The State Board of Education met for its regularly scheduled meeting at the Coach House in Olympia, WA, on February 11-12. Find the complete agenda, supporting materials, and links to TVW’s video footage of the meeting on SBE’s
The Board swore in three new members at the start of its meeting on February 11. These new members bring with them a wide range of experiences that will inform the Board's work.
Shari Conditt
Shari Conditt is a nationally recognized educator who has taught government and U.S. history at Woodland Public Schools for over twenty years. She is the recipient of the 2025 Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Prize for Excellence in Teaching Civics from iCivics, the 2024 National Civics Teacher of the Year from the Bill of Rights Institute, 2016 Washington State History Teacher of the Year, and ESD112’s 2015 Regional Teacher of the Year.
Learn more about Shari here.
Elissa Dyson
Elissa Dyson brings nearly 40 years of leadership and advocacy in public education to the Board, with a deep commitment to rural and small school communities across Washington. Elissa has served as a director on the Onion Creek School Board since 1985.
Learn more about Elissa here.
Dr. Sue Kane
Dr. Sue Kane brings expertise in AI and technology literacy, STEM education, and career-connected and competency-based learning. She is the chief executive officer of NCW Tech Alliance, a nonprofit that connects people and technology to unlock potential and opportunities through digital skilling, AI literacy, STEM education, and entrepreneurship programs.
Learn more about Sue here.
New members Elissa Dyson (left), Shari Conditt (middle), and Dr. Sue Kane (right).
Board members and staff toured Avanti High School in the Olympia School District on February 11.
During the tour, members saw firsthand how the school uses culturally responsive mastery-based learning to support a personalized, student-centered approach to education.
Board members Riley Acheson and Dana Riley-Black, along with Board staff Mark Bergeson, speak with students at Avanti High School during an art class assignment.
The Board continued discussion related to FutureReady, its initiative aimed at updating Washington State high school graduation requirements to better prepare students for the future.
During this session, Board members received an update from staff on progress made by the initiative’s subcommittees and shared key takeaways from the FutureReady Task Force’s January meeting. Based on these updates, the Board engaged in further discussion about how the graduation pathway requirement should be changed, as well as what changes to subject area requirements the Board wants to recommend to the Task Force for consideration at its March meeting.
The Board anticipates reviewing a conceptual proposal for changes sometime around April 2026 and presenting a legislative proposal during the 2027 legislative session.
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The Board approved its 2026 Charter Schools Report on February 12.
The Board is required to issue an annual report on the performance of Washington’s public charter schools (RCW 28A.710.250). Now in its ninth year, this report includes information from annual charter school authorizer reports submitted to the Board as well as additional relevant data compiled by the Board for the 2024–25 school year.
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The Board approved the Association of Christian Schools (ACSI) as a recognized accreditor of student living accommodations for private schools.
This approval follows rules the Board adopted in April 2025 to implement ESSB 5515 (2023). Under that law, private school student residential facilities are no longer automatically exempt from licensing by the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF). To qualify for an exemption, these facilities must now be accredited by an organization that has been formally approved by the Board.
Accreditation of a residential program is a supplemental accreditation status. An accreditor recognized by the Board for the purpose of accrediting student living accommodations must also meet the criteria in WAC 180-55-017. An appropriately recognized accreditor may accredit the residential program only for schools that are fully accredited for their academic program by the same accrediting body.
Next Meeting
The Board’s next meeting is scheduled for April 15-16. It will be held virtually over Teams Webinar.
Find the agenda and materials for all SBE meetings on SBE’s meetings page. Agendas are typically posted one week in advance of the meeting
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