Core to Washington State PTA's Mission is advocacy for children and youth. During Advocacy Week, February 24-28, 2020, WSPTA will be asking members to send prewritten emails each day on bills and issues related to our state legislative platform. You don't have to go to Olympia to be an advocate for kids!
We KNOW you care about kids – that’s why you are a PTA member! Imagine if legislators heard from all 128,000+ members about how much we care about kids! Learn more about the WSPTA legislative priorities: Every Child, One Voice! Questions about advocacy? Contact our Council co-VPs of Advocacy, Charla Griffy Brown and Nancy Chamberlain.
 Northshore PTA members represented in Olympia on Monday, January 20, 2020 for WSPTA Focus Day! The day began at First Christian Church, where Region 6 Advocacy Chair Heidi Bennett welcomed WSPTA members. Members then trekked to the Capitol building for a rally on the steps in conjunction with Public School Employees Union members, who were there advocating for education support professionals. The rest of the day was spent meeting with legislators from the 1st, 45th and 46th Districts, including Representative Shelley Kloba (1), Senator Manka Dhingra (45), Senator David Frockt (46), Representatives Larry Springer (45) and Roger Goodman (45), Representatives Gerry Pollet (46) and Javier Valdez (46), Representative Davina Duerr (1) and Senator Derek Stanford (1). In each meeting, WSPTA legislative priorities were shared and discussed. There was also an opportunity for each member to share areas of personal interest or concern related to the WSPTA platform, including the challenges around growth in our area and the need for smaller class sizes and expanded facilities, the need for mental health supports for students, continuing concerns around youth vaping, and more. Many thanks to the Northshore PTA members who made the trip to Olympia and joined in the meetings with legislators, including Nancy Chamberlain, Jennifer Drury, Sandy Hayes, Carrie McKenzie (as well as her daughter), and Robin Zaback. Special thanks as well to Northshore Council PTSA Advocacy VPs Nancy Chamberlain and Charla Griffy Brown for organizing transportation and setting appointments with legislators!  WSPTA members can send a strong message by showing up in Olympia on Focus Day, January 20, 2020, for a day of talking to legislators. Members should consult with their local PTA, council or region legislative/advocacy chair for assistance in making legislator appointments for Focus Day. The Focus Day program will begin at First Christian Church (701 Franklin St SE, Olympia, WA 98501) starting at 9:30 am with an introduction to the day and information focused on the 2020 legislative session. WSPTA has reserved the church until 3 pm so that members can eat lunch or use it as a base between meetings. Let WSPTA know you are planning to attend by registering for the event. You will also have the option to pre-purchase a convenient boxed lunch. The most important tip for those leaders is to make appointments with the legislators as far in advance as possible! Input addresses here to get the names of the Representatives and Senator(s) for your school district and their contact information. Want to ride in style and comfort for free? Let us know that you want to join Northshore Council’s Focus Day Transportation. Focus Day Resources:
Advocacy Week: Once again this year, WSPTA will also be will be asking members to take action from home or your phone throughout an entire week. Each day will have a new prewritten message for members to send to their legislators regarding WSPTA legislative priorities. To participate, subscribe to the WSPTA Action Network to stay informed. Further details of this 2020 event, including the exact week, will be available soon! As more information about Focus Day and Advocacy Week become available, we will update this page.   Legislative Assembly is over, but advocacy is ongoing! Here are three things you can do to stay engaged in PTA advocacy: 1. Make sure you are signed up for advocacy information and action alerts through the WSPTA Action Network Group.  2. Familiarize yourself with Washington State PTA's updated legislative platform:
3. Mark your calendar now for Focus Day: January 20, 2020, a day of advocacy in Olympia. Join fellow PTA/PTSA advocates in Olympia to meet with legislators, tour the capitol, and demonstrate advocacy in action. Want to ride in style and comfort for free? Let us know that you want to join Northshore Council’s Focus Day Transportation.  RSVP for your ride to Olympia on January 20, 2020! Questions? Do you want some help on figuring out how to approach an advocacy issue in your PTA's community or beyond? Contact our co-Advocacy VPs, Nancy Chamberlain and Charla Griffy Brown.
 Washington State PTA held its 41st Annual Legislative Assembly October 26-27th at Bellevue College. The theme was “Superheroes of Advocacy”, and Northshore advocacy heroes made up more than 10% of the total attendees statewide! A Focus on Mental Health
Additional workshops, panels and classes to help legislative assembly attendees become better superhero advocates included:
New this year was a student track of classes and workshops:
Updates to the WSPTA Legislative Platform The “work” of legislative assembly is to adopt new public policy positions for WSPTA and its local PTAs, councils and members to advocate on. These include both short-term legislative issues, which are actionable in Olympia, and long-term positions which can be used at any level of decision-making: school, school district, city, county, state and nationally. Since the WSPTA Legislative Platform runs on a two-year cycle, this year delegates only had one new issue to adopt for the 2020 platform: Equitable Identification of Highly Capable Students. Delegates also amended the top 5 issue Prevent Gun Violence. The new and revised issues can be found on the 2020 WSPTA Legislative Platform (be on the lookout for new and updated one-pagers for each of the issues coming soon). Delegates also adopted a new permanent legislative principle on Family and Community Engagement, and four new permanent resolutions. Three of the new resolutions are fundamental to how PTAs should address their mission, outlook on membership, and fundraising. The titles of the new resolutions are:
In addition, delegates also amended fifteen existing resolutions with updates to ensure their continued relevance for ongoing advocacy work. The list of all WSPTA resolutions can be found on the WSPTA Resolutions webpage (updated text for all of the new and updated resolutions will be available soon!). Stay engaged in PTA advocacy!
 Registration is now open for this year's WSPTA Legislative Assembly on October 26-27, 2019 at Bellevue College, Bellevue, WA! PTA delegates from across the state will come together to update our WSPTA legislative platform in support of our vision of "Making every child's potential a reality." Delegates will have the opportunity to debate, amend, and vote on long-term resolutions and principles as well as new and amended short-term platform issues that will guide WSPTA's advocacy efforts in the upcoming legislative session. The WSPTA Legislative Assembly 2019 Voter's Guide, contains information needed to familiarize yourself with these proposals. This year's delegates will be voting on one new legislative principle and one amended legislative principle, one new legislative issue and one amended legislative issue, four new resolutions and 15 amendments to existing resolutions. As a complement to the Voter's Guide, there is also a downloadable survey available that PTAs can use to gather input from the members of your local PTA or council that can help inform your delegates voting on the proposed issues, resolutions and principles. Be a part of the process and help direct the course for WSPTA advocacy by serving as a delegate for your PTA! If you are interested in attending Legislative Assembly as a delegate for your local PTA, contact your local PTA president. Get all the details for this year's Legislative Assembly on the WSPTA website:
 The membership of Northshore Council PTSA adopted a Furniture Tip-Over Prevention Resolution at its membership meeting on September 16, 2019. The full resolution is available for download below: 
The idea to make this a PTA resolution comes from Moorlands PTA member (and librarian) Crystal Ellis. Crystal lost her two-year old son to a tragic accident involving an unsafe dresser. She has turned her grief into action, founding Parents Against Tip-Overs and advocating with members of Congress for legislation that would lead to safer furniture. She has even testified before Congress for passage of a law to improve and make mandatory regulations to prevent furniture tip-overs. The bill, the STURDY act, has now passed the US House of Representatives with bipartisan support: https://www.congress.gov/116/crec/2019/09/17/CREC-2019-09-17-pt1-PgH7720-3.pdf Northshore Council PTSA will now submit the Furniture Tip-Over Resolution for adoption at the National PTA Convention in 2020.
In addition, WSPTA's Legislative Consultant, Marie Sullivan, has written some articles that also provide great insight into some of the new legislation. Check out her analyses:
 UPDATE!!! EVENT CANCELLED!!! via Washington State PTA's Facebook page: Everyone's health and safety is important to us. We have been watching the weather, and we believe that conditions necessitate cancelling Monday's event in Olympia. Advocacy Week will continue, however, and we encourage you to participate in the action alerts that are sent each day. Join Washington State PTA for Focus Day on Monday, February 11th and meet with our legislators in Olympia! Let's join together to show lawmakers that parents and students support excellence in education! This year we will begin at The United Churches of Olympia located at 110 Eleventh Ave SE (the corner of Capitol Way and 11th, across the street from the Capitol grounds). Wear BLUE to show PTA unity! The Focus Day program will begin at 9:00 am with a presentation designed to help you better understand WSPTA priorities, the legislative process, and tips for talking to legislators. The program should end around 10:30 am. Register for Focus Day here: www.eventbrite.com/e/wspta-focus-day-2019-tickets-55040539736 Bus with Us to Focus Day! Don't want to drive??? Once again, Northshore Council PTSA will be offering a "bus" for members who wish to attend Focus Day in Olympia on Monday, February 11th. We'll be leaving from the NSD Admin building at 7:30am with a planned return time of 3:30pm. Email FocusDay@northshorecouncilptsa.org to save your seat on the bus!  Resoures: There is a wealth of information about Focus Day available via Washington State PTA. Resources include:
 Join us as we meet with our Northshore legislators in Olympia to show that parents and students support excellence in education! Once again, Northshore Council PTSA will be offering a "bus" for members who wish to attend Focus Day in Olympia on Monday, February 11th. We'll be leaving from the NSD Admin building at 7:30am with a planned return time later that day of 3:30pm. Email FocusDay@northshorecouncilptsa.org to save your seat on the bus!  |
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