Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 15, 2024
January 15, 2024, is an opportunity to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who fundamentally changed this country through his tireless work to ensure civil rights for all people. For the disability community, his work was reflected in the passing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), through which nonviolent protests addressed the need for equity and set the tone of the movement.
As we reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy, there is an opportunity to recognize the civil rights for all people, including individuals with disabilities and individuals whose identities exist at the intersection of multiple systems of oppression. Collectively, we continue to have a lot of work to do to disrupt exclusionary and deficit-oriented beliefs about race and disability. As we move forward and acknowledge the past and assess the present, and dream and create a better future for students, we have an opportunity to recognize the strengths that exist within our public school system and use those strengths to move forward with new, better, and more inclusive systems, structures, and outcomes for Washington State students. As Dr. King reminds us, “It is not possible to be in favor of justice for some people and not be in favor of justice for all people.”
The Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC) Meeting February 27–28, 2024
The Washington State Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC) will be conducting a virtual meeting February 27–28, 2024. The meeting will be called to order at 8:30 am and will adjourn at 1:30 pm on both days. The meeting is open to members of the public who have an interest in Washington special education services. More information about the meeting can be found on the SEAC webpage. The agenda will be posted two weeks prior to the meeting. The SEAC two-day meeting link is here (no registration required).
Public Comment will begin at 11:30 am on Tuesday, February 27. It is scheduled to last 30 minutes. Comments will only be allowed during this designated timeframe. If you would like to email your public comment to be read at the meeting, please send to the SEAC email address no later than close of business on February 23.
The SEAC Community Forum
Tuesday, February 27, 2024
5:30–7:00pm Required registration for the community forum is here!
The SEAC, in partnership with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), is hosting a virtual community forum to share about the role of the SEAC and host a discussion about inclusionary practices in early learning and post-secondary transition services! During registration, you will be given the opportunity to choose from a list of areas that you are most interested. And you will be given the opportunity to request an interpreter if needed. Join us!
SAVE THE DATE: May 21–22, 2024 – The SEAC meeting will be in person in Walla Walla, Washington. It will also be offered virtually. More information will be posted closer to the date on the SEAC webpage.
OSPI Legislative Report: Placement of Students at Authorized Entities (Nonpublic Agencies - NPAs)
Under Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill (E2SSB) 5315 (2023), OSPI is required to submit an annual report to the Legislature regarding the placement of students receiving special education services at entities known as nonpublic agencies (NPAs). As of December 2023, there are 94 NPAs currently authorized by OSPI for the 2023–24 school year.
Authorizing legislation: RCW 28A.155.250
Legislative update
Here we go folks! There are bills on the special education bill tracker and we expect many more to be added as more bills are introduced. We also have a session cutoff calendar and indeed January 8th is the first day of the session. Stay tuned to the bill tracker for regular updates on the status of bills and to see when they are up for public hearings or passage votes.
If you have questions about anything legislature related, please contact David Green.
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