Immigration protests: Look for positive alternatives
Regular readers of our E-Clippings news service will have seen a number of articles recently about immigration activists calling for "no work and no school" May 1 as a national protest over bills under consideration in Congress. (In California, some state legislators are calling on students to walk out of school – see the article in the Sacramento Bee.) WSSDA is encouraging school district communities to search for positive alternatives to a walkout as evidenced in recent local stories about students writing letters, scheduling after-school rallies, and holding voter registration drives. See the statement from Executive Director Martharose Laffey…

Gruwell, Boone, Bergeson featured at 2006 conference
WSSDA’s Annual Conference will feature an impressive array of general session speakers again this year, with "Freedom Writers" educator Erin Gruwell providing the keynote presentation and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson delivering her annual State of Education address. Other speakers include Ian Jukes, Harvey Alston and "Remember the Titans" coach Herman Boone. Learn more at wssda.org/annualconference.

Performance audits coming to ESDs
The Washington State Auditor’s office has chosen to review the state’s educational service districts as it begins implementing performance audits in the K-12 system. These audits, required under voter-approved Initiative 900, require the auditor to analyze the "economy, efficiency and effectiveness" of state agencies and local governments (including school districts) with the objective of cutting costs through measures such as eliminating services or transferring them to the private sector. WSSDA and other education organizations are watching closely as state officials map out the review of ESDs. Watch for more information in the near future.

Changes in the WIAA Handbook approved
The representative assembly of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association has approved six amendments to the association’s governing rules, including an update to makeup of the WIAA executive board and a revised limit on coaching out of season. Learn more here…

State ethics conference to be held in June
School board members and administrators are invited to attend a one-day Washington State Ethics Conference June 15 in Olympia. The meeting will include a number of breakout sessions, including a discussion on best practices for boards and commissions from a panel of ethics leaders from city, county and state governments and nonprofit organizations. Another workshop will cover "drawing the line" on public resources and campaigns for ballot measures. Featured speakers include state Attorney General Rob McKenna and former PDC executive director Graham Johnson. For registration information, visit the state Executive Ethics Board Web site.

WSSDA position proposals due in June
A reminder that the WSSDA Legislative and Resolutions committees are seeking proposals related to the association’s legislative and permanent positions. The Legislative Committee is seeking proposals that would go to the 2007 Legislature; the Resolutions Committee is requesting proposals that would create or amend the association’s permanent positions. Information regarding legislative proposals has been mailed to school board Legislative Representatives and is available online here; information regarding permanent positions has been mailed to all school board members is available online here. Legislative proposals are due June 2; proposals to the Resolutions Committee are due June 30.

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