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
The unravelling of early education funding
As the early education sector continues to face a mounting crisis, several states are responding not with investment but with deregulation. Proposals across over a dozen states aim to lower the minimum age for child care workers, reduce training and education...
Snohomish County Health Dept. School Nurses Meeting 4-15-25
With the rise in pertussis cases in the last month and the anticipated spread of measles, schools are urged to prepare for communicable disease outbreaks. Key updates: Middle school TDAP compliance remains a challenge. Schools may require staff immunization records. A...
Resources for supporting Highly Capable students
The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) offers webinars for educators, parents, and advocates of gifted children. These webinars cover a range of topics relevant to gifted education and provide strategies to enhance the development of gifted students....
Wildfire Preparedness for Schools
WFIS attended the Wildfire Preparedness for Schools webinar hosted by ESD112. As wildfire risks increase across Washington, schools must take proactive steps to reduce fire hazards on their campuses. Schools can better protect students, staff, and structures by...
Suicide Intervention Strategies for Schools
WFIS attended the webinar Suicide Intervention in Schools hosted by Asia Smock, Behavioral Health Navigator at Northwest Educational Service District (NWESD189). The webinar focused on practical protocols for school staff responding to suicide risk among students....
PESB survey needs input from Private School Educators
The Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) invites all certificated P-12 educators in Washington state to complete the following Beginning Teacher Knowledge and Skills Survey: https://forms.office.com/r/JUSMrGpyGD (closes April 29th). This survey seeks input...
PSAC Meeting Update
The Private School Advisory Committee (PSAC) recently convened a productive meeting co-led by John Mishra, Assistant Superintendent at OSPI, and Debbie Schindler, chair of the PSAC and a private school principal. Key discussions included proposed rulemaking that would...
Board of Health Engagement with Private Schools
During a recent session, the Washington State Board of Health was given a detailed walkthrough of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) process, including how decisions were made on each proposed rule. The TAC leadership ensured that all members—including WFIS—had...
MMR immunization questions
There is a difference in the requirements for K12 and early learning programs regarding MMR immunizations. K12: To control the spread of disease, a local health officer may exclude children and staff from schools and child care facilities (WAC 246-110-020). They...
Clock hour provider application with PESB
The 2025-26 Clock Hour Provider application is due May 31, 2025. Late applications will not be considered. The new application requires additional information, such as course format, pricing, and content. Detailed information is at Clock hours - Professional...
About our work
WFIS representatives work with State Agencies, including the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), The Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF), The Department of Health (DOH), and others to advocate for the particular needs of private schools.
WFIS representatives communicate regularly with WFIS leadership and member schools so that dialogue includes the needs of private schools.
WFIS works directly with the executive directors of the accreditation organizations in Washington to protect the integrity of accreditation and our schools. We refer to these leaders as “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, and reading and contributing to legislation to ensure private schools are considered when law is crafted and passed.