What We Are

What is the WSLFA?

The Washington State Learning First Alliance (WSLFA) represents a commitment by 15 statewide education organizations to unite around a common focus: to improve student learning in Washington state.

Washington is one of five charter states selected by the national Learning First Alliance to start its own statewide program. As the primary education agency, the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction was selected to organize key education groups around an initiative that was not driven by political or legislative agendas.

Quality public education rest upon coordinated leadership; strong partnerships; quality teachers and staff; appropriate funding; and engaged, informed students, parents, and community. As individual organizations and as an alliance, we recommit to the actions taken over the last decade, the actions to come, and the necessary actions to realize the goal of basic education reform: "to provide students with the opportunity to become responsible citizens, to contribute to their own economic well-being and to that of their families and communities, and to enjoy productive and satisfying lives" (RCW 28A. 150.210)

WSLFA Goals

• Recognize the interdependency of Alliance Organizations
  
• Work together to find solutions to
  • Sharing of resources on the Achievement Gap
  • Professional development coordinating
    
• Effectively communicate and collaborate to
  • Advocate for supportive learning communities
  • Expand capacity for educational systems
  • Mutually affect the development of a fair and meaningful accountability system

WSLFA Mission
Our mission is to create a statewide supportive learning community that strengthens the development of productive learning environments resulting in improved teaching and learning.

We can improve the environment for teaching and learning in Washington schools by

• Realigning and analyzing the structure/governance of Alliance organizations to support the four Washington state learning goals
• Creating a statewide sense of shared responsibility for all children's learning
• Advocating for all children's learning
• Advocating for a supportive learning community
• Creating a culture for students, staff and parents
• Effecting the development of a constructive accountability policy with shared responsibility
• Recognizing the interdependency of all Alliance organizations
• Pursuing culturally inclusive and equitable education for all students
• Communicating effectively a clear, consistent, positive, and powerful message geared to internal and external audiences

WSLFA History
The Washington LFA is affiliated with the national LFA organized in 1996 (predated by the Forum of Educational Organization Leaders created in the early 1970's).

The Washington LFA "is an alliance of major state educational organizations dedicated to strengthening environments for teaching and learning." Each organization is represented by its president and executive director.

The inaugural Leadership Summit - Relationships for Results-Closing the Achievement Gap - took place on September 20-21 at the SeaTac DoubleTree Inn. Participants included: up to fifteen members from each alliance organization (representing the organization's leadership and board members), representatives from diverse populations, and invited guests who would bring special knowledge, experience, and perspective to share.

The Summit focused on:

1. Strengthening existing and establishing new collaborative relationships between and among the member organizations of the Washington LFA; and
   
2. Identifying specific resources, steps and strategies each organization can take in a coordinated effort to help close the student learning achievement gap.

Washington LFA believes it can and will become a cohesive and functional body of organizations working together, collaboratively, to provide research, resources, and promising models that assure a quality education for every student in Washington's public schools.

WSLFA Governance

The WSLFA uses an executive committee to establish agendas. Two members of the executive committee, on a rotating basis, serve as co-chairs of the Alliance.

Contact Us

221 College Street NE
Olympia, WA 98516-5313
Phone:360-493-9231
Email: wslfa@ospi.wednet.edu

Martharose Laffey , WSLFA Co-Chair
Executive Director
Washington State School Directors Association
Phone:360-252-3001
Email: m.laffey@wssda.org


Jane Gutting , WSLFA Co-Chair
Superintendent
Educational Service District 105 (Yakima)
Phone:509-575-2885
Email: janeg@esd105.wednet.edu