Educators learn how to lobby their legislators through WEA's PoliSPARKS
Dozens of WEA members from around the state spent two days in Olympia learning about the legislative process and meeting their legislators as part of WEA’s annual PoliSPARKS program.
On Monday, they braved the cold and snow and went on a scavenger hunt at the capitol campus before meeting Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal for lunch.
“It’s a good time,” said Jennifer Vandever, who teaches at Lincoln High School in Tacoma.
School safety, levies, special education and health care topped the list of issues Vandever and others discussed with lawmakers.
“I’m here because my students need me to be here, said Katie Hohnstein-Van Etten, who teaches at First Creek Middle School in Tacoma.
For most of the PoliSPARKS participants, it was their first time lobbying legislators.
“I didn’t know how accessible our legislators and their staff are,” said Leah Hernandez, a special education teacher from Bellevue.
On Sunday, Hernandez and others spent the day learning about WEA’s 2019 Legislative priorities and how to talk with legislators. At dinner, they spent time with House Education Chairwoman Sharon Tomiko Santos, Rep. Monica Stonier and Rep. Matt Boehnke. Stonier works in the Evergreen School District, and Boehnke is a professor at Columbia Basin College. Both are WEA members. All three representatives stressed the importance of educators being involved in the legislative process.
“We all need to get involved and have a voice,” Hernandez said.
