Government Relations

Puget Sound Educational Service District provides local, state and federal government relations support to 35 school districts in King, Pierce and Kitsap County.  We convene the 35 superintendents to discuss timely policy issues, write and distribute position papers, liaise with local government officials, and communicate about how policy impacts our school districts.

2021-22 Federal Positions

  • Digital Equity, policy and investment to provide internet access at home so that students can continue their education in the 2021-22 school year and beyond.
  • Early Learning and Care, support to recruit and retain educators of color, sustained funding for early learning, and increases in the income eligibility threshold for Early Head Start and Head Start.
  • Postsecondary Readiness, increasing support for high school and college advising, investing in equity-based scholarships to remove college completion barriers, revised assessment and placement processes and continued simplification of FASFA.
  • Educator Diversity, support to recruit and retain educators of color in our K-12 classrooms, professional development for all educators and staff in the areas of equity, cultural competency, and dismantling institutional racism.
  • Mental Health & Antiracist Social, Emotional Learning, support to implement trauma-informed school policies and practice, increased mental health and counseling supports for students, identification of best practices on how states and districts can utilize positive behavior supports, support to implement restorative justice practices that support students process, learning and growth.

2022 State Positions: Coming soon.

2021 State Positions

Our 2021 State Position Paper represents superintendents of the Puget Sound region, representing nearly 40% of students across Washington state. Our 2021 positions are in service of putting systems and structures in place to get students back in school for in-person learning, while mitigating risks. Positions include:

  • Access to Learning
  • Student & Staff Safety, Wellness & Health
  • Stable Support
  • Well-Equipped Staff
  • School Facilities