• 9/26 North Thurston

• 11/21 White River

• 12/17 Holiday Luncheon

• 1/16 Seattle

• 3/20 PSESD @FP

• 5/15 North Kitsap School District this meeting is being held at the House of the Awakened Culture
• 7235 NE Parkway Suquamish WA 98392

• 6/5 End of Year Luncheon

WASA/AWSP Pre-Conference

June 21, 2025 | 9:00am-3:30pm
In-Person Training
Register through WASA(opens in a new window)

Certification year 2025-26 (tentative dates): PLU, June 2025 | Peninsula location TBD, June 2025 | Spokane, October 2025 | Southwest location TBD, December 2025

We want to inform you of updates to the following bills, which are among many that are being tracked by the Office of Native Education (ONE) at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). Click each link to go directly to the Washington State Legislature to see the status of each bill. You may also find this guidance helpful in participating in the WA State Legislative Session.

Legislation for Week Ending March 21

• SSB 5570—Supporting public school instruction in tribal sovereignty and federally recognized Indian tribes.

Sponsors: Kauffman, Wellman

Washington State Legislature - SB5570

Status: PASSED in Senate; in Appropriations

Notes: Third reading, passed; yeas, 35; nays, 14; absent, 0; excused, 0 March 6. Executive action taken in Senate Committee on Ways & Means February 27. Public hearing in Senate Committee on Ways & Means February 24. Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education February 11. Public hearing held February 6. Companion Bill HB 1894.

• HB 1894—Supporting public school instruction in tribal sovereignty and federally recognized Indian tribes.

Sponsors: Lekanoff

Washington State Legislature - HB1894

Status: Passed – Education

Notes: ED - Majority; do pass. Executive action taken in House Education on March 20, 2025. Public hearing held March 13. Companion Bill SB 5570.

• HB 1692— Exempting certain data related to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Indian tribes from public inspection and copying.

Sponsors: Lekanoff, Parshley, Ormsby, Kloba, Hill, Ramel

Washington State Legislature - HB1692

Status: In Committee – State Government & Tribal Relations

Notes: Public hearing held February 12.

• EHB 1393—Providing public school students with opportunities for cultural expression at commencement ceremonies.

Sponsors: McEntire, Morgan, Stonier, Simmons, Thai, Bergquist, Taylor, Springer, Wylie, Pollet, Ormsby, Hill, Santos

Washington State Legislature - EHB1393

Status: Passed in Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education / Passed in House

Notes: Referred to Rules. Executive action taken in Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education on March 20, 2025. House: Third reading, passed; yeas, 88; nays, 7; absent, 0; excused, 3 March 4. Placed on second reading February 28. Referred to Rules 2 Review February 20. Executive action taken in House Committee on Education February 18. Public hearing held February 13.

• HB 1540—Expanding eligibility for the students experiencing homelessness and foster youth program to an accredited tribal college.

Sponsors: Timmons, Eslick, Ortiz-Self, Ramel, Reed, Duerr, Kloba, Macri, Callan, Zahn, Ormsby, Pollet, Scott, Doglio, Hill, Simmons

Washington State Legislature - HB1540

Status: Passed in House

Notes: Third reading, passed; yeas, 62; nays, 33; absent, 0; excused, 3 February 20. Placed on second reading by Rules Committee February 18. Executive action taken in the House Committee on Appropriations February 10. Public hearing held January 29. Companion Bill SB 5304.

• SB 5784— Encouraging agency demographic data collection.

Sponsors: Hasegawa

Washington State Legislature - SB5784

Status: In Committee – State Government & Tribal Relations

Notes: First reading March 5.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 25, 2025

Contact:
Jennifer Wilson
Membership & Communications Manager
National Indian Education Association (NIEA)
jwilson@niea.org | (202) 847-0036

NIEA Calls for Tribal Consultation Following Executive Order on Education Reform

Washington, D.C. — The National Indian Education Association (NIEA) sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon urging immediate government-to-government consultation with Tribal Nations in response to Executive Order (EO) 14242, “Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities.”

NIEA acknowledges the Administration’s intent to increase local control and reduce federal oversight; however, NIEA has serious concerns regarding the potential impact of the EO on Native students, Tribal Nations, and Native-serving education systems. NIEA underscored that any efforts to restructure the U.S. Department of Education must be guided by the federal government’s trust and treaty responsibilities to Native peoples.

NIEA’s letter emphasized the need to preserve and protect Native-specific education programs and funding, including Impact Aid, the Office of Indian Education, Title VI programs, and Tribal set-asides within broader federal education initiatives such as Title I and IDEA. NIEA also called for continued support of Tribal Colleges and Universities and the preservation of disaggregated data collection efforts, such as the National Indian Education Study.

“The federal government has a legal and moral obligation to fulfill its trust responsibilities to Native students and Tribal Nations,” said NIEA Executive Director Jason Dropik. “Formal consultation is not optional—it is a necessary step to ensure Native voices are included in shaping the future of education.”

NIEA is urging the U.S. Department of Education to initiate formal consultation within the next 90 days and to work directly with Tribal Nations to ensure uninterrupted service delivery and support for Native students.

To read the full letter, click here: NIEA's Letter to the Department of Education

About the National Indian Education Association (NIEA)
Founded in 1969, the National Indian Education Association (NIEA) is the nation’s most inclusive organization advocating for educational excellence, equity, and opportunity for American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians. NIEA promotes Native control of Native education and works to advance culture-based educational opportunities that serve Native students, educators, and communities.

We are thrilled to announce the 21st National Native American Youth Initiative (NNAYI), a transformative summer program designed to inspire and prepare American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) high school students (16-18 years of age) to pursue careers in health professions and biomedical research.

Program Details:

· Dates: June 21 – June 29, 2025

· Location: Washington, D.C. hosted at Howard University

· Application Deadline: Tuesday, April 11, 2025 (Late or incomplete applications will not be reviewed.)

· Application available on the AAIP website (aaip.org)

NNAYI, funded by the Association of American Indian Physicians (AAIP) and the Front Line Indigenous Partnership (FLIP) program, offers students an incredible opportunity to:

· Engage in lectures, interactive workshops, and field trips.

· Learn about health professions, college and medical school admissions, and financial aid resources.

· Explore healthcare issues impacting AI/AN communities.

· Connect with AI/AN health professionals and establish mentorships with AAIP member physicians.

This intensive program provides the tools, knowledge, and inspiration students need to remain in the academic pipeline and achieve their dreams in healthcare and biomedical research.

Please help us spread the word to students and families in your community and encourage them to apply.

We look forward to welcoming the next generation of AI/AN healthcare leaders!

To fill out the student application to be considered for the 2025 NNAYI program, please click HERE.

All applications and supporting materials are due by noon (12:00 pm) CST on Tuesday, April 11th, 2025. Late submissions will not be viewed.

Please feel free to contact Margaret Knight at 405-946-7072 or email mknight@aaip.org with any questions.

We’re excited to share that we are hiring an Assistant Director at wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House at the University of Washington. This is a key leadership role for someone passionate about supporting American Indian, Alaska Native, and Indigenous student success and building strong partnerships with Tribal Nations and campus communities.

The Assistant Director plays a central role in overseeing the day-to-day operations, budget and financial management, and strategic program development of wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ. They supervise and mentor student staff, coordinate culturally relevant programming, and help shape policies that improve the campus experience for Indigenous students. The role also includes ongoing collaboration with Tribal governments, university departments, and student organizations to foster community, culture, and student success.

You can find the full job description, including duties, requirements, and desired qualifications, here: Assistant Director – wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ

Please share with your community or consider applying if this sounds like the right fit. We’re looking forward to welcoming an Assistant Director who shares our values and commitment to Native student success.

Thank you,

If your district is interested in joining NAYLA reach out wwnaec@gmail.com

Email: wwnaec@gmail.com
Website: www.wwnaec.org
Location: PO Box 494 Puyallup WA 98371