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Welcome to the October edition of the SBE Round-Up!
Here's a recap of some things the Board has been up to this month:
Election results for two positions on the State Board of Education have been certified. Van Cummings was elected to represent Eastern Region Seat 2, and Dr. Angela Griffin was re-elected to Western Region Seat 5.
Cummings is an experienced educator and administrator with a 40-year career in public education. A resident of Richland, Washington, Van will succeed Ryan Brault, who has served in the role since March 2017. Van will officially join the Board on January 12, 2026, and be sworn in during its February 11 meeting. His term will run through January 2030. You can read the press release announcing Cummings's election here.
Dr. Griffin was first elected to the Board in January 2022. Her new term will also run through January 2030. She is a seasoned executive-level leader with over 28 years of experience, primarily focused on the development and implementation of programs for young people, ages birth through young adulthood.
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The platform acknowledges the state’s significant fiscal challenges while reaffirming Washington’s constitutional duty to amply fund public education and ensure every child has access to a high-quality, equitable learning experience. For the 2026 session, the platform focuses on safeguarding recent progress and restoring critical resources to strengthen student supports across the state.
Key priorities include preventing K–12 funding cuts that disproportionately affect underserved students, protecting civil rights gains and inclusive curricula, and maintaining investments in student mental health and well-being. The platform also supports funding for OSPI’s legislative mandate to implement a universal online High School and Beyond Plan platform and calls for reinstating funding for Treehouse’s Graduation Success Program, which helps students in foster care stay on track to graduation.
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The Board approved its 2025 Charter Schools Report. The report provides an overview of Washington’s public charter school system during the 2023-24 school year. It compares the academic performance of charter school students with that of demographically similar students in traditional public schools and includes the Board’s assessment of key successes, challenges, funding adequacy, and areas for policy improvement. The report also details the number of non-certificated instructors employed in public charter schools.
The Board annually reports on the performance of public charter schools in Washington as required by RCW 28A.710.250.
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The Board met October 15–16 at the Tukwila School District Administrative Building.
On Wednesday, the Board participated in a Government-to-Government training focused on best practices for building and maintaining consultation between Tribes and the Board. The Board also received a presentation on draft findings and recommendations from the Mastery-Based Learning Collaborative demonstration project, which will be finalized for consideration at the December meeting. The day concluded with a FutureReady work session where members reviewed and discussed “straw man” proposals developed by staff based on themes from previous Board and Task Force discussions and survey responses.
On Thursday, members toured Foster High School, visiting classrooms and speaking directly with students about their learning experiences. In a biotechnology class, students shared their work on the University of Washington’s Genome Sciences yeast evolution project, and in a history class, students discussed education policy and the Board’s FutureReady initiative.
Find the complete agenda, supporting materials, and links to TVW’s video footage of the meeting on SBE’s meeting site.
Board members Riley Acheson (left), Board Chair Mary Fertakis (center), and Brooke Brown (right), speak with a history class at Foster High School in the Tukwila School District on October 16, 2025.
This Hispanic Heritage Month, we sat down with Board member Dr. Susana Reyes and talked about her path into educational leadership, the mentors who shaped her journey, and her hopes for supporting Hispanic students across Washington.
In addition to serving on the Board, Dr. Reyes is the Superintendent of Shoreline Public Schools and President of the Washington Association for Latino/a Administrators and Superintendents (WALAS).
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Office of Education Ombuds to Host Free Virtual Session on Requesting IEP or 504 Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
Thursday, November 13th from 10.00-11.30 a.m.
All students with disabilities have the right to equal access to education, and to be free from discrimination. Depending on the nature of a student’s disability and how it affects them at school, the school may need to provide accommodations, modifications, specially designed instruction, or other supports in order to for the student to have equal access and participate in school.
This session will help parents and professionals understand how to request an IEP or Section 504 accommodations. Presenters will explain the IEP or 504 request process, timelines, and share best practices.
CART (captioning) and ASL will be provided. Please request other accommodations two weeks in advance (or as soon as possible and we will try our best to meet them) to 564-669-0323 or by email at tamika.dean@gov.wa.gov.
Register for the event here
2026-27 Financial Aid Applications are Available. Here are Resources to Help Students Apply
Financial aid applications for this year’s graduating seniors are now open! The Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) has prepared a number of resources to help schools and education advocates support students in completing the FAFSA, WASFA, or Washington College Grant (WA Grant) applications.
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Schools and education advocates can access financial aid resources and promotional materials in the Financial Aid Toolkit, which includes a variety of materials to support the WA Grant and the financial aid application process.
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The 12th Year Campaign boosts college and financial aid application rates in Washington by helping those working with high school seniors and their families complete applications for college admissions and financial aid.
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