Legislative Assembly says phase in — don’t disconnect — WASL as exit exam
WSSDA’s Legislative Assembly has again rejected the idea of pulling the plug on the 10th-grade WASL as a high school graduation requirement. At the same time, the assembly says more time is needed before students are required to pass the math and science portions of the assessment to earn a high school diploma. Learn more about the assembly’s call for phasing in the WASL graduation requirements in this online article.

Fix the K-12 finance system, school directors say
School board members have been speaking out at the Washington Learns public hearings, making it clear they are counting on the study group to develop a comprehensive plan to reform the state’s obsolete K-12 finance structure and provide stable, adequate funding for student achievement at all levels. At a packed hearing last week in Olympia, WSSDA President Quent Goodrich called on the Washington Learns Steering Committee to give serious consideration to a series of proposals put forth by its K-12 Advisory Committee. For more on Goodrich’s presentation and information on how you can provide comments, click here.

Williams to run for NSBA officer position
Best wishes to North Thurston School Board member Bill Williams, who has announced he will run for the position of Secretary-Treasurer of the National School Boards Association. The WSSDA Board of Directors unanimously endorsed Williams’ candidacy, a step required to run for NSBA officer positions. Officers are elected by the NSBA Delegate Assembly in April. Williams, who currently serves on the NSBA Board of Directors for the Pacific Region, is a past president of WSSDA.

Board approves resolutions for consideration by NSBA
The WSSDA Board of Directors is asking the NSBA Delegate Assembly to consider two resolutions relating to federal law. One would urge Congress to amend the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to allow undocumented students to apply for conditional permanent resident status; the other would urge Congress to ensure that historic school trust lands are allowed to fulfill the purpose for which they were originally created — to provide the maximum benefit to the children in public schools and communities who are beneficiaries of those trusts. The proposals go to the NSBA Policies and Resolutions Committee, which will determine if they should be placed before the assembly.

SBE’s Floyd appointed liaison to the WSSDA board; Espinoza tapped for Opportunities conference
The State Board of Education has named member Steve Floyd liaison to the WSSDA Board of Directors, succeeding retired SBE member Carolyn Tolas. Floyd, who was elected to the reconfigured State Board last year, is a former member of the Peninsula School Board. Also, Ricardo Espinoza, Pasco School Board member and WSSDA DA 11 representative, has been designated as the WSSDA board representative to the planning committee for the Northwest Conference on Celebrating Educational Opportunities for Hispanic Students. WSSDA will be hosting next year’s conference, which will be held April 27-29 at a location yet to be determined.

Regional Meetings just around the corner
There’s plenty to talk about at the fall series of WSSDA Regional Meetings — the upcoming legislative session, Washington Learns, graduation requirements, performance audits, and much more. Make sure your leadership team is signed up to attend the Regional Meeting in your area. First up is Naselle on Sept. 28, followed by Olympia (Oct. 4), Camas and Stanwood (Oct. 5), Wilbur (Oct. 10), Chewelah (Oct. 11), Colfax (Oct. 12), Quilcene (Oct. 14), White Swan (Oct. 18), Federal Way (Oct. 19), Waitsburg (Oct. 25) and Leavenworth (Oct. 30). Visit the WSSDA Web site for details and registration.

Diversity Award applications due soon
Last call — submissions for the WSSDA Diversity Awards are due no later than Sept. 29. All entries must be submitted online at wssda.org/awards.

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