Prioritizing Legislative Positions
Just as all school boards in Washington state are urged to participate in WSSDA’s general assembly, all boards are encouraged to rank WSSDA’s legislative positions to inform the work of staff advocating on their behalf.
Get ready, set, go (advocate)!
Step 1. Consider your board’s highest priorities
After General Assembly, boards will be invited to list up to 10 of their highest priority WSSDA legislative positions for the 2023 legislative session. To help with this process:
- in the lead-up to General Assembly, discuss the legislative positions up for a vote
- review WSSDA’s standing legislative positions
- consider the 2022 legislative priorities
- survey fellow members and combine results
Step 2. Update your thinking by viewing the final list of legislative positions
After General Assembly, the updated list of WSSDA’s legislative positions can be found in WSSDA’s position catalog at wssda.org/positions. After reviewing the positions, consider any changes to your district’s priority positions and consult with your board, if needed.
Step 3. Indicate your district’s highest priority positions by October 17
Use the position prioritization form to indicate up to 10 high-priority legislative positions. WSSDA will email the form to board chairs and legislative representatives on Tuesday, October 4. Completed forms must be submitted by 8:00 a.m on Monday, October 17.
Advocate!
After all the responses are tallied, WSSDA will release its board-approved one-pager of 2023 priorities in late October. At that time, we recommend that boards:
- review the one-pager
- identify stories and data to support the priorities
- contact legislators to share the priorities, stories, and supporting data
Related information
General Assembly FAQ
The complete list of permanent and legislative positions can be found on our website. The handbook will be posted on the General Assembly page, available to download, by August 1.
The Advocacy Insights webinars provide context for many of the positions and potential priorities of our legislature. Take some time before General Assembly to review the recorded webinars.
A General Assembly “Know Before You Go” webinar will be held September 27th as part of the Advocacy Insights series and recorded for later viewing. To join the live webinar, register here. Additional materials and resources to support your learning will be posted on this event website.
Questions?
Staff contact
Contact:
Marissa Rathbone
Strategic Advocacy
360-481-5842
Logan Endres
Strategic Advocacy Coordinator
360-742-4435