Legislative Priorities
The Board’s legislative priorities for the 2022 session center on creating an equitable education system that is responsive to the individual needs of students. They include:
- Center student, family, and community voices in policymaking
- Prioritize student and educator social, emotional, and mental health
- Advance educational equity, diversity, inclusion, and antiracism
- Provide equitable access to relevant and engaging learning opportunities
Agency Request Legislation
- SSB 5497 - Student Board Member Vote passed and was signed by Governor Inslee.
The State Board of Education is a 16-member board, including two student members. Under previous law, all the members can vote except for the student members. This bill extended voting authority to the student members on the Board, allowing them to vote in the same manner as other members. Granting student members an official vote helps make the Board more student-centered and responsive to the people most directly impacted by the Board’s policy decisions.
- Download the one-pager on this request.
- See video and learn more about student testimony on this bill.
- Read the blog post "Student Members Get the Vote!" and see the House of Representatives debate.
Budget Requests
In addition, the Board submitted two budget requests and is waiting to hear back from the Governor’s Office on these requests:
- Invest in strengthening the Board’s capacity for community engagement
- Invest in developing recommendations for a statewide approach to assessing school climate
Legislative priorities from previous sessions:
- 2021 Legislative Platform
- 2020 Legislative Platform
- 2019 Legislative Platform
- 2018 Legislative Priorities
- 2017 Legislative Priorities
- February 2016 letter to the Legislature regarding the budget
- 2016 Legislative Priorities
Contact information:
