Reflecting on week two of the 2021 legislative session, we know more now than we did in week one, but not as much as we’ll know in week three. Each day, WSSDA’s strategic advocacy team is learning new ways for engaging with our legislators and their staff. We know that concise, compelling testimony and direct communication to our legislators and their staff are essential.
WSSDA testimony
This week, WSSDA provided verbal and/or written testimony on the following bills:
SB 5037 – Establishing transparent school opening metrics tied to COVID-19 prevalence.
SB 5161 – Teaching Washington’s tribal history, culture, and government.
HB 1212 – Promoting the fair servicing and repair of digital electronic products to increase access to appropriate and affordable digital products, support small businesses and jobs, and enhance digital connectivity in Washington state.
SB 5043 – Providing housing to school district employees.
HB 1168 – Concerning long-term forest health and the reduction of wildfire dangers.
HB 1162 – Concerning high school graduation credit and pathway options.
Student leaders support proposed graduation credit and pathway options
Friday morning started with five student leaders testifying in support of HB 1162 regarding graduation waivers and pathways. The students shared their personal stories and the stories of other students to illustrate the need for additional graduation requirements and credit options.
Here are the students that testified in support of HB 1162:
Autymn Wilde, Former Student Member of the State Board of Education (minutes 34:42-36:05)
Ashley Linn, Student Member of the Mastery-Based Learning Workgroup (submitted written testimony)