher the housing values in a district, the more funding that district will get per student under this proposal. | Districts will ultimately get to decide how to spend these new funds.* The new funding doesn’t need to be spent on MSOC-related expenses, such as books, curriculum, utilities, etc. Washington’s funding model is for “allocation purposes only,” which means districts can spend the funding on something else if they choose.
Every student will generate the same level of additional funding. Since the regionalization factor doesn’t impact MSOC funding, every district will receive the same increase in per-student funding through this proposal. | | Expected Cost* | $50 million in 2023-25, $131 million in 2025-27, and $135 million in 2027-29 (see fiscal note) | $21 million in 2023-25, $55 million in 2025-27, and $57 million in 2027-29 (see fiscal note) |
A Look Towards EquityWashington’s prototypical school funding model assumes all schools, regardless of student need, require the same level of staffing to meet the educational goals we have set for our state. The current financial state of many districts is forcing difficult choices, and these choices are only getting more challenging as the cost of providing an education increases for districts.
We acknowledge the need to address these unprecedented challenges and the reality that what it costs to attract and retain staff varies across districts, but both funding proposals fall short in prioritizing equity as we work to limit the impact of the budget crisis on the student experience.
Historically marginalized students, including students living in poverty, students gaining English proficiency, students experiencing homelessness, foster youth, students with disabilities, and others need more resources and support to access their education than what our system is designed to give them. Districts that serve communities in concentrated poverty, for example, or districts that may be experiencing a homelessness crisis do not get any additional funding through the prototypical school funding model to hire the right staff to better meet the elevated level of need. There are some aspects of state funding formulas that do allocate additional funding for student-based factors, like the Learning Assistance Program (LAP), but this also falls short in truly meeting the depth of student need across our state. LAP makes up a relatively small proportion of basic education funding, about $470 million a year, or about 3% of the approximately $15 billion annual budget for a K-12 education system that serves more than 1 million students.
We believe it is possible to address the financial challenges facing districts while also taking steps toward student need-based equity in our state. Continuing to favor districts with higher housing values, while not taking into account that some students need more resources to access their education, is inconsistent with the goals and values we have collectively set for our K-12 system. It is possible for more equitable solutions and steps in circumstances like these, even on a small level. With each step, we must reflect a commitment to fostering an inclusive education, where every student has the opportunity to thrive, regardless of their zip code or their circumstances.
2024 Legislative Session Funding Equity Assessment (PDF)
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In our Putting Students First podcast, we interview policymakers, partners, and thought leaders to spotlight education policies, research, and practices so that together we can create a brighter future for every Washington student.
In this episode, League of Education Voters Spokane Regional Field Director Kenji Linane-Booey interviews Mike Poutiatine, Charlie Wolff, and Eric Jurasin of the Alliance of Innovative Educational Redesign (AIER) about the importance of choice school programs in the Spokane region and the School Choice Fair AIER is hosting on January 18th at The Hive.
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In our Putting Students First podcast, we interview policymakers, partners, and thought leaders to spotlight education policies, research, and practices so that together we can create a brighter future for every Washington student.
In this episode, League of Education Voters Interim Co-CEO / Communications Director Arik Korman interviews Blaire Penry, the 2024 Washington state Teacher of the Year, about how career technical education and fine arts can be taught in an equitable way, how her students lead their learning, how to create culturally responsive practices at the school district level, and how she would change Washington state’s education system if she were in charge and there were no budgetary constraints.
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In our Putting Students First podcast, we interview policymakers, partners, and thought leaders to spotlight education policies, research, and practices so that together we can create a brighter future for every Washington student. In this episode, League of Education Voters Interim Co-CEO / Communications Director Arik Korman interviews Adar Abdi, a senior at Evergreen High School in Highline Public … Read more Podcast – Adar Abdi Student Profile
In our Putting Students First podcast, we interview policymakers, partners, and thought leaders to spotlight education policies, research, and practices so that together we can create a brighter future for every Washington student. In this episode, League of Education Voters Interim Co-CEO / Communications Director Acting CEO Arik Korman interviews Jeremiah Audet, a sophomore at Rogers High … Read more Podcast – Jeremiah Audet Student Profile
By League of Education Voters Policy Team
In the 2023-25 biennial budget compromise, all amounts are per biennium unless noted.
| Early Learning | | Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) Rate Increases | +$50 millionTo increase ECEAP reimbursement rates | | Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program Expansions | +$30 millionTo expand the program starting in 2023-2024 by converting 1,000 part-day slots to full-day slots and adding 500 school-day slots | | Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) Program Expansions | +$13 millionTo expand eligibility, including to child care employees, those in specialty courts, and those who are undocumented and meeting income requirements (SB 5225) | | Working Connections Child Care Rate Increases (Child Care Centers) | +$219 millionTo increase Working Connections Child Care reimbursement rates | | K-12: Funding and Educator Workforce | | K-12 Staff Compensation | +$261 millionFor additional inflationary adjustments | | Teacher Residency ProgramTeacher residency programs provide teacher candidates with a paid residency consisting of a full academic year in the classroom | +$2.3 millionTo support teacher residency program focused on special education at Western Washington University | | Beginning Educator Support Team (BEST) ProgramProvides mentoring support to beginning educators | +$2 millionTo expand the program | | K-12: Student Supports | | Addressing Isolation and Restraint Practices in Schools (HB 1479) | +$5 millionHouse Bill 1479 did not pass, but funding was included to provide professional development and technical assistance to districts to begin work around eliminating isolation and limiting the use of restraint. Makes no changes to state policies regarding the use of isolation or restraint | | Implementing School Mental Health Funding Increases(SB 5019, a follow-up to last year’s HB 1664) | Not IncludedSenate Bill 5019 would have ensured mental health funding from last year can only be used to hire mental health professionals and not School Resource Officers (SROs) | | Student Mental Health | No Additional FundingNo new funding to better resource teachers, schools, or districts to meet the mental health needs of students | | Student Food Security | +$85 millionTo fund the provision of school meals to all students at schools serving large populations of low-income students and expand access for schools serving grades K-4 (HB 1238) | | Inclusive Curriculum(Ensuring student curriculum is diverse, equitable, and inclusive of under-represented identities and perspectives) | No Changes or Additional FundingNeither Senate Bill 5441 nor Senate Bill 5462 passed this session. No changes or resources were dedicated to ensuring curriculum is inclusive and representative | | Open Doors Youth Re-Engagement(A re-engagement system that provides education and services to older youth, ages 16-21, who have dropped out of school or are not expected to graduate from high school by the age of 21) | +$2.5 millionTo start a pilot program to enable re-engagement programs to continue serving students during the summer months | | K-12: Special Education | | Special Education Funding Formula | +$254 millionTo increase funding for children aged 3-5 receiving special education services and students in the K-12 system (HB 1436) | | Special Education Enrollment Cap(Currently, districts can only receive state funding for up to 13.5% of their students receiving special education services) | +$107 millionTo increase the enrollment cap from 13.5% to 15.0% starting in 2023-24 (HB 1436) | | Special Education Evaluations During the Summer(To fund special education evaluations and support the development of IEPs during the summer for the next 3 years – HB 1109) | No Additional Funding | | Extension of Transition Services(Currently, students who will turn or have turned 21 during this current biennium, did not graduate with a regular diploma, and require recovery services on or after July 1, 2021 were able to continue receiving access) | No Additional FundingStudents who had qualified under this provision will no longer be able to access transition services | | Special Education Safety Net(A reimbursement program for districts to account for higher than expected costs of providing special education services) | +$5.5 millionTo lower the eligibility threshold for applying for safety net funds | | Inclusionary Practices Project (IPP) | +$5 millionTo continue providing professional development and technical assistance to districts to support implementation of inclusionary practices. This is a reduction of 50% in previous funding levels (HB 1436) | | Accountability in Non-Public Agencies | +$245,000To expand accountability and oversight districts and OSPI must exercise for non-public agencies serving students in the K-12 system (SB 5315) | | K-12: Other Program Areas | | Mastery-Based Learning | +$6 millionTo continue the work of the State Board of Education to administer a grant program to school districts to help expand implementation and share best practices in mastery-based learning | | Outdoor Education | +$20 millionTo increase funding by $10 million per year to expand access to outdoor education opportunities with a focus on 5th and 6th graders | | Nothing About Us Without Us Act – HB 1541(Takes steps to ensure more meaningful inclusion of under-represented communities in the policy-making process) | +$300,000House Bill 1541 did not pass, but funding was provided to the Office of Equity to develop an equity toolkit intended to address under-representation | | Higher Education | | Higher Education Funding | +$55 millionFor increases in higher education operational costs | | Washington Career & College Pathways Innovation Program | +$4 millionTo support the expansion of the grant program | | Financial Aid | +$13 millionTo expand eligibility for the maximum Washington College Grant award to 65 percent of median family income | | Capital Budget | | School Construction Assistance Program | +$588 millionTo provide matching funds to support districts in building schools |
Read our 2023-25 Biennial Budget Summary (PDF)
Read our Side-By-Side of the House, Senate, and Governor’s 2023-25 Biennial Budget Proposals (PDF)
Read our 2023 Legislative Platform
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By the League of Education Voters Policy Team
The Washington state House and Senate have released their 2023-2025 biennial budget proposals. See how they compare with Governor Inslee’s budget proposal:
| Governor ProposedAll amounts are per biennium unless noted(Governor’s budget was proposed prior to the most recent revenue forecast) | House ProposedAll amounts are per biennium unless noted | Senate ProposedAll amounts are per biennium unless noted | | Early Learning | | Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) Rate Increases | +$107 millionTo increase ECEAP reimbursement rates(Federal & State Funding) | +$40 millionTo increase ECEAP reimbursement rates | +$56 millionTo increase ECEAP reimbursement rates | | Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) Expansion | +$84 millionSupports an increase of 1,000 slots per year in each of the next two years for a total of 2,000 new slots by 2024-25 | +$30 millionSupports an increase of 500 school day slots in each of the next two years | +$45 millionSupports an increase of 1,000 school day slots in each of the next two years | | Working Connections Child Care Rate Increases – Child Care Centers(Some of these increases represent federal and state funding) | +$142 millionTo increase Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) reimbursement rates | +$205 millionTo increase Working Connections Child Care reimbursement rates | +$205 millionTo increase Working Connections Child Care reimbursement rates | | Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) Program Expansions | No Additional Funding | +$18 millionTo expand eligibility, including those in registered state apprenticeship programs who are also meeting income requirements (HB 1525), among other items | +$13 millionTo expand eligibility, including child care employees, those in specialty/therapeutic courts, and those who are undocumented who are also meeting income requirements (SB 5225) | | K-12: Funding and Educator Workforce | | K-12 Staff Compensation | +$950 million$600 million for additional inflationary adjustments and $350 in compensation increases for K-12 staff | +$593 millionFor additional inflationary adjustments | +$264 millionFor additional inflationary adjustments | | Teacher Residency Program(These programs provide teacher candidates with a paid residency consisting of a full academic year in the classroom) | +$16 millionTo support teacher residencies for teachers who specialize in special education, dual language, or teach in high-poverty districts | +$9 millionTo support teacher residencies with a focus on special education teachers and on districts that have the highest percent of teachers with limited certificates (HB 1565) | No Additional Funding | | Beginning Educator Support Team (BEST) Program(Provides mentoring support to beginning educators) | +$4 millionTo expand the program | +$4 millionTo expand the program | No Additional Funding | | Teacher Academy Programs(Interested students begin learning about a career in education and gain work experience within the school district by supporting teachers in the classroom) | +$1 millionTo expand the program | No Additional Funding | No Additional Funding | | K-12: Student Supports | | Addressing Isolation and Restraint Practices in Schools | Not Included | +$15 millionTo eliminate the practice of isolating students and limiting the use of restraint, and provide professional development support to support the policy changes (HB 1479) | Not Included | | Implementing School Mental Health Funding Increases(Clarifies HB 1664 from 2022) | Not Included | Not Included | +$18,000To support the rule making process to ensure funds intended to support student mental and physical health are not used to hire school resource officers (SROs) in schools (SB 5019) | | Student Food Security | +$60 millionTo fund the provision of school meals to all students at schools serving large populations of low-income students | +$84 millionTo fund the provision of school meals to all students at schools serving large populations of low-income students and expand access for schools serving grades K-4 (HB 1238) | +$60 millionTo fund the provision of school meals to all students at schools serving large populations of low-income students | | Inclusive Curriculum(Ensuring Student curriculum is diverse, equitable, and inclusive of underrepresented identities and perspectives) | Not Included | Not Included | +92,000To support the implementation of SB 5462 | | K-12: Special Education | | Special Education Funding Formula | Approx. +$5 millionTo increase funding for children aged 3-5 receiving special education services before entering kindergarten | +$75 millionTo increase funding for K-12 students receiving special education services (HB 1436) | +$267 millionTo increase funding for children aged 3-5 receiving special education services and students in the K-12 system (SB 5311) | | Special Education Enrollment Cap(Currently, districts can only receive state funding for up to 13.5% of their students receiving special education services) | +$74 millionTo increase the enrollment cap from 13.5% to 15.0% starting in 2023-24 | +$57 millionTo increase the enrollment cap from 13.5% to 14.0% in 2023-24, 14.5% in 2024-25, and eventually eliminate it by 2027-28 (HB 1436) | +$93 millionTo increase the enrollment cap from 13.5% to 15.0% starting in 2023-24 (SB 5311) | | Special Education Evaluations During the Summer | No Additional Funding | +$4 millionTo fund special education evaluations and support the development of IEPs during the summer for the next three years (HB 1109) | No Additional Funding | | Extension of Transition Services(Federal funding) | +$5 millionTo enable students who will turn 21 during 2023-24 or 2024-25 school years, did not graduate with a regular diploma, and require recovery services on or after July 1, 2021 to receive access to transition services | +$7 millionTo enable students who will turn 21 during 2023-24 or 2024-25 school years, did not graduate with a regular diploma, and require recovery services on or after July 1, 2021 to receive access to transition services | No Additional Funding | | Special Education Safety Net(A reimbursement program for districts to account for higher than expected costs of providing special education services) | +$16.8 millionTo support the special education safety net program | +$24.6 millionTo lower the eligibility threshold for applying for safety net funds | +$16.8 millionTo lower the eligibility threshold for applying for safety net funds | | Transportation Funding | No Additional Funding | No Additional Funding | +$101 millionTo support implementation of SB 5174 to better pay for the costs to districts of transporting students experiencing homelessness, foster youth, and students who need transportation as part of their IEP starting in 2023-24 | | Inclusionary Practices | +$10 millionTo support implementation of inclusionary practices, differentiated instruction, and individualized instruction | +$10 millionTo support implementation of inclusionary practices and the work of the Inclusionary Practices Project | No Additional Funding | | Accountability in Non-Public Agencies | Not Included | Not Included | +$145,000To expand accountability and oversight districts and OSPI must exercise for non-public agencies serving students in the K-12 system (SB 5315) | | K-12: Other Program Areas | | Mastery-Based Learning | +$10.3 millionTo continue the work of the State Board of Education to administer a grant program to school districts to help expand implementation and share best practices in mastery-based learning | +$6.9 millionTo continue the work of the State Board of Education to administer a grant program to school districts to help expand implementation and share best practices in mastery-based learning | +$6.9 millionTo continue the work of the State Board of Education to administer a grant program to school districts to help expand implementation and share best practices in mastery-based learning | | Outdoor Education | +$32 millionTo expand access to outdoor education opportunities for 5th and 6th graders | *No Additional Funding | No Additional Funding | | Climate Science Education | +$2 millionTo increase professional development opportunities in science education | +$2 millionTo increase professional development opportunities in science education | No Additional Funding | | Nothing About us Without Us Act(Takes steps to ensure more meaningful inclusion of impacted and underrepresented communities in the policy-making process) | Not Included | +$545,000To support implementation of HB 1541 | Not Included | | Higher Education | | Higher Education Funding | +$47 millionFor increases in higher education operational costs | +$47 millionFor increases in higher education operational costs | +$51 millionFor increases in higher education operational costs | | Washington Career & College Pathways Innovation Program | +$14 millionTo support the expansion of the grant program | +$6 millionTo support the expansion of the grant program | +$14 millionTo support the expansion of the grant program | | Financial Aid | Not Included | +$21.5 millionTo expand eligibility and award amounts for the WA College Grant | +$12.8 millionTo expand eligibility of the WA College Grant (SB 5711) | | Capital Budget | | School Construction Assistance Program | +$613 millionTo provide matching funds to support districts in building schools | +$588 millionTo provide matching funds to support districts in building schools | +$588 million*To provide matching funds to support districts in building schools |
2023-2025 Budget Proposal Side-By-Side (PDF)
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In our Putting Students First podcast, we interview policymakers, partners, and thought leaders to spotlight education policies, research, and practices so that together we can create a brighter future for every Washington student.
Isolation and restraint in schools hurts our most vulnerable students. In this episode, League of Education Voters Acting CEO Arik Korman discusses alternatives to isolation and restraint of students, policies that can be implemented at the school district level to support school leaders and staff, and direct impacts of isolation and restraint on students.
We were honored to interview:
- Justin Hendrickson, Principal at South Shore PreK-8 in Seattle Public Schools
- Liza Rankin, Vice President of the Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors
- Dorian Taylor, a survivor of isolation and restraint practices who now works to advance disability justice at the county level
- Chris Baglien, a survivor of isolation and restraint practices who now is a father and a student in a postsecondary automotive program in Skagit County
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Washington Game Changers with Lauri Hennessey features leaders who give back to our community, drive innovative solutions, and inspire others in making our state more equitable and just. This podcast is a one-on-one conversation with these powerful leaders in a time when we need to hear about more good in the world.
In this episode, League of Education Voters CEO Lauri Hennessey interviews Dr. Tonya Drake, Chancellor and Regional Vice President of Western Governors University. Dr. Drake talks about higher education, equity, and the importance of lifelong learning.
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By Washington LYAC – Micah Fitzgerald, Hiro Hirano-Holcomb, Natasha Kalombo, Stacy Osoria, and Shreya Shaji
Guest Bloggers
From top left: Micah Fitzgerald, Hiro Hirano-Holcomb, Natasha Kalombo, Stacy Osoria, and Shreya ShajiThis year, the Washington Legislative Youth Advisory Council (LYAC) is proud to introduce an important education bill into session: Senate Bill 5441. This bill implements inclusive education for students written by students of the LYAC.
The Legislative Youth Advisory Council (LYAC) is a group composed of 24 geographically, ideologically, and socioeconomically diverse students aged 14-18. We are the first official nonpartisan voice of youth in the Washington state Legislature and work under the Lieutenant Governor’s office. Our goal is to improve the quality of life for youth all over Washington state by making sure their voices and opinions are heard in the Legislature.
The whole idea behind writing this bill was that education inherently should be something that is inclusive and has diverse perspectives and histories interwoven into the fabric of curriculums.
With that objective in mind, along with the feedback received from legislators, local students, and school staff across Washington, the bill centers around increasing resources statewide and on the district level for inclusive and diverse curriculums, as well as how to teach them.
One way this bill does so is by increasing youth voice in creating the curriculums that they learn. This bill would have the Washington state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) create a database of resources for inclusive and diverse curriculums including books, movies, lesson plans, and poems. SB 5441 would also create the regional/district level position of an Inclusive Curriculums Coordinator that would connect students and staff to the statewide resources along with working with local leaders and nonprofits to support teachers as they learn how to teach new curriculums. We recognize that multiple organizations in Washington have already developed materials, and we resonate with this work and hope to incorporate it in the future.
This bill also has the goal of increasing youth voice in the curriculums that we learn by having districts and regions involve youth advisory councils to work closely with the Inclusive Curriculums Coordinators.
The ProcessThe process of writing SB 5441 was incredibly collaborative from its inception to its current place in the legislative process. Not one decision or change has/will be made to the bill without the consultation and approval of our peers, and we are incredibly grateful to be in the position to have a voice that is listened to on what directly happens to the bill.
When we started writing the bill, our main goal was to increase a diverse curriculum for all students in Washington state. However, once we delved into the research and actual implementation of bills similar to our own across the nation, the realization that there was little to no accountability for these changes in curriculum was evident. In this, we decided that a focus of our bill would not only be the actual curriculum resources of inclusive, diverse, and equitable education, but the accountability on districts and teachers to actually be using these resources from none other than those who it would affect the most – youth.
Utilizing LYAC’s experience, we broke up a traditional bill into different parts and wrote as we saw fit. We are extremely grateful for the input we received from a multitude of resources. Not only were we able to gain knowledge on the personal experiences of our youth across the state, but from offices like OSPI, legislators like Senator Claire Wilson, and experts in this field such as Tracy Castro-Gill, Executive Director of Washington Ethnic Studies Now.
Excited by the possibilities of the finished bill, we began discussing it in our communities and the response was overwhelmingly positive. Although some may claim that inclusive education has the ability to create divides, what we saw was our community coming together. Students expressed sentiments of excitement at the prospects and opportunities that inclusive education would give them. One common theme that we saw in ourselves and others was that when we see people with whom we share lived experiences thriving in our education, we thrive as well. The way students achieve their goals is by being inspired by role models who they relate to. For education to serve this mission for all students, our peers believe that the diversity of these role models must be increased.
We were also excited to hear education stakeholders who are not students express their support for a more inclusive education. More and more, we are seeing efforts being made to implement inclusive education programs in our districts. We have found allies in organizations such as the Washington Education Association (WEA), OSPI, and influential figures in equity and racial issues like Erin Jones. These influential figures agree that SB 5441 brings about important change in the way students are empowered by their education.
The VisionWhen we found out that SB 5441 would be on the floor while we were at the capitol for LYAC’s lobbying day, all of us immediately began to experience a rush of relief and excitement. For starters, we all live in different parts of Washington and didn’t think that we would be able to go and testify together. Secondly, it was like reality set in. What was once just a Google Doc with a few sentences was now an official bill being heard before the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education. We all worked very hard to get the bill where it is today and are so excited to see where it goes. Testifying and being able to hear other testimonies in front of the committee was a roller coaster of different emotions. It felt empowering – we were not only sharing our stories but also representing the people of color and of different genders who weren’t there to tell their own. Even hearing the testimonies against us made us have more respect for the democratic process this bill was undertaking. We all knew this bill would receive backlash, but when Senator Claire Wilson, Committee Chair Senator Lisa Wellman, Erin Jones, the WEA, OSPI, and many other representatives and important figures in the community are behind our backs supporting us, our conviction only increased.
In terms of future steps for SB 5441, we have a lot of hopes. First, we want to work with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) Ethnic Studies Task Force to help improve the bill and its implementation. We believe this will help with the logistics and ease of the process. Another thing we’re hoping to do is increase pedagogy training for teachers so they know how to most effectively teach this new curriculum. You can write anything into law, but in order for it to enact actual change, you have to make sure implementers (teachers in this case) are representing it correctly. We are hoping that with these changes and improvements, SB 5441 will be the best it can be and youth all over Washington will be able to experience its effects.
If you are a youth looking to implement your own vision into the Legislature, we recommend emailing us at lyacwashington@gmail.com or DM our Instagram @washingtonlyac.
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Former South Shore PreK-8 student Rahma Mohammed shares how she developed her leadership qualities and what her career plans are for the future.
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Our LEVinar panelists are students, educators, administrators, parents, caregivers, advocates, scholars, and more. Watch what we have learned from them in 2022.
Superintendents from Across Washington state on Mental Health and How This Year Will be Different, featuring:
Chetan Soni, a junior at Lincoln High School, Seattle Public Schools and member of the Association of Washington Student Leaders (AWSL)
Superintendent Ron Banner, Clover Park School District
Dr. Adam Swinyard, Spokane Public Schools
Dr. Shelley Redinger, Richland School District
A Discussion about Critical Race Theory in K-12 Classrooms, featuring:
Ruby Coulson, a senior at Sequim High School in the Sequim School District and Chair of the Washington state Legislative Youth Advisory Council (LYAC)
Dr. David Stovall, Professor of Black Studies and Criminology, Law & Justice at the University of Illinois at Chicago
Dr. Verónica Vélez, Associate Professor of Secondary Education and Education & Social Justice at Western Washington University
Tracy Castro-Gill, Executive Director of Washington Ethnic Studies Now
Special Education in Washington state, featuring:
Mia Crump, a senior at Roosevelt High School in Seattle Public Schools
Jeremiah Audet, a sophomore at Rogers High School in Spokane Public Schools
Dr. Tania May*, Assistant Superintendent of Special Education Services at the Washington state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction
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Watch our LEVinars on the Previous LEVinars page.
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The post LEVinar Wrapped – Highlights from the Most-Watched LEVinars of 2022 appeared first on Education Voters.
In our Putting Students First podcast, we interview policymakers, partners, and thought leaders to spotlight education policies, research, and practices so that together we can create a brighter future for every Washington student. In this episode, League of Education Voters Communications Director Arik Korman interviews Dana Miles, the 2023 Washington state Teacher of the Year, about why … Read more Podcast – Dana Miles, the 2023 Washington state Teacher of the Year
The post Podcast – Dana Miles, the 2023 Washington state Teacher of the Year appeared first on Education Voters.
Washington Game Changers with Lauri Hennessey features leaders who give back to our community, drive innovative solutions, and inspire others in making our state more equitable and just. This podcast is a one-on-one conversation with these powerful leaders in a time when we need to hear about more good in the world. In this episode, … Read more Washington Game Changers Podcast – Author Karen Pruett on Media and Amanda Knox
The post Washington Game Changers Podcast – Author Karen Pruett on Media and Amanda Knox appeared first on Education Voters.
In our Putting Students First podcast, we interview policymakers, partners, and thought leaders to spotlight education policies, research, and practices so that together we can create a brighter future for every Washington student. In this episode, League of Education Voters Communications Director Arik Korman interviews Dr. Brent Jones, Superintendent of Seattle Public Schools, about his priorities for … Read more Podcast – Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Brent Jones
The post Podcast – Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Brent Jones appeared first on Education Voters.
Washington Game Changers with Lauri Hennessey features leaders who give back to our community, drive innovative solutions, and inspire others in making our state more equitable and just. This podcast is a one-on-one conversation with these powerful leaders in a time when we need to hear about more good in the world. In this episode, … Read more Washington Game Changers Podcast – Cindy Black of Fix Democracy First
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In our Putting Students First podcast, we interview policymakers, partners, and thought leaders to spotlight education policies, research, and practices so that together we can create a brighter future for every Washington student. In this episode, League of Education Voters Communications Director Arik Korman interviews former NPR Education Correspondent Anya Kamenetz about the impacts of keeping students … Read more Podcast – NPR’s Anya Kamenetz on How COVID Changed Children’s Lives
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As the Puget Sound Educational Service District 121 Regional Teacher of the Year, serving as a spokesperson and representative for teachers and students, my message is a call to action to elevate student voice. Stuvoice.org, the by-students, for-students nonprofit advocating for student-driven solutions to educational inequity, defines student voice as: “recognizing and acting upon the … Read more Puget Sound Educational Service District 2023 Regional Teacher of the Year Shane Monroe on Elevating Student Voice Within Classroom Communities
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In our Putting Students First podcast, we interview policymakers, partners, and thought leaders to spotlight education policies, research, and practices so that together we can create a brighter future for every Washington student. In this episode, League of Education Voters Communications Director Arik Korman interviews Nate Bowling, the 2016 Washington state Teacher of the Year and National … Read more Podcast – Washington state Teacher of the Year Nate Bowling on Civics and Student Engagement
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Washington Game Changers with Lauri Hennessey features leaders who give back to our community, drive innovative solutions, and inspire others in making our state more equitable and just. This podcast is a one-on-one conversation with these powerful leaders in a time when we need to hear about more good in the world. In this episode, … Read more Washington Game Changers Podcast – Olgy Diaz of the National Women’s Political Caucus of Washington
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In our Putting Students First podcast, we interview policymakers, partners, and thought leaders to spotlight education policies, research, and practices so that together we can create a brighter future for every Washington student. In this episode, League of Education Voters Communications Director Arik Korman interviews Mark Follman, National Affairs Editor for Mother Jones, who discusses which supports … Read more Podcast – Inside the Mission to Stop Mass Shootings in America
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Washington Game Changers with Lauri Hennessey features leaders who give back to our community, drive innovative solutions, and inspire others in making our state more equitable and just. This podcast is a one-on-one conversation with these powerful leaders in a time when we need to hear about more good in the world. In this episode, … Read more Washington Game Changers Podcast – Joe Hunter, Jr. and Tony Allison, founders of RARE (Roosevelt Alumni for Racial Equity)
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In our Putting Students First podcast, we interview policymakers, partners, and thought leaders to spotlight education policies, research, and practices so that together we can create a brighter future for every Washington student. In this episode, League of Education Voters Communications Director Arik Korman interviews Luma Mufleh, the founder of Fugees Family whose TED Talk on educational … Read more Podcast – Luma Mufleh on Her Fight for Educational Justice for Refugee Children
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Washington Game Changers with Lauri Hennessey features leaders who give back to our community, drive innovative solutions, and inspire others in making our state more equitable and just. This podcast is a one-on-one conversation with these powerful leaders in a time when we need to hear about more good in the world. In this episode, … Read more Washington Game Changers Podcast – Nicky Wilks and Alex Craighead, founders of Journeymen
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By Kenji Linane-Booey, Spokane Regional Field Director On March 11th, Spokane Police Chief Craig Meidl sent a letter to Spokane Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Adam Swinyard stating that he believes teachers across the district are not serving in their roles as mandatory reporters. He then said that this violation can be charged as a … Read more Letter from the Every Student Counts Alliance to the City of Spokane
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By League of Education Voters Policy Team The 2022 supplemental budget makes adjustments to the 2021-23 biennial budget and impacts funding for the remainder of the biennium, which ends in June of 2023. The amounts below are in addition to funds that have already been appropriated in the 2021-23 budget. In the final budget agreement, … Read more 2022 Supplemental Budget Summary
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By Jacob Vela, League of Education Voters Director of Policy and Research During the late hours of Thursday, March 10th, after a long day filled with passing floor resolutions and saying good-bye to colleagues that are choosing to not return, the Legislature took their final votes ending the 2022 Session. Despite the barriers and … Read more LEV Legislative Roundup for Week 9: The final state budget
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Washington Game Changers with Lauri Hennessey features leaders who give back to our community, drive innovative solutions, and inspire others in making our state more equitable and just. This podcast is a one-on-one conversation with these powerful leaders in a time when we need to hear about more good in the world. In this episode, … Read more Washington Game Changers Podcast – Regina Malveaux of the Washington State Women’s Commission
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By League of Education Voters Policy Team The Washington state House and Senate have released their 2022 supplemental budget proposals. The 2022 supplemental budget makes adjustments to the 2021-23 biennial budget and impacts funding for the remainder of the biennium, which ends in June of 2023. The amounts below are in addition to funds that … Read more 2022 Supplemental Budget Proposal Side-By-Side
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By Jacob Vela, League of Education Voters Director of Policy and Research It is hard to believe how much has happened during the past week in the Legislature. With less than three weeks left, everyone involved is digging deep to find that last burst of energy to help get across the finish line. Tuesday … Read more LEV Legislative Roundup for Week 6: The budgets are coming
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By Jacob Vela, League of Education Voters Director of Policy and Research This week the Legislature pivoted to full-time floor action, meaning that the focus will be on caucusing, debating, and passing their members’ priority bills. These days are long, and both the House of Representatives and the Senate worked this past weekend, with … Read more LEV Legislative Roundup for Week 5: Burning the midnight oil
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By Jacob Vela, League of Education Voters Director of Policy and Research
We have reached the halfway point of the 2022 Legislative Session! The pace has been fast and furious, so making it to the first bill cut-off and being able to put a line through another day on the calendar getting us closer to March 10th is an opportunity for everyone to briefly sigh in relief. Today, Saturday, was a long day of public hearings and executive action sessions in the House Appropriations and Senate Ways & Means Committees. Concise testimony focusing on the fiscal implications of the various bills was appreciated by the legislators who sat on Zoom from the committee’s call to order at 9:00 am until past the dinner hour.
The final day to pass bills out of the House of Origin Fiscal Committees is Monday, February 7. Bill proponents either celebrated seeing their bill numbers on the agendas for today or are spending their weekend scrambling in an attempt to have it scheduled for a hearing and vote on Monday. The number of bills that are referred to fiscal committees from policy committees is significant. While some bills are intentionally not scheduled – they could be exempt from the cut-off or there might be another bill being used as the vehicle for the issue – some just get overlooked. It is rare, but it happens. Advocates are working to find out what category their bill falls into and then take the appropriate action.
Budget writers must produce a supplemental budget with a balanced 4-year outlook. If a piece of legislation is deemed necessary to implement the budget, it is exempt from the various procedural cut-offs. You will hear these bills be referred to as “NTIB.” Examples would be bills that create funding streams or when a statute change is required to implement the final budget. The guardrails on when a bill can be considered NTIB were strengthened a few years ago. Prior to this reminder, bills were incorrectly labeled NTIB if they were just referenced in a budget document. You can imagine how bill sponsors/advocates, desperate to keep their legislation moving through the process, might have been taking advantage of the previously loosely enforced rule.
League of Education Voters (LEV) continues to support and advocate for Substitute House Bill 1153, increasing language access in our public schools, sponsored by Representative Tina Orwall (D-33). Introduced last year, the legislation never received a hearing in House Appropriations. This session, SHB 1153 has already been heard and voted out of the fiscal committee! It is currently sitting in the House Rules Committee, where it is waiting patiently to be placed on the House Floor Calendar. The goal of the legislation is to increase language access for students and families across Washington, and help schools better embrace multiculturalism and multilingualism as an asset in their communities. Watch your email for an action alert coming Monday so you can help SHB 1153 move out of the House.
Starting on Tuesday, the Legislature will pivot and focus mostly on floor activities. Legislators will spend their time caucusing and debating various bills and budget items in their chambers. Access is still very limited for members of the public. Instead of standing on the 3rd floor of the Legislative Building waiting for opportunities to briefly speak with legislators, we are all relying on texting and emails. In previous (in-person) legislative sessions, the time spent on the 3rd floor involved a lot of waiting, but it was also an opportunity to discuss amendment language with others, catch up on gossip (of course I mean “information gathering”), celebrate a bill voted off of the chamber floor, and take part in the various activities that take place in the rotunda of our state capitol.
- Watch the recording of our Lunchtime LEVinar on Why We Must Increase Language Access in Public Schools, featuring students from the Washington state Legislative Youth Advisory Council (LYAC), advocates from Open Doors for Multicultural Families and OneAmerica, and Washington state Representative Tina Orwall (D-33), prime sponsor of House Bill 1153.
- Follow which education-related bills we are watching in our Bill Tracker.
- Register for our February 10th LEVinar about Student Perspectives on Washington’s PESB Draft Cultural Competency Equity Diversity & Inclusion (CCDEI) Standards, featuring students from the Washington state Legislative Youth Advisory Council (LYAC) and Washington state Professional Educator Standards Board Executive Director Erica Hernandez-Scott.
- Read our guest blog by LYAC student Ruby Coulson on why K-12 Students Need More Excused Mental Health Days and More Comprehensive Support.
- Read our 2022 Legislative Platform.
- Watch our LEVinar on What to Expect in the 2022 Legislative Session.
- Join Investing in Student Potential, our coalition to champion students who need special education services.
- Read frequently asked questions about the Washington state Legislature.
We truly appreciate all you do for Washington students. We’re all in this together.
Sincerely,
Jacob
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By Ruby Coulson, Guest Blogger
Destigmatizing mental health is more than just saying the words, and it’s going to take significant steps. Ruby Coulson is a Junior at Sequim High School, Sequim School District, National Leader through 4-H, and Committee Member on Legislative Affairs for the Washington state Legislative Youth Advisory Council (LYAC) The Washington state Legislative Youth Advisory Council (LYAC) worked with Representative Jesse Johnson (D-30), Representative Lisa Callan (D-5), and Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos (D-37) to implement a new mental health bill, House Bill 1834. 1834’s goal is to implement more excused mental health days for K-12 education and set up more comprehensive support for students requesting these days. LYAC has always been a leading advocate for youth mental health priorities, working with legislators in the 2020-21 year to pass House Bill 1373, a bill that requires that every public school website publish contact information for suicide prevention, crisis intervention, depression and anxiety, eating disorders, and substance abuse. It passed with resounding support, with only six nays in the House out of 98. LYAC is a group of economically, politically, geographically, and socially diverse young people lobbying for causes ranging from K-12 Education to Climate and Conservation. The reach of LYAC expands from Western Washington in the 24th district to Spokane in the 4th district, and we actively work to include as much youth voice as possible in our legislative actions.
LYAC also worked with Federal Way Associated Student Body (ASB), the original brains behind this operation, and often came to meetings to voice student support. We spent many hours with the education committee chair, and the Federal Way ASB was there for all of it, going through several bill drafts and fine-tuning the vocabulary. This kind of effort was a considerable push towards this bill getting introduced in pre-filing and having so much legislative support off the bat, including legislators in districts from Western Washington.
As education advocates, we know the pandemic’s impact on young people’s mental health, social isolation, and political turmoil have created incomprehensible instability in youth’s lives. I can rattle off statistics such as teen suicides increasing 38% from 2012 to 2019 (1), or that 78% of girls under 18 feel unhappy with their bodies (2), or even that 18% of youth report experiencing a major depressive episode in 2018-19 (3). And those are all PRE-pandemic. While the numbers are significant, the emphasis on youth voice has always been LYAC’s priority, so I’ve compiled some students’ responses on the value of this bill to them.
LYAC’s POV and Experiences When I asked fellow LYAC member Israel Lopez what mental health means to him, he said, “Youth mental health is one of the most important issues in all of the US. With growing suicide rates and declining mental health, it’s vital we take care of our national youth and prevent the next tragedy.” When asking peers at my school how they define good mental health practices, one said, “Having a balance of stages throughout your life and being able to reach ‘next week’ or ‘next month.’ In my opinion, this shows motivation or excitement for your future and can be a good way to check in with youth. This will assist in finding healthy goals within your reach, finding hopes and dreams, and finding resources to thrive in your best situation.” Other students expressed concern that potentially excused mental health days will make it worse for advanced and honors students if there is no forgiveness, considering how quickly they can fall behind. All of LYAC agrees that mental health is vital, and creating a new narrative around the measures to support youth is one of the first steps.
Destigmatizing mental health starts with changing the conversation around students who need to take days off from “Oh, they’re so weak, they just need to tough it out like I did” to “How can we help make sure you’re doing the best you can with your circumstances.” Like an Individualized Educational Program (IEP), some students will need more help, and the mental health day leniency will support that. While some students will only need one day off, others will need all 5 and will really benefit from the additional resources supplied to them once they’ve requested these days. Creating early support in schools for mental health will assist LYAC in building accurate and targeted legislation in the future to continue improving students’ mental well-being.
References:
1) https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/suicide-mortality/suicide.htm
2) https://depts.washington.edu/thmedia/view.cgi?page=fastfacts§ion=bodyimage#
3) https://www.kff.org/statedata/mental-health-and-substance-use-state-fact-sheets/washington/
The Washington state Legislative Youth Advisory Council (LYAC) is codified in law as the official youth advisory body to the state legislature, and its activities are wide-ranging. Throughout the year, 14-to-18-year-old student members of the council actively lobby legislators, testify in committee, advise various government agencies, host events around the state, collaborate with nearly 200 community organizations, and much more. LYAC also spends much time conversing with young people in every corner of Washington about their priorities in order to be a more effective advocate to the legislature.
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By Jacob Vela, League of Education Voters Director of Policy and Research
Throughout week 3 of the 2022 Legislative Session, League of Education Voters (LEV) stepped up on multiple fronts – monitoring hearings, arranging testimony before committees, advocating on amendments, and working with coalition partners. The policy committee cut-off is February 3rd, followed closely by the fiscal committee cut-off on February 7th, so there has been a lot for everyone at LEV to juggle. Several committees finished their work this week and will be holding work sessions on issues, others will be spending their time caucusing and voting on various bills, and there will be a few that will be continuing to hold hearings on bills in hopes of moving them before the deadline. Regardless, it will be busy.
This past week in the House Education Committee, Representative Dave Paul (D-10) discussed his bills focused on supporting dual credit programs in schools. Substitute House Bill 1760 strives to expand access to dual credit programs by lowering the costs for low-income students. Dual credit programs allow high school students to earn high school credits and postsecondary credits at the same time. SHB 1760 directs the Washington state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to subsidize costs that can often be a barrier for low-income students in benefitting from the program. The bill also makes the Running Start summer school pilot program permanent, increasing the number of community colleges that may participate and the credits that a high school student may earn. LEV heard feedback from our partners that often the cost of transportation can be an obstacle for some students, so we are working to clarify if those costs would be included in the covered expenses. House Bill 1867, also sponsored by Representative Paul, expands the data that OSPI and partners must collect and report on to the legislature regarding the dual credit programs. The goal of HB 1867 is for the legislature to get information on the who/what/where/how of dual credit programs across the state. It will also be an opportunity for the legislature to learn more about and hopefully take action on any difficulties experienced in implementing the program. SHB 1760 passed out of House Education and will be referred to the House Appropriations Committee for a hearing. HB 1867 is scheduled for executive session in House Education on Tuesday. Senator Mark Mullet (D-5), sponsored Substitute Senate Bill 5719 that also focuses on removing the financial barriers for students in dual credit programs. While the Senate bill differs from SHB 1760 in how to lower the costs, both bills have the same goal – expanding access for high school students who wish to earn postsecondary credits while in high school. SSB 5719 passed out of the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Committee with a strong vote and was referred to the Senate Ways & Means Committee.
This coming week, the House Appropriations Committee will hold a hearing on a bill sponsored by House Majority Leader Representative Pat Sullivan (D-47) – Substitute House Bill 1736 that establishes the Washington state Student Loan Program. The program would provide eligible students pursuing undergraduate degrees or in high-demand graduate programs access to student loans with a 1 percent interest rate. Washington state has always made supporting students through financial aid a priority, but most loans that students can access have interest rates between 3 and 15 percent. Students need better options, and providing a financial aid package that includes student loans with a lower interest rate will be a great part of the wrap-around services we offer our students. SHB 1736 is a great next step as we move toward debt-free options.
The steady ticking clock that counts down the days, hours, and minutes continues to be the soundtrack of the legislative session. Fiscal committees will have packed agendas this week as they attempt to hear public testimony on all the bills that were referred from the policy committees. We can expect both the Senate Ways & Means Committee and the House Appropriations Committee to hold marathon hearings on Saturday, starting at 9:00 am and going into the evening.
- Watch the recording of our Lunchtime LEVinar on Why We Must Increase Language Access in Public Schools, featuring students from the Washington state Legislative Youth Advisory Council (LYAC), advocates from Open Doors for Multicultural Families and OneAmerica, and Washington state Representative Tina Orwall (D-33), prime sponsor of House Bill 1153.
- Follow which education-related bills we are watching in our Bill Tracker.
- Register for our February 10th LEVinar about Student Perspectives on Washington’s PESB Draft Cultural Competency Equity Diversity & Inclusion (CCDEI) Standards, featuring students from the Washington state Legislative Youth Advisory Council (LYAC) and Washington state Professional Educator Standards Board Executive Director Erica Hernandez-Scott.
- Read our 2022 Legislative Platform.
- Watch our LEVinar on What to Expect in the 2022 Legislative Session.
- Join Investing in Student Potential, our coalition to champion students who need special education services.
- Read frequently asked questions about the Washington state Legislature.
We truly appreciate all you do for Washington students. We’re all in this together.
Sincerely,
Jacob
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Want to find out the latest in education news in Washington? Subscribe to our newsletter
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Washington Game Changers with Lauri Hennessey features leaders who give back to our community, drive innovative solutions, and inspire others in making our state more equitable and just. This podcast is a one-on-one conversation with these powerful leaders in a time when we need to hear about more good in the world.
In this episode, League of Education Voters CEO Lauri Hennessey talks with Frank Abe, author of the graphic novel We Hereby Refuse and longtime advocate for Japanese-Americans. He shares about the upcoming Day of Remembrance and a presentation he will be giving February 19, 2022 at 4pm on Vashon Island about the day President Roosevelt directed the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II.
Listen:
https://educationvoters.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Washington-Game-Changers-Frank-Abe-January-2022.mp3 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Spreaker.
Visit our podcast page for more interviews.
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By Jacob Vela, League of Education Voters Director of Policy and Research
When the Legislature is in person, our days in Olympia are filled with hundreds of conversations, and this doesn’t even take into account the additional hundred that we overhear or observe. We build strategy based on these small exchanges, exchanges that often take place in hallways or quietly whispered in the backs of hearing rooms. The passage of legislative information has always depended on these interactions. There are not enough hours in the day to meet with every person on every issue that is being debated in Olympia, so we rely on what is being shared by others. We find out who is supportive of legislation and who might have concerns. We discuss possible testimony in hearings, report on legislative meetings, or share proposed amendment language. Passing a legislator in the hall might be the opportunity to provide a quick update, or for them to let you know that there might be issues with the bill you are working on. Lasting only a matter of minutes (or even less), these conversations are the foundation of the work. Not being able to have them for the last two years has fundamentally changed the process. Some ways are for the better, but I believe that the virtual session hinders many aspects of passing legislation. There is knowledge gained by seeing more than what our computer screens show us, hearing information in the moment – not delayed, or listening to a person’s tone that can’t be reflected in an email or text. Fingers crossed that moving forward, we will adopt the positives gained by the virtual session – most importantly public access without the obstacle of traveling to the Capitol Campus, with the necessary human interactions that can be a valuable part of the legislative process.
The second week of the 2022 Legislative Session reflected the usual quick pace of a 60-day session. Legislative committees focused on hearing and passing policy bills, advocates continued to do outreach on issues, budget requests were being made, and both the House and the Senate took to their respective chambers to debate bills. The House took action Wednesday on delaying the Washington Cares Fund, the state’s long-term care program paid for by the creation of a new payroll tax. The Senate is expected to take action on this fast-tracked issue as early as next week.
The Senate State Government & Elections Committee heard and took executive action on Attorney General request legislation, Substitute Senate Bill 5793. Sponsored by Senator Claire Wilson (D-30), SSB 5793 would authorize stipends and reimbursement of expenses for individuals with lived experience who participate or are appointed to serve on state boards, commissions, workgroups, and advisory committees. Providing a stipend to members of the community for their participation has been a concept that has been discussed for many years. Hearing directly from an individual with lived experience is a critical voice in the policy-making process, but often the financial burden to participate is a limiting factor. SSB 5793 would take a meaningful step in our state’s work to develop stronger and more equitable policies. The bill was voted on and passed out of the policy committee on Friday and will now, hopefully, be scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Ways & Means Committee. The House Children, Youth & Family Committee passed a similar bill, House Bill 1890 sponsored by Representative Lisa Callan (D-5), earlier this week. HB 1890 is more narrow than SSB 5793 and focuses on providing a stipend for participants on the Children and Youth Behavioral Health workgroup. The bill would allow stipends up to $200 per day for participating members with lived experience.
Next week, the House Education Committee will hear a bill sponsored by Representative Jim Walsh (R-19) that addresses civic education and academic discourse. House Bill 1807 would limit the areas that our educators may focus on and discuss when teaching civics and related topics. The bill is a response to the divisive, often politically motivated, conversations communities are involved in regarding Critical Race Theory (CRT). Critics of Critical Race Theory deny the reality of institutionalized and systemic racism, ignoring the lessons of our history. It is important to remember that the legislative process is meant to listen to and debate issues, even when those issues can be polarizing or partisan in nature. The House Education Committee Chair, Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos (D-37), has often granted the minority party hearings on bills that often do not reflect her personal or caucus’s position on an issue. While this can be difficult for members of the public to witness, it is also an opportunity for members of the public who oppose the policy to get their position on record, for misinformation to be corrected, and for the committee to work in a more bipartisan way on other issues. The hearing on HB 1807 is scheduled for Tuesday morning at 8:00. Representative Santos is a strong committee chair and she is expected to give the bill a very limited amount of time, thus also limiting the number of individuals testifying. There is no expectation that the bill will be brought up for a vote. League of Education Voters is in strong opposition to this legislation, and we encourage you to take a moment to get your position on the record. You can do this now. Please click on House Committee Sign In (wa.gov), select the Education Committee and the hearing date, 1/25 at 8:00 am. Click on HB 1807 Civic Education, then scroll down to select “I would like my position noted for the legislative record.” On the next screen, you can choose which position to take. If you believe, as we do here at LEV, that it is essential for students to learn the truth about historical events from multiple perspectives and have an accurate understanding of the present-day impacts of policies and events, please select Con.
The deadline for policy committees to hear and move bills is February 3rd, quickly followed by the fiscal policy deadline of February 7th. With these “cut-offs” right around the corner, we can expect the 2022 Legislative Session to continue at an exhausting speed. The saying, “it is a marathon, not a sprint” certainly does not apply to a short session – we are sprinting all the way to March 10.
· Register for our Lunchtime LEVinar this Thursday, January 27 on Why We Must Increase Language Access in Public Schools, featuring the Washington state Legislative Youth Advisory Council (LYAC), Open Doors for Multicultural Families, and OneAmerica.
· Read our 2022 Legislative Platform.
· Follow which education-related bills we are watching in our Bill Tracker.
· Watch our LEVinar on What to Expect in the 2022 Legislative Session.
· Join Investing in Student Potential, our coalition to champion students who need special education services.
· Register for Investing in Student Potential Advocacy Week January 25-27.
· Read frequently asked questions about the Washington state Legislature.
We truly appreciate all you do for Washington students. We’re all in this together.
Sincerely,
Jacob
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By Jacob Vela, League of Education Voters Director of Policy and Research
If experience has taught us anything, it is that the start of every legislative session is always a bit unique, and the first week of the 2022 session definitely falls into the “unique” category. After months of rumors, the House and Senate announced in late fall that the legislature was going to attempt to navigate a hybrid model for the 2022 session. The expectation was that after being completely virtual last year, legislative leadership had found a way to allow in-person interaction between the elected members both with each other and the public. Sadly, within days of the session beginning, based on the rapid increase in new COVID-19 cases, plans had to be changed.
The 2022 Legislative Session opened on January 10th, once again in a virtual format. Luckily, the last few years have taught us to have patience and adapt quickly to the unexpected, so with barely missing a beat, both chambers moved forward as if virtual had been the plan all along. The 2022 Legislative Session is a “short” one, running for only 60 days. During this time the elected members will debate and pass supplemental budgets and numerous policies that will directly affect our state. As with all short sessions, the pace starts off at a run and doesn’t let up until the final gavel falls on March 10th.
The window to hear and vote on bills in policy committees is always small in short sessions – the first cut-off for policy bills in their house of origin will be on February 3rd. Knowing this, legislators and advocates scrambled to pre-file their proposed legislation so it would be ready to be scheduled for a hearing on day one of session. “Pre-filing” a bill allows bill sponsors to submit their bill language, receive a bill number, request a hearing from committee chairs, and begin working with other interested partners all prior to the official start of session. There were more pre-filed bills this year than I can ever remember. Hundreds of bills fell into this category, meaning that by the end of the first week of session, over 800 bills had already been introduced and were waiting to be heard.
Washington state works on a biennial system and 2022 is the second year. This means that all of the bills introduced last year that were not successful in making it all the way through the process are still considered “alive.” Alive bills can still be heard and debated this year. Add up all these bills together and you have an overwhelming number of policy bills competing for limited hearing time this session. Also, those directly involved in the process are exhausted. If and when you interact with legislative staff and others, please be kind. Many still haven’t recovered from last session and they continue to juggle the stress of the pandemic with the incredible demands of this work. I believe I used the word “patience” to describe the 2021 Legislative Session. This year I am hoping we will use the word “grace.”
League of Education Voters (LEV) is pleased to see the Legislature make the mental health and social-emotional needs of our students a priority. Many presentations this week focused on or spoke about the unimaginable toll the pandemic has taken on our youth and discussed strategies to provide support. Both the House Education and the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committees heard bills that focused on Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and increasing the funding for support services. The Senate on Wednesday heard Senate Bill 5595, concerning the prototypical school formulas for physical, social, and emotional support in schools, sponsored by Senator Lisa Wellman (D-41) and requested by Governor Inslee. The bill increases the funding allocation for school nurses, social workers, psychologists, and guidance counselors within the prototypical school model. The bill places limitations on the funding, directing that the allocations may only be used for the salaries and benefits for staffing in these areas. One of the challenges that our state is currently facing is a workforce shortage in professionals who provide behavioral health services.
Legislators are being inundated with constituents sharing stories regarding the barriers they are facing in their attempt to secure behavioral health services for their children. Lack of access or long waitlists has made it nearly impossible for families to receive care. Increasing the funding for schools to invest in these services is necessary and needed, but schools won’t be able to hire to meet these expectations if the workforce is not available. LEV is advocating that the guardrails placed on the funding in SB 5595 be widened to include the ability to spend these resources on other community-based services and supports. LEV is also advocating for a resourcing approach that centers student need by allocating additional staffing resources for physical, social, and emotional services to schools with greater student need. The House Education Committee heard Representative Alicia Rule’s (D-42) House Bill 1664 on Thursday. HB 1664 also relates to the school funding model for physical, social, and emotional supports and has similar restrictions to require that the funds be spent on salary and benefits to hire staff to provide physical, social, and emotional services. It is refreshing to see action by both chambers and a recognition that our students, families, and school employees are in crisis.
The House introduced two bills to support our state’s charter public schools. House Bill 1591, relating to local effort assistance funding for charter schools, is sponsored by Representative Laurie Dolan (D-22). The bill addresses the funding inequity created by charter public schools’ lack of access to local property tax levies. Our charter public schools educate a higher percentage of students from low-income families and students with disabilities than traditional public schools, and the current funding model means fewer resources for students who need funding the most. LEV supports closing this gap. Representative Debra Entenman (D-47) introduced House Bill 1962 this week. HB 1962 would extend the timeframe for establishing charter public schools. Both issues have been introduced before, and we hope that there will continue to be positive conversations around the proposals.
Late on Friday afternoon, the House Education and House Children, Youth & Families Committees held a joint work session to provide an overview of the early education system and the overlap between our K-12 and early learning systems. Listening to the support and care being given to our littlest learners was a nice way to end a very busy first week.
The upcoming week should be just as busy and interesting as this one. LEV will watch and participate in hearings, meet with staff and coalition partners, and work to promote our education platform with elected officials. Even from the comfort of our homes, it is empowering to be part of the process and to find opportunities to lift up the voices of the students and families who are most affected by the policies being debated.
· Read our 2022 Legislative Platform.
· Follow which education-related bills we are watching in our Bill Tracker.
· Watch our LEVinar on What to Expect in the 2022 Legislative Session.
· Join Investing in Student Potential, our coalition to champion students who need special education services.
· Register for Investing in Student Potential Advocacy Week January 25-27.
· Read frequently asked questions about the Washington state Legislature.
We truly appreciate all you do for Washington students. We’re all in this together.
Sincerely,
Jacob
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The post LEV Legislative Roundup for Week 1: Navigating Hundreds of Pre-Filed Bills appeared first on League of Education Voters.
Washington Game Changers with Lauri Hennessey features leaders who give back to our community, drive innovative solutions, and inspire others in making our state more equitable and just. This podcast is a one-on-one conversation with these powerful leaders in a time when we need to hear about more good in the world.
In this episode, League of Education Voters CEO Lauri Hennessey talks with Angela Griffin, Executive Director of Launch and new member of the Washington state Board of Education. Angela talks about the critical role early learning plays in a child’s life, her own passion for racial equity, and how organizations can better support people of color in leadership roles.
Listen:
https://educationvoters.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Washington-Game-Changers-Angela-Griffin-December-2021.mp3 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Spreaker.
Watch:
Visit our podcast page for more interviews.
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The post Washington Game Changers Podcast – Angela Griffin, Executive Director of Launch appeared first on League of Education Voters.
Washington Game Changers with Lauri Hennessey features leaders who give back to our community, drive innovative solutions, and inspire others in making our state more equitable and just. This podcast is a one-on-one conversation with these powerful leaders in a time when we need to hear about more good in the world.
In this episode, League of Education Voters CEO Lauri Hennessey talks with Nick Merriam, the CEO and Co-Founder of sea-citi, where tech and the community collaborate for results. Nick’s background is in social impact. At sea.citi, he works with tech companies and tech workers to build an inclusive, thriving, and equitable community. Lauri and Nick discuss homelessness in Seattle, the future of telecommuting, tech workers engaging more in civic discourse, and disproportionate youth access to technology during the pandemic.
Listen:
https://educationvoters.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Washington-Game-Changers-–-Nick-Merriam-November-2021.mp3 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Spreaker.
Watch:
Visit our podcast page for more interviews.
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The post Washington Game Changers Podcast – Nick Merriam, CEO and Co-Founder of sea-citi appeared first on League of Education Voters.
In our Putting Students First podcast, we interview policymakers, partners, and thought leaders to spotlight education policies, research, and practices so that together we can create a brighter future for every Washington student.
In this episode, League of Education Voters Communications Director Arik Korman interviews 2022 Washington state Teacher of the Year Jerad Koepp about what supports Native American students need, what worked and didn’t work in his own educational journey, and how he would change our education system if there were no budgetary constraints.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Spreaker
Listen:
https://educationvoters.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/LEV-2022-WA-state-Teacher-of-the-Year-Jerad-Koepp-interview-October-2021.mp3
Visit our podcast page for more interviews.
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The post Podcast – 2022 Washington state Teacher of the Year Jerad Koepp on Supporting Native American Students appeared first on League of Education Voters.
Washington Game Changers with Lauri Hennessey features leaders who give back to our community, drive innovative solutions, and inspire others in making our state more equitable and just. This podcast is a one-on-one conversation with these powerful leaders in a time when we need to hear about more good in the world.
In this episode, League of Education Voters CEO Lauri Hennessey talks with Washington state Representative Tana Senn from Mercer Island (D-41). They discuss the Fair Start for Kids Act – the comprehensive early learning measure passed by the legislature last session, Rep. Senn’s work on gender pay equity and gun control, and more.
Listen:
https://educationvoters.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Washington-Game-Changers-Tana-Senn-October-2021.mp3 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Spreaker.
Watch:
Visit our podcast page for more interviews.
Love what we do? Support our work
Want to find out the latest in education news in Washington? Subscribe to our newsletter
Want to learn more about League of Education Voters? Find out here
The post Washington Game Changers Podcast – State Representative Tana Senn appeared first on League of Education Voters.