Advocacy

Our Advocacy Directors
Joel Ingraham & Kristi Schwesinger (advocacy@bellevueptsacouncil.com)

Action Alerts

Your voice is critical…and it only takes a few minutes! Below are the Washington State PTA Action Alerts that only take a few minutes to enter your address, add any personal story if you would like. The action alert will automatically send your email to your 3 Legislators that represent your District in Olympia.

Action Alert 1: Addressing Critical Gaps in Education Funding

Our Washington state legislature is currently grappling with tough funding choices. Even though it is the “paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders,” and even after the infusion of funds from the McCleary decision in 2017, the K-12 education system is not fully funded in Washington State. There are critical funding gaps related to services for certain student populations, COVID recovery, and core district functions that must be addressed. Let’s make sure our legislators hear the parent voice so that we can support ALL students.
Please take just a few minutes to advocate for kids! Ask legislators to prioritize education funding by providing resources for students needing additional academic, physical, and emotional supports; fully funding services for our students with disabilities; and fully funding the cost of providing student transportation. This will allow school districts to use enrichment levy dollars to actually provide the “extras” versus using them to fill the gaps in basic education funding. TAKE ACTION HERE

Action Alert 2: Addressing Funding, Inclusion, and Supports in Special Education

Addressing funding, inclusion, and supports in special education is a Top 5 legislative priority for Washington State PTA. Does your own child receive special education services? Do you know someone who does? We need your voice to fully fund special education, promote full inclusion, and provide the necessary supports for both students and staff so that every student’s needs are met.

Please share your personal stories with your legislators when writing or speaking with them. These stories are impactful and what our decision-makers need to hear. Every student deserves to feel included and receive the supports that they are entitled to as part of their basic education. TAKE ACTION HERE.

Action Alert 3: Preventing and Reducing Gun Violence and Suicide

Firearms are the leading cause of death for American children and teens, killing one almost every other day in Washington State. School shootings have become an ever-present danger across our nation, with 51 school shootings in 2022, including one here in Seattle, and 6 so far in 2023. These are preventable deaths.
For the safety of our children and youth, we need decision makers to support legislation that will prevent and reduce gun violence and suicide, such as sharing information out about safe storage, ensuring adequate background checks and waiting periods for firearm purchases, and restricting ownership for the most-deadly weapons. Please take the time to advocate for our children and youth, and please share any experiences that have impacted your family. TAKE ACTION HERE.

Action Alert 4: Building and Maintaining Safer School Facilities

We live in a beautiful state, but one that faces the threat of earthquakes and other emergencies on a daily basis. Our students and staff, who spend a large part of their day at school, deserve to be as safe as possible. That means school facilities that are up to current seismic standards, buildings that have appropriate and ample emergency supplies, staff who are properly trained to handle emergencies, and families who are informed and educated about safety procedures.
Our Washington state legislature is currently grappling with tough funding choices, and we need them to make school facility and student safety a priority. Please take just a few minutes to advocate for kids! Ask legislators to support seismic retrofits and structural analysis, ensure proper staff training (including temporary staff), and provide needed emergency supplies. TAKE ACTION HERE.

Washington State PTA's Legislative PrioritieS

The Washington State PTA legislative platform is a two-year platform to mirror the Washington state legislative cycle. On the even-numbered years, the new platform is voted on by members at the legislative assembly in the fall. The top five issues become our short-term platform and consist of our priority issues when advocating throughout the year. Other issues are placed on an “also supported” list. During the odd-numbered years, members vote to amend current issues or to add new, emerging issues to the also supported list. For a full description of the platform and Top 5 issues, please visit: https://www.wastatepta.org/focus-areas/advocacy/.

Legislative Priorities for 2023-2024