Students Speak Up in the 2023 Legislative Session

Guest Blog: Why We Need Inclusive Education

In this guest blog, students from the Washington state Legislative Youth Advisory Council (LYAC) explain why we must increase resources statewide and on the district level for inclusive and diverse curriculums, as well as how to teach them.

The Legislative Youth Advisory Council (LYAC) is a group composed of 24 geographically, ideologically, and socioeconomically diverse students aged 14-18. They are the first official nonpartisan voice of youth in the Washington state Legislature and work under the Lieutenant Governor’s office. Their goal is to improve the quality of life for youth all over Washington state by making sure their voices and opinions are heard in the Legislature.

LEVinar Recording: The Special Education Funding Cap

School districts receive both state and federal funding to provide educational services and supports to students with disabilities. In Washington, the state provides the biggest portion of funding for special education, but the state currently caps funding for school districts at 13.5% of their student population, even if more than 13.5% of students receive special education services. However, districts are still required by state and federal law to provide special education services to all students with a qualifying disability.

In this webinar, we explain what the special education funding cap is, how many school districts are impacted, and why eliminating the cap is important.

Panelists:

• Jeremiah Audet, a sophomore at Rogers High School in Spokane Public Schools who is a member of the Student Potential Youth Advisory Council (SPYAC)
• Dr. Tania May, Assistant Superintendent of Special Education Services at the Washington state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)
• Dr. Cassie Martin, Executive Director of Special Education at the Washington state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)
• Nikki Otero Lockwood, Vice President of the Spokane Public Schools Board of Directors
• Matt Hill, Senior Director of Special Services at Evergreen Public Schools in Vancouver
• Peter Musante, Public Policy Analyst at Open Doors for Multicultural Families
• Washington state Senator John Braun, prime sponsor of Senate Bill 5511, which would raise the special education funding cap to 15%

Virtual Event Recording: Student Potential Youth Advisory Council Panel (SPYAC) Discussion

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Investing in Student Potential coalition 2023 Advocacy Week! We met with legislators, shared our stories, and learned how to advocate.

In this video, you will hear from youth with lived experience about their education journey and their vision for change!

Special thanks to:

• The Student Potential Youth Advisory Council
• Emily Fung, Self-Advocacy Coordinator / Advocacy & Civic Engagement Lead at Open Doors for Multicultural Families
• Amy Campbell, the 2020 Washington state Teacher of the Year, a special education teacher in the Camas School District, member of the Washington state Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB), and LEV Board member

LEVinar Recording: Ending Isolation Practices in Washington K-12 Schools

In this webinar, we spotlight findings from a new ACLU/Disability Rights Washington report and an Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)-led legislative workgroup report on isolation and restraint practices in Washington state and discuss the impacts of isolation in K-12 schools, why this practice must end, and alternatives to isolation.

Panelists include:

• Mina Barahimi Martin, Policy Analyst at The ACLU of Washington
• Andrea Kadlec, Attorney at Disability Rights Washington
• Eric Warwick (she/her), Community Advocacy Coordinator at The Arc of King County who experienced restraint and isolation as a special education student and has worked as a paraeducator
• Lee Collyer, Director of School Health and Student Safety at the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)
• Nikki Otero Lockwood, Vice President of the Spokane Public Schools Board of Directors
• Kayla Korves-Bishop, Special Education Teacher at South Shore PreK-8 in Seattle Public Schools
• Lulu Ramadan, Investigative Reporter at The Seattle Times and a distinguished fellow with ProPublica‘s Local Reporting Network

Arik Korman
Communications Director, League of Education Voters