Final Weekly Legislative Update: March 15, 2024

Here it is, your final update for the 2024 Legislative Session. Session officially came to a close last Thursday, March 7, and the last week of the legislative session is almost always a busy one on the hill. There are many moving pieces leading up to Sine Die, and it is quite common that last minute decisions are made simply because there is a pressure to get items wrapped up in time. However, this session did not bring with it the typical level of anxiety that we normally see during the last week as there were fewer outstanding issues that needed tending and most budget negotiations had been resolved prior to the last days of session. 

During the last week, lawmakers released their finalized negotiated budgets: capital, operating and transportation. The Supplemental Operating budget, ESSB 5950, was released last Wednesday and now sits on the Governor’s desk awaiting signature. This supplemental budget makes slight adjustments to the 2023-25 biennial budget. The League of Education Voters website has a nice side-by-side visual of the final supplemental budget and the areas of education that were most impacted. 

As we say goodbye to this session in Olympia, education advocates can feel pleasantly surprised about many of the advancements and financial investments that were made in education policy. Some of which have been discussed by lawmakers for many years. Crosscut noted, “A boost in the school construction formula to add $103 per square foot for school-building, and support for a statewide pilot project to increase the amount of time students with disabilities spend in general-education classrooms,” are just a few of the accomplishments that legislators made in the area of K-12 Education.  

Bills Delivered to the Governor

HB 1146: which requires public schools to notify high school students and their families about available dual credit programs and any available financial assistance in order to reduce dual credit and exam costs for students and their families. 

3SHB 1228: which creates grant programs for establishing dual language education and tribal language education programs, as well as requires literacy supports in service of American Indian and Alaska Native students, and modifies requirements related to the seal of biliteracy and the Transitional Bilingual Instruction Program. 

E4SHB 1239: which would direct the Office of the Education Ombuds to create a simple and uniform access point for the receipt of complaints involving the elementary and secondary education system, as well as require the PESB and the Paraeducator Board to report to the Legislature on a code of educator ethics. This bill would also modify the defense for use of force on children with respect to teachers and other school staff. 

ESHB 1277: which directs the Paraeducator Board to update rules and publish guidance related to the fundamental course of study, and requires school districts to provide paraeducators two days of the four-day fundamental course of study, in person and by specified deadlines, unless the school district is granted an exemption by the Paraeducator Board. 

ESHB 1608: which requires the Secretary of Health to issue a statewide standing order prescribing epinephrine and epinephrine autoinjectors to any school district for use by designated trained school personnel. The bill also amends requirements related to school supplies of autoinjectors to include epinephrine. 

HB 1879: which would name the curriculum used to inform students about tribal history, culture, and government after John McCoy (lulilaš). 

E2SHB 1956: which directs the Department of Health to develop, implement, and maintain a statewide drug overdose prevention and awareness campaign to address the drug overdose epidemic through 2029, and tasks OSPI with developing and updating age-appropriate substance use prevention and awareness materials for school and classroom use. The bill also requires OSPI to adjust the state health and physical education learning standards for middle and high school students to add opioids to the list of drugs included in drug-related education. 

HB 2110: which makes revisions to high school graduation requirement provisions without modifying the requirements or related school district and state agency duties and authorizations. 

2SHB 2236: which directs OSPI to develop an Allied Health Professions Career and Technical Education Core Plus Program and provide available curriculum and instructional materials to districts and skill centers for optional use by the 2027-28 school year.

ESHB 2331: which requires school district Instructional Materials Committees (IMCs) to include at least one parent member, and directs the IMC to include recommendations for culturally and experientially representative instructional materials. The bill also prohibits school districts from refusing to approve or prohibit the use of any instructional (or supplemental) material on the basis that it relates to or includes the study or contributions of any individual or group who is part of a protected class unless the content contains discriminatory bias. 

ESB 5462: which directs OSPI and WSSDA to update a model policy to require school districts to adopt inclusive curricula and select diverse, equitable, inclusive, age-appropriate instructional materials that include the histories, contributions, and perspectives of historically marginalized, underrepresented groups, which would also include the perspectives, contributions and histories of LGBTQ people, by December 1, 2024.  

SSB 5804: which requires all school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools, to obtain and maintain opioid overdose reversal medication in each school and to adopt a related policy. The bill also makes grant programs available for purchasing opioid overdose reversal medication and training personnel to administer the medication. 

SB 5852: which modifies safety net award eligibility and award adjustment provisions and requires that a survey of small school districts be used to implement a simplified, standardized safety net application. 

2SSB 5882: which increases staff allocations for teaching assistants, office support staff, and non instructional aides in the prototypical school funding model. 

SB 5883: which establishes burden of proof requirements for special education due process hearings. 

Odds and Ends

One of the education bills that made it to the Governor’s desk this session was SB 5883, which will require school districts to prove that they provided adequate services to children. This bill remained controversial throughout the session. The Seattle Times’ reporter, Dahlia Bazzaz, digs deeper into this issue in WA Lawmakers Ease Burden for Parents Challenging School Special Ed

Back to the issue of “chronic absenteeism,” although WA State lawmakers were unable to succeed in legislation that tackled this issue, there are others out there doing the work! This week from NPR, Battling Student Absenteeism with Grandmas, Vans and Lots of Love.

Meet CSTP’s Legislative Update Coordinator Samantha Miller

Samantha Miller

Samantha Miller returns as CSTP’s Legislative Updates Coordinator for the 2024 legislative session. She writes weekly emails during the legislative session focusing on bills that impact Washington educators.

Samantha has degrees in both Political Science and History, as well as a Master in Teaching. Samantha has worked in Elementary Education for 6 years, most recently as a 3rd Grade general education teacher. The majority of her time is spent chasing around her two children who keep her very busy. Samantha enjoys running, working in her yard, listening to political podcasts, and spending time with her family.

Weekly Legislative Update: March 8, 2024

Well that’s a wrap! Yesterday, March 7, was the last day of the 2024 Legislative Session, or “Sine Die.” It is always impressive how much work legislators are able to get done in the last few days. Many education bills made it to the governor’s desk this week, inching their way closer to being signed into law. If a bill reaches the Governor’s desk when there are more than five days left in session, he is required to sign it within those five days. If a bill is received with five days remaining, or less, the Governor has 20 days to take action, or not, on the bill. 

It is good to remember that the last few days of session are a flurry of activity, with the primary focus being budget negotiations, which mostly occur behind closed doors. Unsurprisingly, education spending is the biggest chunk of this year’s capital and operating budgets. On Wednesday, lawmakers approved the capital budget which includes roughly $306 million for school construction. This money for schools is spread across four areas: the School Construction Assistance Program, small districts, career and technical education facilities and heating, cooling and ventilation systems. That legislation now heads to the Governor for his final signature. Other areas of K-12 education that will receive funding increases are paraeducators and teacher’s aides, who have spent years advocating for pay raises, basic school maintenance, operations and supplies, and special education. In this year’s plan, districts can receive special education funding for up to 16% of their populations, up from 15%.  

On Thursday, Superintendent Chris Reykdal released his statement to the press regarding this year’s legislative session. “Through their final budgets, the Legislature has made clear their commitment to sustaining evidence-based investments in student learning and well-being that are targeted to have the greatest impact,” stated Reykdal. OSPI and Reykdal prioritized special education services, mental and behavioral health, access to school meals, increased compensation to retain paraeducators, dual language, access to early literacy programs and more.

Bills Delivered to the Governor

HB 1146: which requires public schools to notify high school students and their families about available dual credit programs and any available financial assistance in order to reduce dual credit and exam costs for students and their families. 

3SHB 1228: which creates grant programs for establishing dual language education and tribal language education programs, as well as requires literacy supports in service of American Indian and Alaska Native students, and modifies requirements related to the seal of biliteracy and the Transitional Bilingual Instruction Program. For more on this, check out this article from The Seattle Times this week. 

EsHB 1608: which requires the Secretary of Health to issue a statewide standing order prescribing epinephrine and epinephrine autoinjectors to any school district for use by designated trained school personnel. The bill also amends requirements related to school supplies of autoinjectors to include epinephrine. 

HB 1879: which would name the curriculum used to inform students about tribal history, culture, and government after John McCoy (lulilaš). 

HB 2110: which makes revisions to high school graduation requirement provisions without modifying the requirements or related school district and state agency duties and authorizations. 

SB 5852: which modifies safety net award eligibility and award adjustment provisions and requires that a survey of small school districts be used to implement a simplified, standardized safety net application. 

SB 5883: which establishes burden of proof requirements for special education due process hearings.  

Bills We’re Following

E4SHB 1239: which would direct the Office of the Education Ombuds to create a simple and uniform access point for the receipt of complaints involving the elementary and secondary education system, as well as require the PESB and the Paraeducator Board to report to the Legislature on a code of educator ethics. This bill would also modify the defense for use of force on children with respect to teachers and other school staff. The bill has passed both chambers and has been signed by the House Speaker.

ESHB 1277: which directs the Paraeducator Board to update rules and publish guidance related to the fundamental course of study, and requires school districts to provide paraeducators two days of the four-day fundamental course of study, in person and by specified deadlines, unless the school district is granted an exemption by the Paraeducator Board. The bill has passed both chambers and has been signed by the House Speaker and the Senate President.

SHB 1915:  which requires public school students, beginning with the class of 2031, and charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools, beginning in or before the 2027-28 school year, to earn one-half credit of financial education instruction (FEI) as a graduation prerequisite. The bill also directs the Financial Education Public-Private Partnership to review specified financial education information submitted by school districts and create a statewide implementation plan for the financial education credit provision and graduation requirements by September 30, 2026. The bill has passed both chambers.

E2SHB 1956:  which directs the Department of Health to develop, implement, and maintain a statewide drug overdose prevention and awareness campaign to address the drug overdose epidemic through 2029, and tasks OSPI with developing and updating age-appropriate substance use prevention and awareness materials for school and classroom use. The bill also requires OSPI to adjust the state health and physical education learning standards for middle and high school students to add opioids to the list of drugs included in drug-related education. The bill has passed both chambers and has been signed by the House Speaker and the Senate President.

2SHB 2236: which directs OSPI to develop an Allied Health Professions Career and Technical Education Core Plus Program and provide available curriculum and instructional materials to districts and skill centers for optional use by the 2027-28 school year. The bill has passed both chambers and has been signed by the House Speaker and the Senate President.

ESHB 2331: which requires school district Instructional Materials Committees (IMCs) to include at least one parent member, and directs the IMC to include recommendations for culturally and experientially representative instructional materials. The bill also prohibits school districts from refusing to approve or prohibit the use of any instructional (or supplemental) material on the basis that it relates to or includes the study or contributions of any individual or group who is part of a protected class unless the content contains discriminatory bias. The bill has passed both chambers and has been signed by the House Speaker and the Senate President.

SSB 5804: which requires all school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools, to obtain and maintain opioid overdose reversal medication in each school and to adopt a related policy. The bill also makes grant programs available for purchasing opioid overdose reversal medication and training personnel to administer the medication. For more on this bill, check out this week’s article in the Washington State Standard. The bill has passed both chambers and has been signed by the House Speaker and the Senate President.

2SSB 5882: which increases staff allocations for teaching assistants, office support staff, and non instructional aides in the prototypical school funding model. The bill has passed both chambers and has been signed by the House Speaker and the Senate President.

Odds and Ends

“Empowering students with a tool like financial education is a catalyst for unlocking greater opportunities and success in their futures. This week from The Seattle Times, Tri-Cities Student Lobbies for More Financial Literacy in WA Schools.

Last week, Washington lawmakers heard mixed testimony on Initiative 2081, which aims to bolster the voices of parents in the state’s K-12 public schools. From the Washington State Standard, WA Lawmakers Hear Debate on Parental Rights Initiative.”

Meet CSTP’s Legislative Update Coordinator Samantha Miller

Samantha Miller

Samantha Miller returns as CSTP’s Legislative Updates Coordinator for the 2024 legislative session. She writes weekly emails during the legislative session focusing on bills that impact Washington educators.

Samantha has degrees in both Political Science and History, as well as a Master in Teaching. Samantha has worked in Elementary Education for 6 years, most recently as a 3rd Grade general education teacher. The majority of her time is spent chasing around her two children who keep her very busy. Samantha enjoys running, working in her yard, listening to political podcasts, and spending time with her family.

Weekly Legislative Update: March 1, 2024

Happy Friday! It is hard to believe that we have made it to the last week of the 2024 Legislative Session. Next Thursday, March 7, is the final day, and what a whirlwind this short session has been. On Monday, legislators watched as their bills succeeded (or failed) to make it out of fiscal committees before the 5pm deadline. Today, March 1, is the cut-off for Rules committees to get bills scheduled to the floor calendar. Bills that do not make it to the floor will never make it to the governor’s desk. 

Last Friday, the Senate passed its Operating Supplemental Budget, ESSB 5950, which will likely be the backbone of the final 2024 Operating Supplemental Budget. Keep in mind that budget bills do not follow the same path as other legislation. Most negotiations are done behind closed doors and in the final days of session. As The Seattle Times put it, “You can think of the ongoing short session, which ends March 7, as the halfway mark in the state’s two-year budget cycle,” and these particular budget negotiations have many issues lawmakers are having to factor in. 

One such factor that could impact state spending on K-12 Education is the potential impacts of Initiative 2109, which will appear on the November ballot. If passed, I-2109 would repeal the state’s new capital gains tax and the state could expect to collect about $1 billion less in that tax per year. This could have direct impacts on the state’s funding of K-12 schools. According to The Seattle Times, each year $500 million in revenues from the tax go to a state education account spanning early learning, K-12 and higher education. Any capital gains tax revenues above $500 million go toward building and repairing schools. Rep. Steve Bergquist, D-Renton, was quoted saying, “The state must fund basic K-12 education, so a repeal in November would mean that legislators would target early learning and higher education programs, as well as nonbasic spending on K-12, to trim spending of proceeds from the tax.” 

  • Watch House and Senate Floor action on TVW.org

Bills We’re Following

HB 1146: which requires public schools to notify high school students and their families about available dual credit programs and any available financial assistance in order to reduce dual credit and exam costs for students and their families. The bill has passed the Senate Rules Committee.

3SHB 1228: which creates grant programs for establishing dual language education and tribal language education programs, as well as requires literacy supports in service of American Indian and Alaska Native students, and modifies modifies requirements related to the seal of biliteracy and the Transitional Bilingual Instruction Program. The bill has passed the Senate Rules Committee.

E4SHB 1239: which would direct the Office of the Education Ombuds to create a simple and uniform access point for the receipt of complaints involving the elementary and secondary education system, as well as require the PESB and the Paraeducator Board to report to the Legislature on a code of educator ethics. This bill would also modify the defense for use of force on children with respect to teachers and other school staff. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

ESHB 1277: which directs the Paraeducator Board to update rules and publish guidance related to the fundamental course of study, and requires school districts to provide paraeducators two days of the four-day fundamental course of study, in person and by specified deadlines, unless the school district is granted an exemption by the Paraeducator Board. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

EsHB 1608: which requires the Secretary of Health to issue a statewide standing order prescribing epinephrine and epinephrine autoinjectors to any school district for use by designated trained school personnel. The bill also amends requirements related to school supplies of autoinjectors to also include epinephrine. The bill has passed the Senate Rules Committee.

HB 1879: which would name the curriculum used to inform students about tribal history, culture, and government after John McCoy (lulilaš). The bill has passed both chambers and has been signed by the House Speaker.

SHB 1915:  which requires public school students, beginning with the class of 2031, and charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools, beginning in or before the 2027-28 school year, to earn one-half credit of financial education instruction (FEI) as a graduation prerequisite. The bill also directs the Financial Education Public-Private Partnership to review specified financial education information submitted by school districts and create a statewide implementation plan for the financial education credit provision and graduation requirements by September 30, 2026. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

E2SHB 1956:  which directs the Department of Health to develop, implement, and maintain a statewide drug overdose prevention and awareness campaign to address the drug overdose epidemic through 2029, and tasks OSPI with developing and updating age-appropriate substance use prevention and awareness materials for school and classroom use. The bill also requires OSPI to adjust the state health and physical education learning standards for middle and high school students to add opioids to the list of drugs included in drug-related education. The bill has passed the Senate Rules Committee.

2SHB 2236: which directs OSPI to develop an Allied Health Professions Career and Technical Education Core Plus Program and provide available curriculum and instructional materials to districts and skill centers for optional use by the 2027-28 school year. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

ESHB 2331:  which requires school district Instructional Materials Committees (IMCs) to include at least one parent member, and directs the IMC to include recommendations for culturally and experientially representative instructional materials. The bill also prohibits school districts from refusing to approve or prohibit the use of any instructional (or supplemental) material on the basis that it relates to or includes the study or contributions of any individual or group who is part of a protected class unless the content contains discriminatory bias. The bill has passed the Senate Rules Committee.

SSB 5804: which requires all school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools, to obtain and maintain opioid overdose reversal medication in each school and to adopt a related policy. The bill also makes grant programs available for purchasing opioid overdose reversal medication and training personnel to administer the medication. The bill has passed the House Rules Committee.

SB 5852: which modifies safety net award eligibility and award adjustment provisions and requires that a survey of small school districts be used to implement a simplified, standardized safety net application. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

2SSB 5882: which increases staff allocations for teaching assistants, office support staff, and non instructional aides in the prototypical school funding model. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

SB 5883: which establishes burden of proof requirements for special education due process hearings. The bill has passed both chambers and has been signed by the Senate President

Odds and Ends

“It was a little shocking for us when there was so much opposition to the bill because the intent was really to hear other genocide voices and incorporate them.” From The Seattle Times, Holocaust Education Requirement Fails in WA Legislature.

 “Some colleges and universities with teacher training programs are amending their courses so they’re more in line with the latest research.” This week from KQED’w MindShift, Teacher Training Programs Don’t Always Use Research-Backed Reading Methods.

Meet CSTP’s Legislative Update Coordinator Samantha Miller

Samantha Miller

Samantha Miller returns as CSTP’s Legislative Updates Coordinator for the 2024 legislative session. She writes weekly emails during the legislative session focusing on bills that impact Washington educators.

Samantha has degrees in both Political Science and History, as well as a Master in Teaching. Samantha has worked in Elementary Education for 6 years, most recently as a 3rd Grade general education teacher. The majority of her time is spent chasing around her two children who keep her very busy. Samantha enjoys running, working in her yard, listening to political podcasts, and spending time with her family.

Weekly Legislative Update: February 23, 2024

Happy Friday! This week kicked off with the Senate and House fiscal committees releasing their operating and supplemental budget proposals. Short sessions provide little time for lawmakers to catch their breath, because around every corner there seems to be another cut-off. Budgets tend to move fairly quickly through each chamber and the sooner they pass, the sooner committees can meet and the negotiations begin. Last week, the State Revenue Forecast was released, and it turns out that “Washington’s economy is projected to generate $67 billion for the two-year budget cycle that began July 1, up $122 million from the last forecast in November.” That gives Democratic budget writers more money than previously anticipated.

Senate lawmakers proposed their $71.7 billion supplemental operating budget, while the House is proposing just shy of that. The Olympian quoted Rep. Timm Ormsby, D-Spokane, chair of the House Appropriations Committee, “We are proud of the investments we’re presenting today…We do not go backwards in any part of the budget, nor do we fund one program or project at the expense of another.” 

On the Senate side, one of the largest proposals in the supplemental budgets this year is $242 million for K-12 schools, which includes funding for free student meals, school construction and special education. Paraeducators would also get an increase in hourly wages under the new budget proposal that would cost the state $49.6 million.

The session officially ends Thursday, March 7, which is just around the corner. Within that time lawmakers will face two more cut-offs: February 26 (fiscal) and March 1 (Rules). This week included the last of the policy committee meetings, and the focus now shifts to the fiscal committees and whether those education bills make it out of either the House Appropriations or the Senate Ways & Means Committees. It is worth noting that two major bills failed to make it out of policy committees this week. Senator Wellman’s sponsored Senate bill, ESSB 6264, that deals with implementing competency-based education, failed at the last second in executive session to make it out of the House. On the other side, House bill 4SHB 1479, which concerns banning the use of restraints and isolation techniques in schools, also failed to make it out of executive session. 

Fiscal Hearings Next Week on TVW.org:

House Appropriations Committee

  • Friday, February 23rd @ 1:30pm
  • Monday, February 26th @ 10:30am

Senate Ways & Means Committee

  • Friday, February 23rd @ 1:30pm
  • Saturday, February 24th @ 9am
  • Monday, February 26th @ 10am

Bills We’re Following

HB 1146: which requires public schools to notify high school students and their families about available dual credit programs and any available financial assistance (Senate hearing time: 22:30 and 30:58). Testifying in support: representatives from the WSPTA and Stand for Children. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

3SHB 1228: which relates to grant programs for establishing dual language education and tribal language education programs, as well as multilingual skill bonuses for certificated instructional staff and paraeducators (Senate hearing time: 17:45 and 1:15:58). Testifying in support: representatives from WSPTA, OneAmerica and several concerned citizens. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

E4SHB 1239: which would establish a simple, uniform, and easily accessible state-level process for the receipt and classification of complaints involving the elementary and secondary education system, and would require school districts to post the complaint process on their websites and make information available about the complaint process. The bill would also change the defense for use of force on children with respect to teachers and other school staff (Senate hearing time: 2:14 and 42:07). Testifying in support: representatives from SCPTSA and several concerned citizens. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

ESHB 1277: which requires improving the consistency and quality of the implementation of the fundamental course of study for paraeducators (Senate hearing time: 2:40 and 35:29). Testifying in support: several concerned citizens, representatives from the WEA, PSE and PESB. Testifying as “other:” representatives from Lake Washington SD. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

EsHB 1608: which requires the Secretary of Health to issue a statewide standing order prescribing epinephrine and epinephrine autoinjectors to any school district for use by designated trained school personnel. The bill also permits school districts to maintain a supply of epinephrine and epinephrine autoinjectors (Senate hearing time: 14:28 and 1:25:02). Testifying in support: representatives from SNOW. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

HB 1879: which would name the curriculum used to inform students about tribal history, culture, and government after John McCoy (lulilaš) (Senate hearing time: 6:37 and 50:28). Testifying in support: representatives from the SBE, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

SHB 1915: which would require school districts by the 2025-26 school year to provide high school students with access to at least one-half credit of financial education instruction. This bill gained some press this week from The Seattle Times. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

E2SHB 1956: which directs the Secretary of Health to annually develop and distribute a statewide multimedia substance use prevention and awareness campaign that meets specified requirements and requires OSPI to distribute school and classroom substance use prevention and awareness materials (Senate hearing time: 45:19). Testifying in support: representatives from WSPTA, Washington Poison Center, the Governor’s Office, OSPI, several concerned citizens and the Mayor of Mercer Island. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

HB 2110: which concerns reorganizing statutory requirements governing high school graduation (Senate hearing time: 28:38 and 48:50). The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

2SHB 2236: which directs OSPI to develop an Allied Health Professions Career and Technical Education Core Plus Program and provide available curriculum and instructional materials to districts and skill centers for optional use by the 2025-26 school year (Senate hearing time: 23:28 and 49:16). Testifying in support: representatives from AWB, Washington State Skill Centers, OSPI, MIC, Workforce Board and AGC. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

ESHB 2331: which would bar school boards from refusing to approve, or prohibiting the use of, an educational material on the basis that it relates to the study of contributions of individuals or groups that are part of a protected class, and would establish new requirements for written complaints about instructional materials (Senate hearing time: 1:43:04). The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

SSB 5804: which would require school districts to maintain at least one set of opioid reversal medication doses within each high school (hearing time: 9:01 and 38:50). Testifying in support: student representatives from Lake Washington HS and several concerned citizens. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

E2SSB 5849: which requires that all students show competency in high school learning standards related to computer science in order to graduate from high school, but specifies that the requirements do not increase the number of high school credits required for graduation, beginning with the 2029 graduating class. The bill also provides various options in which students may demonstrate competency in computer science learning standards (hearing time: 00:56 and 1:33:54). Testifying in support: representatives from The Sammamish HS Robotics Team. Testifying in opposition: several students from Lake Washington HS. Testifying as “other:” representatives from WSSDA, WSPTA and CSTA Puget Sound. The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

SSB 5850: which would establish a grant program for community-based organizations to support students who are chronically absent, and would require each ESD to develop and offer staff training on early warning systems to identify and locate students who are chronically absent (House hearing time: 59:40). Testifying in support: representatives from SBCTC, OSPI, AESD, Open Doors and United Way of King Co. The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

SB 5852: would require that special education safety net awards only be adjusted for errors in applications or IEPs that materially affect the demonstration of need (House hearing time: 33:09). Testifying in support: representatives from PSE, Chehalis SD and WSSDA. The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

2SSB 5882: which would phase in additional staffing allocations for paraprofessionals in instructional and non-instructional roles in an effort to improve the individualized support for student learning and behavioral needs. The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

SB 5883: provides that a school district has the burden of proof when it is a party to a special education due process hearing and creates an exception to this burden of proof requirement in circumstances when a parent seeks reimbursement for a unilateral parental placement (House hearing time: 1:10:44). Testifying in support: representatives from TeamChild and The Arc of WA State. Testifying as “other:” representatives from WSSDA, Mercer Island SD, School Alliance and Small School Districts of Lewis Co. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

Odds and Ends

Bonds vs. Levies and the heavy lift of a supermajority. This week from Crosscut, Over Half of WA School Bond Measures Get a Majority Vote but Fail.

“Test scores are one way to look at how well kids are doing in school, but they increasingly don’t match grades. This is problematic when families use both to signal academic gains or strains.” From The Seattle Times’ Education Lab, Grade Inflation is Hurting WA Students, Researchers Say.” 

Meet CSTP’s Legislative Update Coordinator Samantha Miller

Samantha Miller

Samantha Miller returns as CSTP’s Legislative Updates Coordinator for the 2024 legislative session. She writes weekly emails during the legislative session focusing on bills that impact Washington educators.

Samantha has degrees in both Political Science and History, as well as a Master in Teaching. Samantha has worked in Elementary Education for 6 years, most recently as a 3rd Grade general education teacher. The majority of her time is spent chasing around her two children who keep her very busy. Samantha enjoys running, working in her yard, listening to political podcasts, and spending time with her family.

Weekly Legislative Update: February 16, 2024

Happy Friday! Lawmakers have worked their way through another busy week on the hill and with much to show for it. Tuesday, February 13, brought with it the cut-off for all bills to be passed out of their house of origin. That put all eyes on the “Rules Committees,” with legislators waiting to see if their bill would be one to make it onto the House or Senate floor, voted on, and passed on to the opposite house. There were several education bills that did get stuck in Rules and will not move forward this session, but it is worth noting that both houses worked quickly and did get an extraordinary amount of bills on the floor and out of committee.

With that cut-off behind them, committee leaders wasted no time scheduling public hearings for bills that came to them from the opposite house. Education committees in both the House and the Senate held meetings Wednesday and Thursday with packed agendas. The next cut-off comes next Wednesday, February 21, and is the last day for policy committees of the opposite house to pass bills out of committee.

Education Hearings Next Week on TVW.org:

House Education Committee

  • Monday, February 19th @ 1:30pm
  • Tuesday, February 20th @ 4pm

Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee

  • Monday, February 19th @ 1:30pm
  • Wednesday, February 21st @ 10:30am

Bills We’re Following

ESHB 1113: which requires the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) to adopt rules for reviewing and vacating reprimands related to behavior that did not involve a student issued to certificated professional educators. The bill is in the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee.

HB 1146: which requires public schools to notify high school students and their families about available dual credit programs and any available financial assistance (Senate hearing time: 22:30 and 30:58). Testifying in support: representatives from the WSPTA and Stand for Children. The bill is in the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee

3SHB 1228: which relates to grant programs for establishing dual language education and tribal language education programs, as well as multilingual skill bonuses for certificated instructional staff and paraeducators. The bill is in the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee.

4SHB 1239: which would establish a simple, uniform, and easily accessible state-level process for the receipt and classification of complaints involving the elementary and secondary education system, and would require school districts to post the complaint process on their websites and make information available about the complaint process. The bill would also change the defense for use of force on children with respect to teachers and other school staff. The bill is in the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee.

ESHB 1277: which requires improving the consistency and quality of the implementation of the fundamental course of study for paraeducators (Senate hearing time: 2:40 and 35:29). Testifying in support: several concerned citizens, representatives from the WEA, PSE and PESB. Testifying as “other:” representatives from Lake Washington SD. The bill is in the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee

4SHB 1479: which would limit restraint and isolation of students, including by prohibiting chemical and mechanical restraint, modifies requirements for incident notification, adds staff and governing body training requirements and establishes state compliance monitoring and support. The bill is in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Committee.

EsHB 1608: which requires the Secretary of Health to issue a statewide standing order prescribing epinephrine and epinephrine autoinjectors to any school district for use by designated trained school personnel. The bill also permits school districts to maintain a supply of epinephrine and epinephrine autoinjectors. The bill is in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Committee.

HB 1879: which would name the curriculum used to inform students about tribal history, culture, and government after John McCoy (lulilaš) (Senate hearing time: 6:37 and 50:28). Testifying in support: representatives from the SBE, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. The bill is in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Committee.

SHB 1915: which would require school districts by the 2025-26 school year to provide high school students with access to at least one-half credit of financial education instruction. This bill gained some press this week from The Seattle Times. The bill is in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Committee

2SHB 1956: which directs the Secretary of Health to annually develop and distribute a statewide multimedia substance use prevention and awareness campaign that meets specified requirements and requires OSPI to distribute school and classroom substance use prevention and awareness materials. The bill is in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Committee

SHB 2037: which would require, beginning with the 2027-28 school year, public schools to provide instruction on the Holocaust and other genocides and crimes against humanity when the topic aligns with the social studies learning standards. The bill is in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Committee

HB 2110: which concerns reorganizing statutory requirements governing high school graduation (Senate hearing time: 28:38 and 48:50). The bill is in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Committee.

2SHB 2236: which directs OSPI to develop an Allied Health Professions Career and Technical Education Core Plus Program and provide available curriculum and instructional materials to districts and skill centers for optional use by the 2025-26 school year. The bill is in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Committee.

2SHB 2239: which would encourage school districts to provide instruction on skills that promote social, emotional, behavioral, and mental health and wellness. The bill is in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Committee.

ESHB 2331: which would bar school boards from refusing to approve, or prohibiting the use of, an educational material on the basis that it relates to the study of contributions of individuals or groups that are part of a protected class, and would establish new requirements for written complaints about instructional materials. The bill is in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Committee.

SSB 5804: which would require school districts to maintain at least one set of opioid reversal medication doses within each high school (hearing time: 9:01 and 38:50). Testifying in support: student representatives from Lake Washington HS and several concerned citizens. The bill is in the House Education Committee

SSB 5849: which requires that all students show competency in high school learning standards related to computer science in order to graduate from high school, but specifies that the requirements do not increase the number of high school credits required for graduation, beginning with the 2029 graduating class. The bill also provides various options in which students may demonstrate competency in computer science learning standards (hearing time: 00:56 and 1:33:54). Testifying in support: representatives from The Sammamish HS Robotics Team. Testifying in opposition: several students from Lake Washington HS. Testifying as “other:” representatives from WSSDA, WSPTA and CSTA Puget Sound. The bill is in the House Education Committee

SSB 5850: which would establish a grant program for community-based organizations to support students who are chronically absent, and would require each ESD to develop and offer staff training on early warning systems to identify and locate students who are chronically absent. The bill is in the House Education Committee

SB 5852: would require that special education safety net awards only be adjusted for errors in applications or IEPs that materially affect the demonstration of need (House hearing time: 33:09). Testifying in support: representatives from PSE, Chehalis SD and WSSDA. The bill is in the House Education Committee

2SSB 5882: which would phase in additional staffing allocations for paraprofessionals in instructional and non-instructional roles in an effort to improve the individualized support for student learning and behavioral needs. The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

SB 5883: provides that a school district has the burden of proof when it is a party to a special education due process hearing and creates an exception to this burden of proof requirement in circumstances when a parent seeks reimbursement for a unilateral parental placement (House hearing time: 1:10:44). Testifying in support: representatives from TeamChild and The Arc of WA State. Testifying as “other:” representatives from WSSDA, Mercer Island SD, School Alliance and Small School Districts of Lewis Co. The bill is in the House Education Committee.

ESSB 6264: which would require the State Board of Education (SBE) to develop and recommend a process to identify and designate schools and school districts that are implementing competency-based education (CBE) and identify costs associated with this process (House hearing time: 1:19 and 1:32:38). Testifying in support: representatives from Medical Lake SD and SBE. Testifying in opposition: a concerned citizen. Testifying as “other:” representatives from OSPI. The bill is in the House Education Committee.

Odds and Ends

Celebrate Black History Month with these books for kids about African Americans in the arts and entrepreneurship, handpicked by the Chicago Public Library staff.

Dig into the details of HB 1956, referred to as the “fentanyl education bill,” this week in The Seattle Times.

Meet CSTP’s Legislative Update Coordinator Samantha Miller

Samantha Miller

Samantha Miller returns as CSTP’s Legislative Updates Coordinator for the 2024 legislative session. She writes weekly emails during the legislative session focusing on bills that impact Washington educators.

Samantha has degrees in both Political Science and History, as well as a Master in Teaching. Samantha has worked in Elementary Education for 6 years, most recently as a 3rd Grade general education teacher. The majority of her time is spent chasing around her two children who keep her very busy. Samantha enjoys running, working in her yard, listening to political podcasts, and spending time with her family.

Weekly Legislative Update: February 9, 2024

Happy Friday! The legislature reached yet another major cut-off of the 2023-24 Legislative Session. Monday, February 5, was the last day for fiscal committees (House Appropriations and Senate Ways & Means) to pass bills out of their house of origin. Both fiscal committees held marathon hearings, a few surpassing 9 hour stretches, in the hopes to cover as many bills as possible. Many education bills we have been following made the cut, however, there were several bills that died in the fiscal committee process. One such bill, HB 2058, which aimed to provide free school meals to all requesting students, failed to make it out of the House Appropriations Committee on Monday and will no longer move forward this session. 

After the fiscal cut-off on Monday, both the House and Senate shifted their focus to full-time floor activity. Bills that are sitting in respective “Rules Committees,” may get considered, and scheduled to be placed on the floor calendar by their leadership, caucused on, and then brought to a vote before they move on to the opposite house. This is a lot of steps to be completed before the next session cut-off date and there are hundreds of bills sitting in Rules Committees. Next Tuesday, February 13, is the last day for bills to be passed out of their house of origin in order to “stay alive.”

  • Watch TVW.org for live action floor coverage of the House and Senate this week.

Bills We’re Following

ESHB 1113: which requires the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) to adopt rules for reviewing and vacating reprimands related to behavior that did not involve a student issued to certificated professional educators. The bill is in the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee.

HB 1146: which requires public schools to notify high school students and their families about available dual credit programs and any available financial assistance. The bill is in the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee.

2SHB 1228: which relates to grant programs for establishing dual language education and tribal language education programs, as well as multilingual skill bonuses for certificated instructional staff and paraeducators (hearing time: 1:41:46). Testified in support: representatives from OSPI and OneAmerica. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

4SHB 1239: which would establish a simple, uniform, and easily accessible state-level process for the receipt and classification of complaints involving the elementary and secondary education system, and would require school districts to post the complaint process on their websites and make information available about the complaint process (hearing time: 1:50:07). Testified in support: a concerned citizen and representatives from the SCPTSA. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

ESHB 1277: which requires improving the consistency and quality of the implementation of the fundamental course of study for paraeducators. The bill is in the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee.

4SHB 1479: which would limit restraint and isolation of students, including by prohibiting chemical and mechanical restraint, modifies requirements for incident notification, adds staff and governing body training requirements and establishes state compliance monitoring and support  (hearing time: 1:57:00). Testifying in support: a concerned citizen and representatives from Disability Rights Washington and the Arc of King County. Testifying as “other:” a concerned citizen and representatives from the WEA, PSE. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

3SHB 1565: which considers a feasibility report for a statewide online platform for recruitment and hiring of public school employees, establishes teacher residency programs, requires a teacher exchange program report, intends to improve beginning educator quality and increase beginning educator retention and to establish minimum requirements for educator workforce research (hearing time: 1:20:54). The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

EsHB 1608: which requires the Secretary of Health to issue a statewide standing order prescribing epinephrine and epinephrine autoinjectors to any school district for use by designated trained school personnel. The bill also permits school districts to maintain a supply of epinephrine and epinephrine autoinjectors (hearing time: 3:42). The bill is in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Committee.

HB 1879: which would name the curriculum used to inform students about tribal history, culture, and government after John McCoy (lulilaš) (hearing time: 00:37). The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

SHB 1915: which would require school districts by the 2025-26 school year to provide high school students with access to at least one-half credit of financial education instruction (hearing time: 22:26). The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

HB 1935: which promotes resource conservation practices that include student education and leadership opportunities in public schools (hearing time: 45:54). The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

2SHB 1956: which directs the Secretary of Health to annually develop and distribute a statewide multimedia substance use prevention and awareness campaign that meets specified requirements and requires OSPI to distribute school and classroom substance use prevention and awareness materials (hearing time: 2:14:49). Testifying in support: representatives from the Office of the Governor. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

SHB 2037: which would require, beginning with the 2027-28 school year, public schools to provide instruction on the Holocaust and other genocides and crimes against humanity when the topic aligns with the social studies learning standards (hearing time: 51:04). The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

SHB 2038: which concerns data collection on student transfers and withdrawals from public schools and school districts (hearing time: 1:18:20). The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

HB 2110: which concerns reorganizing statutory requirements governing high school graduation (hearing time: 48:53). The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

2SHB 2236: which directs OSPI to develop an Allied Health Professions Career and Technical Education Core Plus Program and provide available curriculum and instructional materials to districts and skill centers for optional use by the 2025-26 school year (hearing time: 4:07:09). Testified as “other:” representatives from the AGC and the AWB. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

2SHB 2239: which would encourage school districts to provide instruction on skills that promote social, emotional, behavioral, and mental health and wellness (hearing time: 3:07:24). Testifying in support: representatives from Committee for Children, NAMI Washington and the National Parents Association. Testifying in opposition: representatives from the Conservative Ladies of WA. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

SHB 2267: which would provide public school students with opportunities for cultural expression at commencement ceremonies (hearing time: 56:00). The bill is in the House Rules committee.

SHB 2331: which would bar school boards from refusing to approve, or prohibiting the use of, an educational material on the basis that it relates to the study of contributions of individuals or groups that are part of a protected class, and would establish new requirements for written complaints about instructional materials (hearing time: 11:08). The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

SHB 2398: which would require school district instructional materials committees (IMCs) to include parents of students in a number equaling less than one half of the total membership of the IMC (hearing time: 11:08). The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

SSB 5804: which would require school districts to maintain at least one set of opioid reversal medication doses within each high school (hearing time: 11:24 and 45:14). The bill is in the House Education Committee.

SSB 5849: which requires that all students show competency in high school learning standards related to computer science in order to graduate from high school, but specifies that the requirements do not increase the number of high school credits required for graduation, beginning with the 2029 graduating class. The bill also provides various options in which students may demonstrate competency in computer science learning standards (hearing time: 4:37:24). Testifying in support: a concerned citizen. Testifying as “other:” representatives from OSPI. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

SSB 5850: which would establish a grant program for community-based organizations  to support students who are chronically absent, and would require each ESD to develop and offer staff training on early warning systems to identify and locate students who are chronically absent (hearing time: 32:28). Testifying in support: representatives from the SBTCT, OPSI, UWKC, WSCA and several concerned citizens. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee

2SSB 5851: which requires public middle, junior high, and high schools to provide Holocaust and genocide instruction when this topic aligns with the social studies learning standards beginning with the 2027-28 school year (hearing time: 5:52:23). Testifying in support: representatives of the Holocaust Center for Humanity, Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, Vancouver Schools and several concerned citizens. Testified as “other:”representatives from WASEN and several concerned citizens. Testifying in opposition: representatives from BAI and several concerned citizens. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee

SB 5852: would require that special education safety net awards only be adjusted for errors in applications or IEPs that materially affect the demonstration of need (hearing time: 5:44:50). Testifying in support: representatives from South Sound Superintendents, Chehalis SD, WSSDA and Mercer Island SD. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

2SSB 5882: which would phase in additional staffing allocations for paraprofessionals in instructional and non-instructional roles in an effort to improve the individualized support for student learning and behavioral needs (hearing time: 4:54:06). Testifying in support: representatives from the WEA, OSPI, Tukwila SD, South Sound Superintendents, PSE and the WSPTA. Testifying in opposition: representatives from the Washington Policy Center. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

SB 5883: provides that a school district has the burden of proof when it is a party to a special education due process hearing and creates an exception to this burden of proof requirement in circumstances when a parent seeks reimbursement for a unilateral parental placement (hearing time: 7:01 and 38:26). The bill is in the House Education Committee.

SSB 6205: which would mandate instruction on the meaning and history of the pledge of allegiance in public schools (hearing time: 19:00). The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

SSB 6264: which would require the State Board of Education (SBE) to develop and recommend a process to identify and designate schools and school districts that are implementing competency-based education (CBE) and identify costs associated with this process (hearing time: 5:33:51). Testifying in support: a concerned citizen.  Testifying in opposition: several concerned citizens and representatives from the Conservative Ladies of WA. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

Odds and Ends

Is there a good way to go about combating screen time in the lives of teens? This week from The Seattle Times’ Education Lab, Educators Share 5 Ways to Confront Kids’ Screen Time.

This made me smile and thought it worth including: The Music Teacher Who Just Won a Grammy Says it Belongs to Her Students.

Meet CSTP’s Legislative Update Coordinator Samantha Miller

Samantha Miller

Samantha Miller returns as CSTP’s Legislative Updates Coordinator for the 2024 legislative session. She writes weekly emails during the legislative session focusing on bills that impact Washington educators.

Samantha has degrees in both Political Science and History, as well as a Master in Teaching. Samantha has worked in Elementary Education for 6 years, most recently as a 3rd Grade general education teacher. The majority of her time is spent chasing around her two children who keep her very busy. Samantha enjoys running, working in her yard, listening to political podcasts, and spending time with her family.

Weekly Legislative Update: February 2, 2024

We have made it to the end of another week on the hill, and this one came with its first major cut-off of the session. Wednesday, January 31, was the last day for committees to pass bills out of their house of origin. Bills that were not scheduled for executive session and voted out of committee by 5pm on Wednesday, did not move forward. It was a flurry of activity and hearing schedules were packed. Lawmakers have to make the most of their time during short sessions because time between cut-offs is brief at best. Monday, February 5, is the fiscal committee cut-off, meaning that bills currently in the House Appropriations and Senate Ways & Means committees will need to be voted out by end of day Monday.

We watched as various bills that were expected to move forward this session came to a standstill on Wednesday. Although not uncommon, there were quite a few bills that shared companion bills in the opposite house that did not move forward. SB 5559, which concerned restraint or isolation of students in public schools, did not make it out of the Senate Ed committee on Wednesday, but its companion bill in the house, 3SHB 1479, did move forward. 

A big win for Senator Wellman and the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Committee was moving forward SSB 5804, which would put the life-saving opioid reversal medication naloxone, or “narcan,” in all Washington K-12 public schools. As reported in Crosscut, this legislation is timely as Washington experiences a public health crisis driven by the rise in fentanyl related overdoses and deaths. Its companion in the house, HB 2029, did not move forward.

Fiscal Committee Hearings on TVW.org:

Senate Ways & Means Committee

  • Friday, February 2nd @ 1:30pm
  • Saturday, February 3rd @ 9am
  • Monday, February 5th @ 10am

House Appropriations Committee

  • Friday, February 2nd @ 10:30pm
  • Saturday, February 3rd @ 9am
  • Monday, February 5th @ 10:30am

Bills We’re Following

ESHB 1113: which requires the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) to adopt rules for reviewing and vacating reprimands related to behavior that did not involve a student issued to certificated professional educators. The bill is in the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee.

HB 1146: which requires public schools to notify high school students and their families about available dual credit programs and any available financial assistance. The bill is in the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee.

2SHB 1228: which would establish grant programs for establishing dual language education and tribal language education programs, as well as establish multilingual skill bonuses for certificated instructional staff and paraeducators (hearing time: 12:47). The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

3SHB 1239: which would establish a simple, uniform, and easily accessible state-level process for the receipt and classification of complaints involving the elementary and secondary education system, and would require school districts to post the complaint process on their websites and make information available about the complaint process (hearing time: 39:40). The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

ESHB 1277: which requires improving the consistency and quality of the implementation of the fundamental course of study for paraeducators. The bill is in the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee.

3SHB 1479: which concerns restraint or isolation of students in public schools and educational programs (hearing time: 18:33 and 40:26). The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

3SHB 1565: which requires a feasibility report for a statewide online platform for recruitment and hiring of public school employees, establishes teacher residency programs, requires a teacher exchange program report, intends to improve beginning educator quality and increase beginning educator retention and to establish minimum requirements for educator workforce research (hearing time: 1:20:54). The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

EsHB 1608: which requires the Secretary of Health to issue a statewide standing order prescribing epinephrine and epinephrine autoinjectors to any school district for use by designated trained school personnel. The bill also permits school districts to maintain a supply of epinephrine and epinephrine autoinjectors (hearing time: 3:42). The bill is in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Committee.

HB 1879: which would name the curriculum used to inform students about tribal history, culture, and government after John McCoy (lulilaš) (hearing time: 00:37). The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

SHB 1914: which aims to improve special education services received by qualifying students by requiring school districts to provide parents information about the Office of the Education Ombuds with special education materials, and to provide parents with a monthly report about the quantity and method of special education services delivered to their students (hearing time: 1:37:53). The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

SHB 1915: which would require school districts by the 2025-26 school year to provide high school students with access to at least one-half credit of financial education instruction (hearing time: 22:26). The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

HB 1922: which would require OSPI to establish a grant program for the purchase and installation of vape detectors in public schools (hearing time: 1:36:19). The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

HB 1935: which promotes resource conservation practices that include student education and leadership opportunities in public schools (hearing time: 45:54). The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

SHB 1956: which directs the Secretary of Health to annually develop and distribute a statewide multimedia substance use prevention and awareness campaign that meets specified requirements and requires OSPI to distribute school and classroom substance use prevention and awareness materials  (hearing time: 0:46). The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

HB 2018: which would require OSPI to conduct a two year pilot program where selected sites implement a strategy to restrict student mobile device use during instructional hours and to report to the OSPI with certain information related to implementing the restriction, and would requires the Washington State School Directors’ Association (WSSDA) to develop a model policy for restricting student mobile device use during instructional hours based on the information gathered from the pilot program (hearing time 1:21:44). The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

SHB 2037: which would require, beginning with the 2027-28 school year, public schools to provide instruction on the Holocaust and other genocides and crimes against humanity when the topic aligns with the social studies learning standards (hearing time: 51:04). The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

SHB 2038: which concerns data collection on student transfers and withdrawals from public schools and school districts (hearing time: 1:18:20). The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

HB 2058: which would require all school districts to provide breakfast and lunch without charge to any requesting students, beginning with the 2024–25 school year (hearing time: 31:24 and 1:04:15). The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

HB 2110: which concerns reorganizing statutory requirements governing high school graduation (hearing time: 48:53). The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

SHB 2130: which would extend eligibility for special education services to the end of the school year in which a student eligible for special education services turns 22 years of age (hearing time: 0:44). The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

SHB 2236: which directs OSPI to develop an Allied Health Professions Career and Technical Education Core Plus Program and provide available curriculum and instructional materials to districts and skill centers for optional use by the 2025-26 school year (hearing time 1:05:30). The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

SHB 2239: which would encourage school districts to provide instruction on skills that promote social, emotional, behavioral, and mental health and wellness (hearing time: 16:12). The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

SHB 2267: which would provide public school students with opportunities for cultural expression at commencement ceremonies (hearing time: 56:00). The bill is in the House Rules committee.

SHB 2331: which would bar school boards from refusing to approve, or prohibiting the use of, an educational material on the basis that it relates to the study of contributions of individuals or groups that are part of a protected class, and would establish new requirements for written complaints about instructional materials (hearing time: 11:08). The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

SHB 2398: which would require school district instructional materials committees (IMCs) to include parents of students in a number equaling less than one half of the total membership of the IMC (hearing time: 11:08). The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

SSB 5804: which would require school districts to maintain at least one set of opioid reversal medication doses within each high school (hearing time: 11:24 and 45:14). The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

SSB 5809: which would authorize charter schools to apply for state grants on the same basis as school districts (hearing time: 1:05:54). The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

SSB 5849: which requires that all students show competency in high school learning standards related to computer science in order to graduate from high school, but specifies that the requirements do not increase the number of high school credits required for graduation, beginning with the 2029 graduating class. The bill also provides various options in which students may demonstrate competency in computer science learning standards (hearing time: 1:18:12). The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

SB 5850: which would establish a grant program for community-based organizations  to support students who are chronically absent, and would require each ESD to develop and offer staff training on early warning systems to identify and locate students who are chronically absent (hearing time: 1:12:13). The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

SSB 5851: which requires public middle, junior high, and high schools to provide Holocaust and genocide instruction when this topic aligns with the social studies learning standards beginning with the 2027-28 school year (hearing time: 4:00). The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

SB 5852: would require that special education safety net awards only be adjusted for errors in applications or IEPs that materially affect the demonstration of need. (hearing time: 1:52 and 26:52). The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

SSB 5882: which would phase in additional staffing allocations for paraprofessionals in instructional and non-instructional roles in an effort to improve the individualized support for student learning and behavioral needs (hearing time: 28:55). The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

SB 5883: provides that a school district has the burden of proof when it is a party to a special education due process hearing and creates an exception to this burden of proof requirement in circumstances when a parent seeks reimbursement for a unilateral parental placement (hearing time: 7:01 and 38:26). The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

SSB 5923: which tasks OSPI to review and update substance use prevention education materials and resources provided to students and families in middle and high schools and requires education to prevent fentanyl and other opioid use to be provided once a year to all students in seventh and ninth grade (hearing time: 14:11 and 58:18). The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

SB 6014: which would increase the K-12 special education enrollment funding cap from 15 percent to 17.25 percent (hearing time 19:51 and 1:06:02). The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

SB 6018: which would designate early learning coordinators at educational service districts (hearing time: 51:07). The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

SB 6123: which would establish the minimum state average allocation for salaries for classified administrative staff at $91,733, and for other classified staff to $54,633, beginning with the 2024-25 school year  (hearing time: 22:23). The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

SSB 6205: which would mandate instruction on the meaning and history of the pledge of allegiance in public schools (hearing time: 19:00). The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

SB 6216: which would establish a regional school-based mental and behavioral health student assistance program through the educational service districts (ESDs), and would create a grant program to support school districts in developing and implementing a plan for recognition, screening, and response to emotional or behavioral distress in students (hearing time: 1:02:39). The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

SSB 6264: which would require the State Board of Education (SBE) to develop and recommend a process to identify and designate schools and school districts that are implementing competency-based education (CBE) and identify costs associated with this process (hearing time: 59:30). The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

Odds and Ends

How daily mindfulness lessons are showing positive results in one Florida elementary school. This week from NPR, To Help These Kids Deal With Trauma, Mindfulness Lessons Over the Loudspeaker.

“Some educators prefer inquiry; some prefer direct instruction. Depending upon your biases, you’re likely to see a complicated, mixed body of research as glass half full or glass half empty.” From KQED’s MindShift, Two Groups of Scholars Revive the Debate Over Inquiry vs. Direct Instruction.

Meet CSTP’s Legislative Update Coordinator Samantha Miller

Samantha Miller

Samantha Miller returns as CSTP’s Legislative Updates Coordinator for the 2024 legislative session. She writes weekly emails during the legislative session focusing on bills that impact Washington educators.

Samantha has degrees in both Political Science and History, as well as a Master in Teaching. Samantha has worked in Elementary Education for 6 years, most recently as a 3rd Grade general education teacher. The majority of her time is spent chasing around her two children who keep her very busy. Samantha enjoys running, working in her yard, listening to political podcasts, and spending time with her family.

Weekly Legislative Update – April 7, 2023

CSTP Updates

Happy Friday, Spring Break, Ramadan, Passover, and Easter as well! Phew! The session seems to be flying by and it is so packed with floor and committee action as well as the release, and debates of the budget proposals. According to the Seattle Times, “Spending on K-12 schools would account for nearly half of overall state spending for the next two years in both the House and Senate budget proposals. Legislators will have to hammer out an agreement on overall education spending and on a key area of that, special education.” Following the House budget vote earlier this week, appointed budget negotiators from both houses will continue to meet and debate on a final proposal. One of the last votes that lawmakers take this session will be on the final negotiated budget.   Tuesday, April 4, marked the fiscal committee cut-off for the House Appropriations and Senate Ways & Means Committees. Most education related bills made it through at the last minute, however, a few did fail to make the cut. The next cut-off comes next Wednesday, April 12, and will be the last day for lawmakers to consider and pass bills out of the opposite house. This is the last cut-off date before the end of session, Sine Die, which is scheduled for April 23.

Education Committee Hearings for Next Week on TVW.org

There are no committee meetings scheduled next week but we expect there will be a lot of floor action.

House Bills

2SHB 1013: which would require OSPI and Washington ESDs to jointly establish a regional apprenticeship pilot program with one site each in Eastern and Western Washington (hearing time: 6:18). The bill is in the Rules Committee.

SHB 1015: which revises minimum employment requirements for paraeducators. The bill has passed both chambers and has been signed by the House Speaker and the Senate President.

ESHB 1057: which would provide a benefit increase to certain retirees of the public employees’ retirement system plan 1 and the teachers’ retirement system plan 1. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

HB 1146: which would require schools to notify high school students and their families about available dual credit programs and any available financial assistance. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

SHB 1207: which aims to prevent and respond to harassment, intimidation, bullying, and discrimination in schools through updated policies and procedures. The bill has passed both chambers.

E2SHB 1238: which would require K-5 elementary public schools, beginning with the 2024-25 school year, to offer universal free breakfasts and lunches if up to 30% of students at the school qualify for free or reduced lunch. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee. 

ESHB 1277: which would establish rules to improve the consistency and quality of the implementation of the fundamental courses of study for paraeducators. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

​​HB 1308: which establishes a graduation pathway option that enables students to meet pathway requirements by completing a performance-based learning experience. The bill has passed both chambers.

2SHB 1316:  which would lower dual enrollment program costs for eligible students from $65 to $42.50 per credit by creating a subsidy program, incentivizing reduction of per college credit fees charged to college in the high school students, and revising eligibility for the Running Start (RS) program tuition fee waiver. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

2SHB 1332: which would require all school districts to incorporate a tribal sovereignty curriculum into their social studies curricula by September 1, 2023, as well as require districts to consult with the nearest federally recognized Indian tribe(s) about incorporating materials about their history, culture, and government into their social studies curricula by September 1, 2025. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

ESHB 1377:  which would require the posting of approved courses and providers of continuing education. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee. 

ESHB 1436: which would increase the enrollment limit for special education funding over several years until the 2027-28 school year, when the limit is removed, and would increase special education excess cost multipliers for kindergarten through age 21 over four school years to 1.059 for students who spend at least 80 percent of the school day in a general education setting. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

2SHB 1550: which would establish the transition to kindergarten program to provide no-charge assistance to eligible children in need of additional preparation to be successful kindergarten students in the following school year. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

HB 1622: which aims to support the needs of students experiencing homelessness by aligning program goals, establishing common reporting requirements, and establishing examples of permitted expenditures for the OSPI program. The bill has passed both chambers.

SHB 1658:which would authorize high school students aged 16 and above to earn up to two elective credits through paid work experience if approval and alignment with the student’s High School and Beyond Plan are met. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

SHB 1701: which concerns basic education services to youth who are served through institutional education programs. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

Senate Bills

SB 5019: which removes “classified staff providing student and staff safety” from the definition of physical, social, and emotional support staff and the specific funding considerations for that group. The bill is in the House Rules Committee. 

SSB 5048: which would require colleges to provide enrollment and registration in College in the High School (CHS) courses at no cost to students in grades 9-12 at public high schools, and would require the legislature to appropriate funds to fund CHS courses, at inflation-adjusted rates. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

SSB 5072: which would establish new requirements for identifying students who may be eligible for highly capable services, including conducting universal screenings once in or before second grade, and again before sixth grade.The bill has passed both chambers.

SSB 5127: which would clarifyschool districts’ ability to redact personal information related to a student. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

E2SSB 5174: which would modify the student transportation allocation formula and expand the definition of “to and from school” to include the transportation of students participating in career connected and work based learning opportunities. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

ESB 5175: which would allow employment contracts between a school board and principal to be up to three years in length, as opposed to limited to a term of one year. The bill has passed both chambers.

E2SSB 5243: which revises high school and beyond plan (HSBP) requirements, and would require OSPI to facilitate the transition and adoption of a common online platform for HSBPs. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

ESSB 5257: which would ensure that public schools provide daily recess for all elementary students with a minimum of 45 minutes when the school day is longer than five hours and a minimum of 30 minutes when the school day is shorter, as well as prohibit schools from withholding recess as a punitive action. The bill has passed both chambers.

E2SSB 5311: which would increase the special education excess cost multipliers for pre-K and K12 students over a four-year period and increase the special education enrollment funding cap from 13.5 percent to 14.5 percent. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

E2SSB 5315: which would require OSPI to establish standards for approval, monitoring, and investigating school district contracts with nonpublic agencies (NPAs) operating special education programs for students with disabilities, and requires that restraint and isolation procedures and notification requirements apply to NPAS. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

ESB 5355: which requires school districts to provide instruction on sex trafficking prevention and identification at least once between grades 7 and 12 beginning in the 2024-25 school year. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

SSB 5617: which would require interdistrict cooperative agreements in a skill center to stipulate that any course equivalencies approved by OSPI or a host district must be honored by other participating school districts. The bill has passed both chambers. 

ESB 5650: which concerns salary inflationary increases for K-12 employees. The bill has been delivered to the governor awaiting signature. 

Odds and Ends

“In Washington, housing is one of the clearest predictors of whether a student might face suspension or expulsion from school.” On April 12, Project Homeless is hosting a discussion about some of the challenges homeless students face, as well as solutions. Read more on this and how you can join in or offer help, from the Seattle Times, What Do You Want To Know About K-12 Student Homelessness?

“Last month, education leaders from Utah, California, and Maryland visited three Washington schools to learn strategies for inclusive education to take back to their states,” read more from OSPI: Washington Schools Serve as Model for Inclusionary Practices.

Meet CSTP’s Legislative Update Coordinator Samantha Miller

Samantha Miller returns as CSTP’s Legislative Updates Coordinator for the 2023 legislative session. She writes weekly emails during the legislative session focusing on bills that impact Washington educators. Samantha has degrees in both Political Science and History, as well as a Master in Teaching. Samantha has worked in Elementary Education for 6 years, most recently as a 3rd Grade general education teacher. The majority of her time is spent chasing around her two children who keep her very busy. Samantha enjoys running, working in her yard, listening to political podcasts, and spending time with her family.

Weekly Legislative Update – March 31, 2023

CSTP Updates

There is just one month left in the 2023 Legislative Session, and this week lawmakers were desperately trying to get last minute bills passed out of committee before Wednesday’s deadline, as well as working behind the scenes crafting this year’s budget. Wednesday marked the last day for bills to pass out of policy committees in the opposite house, except for fiscal committees. The House Appropriations and Senate Ways & Means Committees have until Tuesday, April 4, to move bills out.

Last Friday, the State Supreme Court upheld the capital gains tax, reversing the previous superior court order. This means that the revenue raised by this tax can be assumed in our state’s next two-year budget, which comes as a relief to many lawmakers during this budget-drafting crunch time.  While we are on the topic of budgets, Senate Democrats released their budget proposal late last week, and according to NPR, “The operating budget that Senate lawmakers released includes about $5 billion in new spending, and almost $3 billion of that would be for education, for things like teacher salaries, special education funding.” The House Democrats released their budget proposal Monday afternoon, and Crosscut reports, “The proposed House budget would spend nearly $70 billion over the next two years, an increase from the $59 billion budget plan approved two years ago. Among other things, it would expand the number of K-12 schools providing free breakfast and put $172 million toward boosting special education in K-12 schools. Now that both the house and senate have released their proposals, lawmakers will need to sit down to figure out a compromise by April 23, the end of the session. 

Education Committee Hearings for Next Week on TVW.org

House Appropriations Committee

  • Monday, April 3 at 9:00 a.m.
  • Tuesday, April 4 at 9:00 a.m.

Senate Ways & Means Education Committee

  • Monday, April 3 at 10:00 a.m.
  • Tuesday, April 4 at 10:00 a.m.

House Bills

2SHB 1013: which would require OSPI and Washington ESDs to jointly establish a regional apprenticeship pilot program with one site each in Eastern and Western Washington (hearing time: 6:18). The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

SHB 1015: which revises minimum employment requirements for paraeducators. The bill has passed both chambers and has been signed by the House Speaker and the Senate President.

ESHB 1057: which would provide a benefit increase to certain retirees of the public employees’ retirement system plan 1 and the teachers’ retirement system plan 1. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

SHB 1109: which would provide additional special education funding to school districts in order to increase initial evaluations during summers. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

HB 1146: which would require schools to notify high school students and their families about available dual credit programs and any available financial assistance. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

SHB 1207: which aims to prevent and respond to harassment, intimidation, bullying, and discrimination in schools through updated policies and procedures. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

2SHB 1238: which would require K-5 elementary public schools, beginning with the 2024-25 school year, to offer universal free breakfasts and lunches if up to 30% of students at the school qualify for free or reduced lunch. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee. 

ESHB 1277: which would establish rules to improve the consistency and quality of the implementation of the fundamental courses of study for paraeducators. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

​​HB 1308: which establishes a graduation pathway option that enables students to meet pathway requirements by completing a performance-based learning experience. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

2SHB 1316: which would lower dual enrollment program costs for eligible students from $65 to $42.50 per credit by creating a subsidy program, incentivizing reduction of per college credit fees charged to college in the high school students, and revising eligibility for the Running Start (RS) program tuition fee waiver. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

2SHB 1332: which would require all school districts to incorporate a tribal sovereignty curriculum into their social studies curricula by September 1, 2023, as well as require districts to consult with the nearest federally recognized Indian tribe(s) about incorporating materials about their history, culture, and government into their social studies curricula by September 1, 2025. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

ESHB 1377: which would require the posting of approved courses and providers of continuing education. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee. 

ESHB 1436: which would increase the enrollment limit for special education funding over several years until the 2027-28 school year, when the limit is removed, and would increase special education excess cost multipliers for kindergarten through age 21 over four school years to 1.059 for students who spend at least 80 percent of the school day in a general education setting. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

HB 1478: which establishes a statement of student rights for public schools and requires public schools to develop student-focused educational and promotional materials that incorporate the statement and to include the materials into required civics instruction. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

2SHB 1550: which would establish the transition to kindergarten program to provide no-charge assistance to eligible children in need of additional preparation to be successful kindergarten students in the following school year. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

2SHB 1565: which requires the development of an online platform for the recruitment and hiring of public school employees and establishes a teacher residency program. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

HB 1622: which aims to support the needs of students experiencing homelessness by aligning program goals, establishing common reporting requirements, and establishing examples of permitted expenditures for the OSPI program. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

SHB 1658: which would authorize high school students aged 16 and above to earn up to two elective credits through paid work experience if approval and alignment with the student’s High School and Beyond Plan are met. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

SHB 1701: which concerns basic education services to youth who are served through institutional education programs. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

Senate Bills

SB 5019: which removes “classified staff providing student and staff safety” from the definition of physical, social, and emotional support staff and the specific funding considerations for that group. The bill is in the House Rules Committee. 

SSB 5048: which would require colleges to provide enrollment and registration in College in the High School (CHS) courses at no cost to students in grades 9-12 at public high schools, and would require the legislature to appropriate funds to fund CHS courses, at inflation-adjusted rates. The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

SSB 5072: which would establish new requirements for identifying students who may be eligible for highly capable services, including conducting universal screenings once in or before second grade, and again before sixth grade. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

ESSB 5102: which requires school districts and school boards to provide every student with access to school library information and technology programs. The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

SSB 5127: which would clarifyschool districts’ ability to redact personal information related to a student. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

E2SSB 5174: which would modify the student transportation allocation formula and expand the definition of “to and from school” to include the transportation of students participating in career connected and work based learning opportunities. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

ESB 5175: which would allow employment contracts between a school board and principal to be up to three years in length, as opposed to limited to a term of one year. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

E2SSB 5243: which revises high school and beyond plan (HSBP) requirements, and would require OSPI to facilitate the transition and adoption of a common online platform for HSBPs. The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

ESSB 5257:which would ensure that public schools provide daily recess for all elementary students with a minimum of 45 minutes when the school day is longer than five hours and a minimum of 30 minutes when the school day is shorter, as well as prohibit schools from withholding recess as a punitive action. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

E2SSB 5311: which would increase the special education excess cost multipliers for pre-K and K12 students over a four-year period and increase the special education enrollment funding cap from 13.5 percent to 14.5 percent. The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

E2SSB 5315: which would require OSPI to establish standards for approval, monitoring, and investigating school district contracts with nonpublic agencies (NPAs) operating special education programs for students with disabilities, and requires that restraint and isolation procedures and notification requirements apply to NPAS. The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

ESB 5355: which requires school districts to provide instruction on sex trafficking prevention and identification at least once between grades 7 and 12 beginning in the 2024-25 school year. The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

SSB 5617: which would require interdistrict cooperative agreements in a skill center to stipulate that any course equivalencies approved by OSPI or a host district must be honored by other participating school districts. The bill is in the House Rules Committee. 

SSB 5626: which requires OSPI to establish a grant program for expanding the capability of school districts to integrate media literacy and digital citizenship into public school instruction. The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

ESB 5650: which concerns salary inflationary increases for K-12 employees. The bill has passed both chambers and has been signed by the House Speaker and the Senate President.

Odds and Ends

“Called “un-grading,” the idea is meant to ease the transition to higher education…” This week from NPR Ed, To Help New Students Adapt, Some Colleges are Eliminating Grades.

“I provide my students with examples from their real world that show they need a basic understanding of the science to comprehend the things taking place around them every day,” from MindShift this week, How Science Class Can Help Students Explore Inequities in Their Communities.

Meet CSTP’s Legislative Update Coordinator Samantha Miller

Samantha Miller returns as CSTP’s Legislative Updates Coordinator for the 2023 legislative session. She writes weekly emails during the legislative session focusing on bills that impact Washington educators. Samantha has degrees in both Political Science and History, as well as a Master in Teaching. Samantha has worked in Elementary Education for 6 years, most recently as a 3rd Grade general education teacher. The majority of her time is spent chasing around her two children who keep her very busy. Samantha enjoys running, working in her yard, listening to political podcasts, and spending time with her family.

Weekly Legislative Update – March 24, 2023

CSTP Updates

Happy Friday! Here we are with just a month left of the 2023 Legislative Session. Sine Die, the last day of session, is scheduled for April 23, and it will be here before we know it. This week, lawmakers were busy holding committee hearings with packed agendas, including public testimony on a number of bills as well as caucusing and holding executive sessions. These last few days before the final policy committee cut-off, March 29, can seem like a whirlwind on the hill. 

March’s revenue forecast was released on Monday the 20th, and the updated financial predictions come at a time when legislators are working to draft a new two-year budget. “Washington’s state operating budget is the spending plan that doles out dollars to the state’s schools, parks, prisons, public lands and social services, such as the foster care and mental health programs” reports Crosscut this week. Senate Democrats are scheduled to release their proposed two-year budget plan late this week, according to a spokesperson for the caucus. House Democrats could release their proposed spending blueprint as early as next week.

Education Committee Hearings for Next Week on TVW.org

House Education Committee:

  • Monday, March 27 at 1:30 p.m.
  • Tuesday, March 28 at 4:00 p.m.

Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee:

  • Monday, March 27 at 1:30 p.m.

House Bills

2SHB 1013: which would require OSPI and Washington ESDs to jointly establish a regional apprenticeship pilot program with one site each in Eastern and Western Washington (hearing time: 6:18). The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

SHB 1015: which revises minimum employment requirements for paraeducators (hearing time: 5:39). The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

ESHB 1057: which would provide a benefit increase to certain retirees of the public employees’ retirement system plan 1 and the teachers’ retirement system plan 1. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

SHB 1109: which would provide additional special education funding to school districts in order to increase initial evaluations during summers (hearing time: 1:17). The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

SHB 1113: which would require the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) to adopt rules for reviewing and vacating reprimands issued to certificated professional educators (hearing time: 20:08)The bill is in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee.

HB 1146: which would require schools to notify high school students and their families about available dual credit programs and any available financial assistance (hearing time: 00:38)The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

SHB 1207: which aims to prevent and respond to harassment, intimidation, bullying, and discrimination in schools through updated policies and procedures (hearing time: 5:51)The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

2SHB 1238: which would require K-5 elementary public schools, beginning with the 2024-25 school year, to offer universal free breakfasts and lunches if up to 30% of students at the school qualify for free or reduced lunch (hearing time: 1:15). The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee. 

ESHB 1277: which would establish rules to improve the consistency and quality of the implementation of the fundamental courses of study for paraeducators (hearing time: 00:29). The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

​​HB 1308: which establishes a graduation pathway option that enables students to meet pathway requirements by completing a performance-based learning experience (hearing time: 0:57)The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

2SHB 1316: which would lower dual enrollment program costs for eligible students from $65 to $42.50 per credit by creating a subsidy program, incentivizing reduction of per college credit fees charged to college in the high school students, and revising eligibility for the Running Start (RS) program tuition fee waiver (hearing time: 14:49). The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

2SHB 1332: which would require all school districts to incorporate a tribal sovereignty curriculum into their social studies curricula by September 1, 2023, as well as require districts to consult with the nearest federally recognized Indian tribe(s) about incorporating materials about their history, culture, and government into their social studies curricula by September 1, 2025 (hearing time: 26:26). The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

ESHB 1377: which would require the posting of approved courses and providers of continuing education (hearing time: 11:30). The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee. 

ESHB 1436: which would increase the enrollment limit for special education funding over several years until the 2027-28 school year, when the limit is removed, and would increase special education excess cost multipliers for kindergarten through age 21 over four school years to 1.059 for students who spend at least 80 percent of the school day in a general education setting (hearing time: 23:37). The bill is in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee.

HB 1478: which establishes a statement of student rights for public schools and requires public schools to develop student-focused educational and promotional materials that incorporate the statement and to include the materials into required civics instruction (hearing time: 13:16). The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

2SHB 1479: which would prohibit students from being subjected to isolation, mechanical restraint, or chemical restraint by school staff, except for school resource officers under some circumstances, and specifies that existing isolation rooms must remain unlocked, and no new isolation rooms may be created, and, by January 1, 2024, isolation rooms must be removed or repurposed (hearing time: 23:17) This issue of student restraint in Vancouver Public Schools received press this week in this article from CrosscutThe bill is in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee. 

SHB 1504: which requires public schools, beginning with the 2024-25 school year, to provide daily recess for all students in kindergarten through grade 5, and grade 6 if the students attend an elementary school. The bill is in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee.

2SHB 1550: which would establish the transition to kindergarten program to provide no-charge assistance to eligible children in need of additional preparation to be successful kindergarten students in the following school year (hearing time: 29:45). The bill is in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee.

2SHB 1565: which requires the development of an online platform for the recruitment and hiring of public school employees and establishes a teacher residency program (hearing time: 26:57). The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

HB 1622: which aims to support the needs of students experiencing homelessness by aligning program goals, establishing common reporting requirements, and establishing examples of permitted expenditures for the OSPI program (hearing time: 14:38). The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

SHB 1658: which would authorize high school students aged 16 and above to earn up to two elective credits through paid work experience if approval and alignment with the student’s High School and Beyond Plan are met (hearing time: 1:19)The bill is in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee.

SHB 1701: which concerns basic education services to youth who are served through institutional education programs (hearing time: 18:52). The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

Senate Bills

SB 5019: which removes “classified staff providing student and staff safety” from the definition of physical, social, and emotional support staff and the specific funding considerations for that group (hearing time: 1:37). The bill is in the House Rules Committee. 

SSB 5048: which would require colleges to provide enrollment and registration in College in the High School (CHS) courses at no cost to students in grades 9-12 at public high schools, and would require the legislature to appropriate funds to fund CHS courses, at inflation-adjusted rates. The bill is in the Senate Post Secondary Education & Workforce Committee.

SSB 5054: which would modify instructional hours to include time students spend in educational activities under the supervision of non-certificated staff while teachers participate in professional learning communities (PLCs) as well as encourage school districts to adopt a school calendar that includes at least four hours per week for teachers to engage in PLCs during the school day (hearing time: 46:09). The bill is in the House Education Committee.

SSB 5072: which would establish new requirements for identifying students who may be eligible for highly capable services, including conducting universal screenings once in or before second grade, and again before sixth grade. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

ESSB 5102: which requires school districts and school boards to provide every student with access to school library information and technology programs (hearing time: 00:46)The bill is in the House Education Committee.

SSB 5127: which would clarify school districts’ ability to redact personal information related to a student. The bill is in the House State Government & Tribal Relations Committee.

E2SSB 5174: which would modify the student transportation allocation formula and expand the definition of “to and from school” to include the transportation of students participating in career connected and work based learning opportunities. The bill has passed out of the House Appropriations Committee.

ESB 5175: which would allow employment contracts between a school board and principal to be up to three years in length, as opposed to limited to a term of one year (hearing time: 12:09). The bill is in the House Education Committee.

SB 5180: which aims to support the retention of teachers by removing barriers to licensure and creating a streamlined pathway to licensure mobility (hearing time: 17:42)The bill is in the House Education Committee.

E2SSB 5243: which revises high school and beyond plan (HSBP) requirements, and would require OSPI to facilitate the transition and adoption of a common online platform for HSBPs (hearing time: 25:40). The bill is in the House Education Committee.

ESSB 5257: which would ensure that public schools provide daily recess for all elementary students with a minimum of 45 minutes when the school day is longer than five hours and a minimum of 30 minutes when the school day is shorter, as well as prohibit schools from withholding recess as a punitive action. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

E2SSB 5311: which would increase the special education excess cost multipliers for pre-K and K12 students over a four-year period and increase the special education enrollment funding cap from 13.5 percent to 14.5 percent (hearing time: 1:12). The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

E2SSB 5315: which would require OSPI to establish standards for approval, monitoring, and investigating school district contracts with nonpublic agencies (NPAs) operating special education programs for students with disabilities, and requires that restraint and isolation procedures and notification requirements apply to NPAS (hearing time: 3:25)The bill is in the House Education Committee.

ESB 5355: which requires school districts to provide instruction on sex trafficking prevention and identification at least once between grades 7 and 12 beginning in the 2024-25 school year. The bill is in the House Education Committee.

ESB 5462: which would direct OSPI to review and update relevant state learning standards at all grade levels to include the histories, contributions, and perspectives of LGBTQ people, and historically marginalized and underrepresented groups, by December 1, 2024 (hearing time: 38:31)The bill is in the House Education Committee.

SSB 5617: which would require interdistrict cooperative agreements in a skill center to stipulate that any course equivalencies approved by OSPI or a host district must be honored by other participating school districts (hearing time: 17:25). The bill is in the House Rules Committee. 

SSB 5626: which requires OSPI to establish a grant program for expanding the capability of school districts to integrate media literacy and digital citizenship into public school instruction (hearing time: 20:28). The bill is in the House Education Committee.

ESB 5650: which concerns salary inflationary increases for K-12 employees. The bill has passed out of the House Appropriations Committee.

Odds and Ends:

“I love how my Black students, in particular, can’t tell the difference between my African American studies class and my American history class…” This week from MindShiftIllinois Teachers Create Black History Courses to Fill in Gaps in US History for Students.

This week from NPR Education, What We Do (and Don’t) Know About Teacher Shortages, and What Can Be Done About Them.

Meet CSTP’s Legislative Update Coordinator Samantha Miller

Samantha Miller returns as CSTP’s Legislative Updates Coordinator for the 2023 legislative session. She writes weekly emails during the legislative session focusing on bills that impact Washington educators. Samantha has degrees in both Political Science and History, as well as a Master in Teaching. Samantha has worked in Elementary Education for 6 years, most recently as a 3rd Grade general education teacher. The majority of her time is spent chasing around her two children who keep her very busy. Samantha enjoys running, working in her yard, listening to political podcasts, and spending time with her family.