May Newsletter: HB 1079 Signed Into Law!
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President’s Message
Hello WA DSPA Families –
We are thrilled to share this exciting news: On Tuesday, May 13th, Governor Ferguson signed HB 1079, which allows virtual public school students to take their SBA tests remotely. This law will take full effect in the 2027-28 school year, with pilot programs beginning earlier. Stay tuned for updates regarding this timeline.
Aside from legislative updates, we are reminding all families of the importance of our annual survey (linked below). Please complete the survey right away. The data helps us know how to best support you and your family.
Best wishes to you in these final weeks before summer. May your students finish strong!
Sincerely,
Felicia Kern
President
Legislative Update
The Governor signed HB 1079, the remote testing bill! Thank you to everyone who testified at legislative hearings, called and emailed legislators, and weighed in to show your support for this bill. With your help, we were able to get this over the finish line! Thank you for all you do to support our students!
Photo caption: Online school families and teachers join Governor Ferguson for HB 1079 bill signing ceremony in the State Capitol.
Student Spotlight
This month, we are pleased to highlight 9th grader Mauricio V-R. Mauricio is an active student with a variety of extracurricular activities – he isn’t one to miss an opportunity. One of his teachers shares, “Mauricio has been so helpful co-leading outings and even recently planned and hosted his own to teach leadership skills to students. It was so cool!”.
Mauricio is active in Scouts, currently serving as an Instructor and working towards his Eagle Scout rank. He also participates in the Teen Flight Puyallup program, where he is learning to build an airplane. At WAVA, he is active in the Business Professionals of America (BPA) club. He has represented his chapter/school at this year’s Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge and Business Titan Challenge events.
Mauricio shares, “My passion is helping my community. I love to help others discover their strengths and become the best version of themselves. I chose WAVA as my school for many reasons, but one of them was that I struggled in the brick-and-mortar school setting. However, in online/home school, I’ve been able to succeed beyond what I could imagine.”
A fun fact about Mauricio is that he was born during National Hamburger Month. One of his favorite quotes is: "Believe you can, and you're halfway there." - Theodore Roosevelt.
Family Survey!
It’s not too late to share your online school story! Please take 5 minutes to complete our survey and tell us why an online public school works for you.
Your survey responses will help us inform the conversation surrounding online public schools in Washington State. We gather this information annually to inform and educate state lawmakers about Washington’s online schools and the families who utilize them.
Complete the survey today!
Teacher Appreciation Week
Although we celebrated Teacher Appreciation during the first week in May, at the DPSA we want to recognize our teachers all month long. Please take a few minutes to complete our feedback form and tell us why you appreciate your online school teacher. We will share your responses on our social media channels.
The Washington Digital Public Schools Alliance is a coalition of Washington families who have joined together to advocate for digital public schools in our state. DPSA parents have worked hard to educate and inform Washington State policymakers about the importance of digital public schools. Your participation makes a real difference to our leaders in Olympia.