Frustration About the State Budget Continues to Build...

Everyone is growing increasingly frustrated during this extended overtime Special Session of the Legislature. There is hope that the House of Representatives will offer a counter tax proposal to break the budget logjam - soon. The good news is, as far as we can tell, the negotiations seem to only be about taxes... no longer about funding cuts for online schools.

Our coalition leaders and friends in Olympia are still vigilant. It will be such a relief when we hear, thanks in a large part to your calls, emails and letters; that all the wonderful online public school programs across our state are preserved!  

Continuing thanks, too, for everyone who contributed to our "Scrapbook of Student Stories", twelve pages of stories and photos from across the state. Might I say, the scrapbook promises to be a powerful tool for giving our legislators an inside look into the value of online public school programs for all our families with online students.  

Once the Special Session and the budget debacle ends, we'd love to have you join our coalition efforts to organize other ways of preserving and expanding access to the diverse variety of impressive, innovative, individualized online public school programs. We can start the brainstorming now. If you are interested and willing to join us in a leadership role as we expand our activities, please let us know. We welcome your advice and/or ideas at info@waonlinefamilies.org . Thanks in advance!

p.s. Have you sent in a nomination for 2010 American Pioneer Teacher of the Year? It's not too late. Entries are being accepted until April 12 at www.publicschooloptions.org/americanpioneer .

Those of us in Washington Families for Online Learning would also like to hear your story about your awesome teacher, if, after you've sent it to NCPSO, you'd email us a copy to us at info@waonlinefamilies.org .  We could post your story on our website to let your teacher know you went out of your way to recognize something special about them.  What a wonderful gift that could be!