Council begins work on redefining basic ed funding
The first meeting of the Quality Education Council takes place tomorrow (Thursday), signaling an important waypoint in the ongoing push to reform the way the state defines and pays for basic education. The council is a key element of House Bill 2261, a law passed earlier this year that lays out a nine-year "road map" for revamping the state's basic education finance system. The council's mission is to develop recommendations for implementing a new definition of basic education and for the financing necessary to support it. Thursday's meeting will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Olympia, and will be aired live on the public affairs channel TVW. A QEC Web section is available on the OSPI Web site, with links to sign up for ListServ updates on the council’s work.

Videoconference on H1N1 influenza coming next week
As the 2009-10 school year gets underway, a multitude of questions persist about district responsibilities related to preparing for and responding to the H1N1 (swine) flu. To address these questions, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction will offer a videoconference on the K-20 Network next Monday (Aug. 31) from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. A good place to participate in the videoconference is your nearest Educational Service District. (School directors may also want to check on options for viewing the session at their school district facilities.) If you are unable to attend, a recording of the session will be available on the OSPI Web site.

Sample policy, procedure available on concussions and head injuries in youth sports
WSSDA has just published a sample policy and procedure for school boards to use in responding to the Zackery Lystedt law on head injuries and concussions in youth sports. The law, named after a student who suffered a serious head injury in a junior high football game, is aimed at increasing awareness of the risks and nature of brain injuries in youth sports. It also sets out procedures for responding to suspected head injuries. Learn more here…

Sounding Board:  Race to the Top
Sounding Board is a new survey tool from WSSDA, designed to receive and share quick feedback from school directors on emerging issues and hot topics. Known as a "pulse poll," Sounding Board poses just a few questions that can be answered in less than a minute. Our debut Sounding Board is on the Obama administration's "Race to the Top" initiative, focusing on elements such as teacher performance pay, common core academic standards and charter schools. See the results on the WSSDA Web site…

Legislative Pre-Assembly focuses on funding, standards
This year's Pre-Assembly program at the WSSDA Legislative Assembly will focus on a number of hot topics in K-12 education, including presentations on the Quality Education Council, common core academic standards, basic education funding litigation and the state budget outlook for 2010. The Assembly takes place Sept. 25-26 in Vancouver, Washington. Time is running out to get the early registration discount. Make sure your district is represented – sign up today!

Apply now for WSSDA's new 'Boards of Distinction' awards
WSSDA is now accepting applications for its all-new "Boards of Distinction" Awards program.  The awards, which are aligned with the association's new Washington School Board Standards, honor school boards that demonstrate understanding of their leadership role and follow through on their responsibilities, with concern for educational excellence and equity for all students. For information and applications, visit the WSSDA Web site.

Update on State Board of Education appointment process
The first round of interviews has taken place for candidates seeking to be appointed to Position 3 on the State Board of Education, currently vacant due to the resignation of Steven Floyd earlier this year. Five finalists (Connie Fletcher, Ruth Lipscomb, Mark Mahnkey, Susan Stoltzfus and Dana Twight) were interviewed by a panel of the elected SBE members yesterday (Tuesday). A follow-up round of interviews will be conducted in the near future as the group hopes to have an appointment made in time for the next State Board meeting in mid-September.

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