LWPTSA Council’s Advocacy Update
From WSPTA Legislative Consultant Marie Sullivan’s 2025 Legislative Session Wrap-Up:
📄 Session Slides (PDF)
🎥 Video Recap (Vimeo)
As part of LWPTSA Council’s advocacy team, I joined weekly Eastside PTA meetings beginning in January—alongside leaders from Bellevue, Issaquah, Newport and Mercer Island—to stay informed and united in addressing the ongoing crisis in public education funding.
It was not easy to witness the mounting challenges our districts, educators, students and families are facing. But week after week, we showed up—with open minds and hearts—to learn, collaborate, and advocate together.
Our regional PTA coalition remains deeply committed to strong, equitable public schools. We move forward with hope, believing that through collective action, we can expand our impact and continue to serve our communities in new and meaningful ways.
Zahra Eslami
LWPTSA Council Co-VP of Advocacy
What to Do in the Interim
Advice From Washington State PTA
✅ Submit a Legislative Assembly Issue
- Final submissions are due June 1.
- You can use last year’s submissions as a guide, but consider adding new topics.
✅ Work With Your School District to Gather Data
- Focus on funding gaps (e.g., % of levies used to support basic educational activities such as special ed, transportation, staffing, MSOC).
- Ask your district to share how much the state funds specific roles (e.g., staff), and how many people serve in those roles.
- Request trend data (e.g., rising costs in utilities, insurance, curriculum, etc.).
✅ Meet With Your Legislators
- They are more available in the interim.
- Thank them for their efforts (bring the WSPTA Scorecard if available).
- Share school district data and ask for help closing funding gaps.
✅ Partner With Your PTAs
- Use your PTA as a community resource to educate and advocate on key issues.
✅ Get Out the Vote!
- Civic participation is vital to ensuring strong support for public education.