WFIS News
Updates on our advocacy, committee work, legislative policy, and trending topics relevant to member schools.
DCYF & PNMA establish robust system recognizing Montessori for “credit”.
After many years of discussion and relationship building, the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCFY) and Pacific Northwest Montessori Association PNMA have established a system recognizing the Montessori teacher credentials of AMS, AMI, or MACTE accredited...
Early Learning Directors meet with DCYF Licensing Lead
The following summarizes the conversation between the DCYF Licensing Department Lead, Judy Bunkelman, and the private schools' early learning directors. This is an overview for those who missed the meeting. Thank you to Judy Bunkelman for joining the meeting! The DCYF...
Washington state to extend a pandemic graduation waiver program until 2024
The State Board of Education is proposing to extend the Emergency Graduation Requirement Waiver for students for one more year as-is (up to 2 credits), step down what can be waived the following year (1 credit), and expire the waiver after that. This will support...
DOH Updated Guidance for K12 schools & childcare now in one merged document
The WA State Department of Health's NEW Requirements and Guidance to Mitigate COVID-19 Transmission in K-12 Schools, Child Care, Early Learning, Youth Development, and Day Camp Programs take effect March 12 to coincide with the lifting of general indoor masking...
A most positive shift during the 2021-22 school year
This school year has been full of local, county, and state agency meetings for the WFIS staff. WFIS Member school leaders have remained updated of this work through our weekly Member Zoom meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays, as well as our WFIS Member Weekly Update...
This Private Equity Firm Is Amassing Companies That Collect Data on America’s Children
The Markup by Todd Feathers Vista Equity Partners has been buying up software used in schools. Parents want to know what the companies do with kids’ dataOver the past six years, a little-known private equity firm, Vista Equity Partners, has built an educational...
Should kids be inoculated against COVID to attend Washington schools? It’s being studied.
January 11, 2022 in the Bellingham Herald The Washington state Board of Health is considering a proposal to require COVID-19 vaccinations for all K-12 students, and some people are not happy about it. The board has scheduled a virtual meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 12,...
Federal Dept. of Labor vaccine mandate
OSHA's COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing: Emergency Temporary Standard applies to businesses with 100 employees or more (this counts seasonal, temporary, and employees who work from home but not independent contractors). The new protocol must be in place by Jan 4, 2022...
F.D.A. panel endorses vaccines for kids
Polling has shown that roughly a third of parents with elementary school children are eager to vaccinate their children right away, while a third prefer to wait.
Cyber Liability Insurance policies for independent schools
A cyber liability policy protects your organization beyond the basics of general liability insurance, which does not protect against cyber attacks and data breaches. 70% of cyber attacks target small businesses, and the cost of data recovery alone could force a school to fold.