WSSDA board supports simple majority measure
This November, Washingtonians voters will finally have a chance to vote on the question of whether the state constitution should be amended to allow local school levies to be approved by a simple majority. The proposed amendment, EHJR 4204, would do away with the 60 percent “supermajority” requirement for school levies. In advance of the election, the WSSDA Board of Directors has unanimously adopted a resolution supporting the measure. For details — including the full text of the resolution — click here.

2007 Legislative Summary now available
Simple majority was one of numerous education-related measures approved during the recent legislative session. WSSDA has just completed its comprehensive report of the 2007 session, with a synopsis of the bills that passed and failed as well as a rundown on how K-12 education fared in the state’s operating and construction budgets. The full report is available as a PDF file on the WSSDA Web site.

Only 238 days to the next legislative session…
The 2007 Legislative Summary is a great starting point as your board considers issues it may want to submit for possible adoption as WSSDA legislative positions for 2008. Proposals are due no later than June 1. Complete details on the submittal process are available in our Legislative Information section.

Updated resources available for WASL communications
With the ink now dry on Gov. Gregoire’s selective approval of legislation that makes changes in the state’s WASL-related high school graduation requirements, the Superintendent of Public Instruction’s office has quickly responded with updated information and a communications toolkit to assist districts in informing students, parents and their communities about the upcoming WASL score release and what the changes mean for earning a diploma. These resources are now available on the OSPI Web site.

Seeking WSSDA leadership candidates
School board members, if you have an interest seeking a WSSDA leadership position — or if you would like to suggest a fellow school director for consideration — now is the time to act. Candidate suggestions are due May 31; those seeking office must apply by June 16. Learn more here.

Teacher of the Year to speak at Annual Conference
What a delight to see Granite Falls educator Andrea Peterson honored at the White House and on national news programs as the 2007 National Teacher of the Year. And WSSDA is now pleased to confirm that Andrea will be a featured speaker at our 2007 Annual Conference, which takes place this November in Seattle. Additional details coming soon!

Annual Conference registration up and running
And speaking of Annual Conference, many thanks to the hundreds of folks who have already signed up since we opened online registration just a few weeks ago. If you haven’t had a chance to sign up yet, visit www.wssda.org/annualconference to conveniently now reserve your hotel accommodations and register for the conference. We look forward to seeing you in November.

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