What We Do

Washington’s locally elected school board members who make the most of their WSSDA membership do any number of the following:

Network with each other, legislators, community members, and other organizations to seek solutions and support public education
Develop their leadership potential through professional development
Advocate at the local, state, and federal levels
Revise and adopt WSSDA’s platform
Elect fellow school directors to serve on the WSSDA Board and standing committees
Direct the work of WSSDA staff through the WSSDA Board’s adoption of an Action and Accountability Plan

The non-partisan staff of WSSDA support the school boards of Washington state with three types of research-based services, resources and supports:

Board Support & Consulting

Outside of contract training, our staff are freely available by phone, email, online meeting software or conference calls. Just give us a call or email leadershipdevelopment@wssda.org.

Superintendent Evaluation

WSSDA provides proven superintendent evaluation instruments and processes to support boards in their responsibility to evaluate their superintendent and encourage professional growth.

Customized In-District Workshops and Retreats

Available upon request, in-district workshops and retreats are especially helpful when new members join the board or the team is ready to reach a new level of effectiveness.

Online Board Self-Assessment Tool

This free, research-based tool is the only instrument of its kind in the nation that supports continuous improvement for school boards. We encourage boards to use the board self-assessment in conjunction with the Washington School Board Standards and regular professional development.

Boards of Distinction

Boards from small, medium, and large districts are recognized for showing evidence of applying the Washington School Board Standards. One particularly strong applicant in each size category are also named Board of the Year. Learn more…

Board Boot Camp

“Boot camp” is designed to get new directors ready to fully participate as effective leaders and provide a refresher to experienced directors and superintendents.
Fee-based service

Equity Toolkit

Our educational equity resources can inform your district’s policy-making. We also convene or participate in meetings, conferences or events.

OnBoard

Our professional learning system designed for school directors that provides interactive learning experiences to support effective board governance.

Leadership WSSDA

Offered every other year, Leadership WSSDA will improve your expertise and leadership capacity, yielding positive impacts on your professional and personal lives.

Support for Student Board Representatives

Washington state is a national leader in student representation on school boards. Use WSSDA to gain insight into recruiting, onboarding, and supporting student board representatives. If you already have “student reps,” refer them to our Student Representatives Network where they can share experiences and collaborate on topics of interest to students.

Legal Resources

We answer questions, provide school law guidebooks, and can refer you to legal professionals who are members of the Council of School Attorneys.

Policy Review

We offer full or partial policy manual review. You select the scope of work you’d like us to do.

Policy & Legal News

Four times a year, WSSDA published the subscription-based Policy & Legal News magazine to keep board members current with emerging issues and updates to policy and school law updates.

Featured Policies

Reflecting state law and input from school districts, we offer selected model policies and procedures as a resource for all Washington school districts.

Legal/Policy Advocacy

Actively engaged with school directors and relevant agencies and organizations, we participate in rulemaking and monitor issues before the courts to help WSSDA represent the unique concerns of school boards.

Model Policy

A subscription to WSSDA’s Model Policy library provides 24/7 online access to polices and procedures that districts can often adopt as-is or modify in consultation with their own legal counsel. Each policy has hyperlinks to cross-referenced policies, legal references and management resources.

Positions & Priorities

Each year, school directors work together in adopting permanent and legislative positions and priorities. WSSDA’s General Assembly gives every school board the opportunity to engage in the democratic process that sets the course for WSSDA’s advocacy efforts on behalf of school districts large and small.

Bill Tracker

Bill tracker gives you access to a list of education-related bills WSSDA is tracking to help you follow issues as they move through the legislative process.

Strategic Outreach

You’ll get help to set up regular meetings with key legislators and other important stakeholders.

Weekly Updates

When the Legislature is in session, school directors receive InSession, a weekly overview of legislative activity that includes resources to help understand key policy issues.

Advocacy Resources and Know-How

Use our legislative resources to become familiar with the legislative process and gain the essential tools and information needed to effectively influence state and federal legislation.

End-of-Session Summary

After each legislative session, you will receive an analysis of accomplishments, additional work needed, and next steps for implementing new law.

Trust Lands Support & Advocacy

School directors in the Trust Lands Advisory Committee work with state partners to navigate policy issues, and ensure that trust land revenues are maximized to benefit school district construction needs.

Federal Relations Network

School directors in the Federal Relations Network engage with Washington state’s congressional delegation in D.C. in person, by email, or phone throughout the year.

Legislative Representative Network

All school board legislative representatives are invited to participate in monthly, online meetings to learn about their role and how to help their fellow school directors engage in effective advocacy year-round. Learn more…

eClippings

Get the latest local and national education news, research, op-eds, and select blog posts delivered Monday – Friday. Select events and superintendent job postings also included. Subscribe to eClippings.

Direct

More than a newsletter, Direct shines a spotlight on successful school boards and districts whose example can inform and inspire the work of others. Direct also has news about WSSDA, its events, people, and stories about special topics in K-12.

BuyBoard

Developed to comply with state laws, BuyBoard gives districts access to bulk discounts combined with the ease of online, web-based shopping.

BoardDocs

A tiered, subscription-based cloud solution, BoardDocs helps school boards save money, time and operate more effectively.