Advocacy

Advocacy is at the heart of the PTA mission. Read on to learn more about advocacy in Washington state and at the national level -- and what you can do to contribute.

What are the state and national priorities?

The Washington State PTA legislative platform

The WSPTA 2025-2026 Legislative Priorities are a two-year platform to mirror the Washington state legislative cycle. In October of even-numbered years, all new legislative issues are adopted by delegates at the legislative assembly. Delegates also vote on their top five issues, which become WSPTA’s primary focus when advocating throughout the next two years. The other issues are placed on an “also supported” list. During the odd-numbered years, delegates vote to amend current issues or to add new, emerging issues to the also supported list.

The Top 5 Legislative Priorities for 2025-26 are:

• Closing the funding gaps
• Addressing the student mental health crisis
• Addressing funding, inclusion and supports in special education
• Preventing and reducing gun violence and suicide
• Expanding and school construction funding options

For additional details, please visit https://www.wastatepta.org/focus-areas/advocacy/

National PTA Position Statements are official documents outlining the opinion, will, or intent of the association to address national problems, situations, or concerns that affect children and youth and require national action to seek resolution on the issue. National PTA has adopted hundreds of position statements on a wide variety of national education, health, and safety issues since its first convention in 1897.

Visit: https://www.pta.org/home/advocacy/ptas-positions/Individual-Position-Statements for a list of a few of National PTA's position statements. For questions about these position statements or help finding others, contact National PTA's Department of Government Affairs at govtaffairs@pta.org.

What Can I Do?

Attend WSPTA Legislative Assembly taking place every October. This is when Washington State PTA decides on our legislative platform, or what our focus for lobbying will be to our legislature. Please see the following link for additional information: https://www.wastatepta.org/events-programs/legislative-assembly/

Attend WSPTA Legislative Focus Day taking place every January. PTA members across Washington gather on the steps of the Capital to rally for public education and meet our legislators. Please see https://www.wastatepta.org/event/focus-day/ for additional information. 

WSPTA Advocacy Week is held in January each year. During Advocacy Week, WSPTA asks members to take action from home or your phone. To participate, subscribe to the WSPTA Action Network to stay informed.

Go Grassroots 

As parents of children who will be growing up in a public school system, it is vital that we advocate for them. The PTA grassroots connection is a blog maintained by Washington State PTA, and can provide you with information on upcoming bills in the legislature. You can also opt to click links to write to your legislator easily from the form letter and find your legislator through the website. Grassroots Connection makes advocacy easy by informing us on what education bills the PTA supports for passage.

http://wsptagrassroots.blogspot.com/

Contact Your Legislator

Students attending Issaquah Valley Elementary live in Washington State Legislative District #5. Information on contacting our state legislators can be found at http://apps.leg.wa.gov/memberemail/Default.aspx