Agencies and Committees
WFIS represents the interests of private schools on agency boards and working groups and serves as the official liaison organization for independent schools with OSPI and the Department of Early Learning.WFIS Agency and Committee News
Five K-12 trends to watch in 2020
New approaches to assessment, concerns over security and privacy, and reimagining what defines classrooms and instruction are among factors that will drive education in the coming year.
OSPI rebranding and new logo announcement emphasizes ‘Public Instruction”
OLYMPIA — January 6, 2020 — Credibility. Support. Equity. Hopefulness. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction’s (OSPI) brand, or its public image, is focused on these main tenets. Today, OSPI released a new logo embracing these values — marking a...
Mastery-based Learning in WA State? SBE work group reports on initial examination.
SBE has convened a mastery-based (also known as competency-based) learning work group. The group, established in law, identifies barriers to mastery-based learning and explores ways to increase student access to relevant and robust academic pathways that...
Washington schools don’t have to teach sex education. That could soon change.
Advocates hope legislation requiring comprehensive K-12 sexual health education will be successful in 2020. Battle Ground Public Schools set out in 2018 to establish a high school sexual health education program that would be inclusive of all its students. Instead,...
DCYF Photo & Video Policy spawns fierce discussion
The Department of Children Youth and Families (DCYF) hosted a 'Joint Meeting' for the Licensed Center Advisory and Early Achievers Review committees on November 12th at the Seattle Sheraton. Dee Hirsch, Director of Discovery Montessori and Chelle...
Updated Title I Guidance Released
from CAPE Outlook November 2019 The US Department of Education has released updated non-regulatory guidance for Title I of ESEA, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (now known as the Every Student Succeeds Act - ESSA). Of interest are at least two...
Enrollment Reporting Issues Clarified
In an email sent to all Approved Private Schools in WA State on behalf of private.schools@k12.wa.us, schools were notified that enrollment reporting will occur in the spring when the application for re-approval is submitted. This follows a full month of...
OSPI School Safety Summit Recap
Sandra Barton Smith from the Office for Catholic Schools attended the October 24th meeting and shares her insights with WFIS schools below. WFIS wants to remind all private schools that a focus of the ESDs is to offer training and support on suicide and...
ELAC Update from October 2019 Meeting
reported by WFIS' Early Learning Advisory Council Representative Chelle Downey-Magee, Director of Issaquah Montessori School The October 1 Early Learning Advisory Council (ELAC) meeting took place at the Oxford Suites in Yakima. Attendance by members was...
Update: Child Care Professional Development Equivalencies Process with DCYF
Read the report produced by the Equivalencies Workgroup, along with a response letter from Secretary Hunter and a process document outlining DCYF’s plan for experience-based competency demonstration. DCYF will continue to provide updates regarding...
About our work
WFIS representatives work with State Agencies, including the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), The Department of Early Learning (DEL), The Department of Health and others to advocate for the particular needs of private schools.
WFIS representatives at OSPI, DEL and on the State Board of Education communicate regularly with WFIS to help guide and change policy to reflect private school needs.
WFIS works directly with the executive directors of the accreditation organizations in Washington to protect the integrity of accreditation and our schools. We call these leaders “Constituency Leaders” and rely on their in depth understanding of their schools to guide WFIS’ policy decisions.
WFIS is in Olympia during the legislative session, building relationships with Legislators and their staff, collaborating with lobbying organizations with similar goals, as well as reading and contributing to legislation to be sure private schools are considered when law is crafted and when it is passed.