PTA Focus Day - PTA goes to Olympia with a message

Shoreline PTA Council members ready to march.  Photo by Alice Lawson.

Every year, busy Shoreline and Lake Forest Park parents rearrange their lives, figure out what to do with the kids on the school holiday of Presidents' Day, and hit the road for the Washington State PTA Focus Day in Olympia. They came from all the PTAs in the Shoreline School District, organized by the Shoreline PTA Council leaders.

Shoreline Teens advocate for education.  Photo by Alice Lawson.

This year for Focus Day on February 21, PTA members were encouraged to bring their students, both as an educational experience for the kids, to show the legislators what is at stake, and to allow the kids an opportunity to advocate for themselves and their education.

The Youth have a message for legislators.  Photo by Alice Lawson.

Our PTA members were joined by PTA volunteers from all over the state, all there to talk to their State Senators and Representatives, to tell them what is important to parents.

The basic message is simple: Support Education. Fulfill the "paramount duty" of the State to fund education. The details are in the PTA top legislative priorities as established yearly at the PTA Legislative Assembly.  (See previous article Today's PTA: not about cupcakes and fundraising.)

32nd District legislators with their constituents.  Photo by Alice Lawson.

They met with our legislators (left to right at the head of the table) Rep. Cindy Ryu, Sen. Maralyn Chase, Rep. Ruth Kagi.

PTA members rally on the Capitol steps in Olympia.  Photo by Alice Lawson.

They rallied on the Capitol steps.

Legislators assured them of unwavering support for education as a value, told the parents they would do everything they could to protect funding, but that the reality of Olympia today is deep cuts to social services and education.