​As we wrap up another school year, Council would like to take a moment to recap some of the amazing advocacy work that has been done this year.

​We also want to thank all of our local PTA Advocacy Chairs, for the work they do at their school and within their community to advocate for all children, and our PTA members, who help strengthen our voice by being a part of the oldest and largest child advocacy organization in the country!

In October, PTA delegates came together for the 43rd Annual WSPTA Legislative Assembly. During this event, PTA delegates were able to learn, listen, debate and vote on additions to our grassroots legislative platform.

​Three new resolutions and two amended resolutions were approved during the 2021 Legislative Assembly!

New resolutions:

1. Improving Literacy and Educational Outcomes (18.42) - adopted
2. Increasing Access and Affordability of Post-Secondary Education (18.43) - adopted as amended
3. Improving Outcomes for Children and Youth in Highly Mobile Populations (2.27) - adopted as amended

 
Amended resolutions:

1. School Construction Bond Reform (18.20) - amendments adopted
2. Student Assessment and Testing (18.13) - amendments adopted

The 60 day 2022 Washington state legislative session ran from January 10th to March 10th. This included the February 2022 Focus Week where PTA Members advocated to elected officials about WA State PTA's Top 5 Legislative Priorities for the current legislative session. 

Some key accomplishments from this year's legislative session include:

• SHB 1590 will provide school districts with enrollment stabilization funds for the 2021/22 school year equal to half of their enrollment decline from the 2019/20 school year. It will also allow school districts to use 2019/20 enrollment levels to set limits on levy funds collected in 2023.
• 2SHB 1664 will increase state funding for nurses, social workers, psychologists, and counselors in phases through the 2024/25 school year. Note: Northshore already pays for a lot more nurses and social workers than are funded by the state, this increase in state funding will not necessarily lead to an increase in these staff positions, but it will add some money to NSD's budget. It is a step in the right direction. 
• E2SHB 1153 will require most school districts to adopt a language access policy and procedures that will help them engage with non-English speaking families.
• ESHB 1699 will temporarily allow school districts to rehire retired school staff without jeopardizing their retirement benefits. This may help with our current staff shortage problem.
• SSB 5933 establishes a school seismic safety grant program that will help schools make renovations to increase safety in case of earthquakes and tsunamis.
• ESSB 5078 will limit the sale of high-capacity magazines to no more than 10 rounds of ammunition.

The end of the legislative session means it’s time to start looking and planning ahead. Here are a few actions you can take before the school year is over:

• Thank your legislators! We’ve had some great wins this session, so it’s always a good idea to send legislators an email thanking them for their work.
• Organize a Voter Registration Drive - It’s never too early to register to vote, especially since in Washington State, 16 and 17 year-olds can pre-register and automatically receive their ballots when they turn 18. And 17 year-olds can vote in a primary election, as long as they turn 18 by the time of the general election. Organizing a high school voter registration drive is easier than you think, particularly when you partner with the League of Women Voters Seattle/King County. They have a wealth of information on how to conduct a drive, and often are able to help you on-site with registration forms, signs, buttons, and stickers.
• Organize a Candidate Forum - This fall, the whole WA State House and half of the Senate are up for re-election this fall, so consider holding a candidate forum. Candidate forums are a great way to get your community engaged in the electoral process, and to voice your issues to the candidates. WSPTA has a Candidate Forum Toolkit to help you have a successful event.
• Connect with Advocates Across WA State - Want to hear what’s going on with advocacy in other regions across the state? Have information or insights to share? Or are you just looking for an online advocacy community? Join the FB group WA State Parent Legislative Chairs.
• Save the Date for the 2022 Legislative Assembly, October 15th & 16th - At the 2022 Legislative Assembly, delegates will debate and vote on these submissions and whether to add them to our platform. This year is especially important as we will be voting on a new Top 5 to focus on over the next two years. Check with your local PTA about including a budget line to send delegates to the 2022 Leg Assembly if you don't currently have one.

Northshore Council PTSA is offering a FREE Parent Education Webinar Series in partnership with PAVE (Partnerships for Action, Voices for Empowerment). 

Special Education: Student & Family Support
Date: Tuesday, June 7th
Time: 6:00PM
​Focus Topic: Caregiver Self-Care
Registration*: https://www.tfaforms.com/4970917

This webinar series will be presented by Jerri Clark, Parent Resources Coordinator of Partnerships in Action/Voices of Empowerment (PAVE). Each webinar in the series will have a different focus topic and a separate registration link.

This fourth (and final for this school year) webinar in the series will take place on June 7th and be focusing on Caregiver Self-Care. This webinar will discuss mindfulness to support resilience, why a checklist can calm your brain, and access to a video library with more self-care content. Check out the flyer below for more information.

*Deadline to register is 6pm on Monday, June 6th.

Questions? Email Council's Special Education Representative, Laura Staneff. 
For more information about PAVE, visit their website at https://wapave.org.

We look forward to seeing you at this and future Special Education: Student & Family Support events!

Northshore Council PTSA is offering a FREE Parent Education Webinar Series in partnership with PAVE (Partnerships for Action, Voices for Empowerment). 

Special Education: Student & Family Support
Date: Tuesday, May 10th
Time: 6:00PM
​Focus Topic: IEP Transition (Planning for Life after High School)
Registration*: https://www.tfaforms.com/4970890

This webinar series will be presented by Jerri Clark, Parent Resources Coordinator of Partnerships in Action/Voices of Empowerment (PAVE). Each webinar in the series will have a different focus topic and a separate registration link.

This third webinar in the series will take place on May 10th and be focusing on IEP Transition. This webinar will discuss planning for life after high school including information on tools to help students with disabilities prepare for adult life. Check out the flyer below for more information.

Save the Date for Our Next Special Education Webinar:

• June 7th: Caregiver Self-Care

*Deadline to register is 6pm on Monday, May 9th.

Questions? Email Council's Special Education Representative, Laura Staneff. 
For more information about PAVE, visit their website at https://wapave.org.

We look forward to seeing you at this and future Special Education: Student & Family Support events!

​As a grassroots association, Washington State PTA relies on its members to provide the priorities that we will advocate for at the state-level and within our communities. Learn more about our WSPTA legislative priorities here and the history of our advocacy efforts here.

Any PTA member is encouraged to submit an issue, resolution, or principle that addresses concerns that affect children on a state-wide level.

The 2022 submission process is now open!

• Legislative issue submission information
• Legislative principle submission information
• Resolution submission information

Key Deadlines:

• Sunday, May 1, 2022 - Draft due to the WSPTA advocacy director at PTAadvocacydir@wastatepta.org
• Friday, May 27, 2022 - Complete & Submit online form (Issue Proposal, Principle Proposal, Resolution Proposal)
• Wednesday, June 1, 2022 -  Upload final proposal Word document in the provided SharePoint folder

To assist you in the process, WSPTA has developed a series of five videos, "The Savvy Submitter's Guide to Issues, Resolutions, and Principles," to walk you through the required steps:

• Part 1 - "Overview"
• Part 2 - "Issues"
• Part 3 - "Resolutions"
• Part 4 - "Principles"
• Part 5 - "You've Completed Your Submission, Now What?"

At the 2022 Legislative Assembly, delegates will debate and vote on these submissions and whether to add them to our platform. This year is especially important as we will be voting on a new Top 5 to focus on over the next two years.

Questions about submitting or about advocacy? Contact Northshore Council PTSA's Co-VPs of Advocacy, Diana Christiansen and Jennifer Drury.

Northshore Council PTSA is offering a FREE Parent Education Webinar Series in partnership with PAVE (Partnerships for Action, Voices for Empowerment). 

Special Education: Student & Family Support
Date: Wednesday, April 20th
Time: 6:00PM
​Focus Topic: Early Learning (Birth-3 and transition to IEP at age 3)
Registration*: https://www.tfaforms.com/4970013

This webinar series will be presented by Jerri Clark, Parent Resources Coordinator of Partnerships in Action/Voices of Empowerment (PAVE). Each webinar in the series will have a different focus topic and a separate registration link.

The second webinar in the series will take place on April 20th and be focusing on Early Learning: Birth-3 services and transition into preschool for children with disabilities. Check out the flyer below for more information.

​Future webinars will include:

• May 10th: IEP Transition Planning for Life after High School
• June 7th: Caregiver Self-Care

*Deadline to register is 6pm on Tuesday, April 19th.

Questions? Email Council's Special Education Representative, Laura Staneff. 
For more information about PAVE, visit their website at https://wapave.org.

We look forward to seeing you at this and future Special Education: Student & Family Support events!

Students 16 years old and up are eligible to register to vote and will then be eligible to VOTE when they turn 18.

Hosting a student voter registration drive is a great way to not only increase your local advocacy efforts, but to also put the "S" into PTSA by elevating student voices. Students can promote civic engagement through voter registration drives and registering to vote themselves.
 
Tips & Resources for Holding a Voter Registration Drive

• Check with your school administration before the drive so they are aware of the event. Your school may even be able to help promote your voter registration drive!
• National PTA's Voter Registration Tool - Register to vote using NPTA's online voter registration tool.
• ​From Washington Secretary of State (https://www.sos.wa.gov/):
  • Hosting a Voter Registration Drive Rules and Tools 
  • 2022 Guide to Registering Voters
  • Request Voter Registration Forms By Mail
• League of Women Voters  - Consider partnering with them as they have a lot of experience running voter registration drives.

Laura Staneff was appointed at the February 7th Council Board Meeting to fill the role of Special Education Representative for Northshore Council PTSA. Laura and her family have lived in Kenmore since January 2019; they had previously lived within Lake Washington School District, having moved to Washington from Massachusetts in 2017.

In her new role at Council, Laura hopes to help to build a culture of collaboration for Special Education within NSD. She wants to improve communication within our current decentralized model for Special Education PTSA Representation, providing new opportunities for Representatives to consult with each other and to support the wider Special Education membership. She is also working on Parent Education opportunities, including the upcoming spring webinar series, Special Education: Student & Family Support, presented by PAVE (Partnerships in Action/Voices For Empowerment).

If you are the Special Education Chair for your local PTA/PTSA, or are on your local PTA's board and looking for more information on how to bring this position to your PTA, please reach out to Laura by emailing specialed@northshorecouncilptsa.org.

Northshore Council PTSA is offering a FREE Parent Education Webinar Series in partnership with PAVE (Partnerships for Action, Voices for Empowerment). 

Special Education: Student & Family Support
Date: Tuesday, March 22nd
Time: 6:00PM
​Focus Topic: Student Rights - IEP, Section 504, and more!
Registration*: https://www.tfaforms.com/4969578

This webinar series will be presented by Jerri Clark, Parent Resources Coordinator of Partnerships in Action/Voices of Empowerment (PAVE). Each webinar in the series will have a different focus topic and a separate registration link.

The first webinar in the series will take place on March 22nd and be focusing on Student Rights: IEP, Section 504, and more! Check out the flyer below for more information.

​Future webinars will include:

• April 20th: Early Learning (Birth-3 and transition to IEP at age 3)
• May 10th: IEP Transition Planning for Life after High School
• June 7th: Caregiver Self-Care

**Deadline to register is 6pm on Monday, March 21st.

Questions? Email Council's Special Education Representative, Laura Staneff. 
For more information about PAVE, visit their website at https://wapave.org.

We look forward to seeing you at this and future Special Education: Student & Family Support events!

Council Business:

• November 15th, 2021 meeting minutes were accepted as presented.
• Serena Xu, Northshore Council PTSA Treasurer, reported that the mid year financial review will take place on Monday January 24th.
• The Nominating Committee was elected and includes: Diana Christiansen, Jasmine Fry, and Cherry Holmes. Click here to learn more about serving on Council in the 2022-2023 school year or to make a nomination.

Bond & Levies Support/Opposition Vote:
Council's Board of Directors put forward the issue of supporting the bond and levies that are on the February ballot.
During this meeting, both the pro and con positions on the issue were presented before calling for a motion to determine our PTSA’s support of or opposition to the bond and levies. Council would like to announce that the motion to support the Northshore School District Bond & Levies on the February 8th Ballot was passed unanimously. Learn more...

District Updates:

• We heard form NSD Partnerships & Volunteer Coordinator Marco Garcia who discussed how he organized a COVID testing clinic and food donations packages.
• NSD School Board Updates were provided by Director Amy Cast which included reviewing the monitoring report and the budget.

Council Committee Reports:

• Advocacy: Diana Christiansen & Jen Drury provided updates regarding the recent Focus on Advocacy Week as well as information on signing up for the action alerts which can be found here: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/subscribe-to-wsptas-action-network-group
• Educational Speakers and Community Events Grants Program: Mary Khouzam, Grants Committee Chair, reminded us that there was still time to submit grant applications for the Jan 21st deadline. She also announced that the date may be pushed but that this decision is still pending. If you have further questions, please reach out to the Grants Committee.
• Reflections: Jasmine Lee Fry, Reflections Chair, reported that the online showcase will be up and running at a later date as it is still be worked on. Council's Reflections Results now available!
• Mental Health Committee: Melissa Kline, Co-Chair for the Mental Health Committee, provided an update regarding what the committee has been working on including advocating for more resources, putting out articles, and working with counselors on flyers and communication materials. The committee also put out a call for action - asking local PTA leaders to check how accessible mental health resources were at their school. Learn more about that here.
• Membership: Co-Chairs, Hanisha Bakshani and Melissa Kline, provided an update that we have 5181 members across the district with many of our local PTAs already earning a WSPTA Membership Growth Award. The more members we have the stronger our voice is in the district!
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: DEI Chair, Cherry Holmes, hosted a DEI roundtable meeting early in the school year. Cherry asked for feedback on "What does DEI mean in your PTSA/School?" - send your response here.
• PTA Support: VP of Elementary Support, Grace Jurado, asked that you please reach out with any questions or concerns or if you need any help. VP of Secondary Support, Brenae Brix, discussed that families are looking for more information on preparing around college and a local parent has volunteered to provide this information. This parent is partnering with Council to provide an info night on March 16th about preparing for college. More information will be coming soon. Middle school career days are being worked on at several middle schools. It will be a half day and presented within the students classroom.
• Emergency Preparedness: Co-Chairs, Tracy Jokisch and Robin McKenzie, reported to us that an additional 117 Stop the Bleed! kits were obtained this round. That is a total of 862 kits in the district. The next meeting for E-Prep is Feb 1st at 11am and the guest speaker will be Deb Fuller. Learn more...
• Special Education: Laura Staneff will soon be joining council as our new Special Education Chair.

We hope you will join us for our next General Membership Meeting on March 21st, 2022 @ 7pm.
For a full list of our upcoming meetings and events, check out our Calendar.

​Every meeting started with the number one priority of the Washington State PTA, Mental Health. Advocates asked that representatives work to fund and create policies that support mental health in our schools and communities.
Additional Asks Included:

• Advocating for legislation surrounding Safe Gun Storage
  
• Advocating for legislation supporting Youth Suicide Prevention
  
• To fully fund Special Education
  
• Funding for education remain stable through this time of lower enrollment due to the pandemic

Throughout Focus on Advocacy Week, in addition to meeting with legislators, PTA advocates were asked to email their elected officials to advocate for children. Council and many of our local PTAs promoted Focus on Advocacy Week using social media accounts, websites, and newsletters to encourage members to participate as well.

Throughout the next sixty days, the Washington State Senate and House will debate and vote on issues that directly affect children and families in Washington State. If you would like to be kept up to date on these issues, please subscribe to Action Alerts.

Northshore Council would like to thank the legislators and their assistants who met with us during Focus on Advocacy Week!
​

• Senator Manka Dhingra; assistant Ashley Jackson
• Representative Davina Duerr; assistant Ann Dasch
• Representative Roger Goodman; assistant Sydney Oliver
• Representative Shelley Kloba; assistant Brian Haifley
• Representative Larry Springer; assistant Lacey Stanage
• Senator Marko Liias; assistant Jeremy Knapp
• Representative Lillian Ortiz-Self; assistant Israel Rios
• Representative Strom Peterson; assistant Joshua Apata
• Senator Derek Stanford; assistants Stephen Cardamenis, Stella Mason and Chloe Lameire

Council would also like to recognize the PTA Advocates who took time out of their week to participate in the meetings: