PL23DECfinal.pdf

Parent document: Regular Board Meeting-02-12-2024.pdf

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FROM THE EDITOR

Policy Classifications

ESSENTIAL

¢ Policy is required by state or federal
law; or

¢ Aspecific program requires a policy
in order to receive special funding.

ENCOURAGED

¢ While not required by law, policy
is intended to reflect the spirit
of existing state or federal law
thus inuring districts to potential
litigation;

¢ While not required by law, policy
has potential to benefit the health,
safety, and/or welfare of students,
employees, directors, and/or the
local community.

DISCRETIONARY

¢ Policy addresses an action likely
deemed important by the board; or

¢ Policy would likely be deemed
appropriate due to special
circumstances of the board; or

¢ Policy communicates district
philosophy that a board may want
to promote to employees and/or
the community.

Editor’s Note

It’s fun to get stuff. But the happiest people seem to be not those who get more, but
those who give more, particularly giving of themselves. Winston Churchill is attributed as
saying, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” |
understand that to mean that we can make another’s life better by giving AND we can
transform our own life by leading a life built on giving. Giving lifts, enriches, and ennobles
our lives, infusing them with purpose and inter-connection. Plus, we frankly need each
other. At present, the days are short and often dark with clouds, and the times we live in
can feel dark with trouble on the horizon.

As you heard at the 2023 Law Conference, bad scary stuff with legal consequences might
and likely will happen at your school district during your service as a school director.
Although it can be stressful to think about, it’s also crucial to be alerted to possible
improper circumstances so that you can respond to or prevent them. This edition of Policy
& Legal News dives into the importance of this idea in Protecting the Whistleblower (see
page 8).

But it isn’t all bad news. We’re also excited that as we end the year, we can bring you
some good news about new options for students. This includes offering students the
opportunity to earn elective credit for their paid work experience (see page 6) as well as
the ability to follow their own interests and goals for their graduation pathway requirement
(see page 3).

The work of school directors has been notably challenging in 2023. | wish | could promise
that in 2024 the work will be easier. What | can promise is that the work of school
directors will be significant to the students you serve. Thank you, school directors, for
giving your heart, head, effort, and time to your school district. You could have
understandably focused on making your own living. Instead, you are making a life, that of
each of your students and your own.

Wishing you Happy Holidays,

Abigail Westbrook, J.D., Editor

The editor (at right) with Sonja Trainor, Director of Legal Advocacy for
NSBA, at the 2023 WSSDA Annual Conference.

POLICY AND LEGAL NEWS =» WSSDA_ 1


Policy & Legal News

HELPING SCHOOL DISTRICTS TRANSLATE LAW INTO ACTION

Editor’sS NOtC.....cccecccsseseeeseesceeeseeeesecaeeeaeeeaecessecaesaesenesseseseeseeaesetasieess 1
Performance-Based Pathway for High School Graduation.............. 3
Credit for Paid Work Experience ........c:ceccssssssesssceseesessstesensssesseesesseees 6
Protecting the WhiStleDIOWEIS .........ssscesssceeeeeeeesseseeseeeeseeeteetaeeeeaeeees 8
Other UPdate .........:cccccsccscecsessscessesseseeeceeeseeeseeseeeseessesseesansseeseeesnsees 10
K-12 Education During and After the Pandemic .........:::cseeeeee 11
Parliamentary Procedure - Amending Motions. ........::cceceeeee 14
Special THANKS .........sssssccscsssssccssssssscscensessescausesseesansecanseseessanseseessansesees 15

w& UPDATES TO MODEL POLICY

WSSDA has developed, revised, or retired the following model
policies and procedures. Subscribers can find marked-up and
clean versions of these documents (as applicable) in their
subscriber portal on the WSSDA website by visiting
wssda.org/login

ESSENTIAL

2410/2410P - High School Graduation Requirements

2413 - Equivalency Credit Opportunities

2415/2415P - Performance- based Pathway for High School
Graduation (NEW)

5005 - Employment and Volunteers: Disclosures, Certification
Requirements, Assurances, and Approval

5271/5271P - Reporting Improper Governmental Action
(Whistleblower Protection)

ENCOURAGED

2401/2401P - Financial Education Mastery-Based
Learning and Credit

6500 - Capitalization Threshold for Leases and
Subscription-Based Information Technology Arrangements

LIST OF SERIES INCLUDED IN UPDATES
2000 Series - Instruction

5000 Series - Personnel

6000 Series - Management Support

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WSSDA

DECEMBER 2023

WASHINGTON STATE SCHOOL
DIRECTORS’ ASSOCIATION

POLICY AND LEGAL NEWS » WSSDA_ 2


DECEMBER 2023

Districts Can Offer a New
Graduation Requirement Option
that Lets Students Follow Their
Interests and Goals

By Linda Drake, Director of Career and College-readiness
Initiatives, State Board of Education

ballet performance, a study of marine life in
Arve Sound, a canoe journey, an internship

with a manufacturing company: these are
examples of learning experiences high school students
could use toward meeting a graduation requirement.
Legislation passed in 2023 allows districts to offer a
new performance-based pathway option as a way for
students to show what they know and can do in a “real-
world context” related to their own goals and interests,
all while making progress in meeting requirements and
earning a high school diploma.

“Real-world context” means learning experiences that provide
students the opportunity to carry out activities and solve
problems in a way that reflects the complex nature of such
tasks in the world outside of the classroom.

With the performance-based pathway option, students
use an experience that aligns with the student’s
interests and goals in their High School and Beyond
Plan. Based on this experience, students would reflect
on the learning they gained and create a product,
such as a report, presentation, video, or performance,
that demonstrates the student’s learning in English
Language Arts (ELA) or math. The student’s experience
and product could be about any topic but would need
to incorporate ELA or math learning standards. The
product would be evaluated locally to determine if the
student meets the graduation requirement.

Background

The graduation pathway requirement is one of three
parts of the Washington high school diploma, along
with credit and subject area requirements, and the

PX

TAG

High School and Beyond
Plan. The three parts are
intended to work together
to prepare students for
success in their life after
high school.

MODEL POLICY
2415
Performance-based
Pathway for High School
Graduation

MODEL POLICY &
PROCEDURE
2410/2410P
High School Graduation
Requirements

The Legislature added
graduation pathway
options as a graduation
requirement beginning
with the Class of 2020.
Similar to the six other
options, the new performance-based option focuses on
students demonstrating knowledge and skills in ELA or
math. For these options, students may “mix and match”
options; for example, a student could use the state tests
to meet the pathway requirement in ELA and the new
performance-based option to meet the requirement in
math. If designed carefully, a student’s performance-
based pathway could meet both the ELA and math

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POLICY AND LEGAL NEWS ® WSSDA_ 3


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requirements. Still, the student’s
project would need to address
both sets of learning standards
and meet all requirements of
the performance-based pathway
for both subject areas. Two
additional options, the military
option (the Armed Services
Vocational Aptitude Battery or
ASVAB) and the Career and
Technical Education option,
allow students to meet the
requirement without meeting
English and math pathway
requirements separately.

SOME QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

What is the first step for districts to offer this new
graduation pathway to students?

Districts that choose to offer the performance-based
graduation pathway option must first adopt a local policy
and procedure to implement the new pathway option.
The State Board of Education collaborated with the
Washington State School Directors Association (WSSDA)
to develop a new model policy to support districts.

How will students choose what to do for a perfor-
mance-based pathway?

The student may either pursue an individual interest and
create a proposal that the school or district approves,

or schools or districts may create opportunities that

the student would opt into through a learning contract.
For example, if a school has a relationship with a local
business that offers internships to high school students,
the school may develop the internship experience into a
performance-based pathway.

How will students complete the work for a perfor-
mance-based pathway?

Students may complete a performance-based pathway
through independent work, or schools may incorporate
completing a performance-based pathway within a
course or courses. Educators or community partners
may support students in completing the pathway.

DECEMBER 2023

Washington State's
High School Diploma

High School & Beyond Plan

A planning tool that helps students
identify interests, set goals, and choose
high school courses + activities

Credit & Subject Area
Requirements
Students develop knowledge and

skills outlined in state learnin:
standards for core + other elects

[cnntenriesoron £)

Ways students show readiness for
their individual education and career
goals for life after high school

Purpose

To declare that a student is
ready for success in:

+ Postsecondary education
+ Gainful employment

+ Civic engagement

+ Lifelong learning

(RCW 28A.230.090)

How will the student’s product be evaluated?

Whether or not a student has met the graduation
requirement will be a local decision. The evaluation of
the student’s product must involve at least one educator
with an endorsement in the relevant subject area (ELA
or math). Districts may coordinate panels of evaluators
within a district or in cooperation with other districts,
and the evaluation may involve community members.

What tools will be available to help with the
evaluation?

The State Board of Education (SBE), in consultation with
the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction
(OSPI), will identify proficiency targets and associated
rubrics (Scoring guides) for the performance-based
pathway option. These tools will help educators under-
stand what to look for in evaluating the student’s
performance. The learning standards that will be
addressed will include a combination of required state-
identified standards, using a uniform state rubric, and
locally determined standards. The rubrics developed by
SBE and OSPI will describe the proficiency targets for
the state-identified learning standards. The target date
for publication is February 2024. Later this spring, train-
ing videos will be developed to help educators use the
rubric and support statewide consistency in evaluating
student products.

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POLICY AND LEGAL NEWS ® WSSDA


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Can students in the Class of 2024 use the perfor-
mance-based pathway?

Most students graduating in 2024 should have already
met a graduation pathway requirement or be working
on meeting one of the previously established gradua-
tion pathway options. In certain circumstances, it may
be possible for some students to use the new pathway
option in the 2023-2024 school year. Schools that offer
mastery-based learning options, project-based learning,
or culminating projects that are well-aligned to learning
standards may be able to adapt some student learning
experiences to the new performance-based pathway
option. But as noted above, before offering the option,
districts must adopt a local policy and procedure for the
performance-based pathway option.

More Information

Additional information on the performance-

based pathway is available on the State Board of

Education website: www.sbe.wa.gov/our-work/
erformance-based-pathwa

(S) POLICY DECEMBER 2023

Based on House Bill 1308

WSSDA has developed NEW model poli-
cy and procedure 2415 - Performance-
based Pathway for High School Gradu-
ation. This is an Essential model policy
for school districts that choose to of-
fer the performance-based graduation
pathway but unnecessary for school
districts that choose not to do so. Addi-
tionally, WSSDA has revised model pol-
icy and procedure 2410 - High School
Graduation Requirements, which is an
Essential policy. Because the revisions
to policy 2410 are limited to legal refer-
ences, board approval is not necessary.

POLICY AND LEGAL NEWS = WSSDA_ 5


(HB) 1658 - High School Credit for Paid Work

Experience, which authorizes public high school
students to earn elective credit for their paid work
experience. Within that legislation, our Legislature
found that a student’s paid work experience could
demonstrate that the student:

| ast session, our Legislature passed House Bill

¢ set personally meaningful goals
¢ applied learning in new contexts,
¢ mastered an essential life skill,

* exercised self-agency by developing competence
in personal finance, and

¢ took initiative

However, school districts were restrained from
implementing the new legislation until the Office of
Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) adopted the
necessary new provisions to the Washington Adminis-
trative Code (WAC) and updated relevant existing WACs.
These new and updated rules are now in place and
OSPI has issued implementation guidance and other

DECEMBER 2023

supportive tools for school districts. Here are the key
takeaways about offering students credit for their work
experience as provided for under the statute and new
and revised rules.

To be eligible to participate, students must be at least
16 years old and legally eligible for paid employment.
The school counselor, principal, or other school
designee must approve the student’s paid work
experience in advance and in writing. The student must
provide district staff with documentation identifying the
employer and the employment. Additionally, the student
must provide a narrative describing how the paid work

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POLICY AND LEGAL NEWS = WSSDA_ 6


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experience will develop skills to meet their education
goals, understanding of work and finance, and how
their performance, effort, and decisions will affect their
future career and educational opportunities.

It is possible for students to schedule their paid work
hours during the school day or outside of the regular
school calendar. School districts may claim the paid
work experience that is scheduled as part of the
student’s school day for basic education apportionment
in alignment with WAC 392-121-139. Students may
earn a maximum of two credits and only elective credit.
To earn one elective credit, students must work no less
than 360 hours of paid work. To earn half an elective
credit, students must work no less than 180 hours of
paid work.

To receive credit, students must demonstrate or be
assessed on the grade-level proficiency of Washington
State High School Financial Education Standards.
Additionally, receiving credit requires that the
designated school staff (school counselor, principal,
or other school designee) verifies and reports the
student’s paid work experience to OSPI no less than

MODEL POLICY &
PROCEDURE

Financial Education
Mastery-Based Leaming
and Credit

MODEL POLICY

Equivalency Credit
Opportunities

(S) POLICY DECEMBER 2023

once per term. School staff must also update the
student’s High School and Beyond Plan to reflect the
paid work experience.

Fundamental to the opportunity for students to receive
elective credit for their paid work experience under HB
1658 is that your school board must first adopt a written
policy that satisfies the requirements. The only identified
mechanism for awarding this credit is through mastery-
based learning of the state financial education learning
standards found in RCW 28A.300.469. WSSDA has
revised model policy and procedure 2401 - Financial
Education Mastery-Based Learning and Credit to
address the policy requirements. This policy is classified
as Encouraged, because your district is not required to
provide students with credit for their work experience,
but if your district would like to offer this opportunity to
students, the policy is required. WSSDA has also revised
model policy 2413 - Equivalency Credit Opportunities
based both on HB 1658 and Senate Bill 5617 - Skill
Centers - School District Course Equivalencies. Model
policy 2413 is an Essential model policy.



e all must obey the law, including persons

who hold positions of power and authority.

Adhering to legal requirements not only keeps
school districts out of legal trouble, but it also helps
maintain the public’s trust. What happens if someone
in your district is unprincipled, dishonest, or skirting the
law? How would you know? Being alerted to possible
improper circumstances is crucial. School districts
cannot investigate or correct what they don’t even know
about. The consequences of being in the dark might
mean keeping an unethical or incompetent supervisor in
a position of authority. It might also prevent addressing
dangerous circumstances that could lead to a cascade
of negative legal consequences down the road.

Masking problems or tolerating others suppressing
concerns in the name of “loyalty” can be disastrous.
School districts need to encourage rather than
dissuade their employees from reporting matters of
concern for both practical and legal reasons. Yet some
organizations have a culture of allegiance to individu-
als in the organization rather than allegiance to the
adopted policies and best practices. In these cultures,
bringing problems to light is “snitching” or “ratting.” In
the 1960s and 1970s, the call for consumer protection
became elevated, and Ralph Nader, a prominent activ-
ist of the movement, coined the term “whistleblower.”

MODEL POLICY &
PROCEDURE

5271
Reporting Improper
Governmental Action
The term refers to any (Whistleblower Protection)
individual who reports
illegal, unsafe, or unethi-
cal practices committed by
a company, organization, or governmental entity. It is
derived from the welcome whistle of a referee to stop

foul play in a sporting event.

Employees need to be encouraged to report concerns
and then not fear retaliation from their coworkers or
supervisors for reporting them. Retaliation certainly
harms the employee who reported a concern. It also
can also have a chilling effect on other employees’
willingness to report concerns and lowers overall
morale about working for the organization. Retaliation
can occur in several forms and can be overt or subtle.
Various laws prohibit employers from retaliating against
employees for reporting potential violations and provide
other important protections for whistleblowers. It is
important to be familiar with the applicable law and
make employees aware of it as well.

Washington has different laws governing whistleblower
protections at the state and local government levels.
The Local Government Whistleblower Protection Act,
Ch. 42.41 RCW, is the chapter that governs local
governments, such as school districts. The intent of

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POLICY AND LEGAL NEWS # WSSDA_ 8


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the statute is to encourage disclosure of improper
actions by local government officials and employees.
The statute protects employees from retaliation and
provides remedies if retaliation occurs.

Two definitions of note from the statute include
“improper governmental action” and “retaliatory
action.” Improper governmental action means any
action by a local government officer or employee,
whether or not it’s within the scope of their employ-
ment, that is undertaken in the performance of their
official duties in violation of any federal, state, or local
law or rule; is an abuse of authority; is of substantial
and specific danger to the public health or safety; or is a
gross waste of public funds. However, the statute goes
on to clarify that improper governmental action does
not include legitimate personnel actions such as hiring,
firing, promotions, reassignment, complaints, griev-
ances, etc. See RCW 42.41.020. Also, employees are
not free to disclose matters that would affect a person’s
right to legally protected confidential communications.

The other definition of note is retaliatory action, which
means:

Any adverse change in the employee’s employment status,
or the terms and conditions of employment, including
denial of adequate staff to perform duties, frequent staff
changes, frequent and undesirable office changes, refusal
to assign meaningful work, unwarranted and unsubstanti-
ated letters of reprimand or unsatisfactory performance
evaluations, demotion, transfer, reassignment, reduction
in pay, denial of promotion, suspension, dismissal, or any
other disciplinary action; or hostile actions by another
employee towards a local government employee that were
encouraged by a supervisor or senior manager or official.

As you may have guessed, when the issue of whether
retaliation occurred arises, there is a question of fact
about whether personnel actions were based on legiti-
mate human resource purposes. The key here is for
school districts to keep sufficient documentation and
follow their policy and procedures.

RCW 42.42.030(2) mandates that local governments,
including school boards, adopt a policy accompanied
by appropriate procedures for employees to report
improper governmental action. The statute specifies
certain aspects that must be included in the policy and

DECEMBER 2023

procedure, including meeting the intent of the statute.
By adopting such a policy and procedure, school
districts are accountable under their own program
and the process for hearing complaints follows a
known structure. This allows school districts to receive
the initial complaint and address it appropriately. If
the employee objects to the district’s response, the
complaint then goes to the Office of Administrative
Hearings.

Given the importance of this statute, WSSDA recently
reviewed and updated model policy and procedure
5271 - Reporting Improper Governmental Action
(Whistleblower Protection) to ensure it aligns with
Washington’s Local Government Whistleblower Protec-
tion Act. The revisions include re-categorizing this
policy to accurately reflect that it is an Essential policy.
Additionally, we’ve revised the definition of retaliatory
action and added a prohibition against intimidation

to reflect the statute more fully and accurately. The
revisions also update contact information reflecting
federal, state, and local entities that enforce potential
improper governmental actions.

POLICY AND LEGAL NEWS = WSSDA 9


OTHER UPDATES

Policy and Procedure 5005 - Employment and
Volunteers: Disclosures, Certification Requirements,
Assurances, and Approval

Category: ESSENTIAL

WSSDA reviewed and revised this model policy
based on Senate Bill (SB) 5123 - Use of Cannabis -
Employment Discrimination. This new law prohibits
employers from discriminating against hiring or
retaining an employee based on a positive drug test
for past cannabis use.

Washington has allowed qualifying patients to use
limited amounts of cannabis for medicinal purposes
since 1998 and has legalized adult recreational
cannabis since 2012. Effective on January 1, 2024,
SB 5123 prohibits employers from discriminating
against a person in hiring based on:

¢ the person’s use of cannabis off the job and away
from the workplace; or

* an employer-required drug screening test that
identifies non-psychoactive cannabis metabolites in
the person’s hair, blood, urine, or other bodily fluids.

The bill does not:

* prohibit an employer from basing initial hiring
decisions on scientifically valid drug screening
conducted through methods that do not screen for
non-psychoactive cannabis metabolites;

apply to testing for controlled substances other
than pre-employment, such as post-accident testing
or testing because of suspicion of impairment or
being under the influence of alcohol, controlled
substances, medications, or other substances; or

affect the rights or obligation of an employer to
maintain a drug and alcohol-free workplace, or any
other right or obligation of an employer required
under federal law or regulation.

Please note that cannabis is still illegal at the federal
level. Therefore, this new law will not impact drug
testing of federally regulated employees, such as
Department of Transportation employees.

DECEMBER 2023

Policy and Procedure 6550 - Capitalization
Threshold for Leases and Subscription-Based
Information Technology Arrangements

Category: ENCOURAGED

WSSDA revised this policy based on recent guidance
from the State Auditor’s Office (SAO) to use a fixed
number for establishing a capitalization threshold,
rather than a percentage-based threshold. This policy
is classified as Encouraged.

The Governmental Accounting Standards Board
(GASB) issued statements regarding leases

and subscription-based information technology
arrangements (SBITAsS) with the goal of establishing
a single model for lease accounting. The Accounting
Manual for Public School Districts does not prescribe
a specific dollar amount for what would be an
insignificant lease because districts of all sizes must
be able to use the guidance. Rather, school districts
establish a lease liability threshold that is clearly
insignificant individually and in the aggregate.

According to the SAO, school districts have
implemented this well overall. After several audits,
however, the SAO determined that school districts
needed more clarity on establishing a capitalization
threshold. The SAO identified that school districts
needed to determine a threshold that is both
insignificant and a fixed number based on the number
and size of leases they have. Therefore, based on the
SAO guidance, WSSDA has revised the model policy
to prompt school districts to identify a fixed number
rather than a percentage-based number.

POLICY AND LEGAL NEWS = WSSDA_ 10


K-12 Education

During and After
the Pandemic:

opportunities to learn from
changes made in K-12
educational methods

Photo by Allison Shelley for EDUimages

By Emily Cimber, Senior Performance Auditor, Office of the
Washington State Auditor

he coronavirus pandemic closed Washington’s

public schools and forced them to find new ways to

teach students. In March 2020, the rapid spread
of the COVID-19 virus prompted Gov. Jay Inslee to close
all public schools in the state for the next six weeks—ul-
timately extending this for the next six months. The deci-
sion to close schools prompted a cascade of change
and upheaval in the education system.

The Office of the Washington State
Auditor recently concluded an au-
dit report of creative approaches to
education in K-12 Education during
and after the pandemic. The report
identified five broad categories of in-
novation and a list of 25 creative and

During the months schools were closed to in-person nontraditional teaching practices ap-
learning, the state gave school districts great flexibility plied in schools across the state over
in how they decided to ensure students had access to the past three years. Auditors also
instruction. Funding sources and calculations changed considered how other schools might
significantly during the pandemic, and many districts incorporate similar practices. A two-
took advantage of the stop-gap change in funding to page summary of the report is re-
develop new or expand existing online schools. As the printed with permission below.
first summer of the pandemic ended, calls mounted

for children to return to in-person learning. However, The full report is available here.
some districts found nontraditional practices, including
online classes, that they introduced during the
pandemic worked better for some students and have

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POLICY AND LEGAL NEWS =» WSSDA 11


DECEMBER 2023

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retained them. This audit crafted a list of creative and were all challenged by a sudden switch to online
nontraditional teaching practices applied over the past education.

three years that might be useful for other educators. It
also considered how other schools might incorporate
similar practices and the benefits of doing so.

During this major disruption, however, many Washington
school districts developed innovative ways to continue
learning through a period when so many aspects of daily

Districts used creative practices to deliver life were upended. Recognizing the frustrating situation,
instruction outside traditional classroom, which many of the schools highlighted in this report focused
can be useful beyond a pandemic on communication and training, helping parents and

teachers work together to deliver the best possible
learning experience.

The coronavirus pandemic prompted districts to find
new ways for their students to learn outside a classroom.
Some districts added or expanded online schools

or alternative learning experience (ALE) programs to
provide increased flexibility for students and families.
When buildings were closed, some school districts
ensured students had access to online classes by
providing both internet service and IT equipment. Others
took steps to tailor instructional methods to students’
needs and engage students and families to ensure new
practices succeeded. They also taught teachers how

to use the technology they needed to teach remotely.
Additionally, some school districts increased their efforts
to meet students’ social and emotional needs.

Systemic barriers to sustaining these
innovations exist independent of the pandemic

School districts described barriers Washington would
need to overcome to implement new practices or
continue practices put in place during the pandemic.
These include resistance to change and restrictions
due to state requirements. Smaller school districts in
particular struggle to innovate with fewer staff. In some internet access and holding virtual town halls. They
cases, the return to pre-pandemic funding structures were used in a range of urban, suburban and rural

has become a barrier to some practices. Opportunities communities, reflecting the diversity of Washington
to address some of these barriers exist, both locally and
at the state level.

Photo by Allison Shelley for EDUimages

As this report explains, these innovations addressed
many different aspects of learning, from individualized
instruction and co-teaching to helping students with

school districts.

It is important to note that, while most students and

vai i
State Auditor’s Conclusions families welcomed the return of in-person instruction,

The COVID-19 pandemic was a very difficult time online learning worked well for some students. Because
across the nation. Washington was not alone in of those positive experiences, schools have sought to
making emergency changes to its educational system, preserve options that only became available to them in
including shifting most instruction online and changing the pandemic.

school funding models to support that transition. The
pandemic’s effect on the delivery of educational
services cannot be overstated; it was dramatic for all
concerned. Students, their families and their teachers

Not all the innovative approaches we identify are
necessarily appropriate for every school district or every
student, but each is worthy of more examination. Giving
these novel approaches more consideration and study

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POLICY AND LEGAL NEWS # WSSDA 12


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ensures that Washington will gain the most benefit from
positive advances made in a very challenging time.

Recommendations

We did not make any recommendations specific to
the school districts we audited. Nonetheless, we
consider the audit results so broadly applicable that
it is in the state’s best interest for all districts to
consider implementing the practices highlighted in
this report. In doing so, districts will also need to take
into consideration current and future needs, available
resources, and potential effects on students and
educators.

THE AUDIT IDENTIFIED
25 PRACTICES IN FIVE
BROAD CATEGORIES:

1. Individualized instructions

e Individualized instruction Creating or expand-
ing online schools

Creating or expanding Alternative Learning
Experience schools

Partnering with other districts to get students
access to more online courses

Offering around-the-clock online tutoring

e Using co-teachers to segment the classroom
into different level groups

Using standards- or mastery-based learning
Small reading groups and remedial tutoring
groups

2. Access

Providing devices and/or wireless internet
hotspots to students

Wireless internet network covering the entire
school district

Arranged for internet provider to supply service
for only $9 a month to families eligible for free
and reduced-price meals

3.

Student & Family Engagement
Conducting or allowing access to board meet-
ings and meetings with families via video

Posting information to the district website in
languages spoken at students’ homes

Conducting virtual town hall meetings for fami-
lies in four languages

Setting up “help desks” during key changes to
ensure students and families got immediate
technical support

Calling families to inform them about upcom-
ing key changes

Modifying bell schedules to offer students
more credits, greater schedule flexibility

Teacher Training
Training educators for teaching in an online
learning environment

Offering virtual and asynchronous training op-
portunities for educators

Districts training other districts on how to pro-
vide remote instruction

. Social-emotional needs

Greeting students at the school building door

Providing opportunities for students to talk
about issues

Providing telemedicine and remote counseling
for students who could not be at school

Setting up a school-based clinic to provide
health care to students

Incorporating social-emotional learning cur-
riculum

Providing student behavioral and mental
health interventions through the Statewide
Behavioral Health COVID Response Project

POLICY AND LEGAL NEWS ®» WSSDA

(S) LEGAL DECEMBER 2023

13


WSSDA has partnered with Jurassic Parliament to support school board members’
knowledge of parliamentary procedures. One of Jurassic Parliament's offerings is an
U ra iS iS { C advice column called “Dear Dinosaur,” which provides simple, practical answers to

e questions about Robert’s Rules and parliamentary procedure. Answers are based on
Pa rl | a mM e nt Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, 12th edition. As always, nothing in this post
Mastering meetings using Robert’s Rules constitutes legal or business advice and you should seek your own qualified authority for
specific issues. You can learn more about Jurassic Parliament here.

Can We Amend a Land
Acknowledgement Motion To
Include the National Anthem and

State Song?

By Ann Macfarlane, PRP, CAE

a resolution to institute a protocol for a Native rules to add to Robert’s Rules.

Land Acknowledgement at school events. A
board member plans to move to amend the motion to
have it apply to our national anthem and state song.
Can they do this?

D:: Dinosaur: Our school board will be passing You can read more about this in our blog post, Extra

Ann Macfarlane is the principal trainer for Jurassic Parliament.
After many years of holding the credential of Professional
Registered Parliamentarian, she now advises public and
nonprofit boards.

Answer: According to Robert’s Rules of Order,
amendments that change the intent of the original
motion are allowable, as long as they are germane
(relevant). The chair rules on whether an amendment
may be entertained, but their decision is subject to
appeal to the group (here the school board).

The question of germaneness is a subjective one

If one considers that the intent of the motion is to
establish a land acknowledgement, then the other
two items are not germane. If one considers that
the intent is to establish a ceremonial opening to
the meeting, then the other two items are germane.
Ultimately it is the board that will decide.

Note that Jurassic Parliament recommends
that boards adopt a special rule limiting which =
amendments can be made. Our suggested language:
No amendment to any motion will be allowed which —_
changes the intent of the original motion.

wa POLICY AND LEGAL NEWS s WSSDA_ 24
on ae ae +. wn Lot eS



Policy « Legal News

Policy & Legal News is published quarterly by the Washington
State School Directors’ Association to provide information of
interest to school directors and the education community. The
views expressed in opinion articles appearing in Policy & Legal
News are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent
WSSDA policies or positions. © 2020-2025 Washington State
School Directors’ Association. All rights reserved.

WSSDA Officers

Sandy Hayes, President

Derek Sarley, President-Elect

Melissa Beard, Vice President

Danny Edwards, Immediate Past President

Editor-in-Chief

Abigail Westbrook, J.D., Director, Policy and Legal Services
Policy Specialist

Kelsey Winters, Policy and Legal Specialist

Assistant Editor
Sean Duke, Communications Officer

Design & Layout
Robby McClellan, Communications Specialist
Alexa Voloscenko, Administrative Assistant

WSSDA DIRECTORY

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VISION

All Washington School Directors effectively govern to ensure
each and every student has what they need to be successful
within our state’s public education system.

MISSION

WSSDA builds leaders by empowering its members with tools,
knowledge and skills to govern with excellence and advocate
for public education.

BELIEFS
WSSDA believes:

* Public education is the foundation to the creation of
our citizenry, and locally elected school boards are the
foundation to the success of public education.

¢ High-functioning, locally elected school boards are essential
to create the foundation for successfully impacting the
learning, development and achievement of each and every
student.

* Ethical, effective and knowledgeable school directors are
essential for quality public schools.

¢ Focusing on and addressing educational equity is
paramount to assure the achievement of each and every
student.

¢ Public school directors are best served trough an innovative,
responsive, and flexible organization that provides
exceptional leadership, professional learning, and services
in governance, policy, and advocacy.

AV, WASHINGTON STATE SCHOOL
> DIRECTORS’ ASSOCIATION

a
WSSDA P.O. Box 5248, Lacey, WA 98509 USA

100 Years of Leadership + WSSda.org

w SPECIAL THANKS DECEMBER 2023

The Editor would like to thank the following people for
their contributions to this issue: anthony Anselmo, J.D., Stevens
Clay, P.S.; Emily Climber, Office of the Washington State Auditor (SAO); Linda
Drake, State Board of Education (SBE); Daniel Lunghofer, MPA, WSSDA;
Ryan Montgomery, SAO; Alissa Muller, SBE; and Rebecca Wallace, the Office
of the Superintendent for Public Instruction.

WSSDA WASBO

“Leading the
Conversation”

FEATURING
LISA BRAITHWAITE

VISIT WASA-OLY.ORG FOR MORE INFO

POLICY AND LEGAL NEWS = WSSDA 15