September 18-19:
Visit Private Schools at the Puyallup
Fair
October 27:
Private
Schools Workshop with PSESD, Renton
November
12:
Private Schools Workshop Day at
Liberty Christian School, Richland
February
11:
Winter Dinner and Best of
Washington Awards
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The WFIS eMemo is a
publication of
Washington Federation of
Independent Schools
P. O. Box 449
DuPont, WA 98327
253.912.WFIS(9347)
Judy Jennings
Executive Director
Jan L. Morrison
Assistant to the
Director
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The Washington Federation of
Independent Schools (WFIS) is the umbrella organization
for private education in Washington State. With seventy
percent of the independent student population enrolled
in member schools, WFIS is the only statewide vehicle
for regular communication and strategic development
between the many different constituencies. WFIS
schools are affiliates of the Catholic dioceses in the
state; the Association of Christian Schools
International (ACSI); the Christian Schools
International (CSI); Lutheran Schools; Montessori
schools; the Pacific Northwest Association of
Independent Schools (PNAIS); the Seventh-day Adventist
Schools (SDA); and numerous other religious and
independent institutions, including the Waldorf Schools,
Hutterian Brethren, and those institutions with
sponsorship within the Jewish and Islamic
communities. The WFIS Board of Directors consists
of eighteen school heads representing the major
constituencies chosen regionally by their respective
bodies. WFIS is networked with similar
organizations in other states through the Council for
American Private Education
(CAPE).
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 Why WFIS?
As
our private school community begins the new school
year, we do so in a difficult economy and a
changing political landscape. While there
seem to be some signs of a coming economic
recovery, many of our schools are being challenged
to redefine educational priorities in the face of
smaller enrollments, tight budgets, and a decrease
in gift income. So ... why is your
investment in WFIS membership more important than
ever before?
The Washington
Federation of Independent Schools is the single
largest organization representing the interests of
all private schools in Washington. Our
organization has appointees to the most important
state agencies that deal with private education
issues. Selected by their constituent
organizations, our executive board represents the
interests of the entire private school
community. The WFIS influence extends
from early childhood education through teacher and
administrative programs at the university level.
Our primary role is to continue to
be the "advocate and voice of private
schools." This past year has once again
proven the effectiveness of our advocacy.
Thanks to the testimony of Judy Jennings, WFIS
Executive Director, and other member school
leaders on a variety of
fronts, all private schools will
benefit. Working with other stakeholders, we
were able to modify the implementation of the new
School Health and Safety Rules as well as
prevent the legislature from adopting mandatory
SEIU unionization for private pre-school and
daycare providers. We also worked with the
Institute
for Justice who filed a lawsuit on behalf of
three families denied on-site special
education services. Their qualified children were
denied because they attended a faith-based private
school and not a secular school. As a result
of this lawsuit, amendments to the WAC
will allow on-site services for all private
schools. A public hearing is scheduled
for September 3 at OSPI to receive public
testimony, and WFIS will be there to affirm the
changes. We have been informed that your
written comments will also be taken into
consideration at http://www.k12.wa.us:80/specialed/.
As
the school year begins, we are scheduling meetings
with private schools and other stakeholders from
around the state to listen to the needs of our
constituents in order to develop our legislative
agenda for the 2010 session. Watch for a
schedule of meetings in your area. This year
WFIS will be co-sponsoring our fall workshop with
Puget Sound ESD 121, on October 27 at the ESD
offices in Renton. This will provide all
private school attendees with a broad range of
pertinent topics as well as an opportunity to
network with other school administrators. We
are also planning a Workshop Day on November 12 at
Liberty Christian School in
Richland. Watch your e-mail for more
details.
WFIS is your investment in
the unfettered future of private education in our
state. Thank you to all of our schools for
renewing your membership. If you have not
yet completed your membership, the time is
now! We are here to serve and represent you
while you are busy providing outstanding education
to our children. Have a great start to your
school year!
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SAVE THE DATES!
October 27, 2009 -
WFIS and PSESD host private schools workshop,
Renton
November 12, 2009 - WFIS
Workshop Day at Liberty Christian School,
Richland
February 11, 2010 - Winter
Dinner and Best of Washington Awards
Details to
Follow.
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Our
best wishes go to Jack
Klenk as he retires from the U.
S. Dept. of Education, Office of Nonpublic
Education. Jack writes:
Dear
nonpublic education friends and
colleagues,
As I retire from the
Department of Education, I want to thank you for
your work on behalf of America's students. I
salute you for using your talents -- often
sacrificially -- to serve the families who choose
private and home schools. I am very grateful
for the privilege of knowing and working with such
talented and dedicated people as
you.
Thanks to those of you who came
to my retirement party or were there in spirit, to
those who sent greetings and memory items, and to
those who made very generous remarks. I will
treasure the memories for the rest of my
life.
Special thanks to Maureen
Dowling, Pamela Allen, Erin McHugh, and Cheryl
Jones, my remarkable ONPE colleagues, who put on
such an incredible event. They are the reason that
ONPE will continue to be "the mouse that
roars."
I want to thank my wonderful
colleagues in OII, and especially Jim Shelton for
his outstanding leadership of the office.
They have made OII a wonderful home for ONPE since
ONPE joined the new OII seven years
ago.
As I depart the Department, I
know that ONPE will be in good hands with Maureen
Dowling as acting director. Maureen has well
earned the high respect that she has from inside
and outside the Department, and will doubtless
make improvements that will take ONPE to new
levels of service.
Nonpublic
education has helped to make America great, it has
served the public well, and it deserves respect
and protection. One of the biggest
challenges for our nation is sustaining this vital
resource for present and future generations. This
challenge is great, particularly in our cities.
For an educated citizenry, and for a free and
vibrant civil society, America needs the diversity
and quality that nonpublic education --
private and home schools -- provides.
Diversity and parental empowerment are good for
children, families, and America.
The challenge is not just to
preserve schools, but schools with a particular
mission, identity, and character. This is
necessary for a free and vibrant civil
society. America needs the diversity and
quality that nonpublic schools provide.
It has been a privilege for me to be
in a position where I could work with nonpublic
school organizations, and where I have had the
opportunity to play a small part in programs that
serve students and teachers in private schools,
and in policies that respect the freedom of
religious and other private schools.
To leave such a wonderful place is
bittersweet. As I go on to a new chapter in
my life, I am overwhelmed by the gift I have had
of working with you.
Thank
you.
Jack
Klenk
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Rose D. Friedman, a
passionate advocate for educational choice and
wife of the late Milton Friedman, passed away on
August 18th. Known as a leader in the modern
free market movement, Rose dedicated her life to
advancing freedom in education. Read more
about Rose and her legacy at the Friedman
Foundation website.
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WFIS "Summer (News)
Shorts"
The
newest member to the national State Cape Network,
Arkansas, hosted the annual Summer Institute in
Little Rock, June 28-30. Twelve State
Executives, including Judy Jennings of Washington,
met to focus on the issues of universal
pre-school, accreditation and accountability, and
tax credits.
On August 12 the
Washington State Department of Health Executive
Board met to receive final public testimony on the
revised School Health and Safety Rules before
passing them that day. Because of previous
WFIS member testimony, the small business impact
statement was revised to reflect a more realistic
impact on private schools. Exemptions were
also provided for schools housed in churches,
synagogues or mosques. The implementation of
the rules for all other schools will come only as
the legislature provides funding for the public
schools sector. While private schools will
not receive funding, the rules will be phased in
at a much slower rate than previously
planned.
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| Flu
Season Guidance for Schools
The Federal government has released updated
guidance to assist schools in
addressing issues related to the H1N1
influenza. The guidance, which is
posted at www.flu.gov is designed to help
prevent the spread of flu among students,
teachers, and other school personnel. This
update provides a menu of tools, including a
Communications Toolkit, that school and health
officials can choose from based on the conditions
in their area.
The school guidance is part of a broader
national framework to respond to the H1N1
influenza, which includes encouraging people to
get vaccinated against the virus and to take other
actions to prevent infection.
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U.S. Department of Education Updates State
Regulation of Private Schools Report
(8/6/09)
The
U.S. Department of Education's Office of
Non-Public Education (ONPE) has updated the
report, State
Regulation of Private Schools,
which provides brief descriptions of state
requirements that apply to K-12 private
schools. The intent of the report is to
serve as a reference for public and nonpublic
school officials, state policy-makers,
researchers, and others. This report is an
update of the 2000 publication, which in turn was
an update of the 1993 publication, The
Regulation of Private Schools in America: A State
by State Analysis.
Back
to Top
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Summer Updates from
CAPE
Indiana
Enacts Scholarship Tax Credit
Legislation (July 2,
2009)
Indiana
this week became the latest addition to a growing
list of states providing tax credits for
contributions to nonprofit organizations that
award scholarships to help children attend
religious and independent schools. The state
legislature passed a $2.5 million tax credit
program Tuesday night as part of an omnibus state
budget bill. For more information on how the
program works, visit CAPE's
Web site.
Federal
Technology Funds Available
(July
31, 2009)
The
U.S. Department of Education has released new
guidance for the Enhancing Education Through
Technology (Ed Tech) program as funded under the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
ARRA provides $650 million for the Ed Tech program
on top of $269 million in the regular FY 2009
appropriation. This unprecedented amount of
funding is intended to "help ensure that every
student is technologically literate" and to
"encourage the effective integration of technology
with teacher training and curriculum development."
Under
the Ed Tech program, states and school districts
that receive funds must ensure that expenditures
for children attending religious and independent
schools are equal (taking into account the number
of students) to expenditures for children
attending public schools.
Complete information
about the program and the new guidance is
available on CAPE's
Web site.
Top of Page |
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The Bulletin
Board
Private School Days at the
Puyallup Fair
Education Building
September 18-19, 2009
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College Fair at The Fair (Grades
9-12)
September 11-12, 2009
Contact your School Counselor for
Details
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Part-time teacher needed
for history/literature.
Des
MoinesCreekAcademy
nsavage@dmcacademy.org
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The Catholic Archdiocese of New
York has an immediate opening for
the following position:
Associate Superintendent for Public
Policy and
Government
Programs.
Please direct interested applicants
to: Dr. Timothy J. McNiff Superintendent
of Schools Archdiocese of New York 1011
First Avenue, 18th Floor New York, NY
10022 Phone: 212-371-1000 Fax:
212-317-9236 Email: Timothy.McNiff@adnyschools.org
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The Washington State Office of Superintendent
of Public Instruction (OSPI) is seeking a
visionary and dynamic leader to join the OSPI team
in a ten month acting appointment as the
Program Supervisor for School Pandemic Flu
Preparedness. This critical and
innovative project position is based in Olympia,
Washington, and runs through June 30, 2010.
Interested candidates are encouraged to visit
http://www.k12.wa.us/employment/ProgSupSchoolPandemicFluPreparednessProject2009.doc.
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DOH
Fall 2009
School
Environmental
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5 Dimensions of
Teaching and Learning
PSESD is
partnering with UW's Center for Educational
Leadership (CEL) to offer a professional
development series based on the 5 Dimensions of
Teaching and Learning. No one questions that
excellent instruction is the key to student
learning. The question we ask is: What
skills will enable school leaders to improve the
quality of teaching and learning for all students?
These group sessions and guided
walk-throughs are designed to provide leaders and
teachers with the skills necessary to support
excellent classroom practice in a manner that is
thoughtful, intentional and focused. CEL's
research-based 5 Dimensions of Teaching and
Learning (5D) is comprised of the core elements of
what constitutes good teaching.
Contact Julie
Rolling, Executive Director of Learning &
Teaching at PSESD for more information at:
jrolling@psesd.org or (425)
917-7806
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Membership Renewal Time
is Now:
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