19:16:50 Okay, Are we ready to get started? 103, 2.
19:17:00 One. Thank you, everybody, for joining us tonight. and thank you for bearing with us, as we had some technical challenges.
19:17:11 This is the way that things go sometimes, and we appreciate you and your willingness to work with us to make sure that we can support everyone.
19:17:21 So if you speak English, please click on English on the globe, so that you can hear everything that need to hear.
19:17:37 But I want to say, welcome, and I am Sam Fogg.
19:17:41 I am your Seattle Council. Ptsa, interim Co-vice, President of Advocacy, and your legislative chair.
19:17:51 Some people I appear to be white to others I do not.
19:17:58 I am, in fact, Chinese and white i'm wearing a headset.
19:18:03 I have dark hair and i'm on a chair with books near me. it's a little chaotic that was a visual description, and we do those so that people can't see the screen.
19:18:13 They have the same amount of information as people who can see the screen, and whether you're choosing not to look at the screen, or you have something. have a barrier. we just want to make sure that people have the same information.
19:18:28 If you have an accommodation that you need that we're not currently meeting.
19:18:35 Please. do let me know. You can do that by unmuting or by typing into the chat.
19:18:43 Hopefully, everyone, we've got the live transcription for closed captions turned on, and we have interpretation tonight.
19:18:54 , So again, I want to thank everyone for being here. we're going to be having a really great conversation tonight.
19:19:04 There's a lot of information to share out we're gonna we're gonna dive in in just a moment.
19:19:12 I want to take just a moment and say that even though we're meeting in a virtual space.
19:19:21 The land that we are all on, is is unseated territory, and that while we're here and in this space, and talking about laws and schools and budgets, we want to think we want to honor the land that we're
19:19:34 on. We want to make sure that the work we're doing is is good work, and so I want to thank you all for sharing this space with me.
19:19:44 And tonight We're going to start out with a conversation between myself and a assistant superintendent of business and finance.
19:19:56 Jolenberg and we will be taking questions we'll probably take most of the questions at the end. but we're gonna work through some things.
19:20:07 There's a lot of of information. we're gonna share so so i'd like to introduce you to assistant superintendent of business and finance.
19:20:17 Joann Burg, who is not only an excellent superint assistant superintendent of business and finance for Seattle public schools.
19:20:27 But as we've talked about in our previous conversations she previously worked at Ospi, she has knowledge not only of our district, but across the State, and we're going to be able to get into a little bit more information about how how things work
19:20:39 and what's going on, and we are so lucky to have her here tonight, and welcome Jo Lynn.
19:20:46 Thank you Sam, so i'll do my visual description i'm white i'm in my fiftys I have my hair up.
19:20:53 I wear glasses, and i'm sitting in my office still at the office tonight.
19:21:03 Oh, long days these days. So I want to just say thank you to everybody here who voted and who helped get out the boat, and who supported getting our levees past.
19:21:20 And as we look across the state we see that not everyone was able to get their lobbyies past.
19:21:28 So I feel really lucky about being here in Seattle, where we all were able to do it now.
19:21:32 And I say this somewhat jokingly, But, Assistant Superintendent Burgie, does this mean that we are flush with cash, and all our budget woes are behind us?
19:21:44 Or do we still have some budget challenges? Oh, still have budget challenges.
19:21:47 What it means is that we're able to maintain what we're currently doing so. Passing the levees with the levy cap sitting on us means that we can maintain status quo.
19:21:59 We did pass the capital, Libby as Well, and I do think that we have been catching up with some of our deferred maintenance.
19:22:09 So I think we're making strides forward on the count side, because on the capital side we don't have a limit right?
19:22:18 We're not limited as to how much that we can ask for It's really about asking our taxpayers for authority on the operating side, though it's a different story we are capped at the $3,000 per student and So that's where we're at
19:22:32 the Levy, I just a big huge thank you to Seattle Council, Ptsa, and all the ptsas that are on the line tonight.
19:22:42 Without you. we just don't we don't enjoy the same support.
19:22:44 Your support is so important to us. so thank you all right So now we're going to shift to talking about the State Legislature, and I am really glad to have you here tonight.
19:22:59 Today is day 37 of the day short legislative session.
19:23:02 This means we have passed the halfway point, and often at this point things get really confusing.
19:23:09 We start to have amendments and compromises.
19:23:13 We have legislators pulling all nighters on the house floor, I think.
19:23:18 Yesterday the House went for 21 h of floor discussion.
19:23:22 And it's, it's a lot it's it's a lot to process, and today was a cutoff day at 5 o'clock, too.
19:23:33 So before I go further, I just want to clarify for everyone here.
19:23:37 Assistant Superintendent Burgie, you cannot direct advocacy. but you can inform and answer our questions right.
19:23:46 That's correct. and then I want everyone to just for context in order for a bill to become a law, it must be introduced in either the House or the Senate, whichever one the bill starts in that's referred to as the House
19:24:01 of origin, and then the bill must move through committees and pass through the floor, and then repeat the process. In the opposite house.
19:24:10 Bills must be kept moving through the process. If they get stuck they die.
19:24:16 So at 5 P. M. today a number of bills died, and I am going to put a link to the cutoff calendar in the chat in a moment. Just so you can see what the cutoff dates are The next one is February The 20
19:24:32 fourth, but this need to keep keep our bills moving.
19:24:34 It means that there's a real motivation for people to compromise and adjust, and do whatever they can to get things through as we're about to to dive into this Can you refresh our memories What is an
19:24:51 unfunded mandate, and are they allowed. sure so under offended mandates are allowed there's nothing that requires the legislature to fund anything So an unfunded mandate is a requirement for school districts to Do
19:25:08 something in a bill, and if that bill is not funded if it's not subject to appropriation, if it doesn't have a null and void.
19:25:16 But those are all of the ways that it can go through as an unfunded mandate. Lots of times unfunded mandate. We generally get some every session.
19:25:29 They can look like extra reporting requirements, new data collections surveys, hosting information.
19:25:38 So those are some of the things typically that we might see as unfunded mandates.
19:25:46 Okay, and we've also gotten some questions about how we keep track of whether something is an unfunded mandate or not.
19:25:54 How do can we tell how much funding is attached to a bill?
19:25:57 Right so on the bill information screen for what's on the ledge site.
19:26:06 There is a fiscal note and you will see whether or not. if it says fiscal know, and that the fiscal note has been received, so there'll be a you know the fiscal node will say get the fiscal know and that means there is one if it doesn't say that there means there is
19:26:25 not a fiscal note, so either somebody hasn't identified that there's a fiscal note typically legislative staff have to ask K 12.
19:26:34 They ask Ospi, or they ask ospi on behalf of school districts to write on the fiscal note. and so sometimes Spi will sometimes school districts will say the spi where is the fiscal note there's
19:26:50 cost to this. You need to get one going so it can happen in those ways.
19:26:53 The fiscal notes then outline what each State agency would have in costs for the bill, and then they also write one on behalf of school districts, and when I was at Ospi we started a process, for gathering
19:27:02 fiscal node information we call it the local fiscal note grew, and it's a bunch of school districts who have agreed to be email during session where we can email them and we say house bill 1,808 please describe what the cost
19:27:17 might be. Please give us detail on what those costs are and There's about 30 school districts who then you don't have to. You can respond to the ones that you want to respond to that.
19:27:30 Can send in information about your district 250 spi collates that information, and writes the fiscal note.
19:27:32 Fiscal notes can either be indeterminate, meaning, we know it has costs, but we really can't identify what the cost is. or it can have a definitive amount like the prototypical model bill where they know and
19:27:47 they have a costing model and they can run that out preference as school districts is to always have a fiscal note.
19:27:54 That's not that is determinant right and then depending on the fiscal amount that says whether or not has to go to ways and means or the appropriations committee for consideration other than otherwise it can just stay in the policy committee if it's it's a small
19:28:11 cost. Okay, all right. Let's jump into some bills and Let's start with transportation House bill 1,808 pupil transportation funding past the house on February. the second that means it's
19:28:27 still alive. I do not see any amendments listed.
19:28:31 How worried should we be that the appropriation is listed as none. Well, we're not.
19:28:41 We shouldn't. be worried yet that the appropriation is none I think it's looking like this is not gonna be the vehicle right?
19:28:49 It's been being in the Senate since February the seventh, with no action.
19:28:54 I think if the Senate was going to take this bill up they would have already moved it.
19:28:55 That's my hunch instead I think you see the other Transportation Bill, which is moving and is scheduled for action in the house.
19:29:03 So right. Now you have a bill that's been referred to the Senate, you know it referred to the Senate referred to early learning, and has South there for over a week at the means that the senate's not going to move this
19:29:15 bill. Okay, And so the the other bill is 5581.
19:29:31 And this is also called Pupil transportation Bill it is a substitute bill.
19:29:39 So it has changed. It passed off the senate floor on February the ninth, so it's still alive.
19:29:43 So how do the changes on this bill impact our district?
19:29:46 How should we feel about how this looks? so when you look at 55. and I'm just i'm online and I have my all of my piles of papers, because it's my favorite season to just use paper when printing
19:30:04 out everything, So you can see for this bill that it went over to the House. It had the first reading.
19:30:10 It was referred to education. and then they sent it right to appropriation. Right? So it's moving.
19:30:15 You can see it moving along in action. So this is why we think this is the vehicle.
19:30:19 So it was a substitute bill. it was The Senate passed it with a sub substitute.
19:30:26 Bill did not impact Seattle or or our districts. In general, it was really some language that was added for small districts to relieve them of some reporting responsibility, and then they added a section 4.
19:30:38 But they kind of broke up Section 3 into 2 pieces. They added another section, and then they wrote some language because the small districts had been saying, Hey, These reporting requirements are going to be much more difficult for us, to manage and so they added some language in there, that kind of
19:30:57 softened some of that for the small districts but for us the substitute.
19:31:02 I don't believe changed anything. and are we still wanting this to be funded at around 60 to 100,000,000 statewide. add a minimum at a minimum.
19:31:10 So tell what the bill is going to do right what it has set up right now is that we're not getting anything in 2,223, which is super unfortunate. But that's the way.
19:31:23 It goes. but we get to start reporting so just start reporting what their expenditures are in 2223, and then I suspect that they'll using those reports. They'll build up the appropriation level into the 2324
19:31:38 budget. Okay. I saw that there was an amendment by Senator Linda Wilson, and the note on the amendment was that the amendment amendment was pulled. What does it mean when an amendment? is pulled?
19:31:50 I know what it means when a bill is pulled to the floor.
19:31:53 But Yeah. So She changed her mind. Okay, the faster to change your mind. Somebody asked her to pull the amendment, and she pulled the amendment and decided not to go forward with okay So is it the same as when they withdraw an
19:32:09 amendment. yeah, yeah, I mean it was just an even considered right?
19:32:14 It didn't even get that far. Okay, so we're expecting 5581 to be the one that moves
19:32:23 We should still keep track of 88 we're hoping for a minimum of 60 to $100,000,000 statewide.
19:32:32 And when we're talking about these kinds, of bills one of the reasons that we really want to talk statewide is that the legislature is a statewide body.
19:32:42 First of all, and second of all. There is some concern.
19:32:46 If we talk about just Seattle all the time they don't the legislators across the State. typically don't want to hear just about Seattle when we talk about what's happening across the State.
19:32:59 The we get a lot more interest and it's a lot more possible for us to help move things forward.
19:33:04 So that's one of the reasons why we don't say This is what it means just for us we're working together with allies across the State to try and move this forward.
19:33:16 Let's talk about enrollment stabilization in addition to the concern that I personally had going into the session that legislators might not understand enrollment stabilization. I will I do want everyone to
19:33:32 know there is an organized group actively opposing enrollment stabilization.
19:33:38 We started this session out with 2 bills, but one of them did not make it off.
19:33:44 The Senate floor. So now that Bill died today, and we're down to one which is House Bill, 1,590
19:33:53 And I want everyone to know again when 1,590 was inappropriations, when it had its public hearing.
19:34:03 1,000 people signed in con on this bill. This makes me little worried.
19:34:09 Are you worried about enrollment. stabilization I think we're going to get something.
19:34:17 I still feel like we're going. to get something I mean they've already. They've already kind of they bought it down, and the other bill that didn't move They had bought it down by 50%.
19:34:31 So obviously that one is not the vehicle it's not moving.
19:34:43 Drop the 50% rule in which would mean less funding for Seattle.
19:34:47 But I do think that I do think that there's something that's going to be funded there.
19:34:55 And now I wanted to call something out even though it's not it didn't move forward just so that people can understand a little bit about what sometimes happens with these bills.
19:35:07 So when 1,590, it passed the house floor.
19:35:09 On February the eleventh. none of the proposed amendments were attached to them, but one of them was a requirement.
19:35:16 One of the proposed amendments that did not pass want to be clear about that.
19:35:22 It was a requirement that districts not have a mask mandate, and then it had a scope and object note.
19:35:30 Can you just tell us a little bit about what that means, and what happened there?
19:35:30 Sure So the amendment there's a title for the bill you have to.
19:35:37 You can only put things under that title right? but the language of the bill has to be.
19:35:44 Sometimes I write titles very broadly, so you can fit a lot under them. Sometimes they write them tightly, so it's very specific.
19:35:50 2. and so what they determined was that, the amendment being offered for the mask mandate did not fit under the title of the bill, or the scope of the the piece of legislation.
19:36:03 It was outside the scope and so they're like nope you can't have that. you can't have that offer that amendment, and so we don't need to worry if somebody tries to stick a mask
19:36:10 mandate onto something like enrollment, stabilization because it's not going to go through this is political posturing, and we don't need to stress about it, because if it's completely unrelated to the bill there's
19:36:22 rules about that right i'm seeing a question in the chat just the House version of the Enrollment Stabilization Bill still authorized funding stabilization or just maintaining the levy and Lea provisions is it expected that the funding
19:36:38 stabilization would be funded through a budget or through the bill is for funding stabilization for the year expected.
19:36:47 So the House bill 1590 that the senate's going to take up.
19:36:53 It still has the enrollment stabilization is still has the levy provision in it, and it still has lea or local effort assistance which is the offset for a property poor district. it's the levy
19:37:10 help that a district might receive. So it has all 3 things in there it could be funded in the budget like there'll be a line item put into the budget for it.
19:37:21 Right that's how we actually get funding it's subject to appropriation. the bill bills don't actually get funding.
19:37:25 They have to be included into the budget that maybe we'll talk a little bit more about that in a moment.
19:37:30 So. So I think that there's some funding That's coming for this. this was a super important that the Senate has stripped out the second year of levy stabilization. They stripped it out and they stripped It down to 50
19:37:45 percent. So while that bill is dead, typically you'll see some of that language come up during discussion, and so the risk is what you think about.
19:37:56 Then what we think about is Oh, is the senate going to try to add their language to this House Bill, or not? then, if don't pass the House bill in the form that it came over in, then they have to send it back and they have to
19:38:07 reconcile. Yeah, So both houses have to agree it's not just the last one that's current both houses have to agree.
19:38:13 All right, if imagine not the worst we'll just go there if 1590 enrollment stabilization were to die.
19:38:27 Could it be fixed in the supplemental budget could like if the bill isn't there could there still be something in the supplemental budget?
19:38:36 Yes, so one of the things when you've been around a long time, is nothing, is ever truly, truly dead until it's not quitted in the budget.
19:38:46 It can always come back in as a budget proviso.
19:38:50 So what they typically do is in the end of section 501 of the budget Typically, we're in Section 501, right.
19:38:54 And then there's an ed legacy section which is a specific fending source.
19:38:57 Later on in the education section of the budget at the bottom of those sections.
19:39:05 They typically list the bill number that they're funding and they'll fund at the level of the fiscal note. right?
19:39:10 So if there's a bill that that has to do with you know, leave a cruel, or whatever, and there's a fiscal note attached to it, the right in the budget that bill number and the amount and so the same for this they would write
19:39:25 the bill number, and then they'd write the amount that they were appropriating with or without.
19:39:28 So they can fund enrollment stabilization in the budget.
19:39:31 They cannot fix the levy in the budget that has to be fixed in a standalone bill.
19:39:36 So if we see, for example, that 1,590 gets stripped down to just the levy stabilization, we still want to vocally support that we still want.
19:39:52 Luckily stabilization, and we might continue conversations about enrollment.
19:39:55 Stabilization in general to encourage something to happen in that supplemental budget.
19:40:00 So so that in the budget it could, it could come up.
19:40:06 So we want to keep the conversations going. all right let's move on to concerning prototypical school formulas for physical social and emotional support in schools 5595 and 6164 both have the same title they're not companion,
19:40:30 bills. they didn't start out the same there was opposition to these bills as well.
19:40:34 1,664 was voted off the House floor.
19:40:37 On February the tenth 5595 died today, so we're not gonna we're not going to talk about 5595 anymore before we get into this can you just give us the title.
19:40:53 Of this bill concerning prototypical school formulas for physical, social, and emotional support in schools.
19:41:02 Can you just remind us of what this bill was meant to do?
19:41:04 What What does that mean? Sure. So the bill was meant to increase allocations or certain staffing units that are in the prototypical model counselors?
19:41:18 Teachers. are the ones that come to mind, and nurses had teachers, I should say counselors flash social workers and nurses.
19:41:32 Now 1,664. it was amended.
19:41:38 And can you tell us this point what 1,664 would do for our district?
19:41:47 Because this bill went through a number of changes. And what is it?
19:41:49 What does it mean now? Yeah. So they have the same.
19:41:55 They have the same numbers in them. so it hasn't been amended, but they really they haven't changed how many units that we would receive. We still think it's about a 100. but they have been changing and amending the language about the flexibility
19:42:11 of the allocation, because the prototypical model was meant to be for allocation purposes only. the legislature in recent years has changed their mind about that, and when they give extra stuff they want you to spend at least that amount of money on that extra
19:42:26 stuff. so they've written language in that says in that section for counselors, social workers, nurses, security guards you have to spend in total.
19:42:39 At least you have to hire as many fts as they're funding report in Seattle.
19:42:42 We're way past with anything that they think they're gonna find anyway.
19:42:45 So right. So I was gonna ask, you that if 1,664 poweres. Some of the talk around this has been that.
19:42:55 Oh, my goodness now, we're going to see this dramatic increase in nurses and counselors, But that's not true for Seattle right because they're not they're not asking us necessarily to do that we're
19:43:05 not going to suddenly have nurses. I mean there there are going to be increases.
19:43:10 We are going to see increases in those allocations.
19:43:14 We will do that. But what this was doing was paying for things that we were already paying for out of our levy that we shouldn't have been paying for.
19:43:22 So then it's a question about how many can we hire.
19:43:25 How much room do we need to make in Levy?
19:43:31 But we are very committed to increasing the number of nurses counselors and social workers each year in our schools.
19:43:36 And Yeah, i'll just I would just We are gonna see increases increases is good representative walsh at 1 point was talking about nurse in every building that did not stay on.
19:43:54 That bill. Is that correct? So that that's correct that's part Keep saying a nurse and a counselor in every building, and that amendment did not pass because technically if you have a very small school right she
19:44:07 was saying. You know a nurse in a and a counselor in every school cannot be operationalized by a lot of the small schools.
19:44:18 They don't get enough allocation to generate a necessary counselor in every school. We don't generate enough fte to do a nurse and a counselor in every school even with everything they're giving
19:44:30 us And so then she'd also written in that and the Legislature will fund whatever it takes to get that done. And then there's the whole discussion about Well, how big is your school.
19:44:38 How many students are you serving? And that kind of just led to more of the unraveling like. We need to keep it at a higher level for allocation purposes? only. All right.
19:44:48 So we are going to go ahead and and take some questions.
19:44:53 And I see, we've got one in the chat yana is asking, How are the increases calculated or determined?
19:45:03 Yeah, so the increases. you know really we're trying to evaluate. Well, one, we're still not sure exactly what we're getting.
19:45:15 So let me just put it that way. so right now. we're kind of not final about what we would be increasing next year, because we don't have anything for sure from the legislature.
19:45:26 Yet and there's a lot of i'm in space that things could still be changed.
19:45:30 I will say that for nurses nurses are calculated how much of a nurse each school gets in our district is really determined by the health services team. So there can be there's like 5 levels of nursing
19:45:45 care that they evaluate through. so maybe one student needs a one.
19:45:51 On one nurse, we're provided a one-on-one nurse, and usually that's your special education. and then we have level B and that means maybe it's a type one diabetic student that needs a full-time.
19:46:04 Nurse in their building, not beside their side, but they need access to a nurse in their building during the day.
19:46:09 So then, those schools that those children are placed in have a full-time nurse, and then it kind of goes from there.
19:46:15 There's 3 other categories, and we have some nursing services and every school. it's just that there's not enough service yet in all of those schools, and as we're talking to legislators.
19:46:29 We really do need to be explaining to them why this is important.
19:46:36 Because for parents, this feels so obvious. when we send our kids to school, it feels obvious that these are things that we need.
19:46:42 We need enrollment stabilization. We know that just because we have a small percentage of less students.
19:46:52 It doesn't mean that the students who are in our schools need less staff.
19:46:55 We're not seeing, right now. we don't feel like We're we have people in our schools who are not doing anything.
19:47:03 Everybody's really working hard and really busy and as parents we know why a nurse matters.
19:47:11 We know these things, but a lot of legislators don't have kids in public schools.
19:47:17 Or kids that are in k 12 they're not they don't necessarily have kids.
19:47:24 This age not obvious to them, and that's why talking to them about this, and explaining it matters lot of legislators also seem to think that we, as parents pay attention to policy, but not numbers, and so that's one of the reasons that these conversations are
19:47:42 so important because they'll pay more attention to the numbers if they know that the people voting for them are paying attention to the numbers that we can't when they come to us and say, Oh, this we spend almost half of our budget on
19:48:01 schools. we need to be able to go back and say yes, and we need this amount of money.
19:48:12 And this is why this is what our experience is and so that's one of the reasons why we're having these conversations.
19:48:21 Sam Jenna has her hand up. Okay, Yana. Yep: Do you want to unmute now?
19:48:28 Yeah, yeah, thanks. I was just thinking, you know, because I will say that certain schools have different proportions of students that have the need for nursing or for counselors.
19:48:42 Right, and I would as an example. And this is why I was asking that question.
19:48:47 How is that determined? Because, as an example, so that you Joan understand why i'm asking this is we have one kid at a school where quarter of the student body has a disability, whether they have a 504 or an
19:49:03 iep and I don't know what the percentage of individual health plans.
19:49:09 Are you? But we still have the same amount of, you know.
19:49:16 Services like for occupational therapy for counseling for for sop nurse, it's the same amount as any other school.
19:49:27 It seems to be an, and maybe you will provide that information clarify for me.
19:49:34 But it seems to be that it's based on the enrollment in that school as opposed to the need and so I would like to see that that i'm wrong.
19:49:46 So, yana, are you really asking about on the the district side versus the legislative side, and how much money's coming in because legislators are have one formula for how they're giving us money versus right
19:50:01 so. So i'm What i'm asking is how is the district, taking what we get? and then what are they doing with it?
19:50:13 And how are they making those decisions of the allocation?
19:50:15 Okay, So just want to say for everybody here tonight. So this is a good question, and we can talk a little bit about it.
19:50:24 But I also want to say that we have a whole plan to discuss some of what happened in the Legislature.
19:50:30 And where is that going to go? at the end of session?
19:50:32 March the fifteenth, so we will get into this a little bit more.
19:50:37 But do think it's important as we're asking legislators for these funds to be aware that we're not setting an expectation that if we if we hear somebody say nurse in every building or somebody say
19:50:55 we're increasing the amount of funding we're getting from the State that we are also aware that in Seattle we already spend more on nurses in the State does the States currently giving us what 9 nurses 9 and So with
19:51:11 levy dollars. we bring that up to 68 So if the Legislature brings it up, but not up beyond 68.
19:51:21 Then we have some space where we're going to need to make some, some choices, and how how those choices may are made. And this is me talking, and i'll let you lynn talk in a moment, because she of course knows more about this But how these decisions
19:51:33 made that get really complicated, based on, you know. Are we getting enrollment, stabilization?
19:51:42 And how much are we getting? How how is 1,664?
19:51:45 What is, How is it written at the end of the session?
19:51:46 How do these? How do these different restrictions come in?
19:51:50 What other unfunded mandates are coming at us?
19:51:54 And how does that all work so we're going to be continuing this conversation?
19:51:58 But I'm gonna hand it back to assistant Superintendent Burke.
19:52:03 She's the actual expert on this yeah I mean we just we have several needs.
19:52:09 So to Ya a specific question. There is a base amount that schools do get in nursing services, and then, like, I said, Then the health Services team decides.
19:52:21 Where else to prioritize those. Consider the student health plan, then the needs in each district, as they determine staff. right? So they kind of roll that staffing out and make that determination.
19:52:36 2. we will see hopefully. if this legislation passes we will see a significant bump up.
19:52:40 Then in those the nursing positions, for counselors, we do have a contract requirement where we staff one to 350 in our secondary schools and our high schools, and then at the elementary level it's really about
19:53:00 social work, and we funded enough of those at this time.
19:53:03 We funded enough to be all the way down into Tier 4. So we use our equity tearing.
19:53:09 That does it take into account students for some educational justice.
19:53:11 How many black boys you have. in your school which touches our strategic plan it's students experiencing homelessness foster students and students in poverty. So all of those factors together have 2 students schools ranked and then schools are provided that fte we're kind of
19:53:30 working down the list. But we are in tier 4 so all of our high need.
19:53:36 Schools have those needs met already. so that's that's good So we've got transportation enrollment stabilization changes to the prototypical formula those seem to be the major bills that we're
19:53:53 dealing with right now in this session that impact the budget.
19:53:58 Am I missing other bills that are gonna have a big impact that we need to be paying attention to, too.
19:54:04 I don't think you're missing other bills but there's one other issue that's out there, and you haven't heard about it, and it's the cola inflation so men or the ipd ins later so when the
19:54:18 Legislature gave us dollars for raises they inflated it by 2%. but the amount actually this year is 4 and a half percent.
19:54:26 So there's a lot going on behind the scenes as to when school districts would get the rest of that Cola to make sure that our salaries are staying competitive with inflation, and so that is something that we're going to
19:54:36 see in the budget it's either that they're going to give it to us now, mid-year, or they would give it to us next year, as and they would you know we just wouldn't get it this year, and we would get more next year, for salary
19:54:51 increases, because you've all may have just read where cost of living in Seattle has gone up 7 and a half percent.
19:54:58 I can assure you that there's no way that we're getting 7 and a half percent from the legislature.
19:55:05 But it is important that they do address that typically they don't adjust it, but typically it's only off by a point 1%. This time it's off by more than double.
19:55:13 So there there is that going on, as well as as to the list of things that they need to spend money on.
19:55:18 Before I ask you more details on that. Some people on here might know, not know what Cola is.
19:55:25 Can you just define them. So there's a cost of living adjustment.
19:55:31 Pola cost of living adjustment that is provided by the State.
19:55:35 They use a factor called the implicit price deflator, which is something that tracks a market basket of goods and the amount that they cost the other factor that they no longer use except for in levy, They use a different inflationary
19:55:53 factor for levy only that's called cpi or consumer, price index.
19:55:59 And so the Ipd or the implicit price. Deflator and Cpi are 2 different inflationary factors, and they have different ways of being measured.
19:56:09 200 ipd is typically lower and that's what the legislature picked, And where do these conversations happen?
19:56:18 Because we're not seeing a bill on this for example so Where's this conversation happening?
19:56:24 And how can we let people know that we're paying attention to it?
19:56:28 Yeah, I think that they're really happening in legislators offices.
19:56:33 I think they're happening with Budget writers wra is carrying a lot of that conversation. I know that we've been involved in that as well.
19:56:44 Spi has been involved in that and so of the associations so it's just It's one of those things that people noted but there's no bill and there won't be a bill for it it will just simply be in the
19:56:55 budget. Okay, when we're talking about things like this or or we're talking about wanting funding in the budget.
19:57:04 There's not something where we go. and we testify on that. That would be something where we might send an email to arms be, for example, and say, this is something that matters.
19:57:15 Can you consider it while you're writing the budget can you think about that right?
19:57:21 Yes, and my understanding is the budget. I believe the house is from first, and that budget's almost cooked that it should be done by this weekend. And so, once we see the budget then it's the time to either you know for us we'll
19:57:38 email and testify on the budget and the things that we see in it. and the things that we don't see in it. I'm: seeing a question in the chat, send an email to who in regards to budget
19:57:49 advocacy. So typically, you typically, we send to the members on appropriations in the House and ways and means in the Senate, and those are the folks who are writing the budget and and also to leadership.
19:58:07 So leadership in both the House and the Senate, the majority leaders in both Houses.
19:58:12 So, Senator Billy, 2 Representatives. So let Sullivan have a lot of say over what goes into the budget.
19:58:16 Yeah. So this is one of the key and Senator R.
19:58:24 Office, and in Seattle we have Senator Proc. and he has, and we have Senator Peterson and Senator Carlyle, all who sit on ways and memes.
19:58:31 And then we have represent representation as well on appropriations.
19:58:35 But that is typically where we will let our members know what we're seeing in the budget.
19:58:44 So if you are in Seattle and this is me with my advocacy hat here, just mentioning that if you live in the 46, you have both Representative Paulette, who's on appropriations and senator frock who's on ways and means
19:58:57 So that would be and i'm i'm actually also mentioning this, because I know that see people here who are in the 46, and legislators often really pay attention to their constituents.
19:59:15 So if you have a relationship with somebody, who's on a province, or somebody who's on ways, and means now is a great time to drop them a note and say, Hey, This is what we we need This is what our schools?
19:59:33 Need. You can also ask them. You can also right to staff and ask their staff a question: How might this work?
19:59:40 And then their staff can can let people know that you are interested in this.
19:59:45 You're not going to typically hear from at this stage in session.
19:59:51 Our legislators are not talking to constituents directly as much, but their staff.
20:00:04 Their staff is the best way to get messages through, and if you get staff on your side, that is an amazing amazing thing.
20:00:15 Staff can do amazing things for us, do not underestimate the power of staff ever.
20:00:22 So if never feel disappointed if you can only go.
20:00:29 Staff have a lot of sway, so I just want to throw that out there that we do have some folks that we can ask things of.
20:00:34 We can talk to their staff. These budget discussions are a little bit more opaque and a little harder for us as parents to really get involved in.
20:00:47 And one of the reasons is is that we typically in their experience parents don't have access to the numbers. And so you want to just show them that when you're having the conversation that you actually have a sense of what's happening, that
20:01:01 you're actually able to to impart value that you you know what you're talking about all right.
20:01:11 I want to give a moment so one of the problems with my the fact that I have a chromebook is that I cannot hear interpreters. So I'm gonna pause for a moment and see if any of our interpreters have questions from their interpretation
20:01:28 rooms, and if somebody here's an interpreter speaking will they let me know.
20:01:51 Just going to give a moment for questions. Do other people have questions for Assistant Superintendent Burgie, before we let her go.
20:02:01 I'm gonna actually talk to people i'm going to ask advocates to stay on just a little bit longer, so I can give a little bit more advocacy. information.
20:02:10 We do have some policy bills that are going to be in committee this week that I know people have been interested in, so I will give information about where the hearings are.
20:02:17 Ion, I see your hand. Yeah, I had a question for your link regarding special education.
20:02:25 I'm not sure if you know anything about their budget how much they lost.
20:02:29 What's going on in there a lot of families in here do have kids with special need, or so the legislature is not addressing special education at all this session, although we've continued to highlight how
20:02:40 underfunded. That program is that will continue to be something that the district uses.
20:02:48 The biggest chunk of levy dollars go towards a special education funding gap in Seattle public schools and in many other districts as well.
20:02:59 So one other thing I want to make sure that people know is that we're in a short session right Now this is not a budget session.
20:03:07 So even though we're talking about money the amount of dollars we're talking about this session are relatively small.
20:03:19 But as we build our relationships and show our politicians, that we know what we're talking about, and that we are paying attention, We're going to be getting ready to have conversations with them. over The interim which is the time between legislative
20:03:31 sessions, because next year is a budget year, and we want to make sure that we have developed relationships that we have been having conversations that we are letting them know what we expect from them, around budget and that we really need to
20:03:52 have some conversations with legislative about funding for special education.
20:03:58 Among other things. But yes, this is. this is going to be a big big conversation.
20:04:06 And so we're going to be moving some of these things forward.
20:04:13 So if you're feeling like why, aren't we talking about fully funding schools right now, it's because this session is not where that would happen.
20:04:23 But we're getting ready, and all of this work we're doing is to set that up.
20:04:28 Brian had a common in the chat i'm not sure if Brian wants to say it, or if he's okay with anybody reading it right?
20:04:34 That can. Yeah, go ahead. I just wanted just wanted to address the wealth tax bill. Is it still going?
20:04:41 And has it. Can the district take a position on that, and have?
20:04:46 So we have supported income tax or the wealth tax in the past is my understanding.
20:04:56 I don't know that that Bill is moving forward though I have not heard anything about it.
20:05:01 We know that in Washington State we have the most regressive tax system, and that revenue reform reform is something that our State desperately needs. As we consider how to move forward with funding education and Brian I will look to
20:05:22 see cut off was today at 5, so I will go back and double check to see where that bill is, and if it survived, I will say that the list of bills that i'm tracking got chopped her lot, today and so
20:05:39 it. I remember seeing the bill, though, Sam I don't remember coming up to me at all.
20:05:46 Okay, Yeah, I I can look into it. but I don't I don't know.
20:05:52 Yeah, yeah, neither one of us have seen it, because Ppsa and the associations have typically supported
20:06:00 You know, a new revenue structure, and and we will be continuing to push that forward.
20:06:07 They're in their legislators are supportive of badness.
20:06:10 Yeah, yeah. in Seattle we have, we have pretty good support.
20:06:14 So the other thing that we will need to do and this is an advocacy thing.
20:06:18 So I'm making it clear that this is me talking we need to build allies across the State.
20:06:28 We need to to to form relationships with advocates across the State because a lot of times people have already taken Seattle into consideration.
20:06:39 They've they've made assumptions about what seattle wants, and then they're gonna go do their thing. anyway.
20:06:45 So we need to find where they maybe didn't expect support for something to come from, or where they didn't know that people were in agreement with us on something.
20:06:56 So when we work across the State we can get more things moving in the legislature.
20:07:05 So we have to keep in mind that the state legislature that it is the whole state, and we've got a move.
20:07:12 The whole State and that's one of the reasons we saw representative frame couple years ago. she did a tour of the entire State.
20:07:21 She. she's a Seattle legislator but she went all over Eastern Washington, Central Washington, holding these little town halls, big town halls to talk about how the how the regressive tax system impacted different communities across the state and just
20:07:40 clarifying and answering questions. and so that's why you'll see people from Seattle going out and actually like physically driving across the State, and having conversations Now we don't have to drive we can just use zoom
20:07:53 all right. Does anybody have question more questions about this legislative session where we are in session?
20:08:03 That bills that are that that we're talking about that relate to Seattle public schools.
20:08:08 Budget all right. It is 8 o'clock 808 actually.
20:08:17 And I really want to thank assistant superintendent ergy for joining us tonight for talking to us for sharing information.
20:08:28 This is the third conversation that we've had and they've been going so well that I reached out and said, Can we do these like all the time?
20:08:37 So we we managed to book one a month through May, and so obviously legislative session.
20:08:47 We will will be coming to an end but that doesn't mean that budget understanding school funding, and understanding how the money moves through our district.
20:08:58 Is coming. The That's that keeps happening and so we'll be back on March the fifteenth, and then there'll be dates in April and May as well am going to stay on for a little bit
20:09:13 longer to talk to you to people who stay about some upcoming opportunities.
20:09:21 And the weekly advocacy drop in hours and things like that that I am now doing on Saturdays. so.
20:09:29 But I wanted to say German. I know you've been working a lot, and you're still in your office at 8 o'clock at night, and we can see that.
20:09:41 So I want to say, thank you so much and i'm gonna stay on. But we're gonna we're gonna let you go.
20:09:45 Well, thank you. I just want to say how fabulous our levy results were.
20:09:51 We had, besides Bench school district, who only had 10 boats.
20:09:53 We have the highest approval rates in the State, and I really do think that it is the somewhat of a measure of how people feel that the district is doing some part of that.
20:10:04 I believe, is a major about you know overall people support our school district, and think that we're doing a good job, and that you know our students are are lucky to be in a district that's so supportive of public education.
20:10:21 So it was just a fabulous result and we're just incredibly excited about that. Thanks for having me we have the last few weeks. We'll be back. We'll have a budget We'll know what's going on and We'll talk about
20:10:32 it great, Thank you so much. Let me know all right we'll talk to you soon. All right.
20:10:35 So everybody who is who is still here with me I want to just first of all, make sure that everyone knows that from now, until the end of session, am hosting advocacy drop-in hour on Saturdays one of the reasons
20:10:52 we're doing this is because things change so fast it can be hard to know what the the main topic of conversation is gonna be a week in advance in in time to let people know what's coming.
20:11:09 So I've Blocked off time and whatever we need to talk about, or whatever advocacy questions you have, you'll be able to come on Saturdays.
20:11:21 We will have language support. We are currently planning on Somali, Cantonese, and Spanish. On those Saturdays we will continue to do live transcription closed captions through Zoom.
20:11:36 So those will be on Saturdays. and then this week
20:11:41 We have a number of bills that are of interest to our families.
20:11:49 So I want to make sure that everyone here knows how to sign in on a bill.
20:11:54 That I answer your questions i'm gonna rattle off a list of bills that we can sign in pro on, and then i'm gonna start putting some links in the chat i'll share my screen in a moment if and while i'm talking
20:12:11 if if whoever is hosting can make me a co-host, that would be awesome.
20:12:17 I think that's June So that I can share my screen. But the bills this week are 1153, which is increasing language, access, and public schools. The hearing for that is going to be on February the sixteenth another bill
20:12:38 we have this week is 1,759 and this build really talks about information about safe storage of drugs and gun storage, and the bill is specific to schools in that.
20:12:52 It's a requirement for schools to provide information about safe drug storage and safe gun storage, and this is one of our gun violence, prevention bills.
20:13:04 1,834 is also accepting public testimony this week, and this is taking student absences for mental health reasons, and making those excused absences on February 17 we'll have 5790
20:13:23 3. This bill is about giving stipends for people who who participate in statewide task forces and school boards and those things.
20:13:38 This is important because it's it's expensive in terms of time and effort and expertise to be on to serve on those.
20:13:52 And it's also important, because people with lived experience who are the closest to the issues are also the ones who have the best information about so solutions.
20:14:01 So that would make us more effective. 5264 would declare January as Chinese American history month, 58, 7, 8 is a bill about arts, education, and increasing arts.
20:14:18 Education. It did not have a fiscal note last time I saw that.
20:14:22 And then a bill. That representative tie asked if I would share with you, even though it is not specifically school related.
20:14:30 1, 52 is a bill that would provide translation for prescription drug labels.
20:14:41 So that, and that becomes a safety issue and that is something that even though it's not specifically education focused. It is something that would impact our families and making sure that they can read the labels, on prescription medications I am
20:14:54 about to. It looks like I am still not able to share my screen.
20:15:02 June is the only one that can allow you I tried But you won't. let me sort of me and my Okay, Yeah, because me and Melanie are the co-hosts. we're not the host so I think dunes away from her.
20:15:14 Desk 2. Okay, so I might not be able to walk you through that.
20:15:17 But you know what on Saturday come, join me. I am about to put the links for these things in the chat, and while I am doing that, Jana has something that she wants to share about the superintendent, search Yana, go
20:15:30 ahead. Yeah, Thank you. Thank you for learning. Just everybody probably just got an email from
20:15:40 Sps that is informing, or maybe just I don't know if that goes through everybody, or just families of students with disabilities.
20:15:49 But they are hosting a for for families who have students with who receive special education services during spring break.
20:16:03 Okay. And so that's a problem. so I just wanted to do a little pitch here.
20:16:12 If you did receive that email, please forward, it to the school board and ask them to reschedule, so that families can attend a lot of family, especially those who have disabled children, will have to attend those to those children and won't be able to
20:16:24 attend the meeting, and or they're on their out of town so I think that the oversight of the scheduling during midway to break is really not good.
20:16:37 So if you have a few minutes just it's just you know forward to that, i'm forwarding right Now I just got it that just lend it in our inbox, and that really does not allow for since your family engagement.
20:16:57 And Input: to the school Board. Thanks. All right. Thank you. Yana all right.
20:17:00 So if you look into the chat I have put in links. so 1,153, if you want to sign in pro on that. that is about language. access. I also, if you want to testify on that bill I have been in touch with the legislature, we
20:17:21 have 2 testifiers that I know about who will be testifying in Spanish.
20:17:27 And then the Legislature has arranged for interpretation for Spanish.
20:17:33 At this point. If you speak a language, if your preferred language is not English and not Spanish, and you need help talking to the legislative staff about getting interpretation, please reach out to me.
20:17:46 I can help you get them to provide it. I am not in charge of providing it, but I can facilitate asking for that.
20:17:56 So we also have the other bills I talked about they're just. they're in the chat, and you can click and sign in on the ones that that you feel that you would like to support when you're signing
20:18:11 in it will have an option for you to have an organization.
20:18:17 You do not need to fill that out. you can fill out that you are a parent advocate.
20:18:22 And if you know your Pta, you are on the board of your Pta. and speaking on behalf of your Pta, you can put them in. but you just want to make sure that you are in fact speaking on their behalf
20:18:38 I would like to take a moment and see if anybody has questions for me about advocacy. Yana: Yes, yeah.
20:18:49 So I have a question. So I spoke with a parent today. who's willing to provide written testimony to sees that work and has meetings tomorrow.
20:18:58 Because I told him. You know I know their situation, and how, not having interpreter who is knowledgeable about special education, specifically impacted them, how their deaf daughter was trans interpreting for the Mom crazy situation and so
20:19:17 I would like to know until when? because I know that you can submit testimony until after right after the Yes.
20:19:26 So the way it works, and i'll just go through all of them starting with written, if you are submitting written testimony.
20:19:37 First of all, I want to make sure that everyone knows you can submit that in your preferred language they will get that translated.
20:19:46 You do not have to write it in English. next I will say i'm gonna put the link for submitting written testimony for the language access bill in the chat.
20:19:57 You are submitting written testimony. You have 24 h or one day, for from the start of the hearing.
20:20:04 So with the hearing for the language access increasing language access in schools Bill that's 1,153 that hearing is on February the sixteenth, at 1030.
20:20:19 And that means that written testimony is due by February seventeenth at 1030.
20:20:26 If you want to sign in pro on this bill, because the hearing is February the sixteenth.
20:20:35 At 2 30 you would need to sign in on the bill.
20:20:39 By February the sixteenth. at 9 30. you would like to sign up for for remote testimony.
20:20:46 You would need to do that by February the sixteenth, at 9 30.
20:20:52 You want to give them much notice as possible, if you need language support.
20:20:59 If you would like an interpreter, letting them know as soon as possible, will make the difference about whether they can provide that or not.
20:21:11 I know that for this particular hearing these will be, Are these links for testifying or for listening in all the links that I have posted are for either signing in pro on a bill, or for testifying you just want to listen which
20:21:29 is a great thing to do, and I definitely incurred that. I often have the legislature in the background. Well, there are 2 ways that you can find that app one is.
20:21:46 You can go to tvw dot org and that's where the That's where they'll be playing the the recording the other way to find the link is let me get the you would go to ledge dot gov i'm putting it in
20:22:06 the chat If you go there, that's the main page for the State legislature, you will see a table that says committee agenda, date time, location, virtual, and then our location.
20:22:25 And then view video, and so you'll just look for the hearing. and then you'll be able to click on view video.
20:22:29 These are all recorded, and so you can find the archive of them on Tvw.
20:22:37 Christie, I see your hand. Yeah, I just wanted to add to it.
20:22:42 You and ya are saying about the language Access Bill, and add the the history there from my understanding, is that there used to be some language in there about having language translation in Ieps, and that it got taken out and so I think anybody who
20:23:02 has ever dealt with an iep knows that it's hard enough in your native language?
20:23:10 No, I think it's like it would be really helpful to have people testify about how important it is to have translation in those meetings. Yes, and I would like to reiterate that it is not too late for amendment
20:23:25 to be put on the bill. So if you testify to the importance of interpretation for iep meetings, that hearing there is time between then and when they vote an executive session on this for somebody to write an
20:23:44 amendment. and then to have that voted on so know we've been talking about how far into legislative session we are.
20:23:53 It is not a late to ask for amendments and changes.
20:23:58 You can still do that. So I see, Ion is asking.
20:24:03 Is there a reason why it was taken off? because our families don't know that I would guess that the reason is is potentially related to cost, or is related to legislators not understanding legend this: is something that a lot of
20:24:24 legislators simply do not know about, and we need to educate them.
20:24:33 Legislators. they all have their specialties and they rely on their constituents and their advocates to educate them about things that they don't yet know about, so we can help them make better choices by telling,
20:24:53 them our stories and explaining to them what we need them to know.
20:24:58 It can be very frustrating, because for most of us this feels so obvious.
20:25:11 But I will tell you that I have a conversation after conversation after conversation where this stuff is news to them, and they didn't know the impact.
20:25:21 They need to know the impact. Other questions. Sammy gives me access to share my screen and from my phone.
20:25:39 Do you want me to go there? And then you can explain to people how to sign in probe from my phone Great!
20:25:45 That would be great. So Ion is gonna share her screen and then i'm gonna talk. I on through it.
20:25:55 I know she's done this before but i'll talk her through it, and we can all watch together.
20:25:57 Are you guys able to see that. So right now, I don't See your screen?
20:26:01 Okay. For some reason he loves me. But then, hold on.
20:26:04 Let me see, Lets me pick. Can I say, screen and start?
20:26:08 Now and then, I don't know what it's telling me they share through zoom.
20:26:15 I see a question in the chat. Does this group work with the Seattle School Board?
20:26:22 So we are Seattle Council, Ptsa. We talk to school board directors.
20:26:29 We advocate with school board directors. We hold school board directors accountable. So yes, we interact with them.
20:26:39 But we are not the same as does that want to be it now?
20:26:47 Yes, I can So Ion actually could you because you're on the the testimony registration could you go to the ledge.
20:26:58 Dotwa Gov. let's go to the start page so I can show people how to get to where we are.
20:27:04 That's all right. So this is the the home page and we are going to look for. Ion.
20:27:14 Can you scroll down until you find something that says participating in the processances here?
20:27:20 It would be, Yeah, let your voice be heard participating in the process and then you'll see participating in a committee hearing how and let's sign in pro on a bill.
20:27:33 So, even though there are 3 separate links here, they all go to the same place.
20:27:38 So to send a bill, send a message about a bill, send a message about a bill, send an email. We want either testifying it, testifying in a just click on that.
20:27:51 So this is where we have committee sign-in 1153 is going to be in the Senate now.
20:27:56 So if you can click on Senate, then under committee click on committee, you're going to choose early learning and K.
20:28:02 12 education. then under meetings. if you can click there we're going to go with February. the sixteenth at 1030, and then we'll look here and we'll see we're looking for 1,150
20:28:18 3 language access in schools. Go ahead and click on that, and then
20:28:24 I would like my that are noted for the legislative record. That's how you sign in pro on a bill.
20:28:32 So if you go here, then, if you just scroll down and I think Ion, you've probably already signed in on this bill.
20:28:38 Yeah, but under position you would choose pro and then you just you just fill out the rest of the information, and then at the bottom it asks you to tell it that you're not a rob, and that that is as that gets you
20:28:53 signed in on a bill, and you don't have to worry about it.
20:28:58 If you would like to testify remotely, go through a similar process.
20:29:05 So if you can go back one screen and see where it says, I would like to testify remotely if you click on.
20:29:09 That goes through the same process. you fill it out. but if you do this process they will send you a link.
20:29:17 They will email you an individual link that you would then click on at the time of the hearing, and you would go through the process of testifying remotely. and then yes, testify as a panel. you?
20:29:37 Have a yes or no. What is the difference? So you you are gonna say no testify as a panel means that you and couple of other people are testifying as a group.
20:29:49 So, instead of getting called up as an individual you would get called up together, and you would testify one after the other, and your testimony would be seen as a block.
20:29:59 Now, while you're on this page there's another Button that a lot of people miss, but that a lot of people get very interested in and says, See who has signed in for this agenda.
20:30:09 Item, and you click that And here we can see our list of testifiers at the top, and you can keep scrolling down
20:30:17 And then beneath that we can see, the people who are not testifying, and who are signed in on the bill, and we'd be able to see their permissions, and we can see we've got a number of people who are signed
20:30:30 in. so we're hopeful that this amount of pressure will get this bill passed, so I had 17, so for that sign to testify us.
20:30:44 A lot of people, and it looks like there's one person who is other.
20:30:50 And then the rest appear to be pro Yep. So that is a good sign given the number of people signed in to testify, I would estimate or guess they would give us 60 s to testify.
20:31:03 That does not include time for interpretation. so you would get 60 s in your language, and then the interpreter would interpret for you.
20:31:13 I'm. kind of focused more people that either. submitted a written testimony or voted pro So that's like really good.
20:31:24 Yeah. So we're doing pretty good kristy saying if you were asking for an amendment like we talked about.
20:31:30 Would you be signing in other No you would not be signing in other?
20:31:35 On this one other indicates that you're objecting in some way. the underlying bill here we want to pass even if they don't add the amendment.
20:31:45 So we would testify pro
20:31:49 But then you would ask for a friendly amendment.
20:31:52 You would say I like this bill, but i'm asking for a friendly amendment.
20:31:57 I'm asking that you include the following language this is Why, where do you write?
20:32:03 Do you write the rent testimony, or so? You can do that for written If you want to submit written testimony, you can do that.
20:32:11 There. I see yana saying she can't squeeze everything into 60 s.
20:32:15 They are going to hold you to the 60 s. but if you run out of time, what you say is, thank you, and will submit.
20:32:28 The rest of my attitude as written testimony. Always say thank you. then let them know to keep an eye out for your written testimony.
20:32:37 There are some committee chairs that will let you go over and not worry about it.
20:32:43 Neither of our education. Chairs are that way. They have a lot to get done. They have a hard stop at the end of their committee hearings that for their virtual hearings this is one difference between their online committee hearings and in real
20:33:01 life hearings in Olympia, when we all had to get to Olympia to talk to them instead of doing it remotely, they could sometimes just keep the room longer, but because of the way that virtual hearings
20:33:17 are recorded, and because of Tv W. they have a hard stop on the and these hearings, and I've actually seen one where Tvw just cut it off because it had to go to the next thing in programming.
20:33:33 So there are reasons that they keep us to these limits, and it is so that they can hear from as many people as possible that they can get as much 100 as many of these bills that we want past, as possible that they can get as
20:33:45 much work done as possible. but i've noticed Sam last time was like they give little bit leeway to those are having technical difficulties, or they have language support.
20:33:59 They do give little, but not that much, but little. Believe it for the last minute that we were in, and that is going to vary somewhat. so.
20:34:02 One of the yeah that when I've been talking to this committee this time about language access, as i'm being told that they will be providing interpretation in Spanish for the the hearing, so that you don't need to
20:34:22 just listen for your name the way that we did when this bill was in appropriations.
20:34:28 Hopefully. that means that people will be better supported. The interpreter should be on longer.
20:34:35 So hopefully that will go better. I will say that the legislature is still learning, and we are still educating them. and we are working on this trying to make this system better.
20:34:49 I'll also let you know that representative Valdez and I have already had a conversation about increasing language access to the Legislature, and making it easier for constituents who who are not as who do not speak English, or who are not comfortable in
20:35:08 English to interact with their legislators. We are planning on doing, on discussing that during the interim, because during the session, very hard to actually get anything done, most of that kind of work and that planning happens outside of session
20:35:24 So the representative Bell does is currently the chair of the House State Government Committee.
20:35:31 And so that's why reached out to him and we're gonna be working on improving this, and I will be reaching out to all of you, so that you can be included in this conversation, and so that we can make this as successful and get this
20:35:47 right for all of our families. So I want you to know that this is something that Council actively working on, where we're going to work in partnership with Ion, with Hodon, with Manuela, and with all of you But we
20:36:03 have we have set that conversation up because we need. We need the Legislature to get better at this.
20:36:11 All right. Does anybody have other questions or things that we can support with tonight?
20:36:19 All right, so i'm not seeing any and I am gonna say thank you to all of you for coming.
20:36:28 I will tell you that at this point in the legislative session and cut off tends to be just a hard time.
20:36:35 There was a bill that I really wanted to pass, and it died today. that nothing about us without us.
20:36:40 Bill died today, and that kind of hurt my heart because that was a that was a disability.
20:36:46 Rights Bill. we're going to have to bring that back next session.
20:36:52 But it's. so inspiring to come here and see all of you and to know that we're gonna work together, and we're gonna create change. and we've got this and and even when we don't get everything we
20:37:07 want. we're going to keep going and so I just want to say, Oh, yana!
20:37:13 I have a lot of opinion I know exactly why it died and we can have a conversation about It's a that's a I'm, maybe not in a place to have a recorded conversation about what went down there.
20:37:27 You know about Bill? 208. The one I know has nothing to do with the school, but it's about the Iq test for Dda. Do you know about that?
20:37:34 One how is going. Let me let me check for you right now.
20:37:38 I don't know if it's a house bill or if it was Senator, but i'm not sure I think whether it's a Yes, yes, eliminating the use of intelligent quotient it passed the House floor it is in the Senate it is scheduled for public hearing in the
20:37:59 Senate on February the seventeenth, at 1 30.
20:38:03 So, and let me for people who want to know about this bill that's the bill tracker information, and then and the bill tracker just gives you all the information about the bill.
20:38:22 And then, and like, Yeah, i'm really surprised we took that bill nothing with a lot of self advocate testifying.
20:38:36 And I was in a lot of meetings with them, and they were really excited about that.
20:38:38 So we actually have a meeting tomorrow with a lot of stuff but because I'm really surprised.
20:38:45 I don't understand and I understand what you were saying earlier that unless you're going through that they don't understand a lot of legislators are not disabled personally, or have as far as I know, families that have other than I
20:38:56 think, representative Taylor so i'm really surprised like I don't understand how you decide someone's life when you're not going through that, and you had people that were testifying that were very brave. I normally do not do this and were willing to do
20:39:12 that, and you're not even listening and you say later. you speak of what people I'm, I don't know I'm really confused.
20:39:19 Okay, i'll give you guys a quick rund group of parents fought the bill.
20:39:21 This was killed by parents of people who have developmental disabilities.
20:39:27 It was killed, because they wanted language; that they could speak on behalf of people with disabilities not interpret, not support communication which was already allowed not provide support for their voices to be heard, but to speak about them and to be included in this
20:39:50 bill, and that first of all families are already allowed on these task forces and these work groups.
20:40:03 There's already space at them at the table for them specifically for them. and, in fact, in the the Ruckle House work group, which is the situation that caused people to be inspired to write This bill.
20:40:19 This was a work group about institutionalization and about people with developmental disabilities, and that work group was convened, and it was required there.
20:40:32 They listed required categories of people to be on that work group, and the categories included policymakers, advocates, families of people.
20:40:42 With developmental disabilities. But the group that they did not include was actual people with developmental disabilities.
20:40:52 So this bill was originally a came out of the intellectual and developmentally disabled communities, especially among self-advocates. and then it grew to be inclusive of all disabilities.
20:41:12 And I have been meeting with a coalition of disabled people of all different kinds of disabilities to work on this bill, to get craft language on this bill, to get this bill done to get it right.
20:41:21 And these meetings have been initially they were monthly and then they were weekly, and we have been working this language, and it was killed by parents who didn't want to give up the control over how their family members voice would be
20:41:45 represented it's it's really frustrating that that was allowed to happen, because the bill was about the need for disabled people to be allowed to speak for themselves.
20:42:10 And it was killed, and I will say that the testimony that I did on this hill there was really powerful testimony on this bill, and I testified on this bill because I am disabled.
20:42:26 And this bill matters to specifically to me. And I will say that the opposition to this bill, one of the people testifying against this bill, after I had testified, said that it was clear that anybody who had just testified had had their
20:42:42 testimony written by somebody else, because there was no way that they that the disabled people would be able to say these things or speak for themselves.
20:42:55 So that is the level of ableism that that was thrown against this bill, and under unfortunately, it won
20:43:02 But I will also say that there have been a number of good bills that it's taken multiple years to pass This bill was initially introduced.
20:43:12 Last session is carried forward this session we will continue to meet.
20:43:21 We will bring something back next session. get adding lead out of school drinking water, which is something that I thought should just be obvious that we needed to do.
20:43:31 It took us 3 years to get that through so sometimes things that are obvious.
20:43:41 People don't notice support them because it feels so obvious and then, when it gets voted down, then you actually get more support. So expect to hear more about the nothing about us without us Bill about future iterations.
20:43:56 This is not done. it is just done for the session.
20:44:01 And so it died today, still a little in my feelings about that.
20:44:06 But we're going to keep working on this and we're going to move this forward because this needs to happen.
20:44:17 So. yeah, who made that comment? I don't remember name like she was Oh, I I would remember.
20:44:27 I would email them right away. so too much on my plate.
20:44:30 But that is so outrageous i'm sorry and it you know it's it's it's incredibly common.
20:44:40 This kind of belief, so that's why we just keep telling our story.
20:44:46 We just keep moving it forward. We can do this. Sometimes This is this is how it goes.
20:44:59 Any other questions, anything else? Anybody yes, more student voice in our Pta S. Christy.
20:45:14 I hear you on that absolutely we're parent teacher student associations student voice is incredibly important, and student voice disabled student voice is particularly important as well.
20:45:31 You know. I think I think that we'll be looking for more families of disabled people to talk about how they think that their disabled child's voice is important, and how important it is for for disabled youth to have
20:45:54 the opportunity to see disabled adults and positions of power, and doing important and really good work.
20:46:03 And the more parents we have who support the nothing about us without his bill.
20:46:11 The smaller the voice of the parents. who oppose it will become I think that there was a mistake, and belief that all parents agreed this wasn't important.