Defeating SB 6320 & Student Highlights! sent
/Hello again, digital public school families –
What a start to our year already! Thanks to the incredible dedication and quick action of our DPSA community, we successfully helped stop a bill that would have limited access to digital public education across the state. Your voices made a real difference—thank you to every parent, student, and supporter who stepped up to protect our school.
We’re also celebrating some amazing student achievements! A WAVA team recently took first place in a competition—be sure to read the full story inside. This newsletter also includes a recap of our targeted Legislative Day at the Capitol event and highlights from our National School Choice Week event, where we joined together to celebrate learning that meets every student’s needs.
We’re excited to welcome a new member to our board—check out her spotlight to learn more about her background and vision. And if you’ve ever thought about getting involved, we’re still looking for at least one more parent volunteer to join the board—your voice matters!
Thank you for being such an engaged part of the DPSA community. Let’s keep the energy rolling and make this semester our best yet.
Sincerely,
Felicia Kern, DPSA President
Legislative Update
With your help SB 6320 died in Senate Early Learning and K12 Education Committee. This bill would have effectively shut down most digital school programs in Washington. Thank you to all the parents, students and teachers who registered your opposition, signed in to testify and emailed your Senators to urge them to oppose the bill. Thank you to our legislative champions, Sen. Lisa Wellman, Sen. Claire Wilson and Sen. Paul Harris who expressed their concerns during the Senate Early Learning and K12 Education Committee consideration of the bill. With this collective support we were able to ensure HB 6320 didn’t move through the legislative process.
The DPSA Board in Olympia
The DPSA board traveled to Olympia in February to meet with legislators and share the impact of digital public education across Washington. Board members discussed their firsthand experiences with education and encouraged lawmakers to oppose policies like HB 6320, that would shut down digital schools and limit access and choice. Although the 2026 legislative session adjourned on March 12, the DPSA will continue working with legislators on these issues in preparation for the 2027 session.
New Board Member Spotlight
Rosie Tomyn is a community advocate and former elected public official with experience in municipal leadership, legislative communications, and community engagement. She also has many years of experience connecting community members with the policy processes that shape their daily lives.
As the parent of two digital learners, Rosie is deeply committed to expanding access to high-quality public digital education. She believes flexible learning options are essential to meeting the diverse needs of today’s students and families. Through her role on the board, she hopes to partner with other parents to advocate for public digital learning opportunities to remain accessible, innovative, and available to all.
WAVA Team Takes First:
Congratulations to the WAVA HS Business Professionals of America team for finishing in 1st place in the 2026 Junior Achievement of Washington - Stock Market Challenge last week. They participated in a fast-paced simulation against 20+ Puget Sound teams, competing for the biggest portfolio growth. Shout out to: Esme-Rose Lizama, Kenshion Smith, Kayvion Tisino-Kelly, and Mauricio Valdez-Rios!
National School Choice Week
Nearly 200 students and learning coaches participated in this year’s National School Choice Week celebration, held at the Seattle Museum of Flight in January. Families connected with each other, explored the exciting museum exhibits and took home a fun aviation-themed swag bag.
Thank you to our event co-sponsors: Seattle Museum of Flight, National School Choice Week, WAVA, and DPSA.
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.