Dear Families and Educators,

As another school year has drawn to a close, the WA Family Advocacy Board is proud to celebrate the achievements, growth, and resilience shown by students, families, and educators across Washington’s charter public schools. Together, we’ve made meaningful strides in ensuring every child has access to high-quality, equitable education.

We’re sad to say goodbye to Summit Olympus in Tacoma, which closed its doors in June. Our thoughts are with the students, families, and educators who built a caring and resilient school community. We remain hopeful that Tacoma will soon have access to high-quality charter public schools for students of all ages—schools that support academic success, community belonging, and a bright future for every learner.

The coming year brings promising new additions to the charter community as new school leaders and educators come on board. We look forward to a wave of charter renewals — powerful opportunities to reaffirm our shared commitment to student success.

We’re energized by the momentum and deeply grateful for the families and communities who make this work possible. Here’s to building an even stronger future, together.

Advocacy In Action: IEP & SPED Tips

As the school year wraps up and annual IEP meetings come to a close, take time to review your child’s IEP goals and reflect on what supported their growth and where more support may be needed in the upcoming year.

Reach out to the rest of the IEP team early to schedule your check-in meetings to review progress and begin shaping next year’s goals collaboratively.

For example, instead of a goal like, ‘The student will complete all assignments independently with 90% accuracy,’ consider advocating for a goal such as, ‘The student will use selected supports (e.g. graphic organizers, voice-to-text tools, or peer collaboration) to complete written assignments that demonstrate understanding.’ Centering goals on your child’s strengths encourages inclusive, meaningful progress in the year ahead.

Each issue of WA FAB Updates will feature a new tip from our IEP & SPED Advocate, Eric Willard. If you need special education support or advocacy, please reach out to him at [email protected]

Legislative News: Senate Bill 5263 Passed!

Great news for special education families across Washington! Starting in the 2025–26 school year, a new law (SB 5263) will remove the 16% funding cap that limited how much support schools could receive for students with IEPs. This means districts—including charter public schools—will get full funding for every student who needs special education services. Many Washington charter schools serve higher percentages of students with disabilities, so this change is a big step toward fairness and stronger support for all kids. We’re celebrating alongside the families and advocates who helped make this possible! 

Somali Health Board: 13th Annual Health Fair

From their website: Our Annual Health Fair is a social community event designed to address barriers to access and reduce health disparities through direct services and resources for all south King County residents. We envision a thriving and healthy community. Which can only be achieved through the collaboration of all.

When: Saturday, July 12th from 11:00 am-4:00 pm

Where: 5907 Martin Luther King Jr Way S, Seattle, WA 98118

WA INCLUDE: SMART July Virtual Session

The School and Medical Autism Review Team (SMART) works to create local evaluation capacity in underserved communities throughout Washington. They come together monthly with families, schools, clinicians, and community members to build local support for autism.

Join their next session online on Thursday, July 17th at noon. For details and to register: https://wainclude.org/program/smart/

Washington State Charter School Commission: August Hybrid Meeting

Commission meetings are open to the public. Families, students, and community members are welcome to attend and to provide public comment if they choose. These meetings are a great resource for Washington charter school updates.

When: Thursday, August 21st at 10:00 am

Online: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3607255511| Dial (646) 558-8656 | Meeting ID 360 725 5511

In-Person: Puget Sound Educational Service District, 800 Oakesdale Ave SW, Renton, WA

Want to talk to WA FAB?

Want to talk with a fellow parent about concerns with your student’s education? Let us know! We can chat confidentially with you one-on-one or host a small group online (and sometimes in person) to help you come up with an action plan. Click here to connect with us.

That’s all for now, we’ll see you soon!

WA FAB