As part of the Professional Educator Standards Board’s ongoing commitment to transparency, communication, and inclusive engagement, we are pleased to share with you a written summary of the Board’s May 2025 meeting, held last week in the Tri-Cities.
This summary provides an overview of key discussions, decisions, and official actions taken by the Board during the meeting. Our goal is to ensure that all stakeholders—whether directly involved in the Board’s work or simply interested in the broader landscape of educator preparation and certification—have clear, timely access to important updates and outcomes.
Moving forward, PESB will provide a summary following each regularly scheduled Board meeting. These summaries will typically be distributed within one week of the meeting’s conclusion and will serve as a consistent way to keep you informed about the Board’s work and priorities. Sign up for these summaries here.
We value your continued partnership and interest in advancing high-quality, equitable educator preparation across Washington State. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or feedback.
May 2025 Board Meeting Review
The Professional Educator Standards Board and Paraeducator Board met last week, Wednesday, May 21 through Friday, May 23, 2025, at The HAPO Center in Pasco, Washington. Below is a summary of the discussion and action items the Boards considered at the meeting. For more information about the meetings, visit the PESB website or contact PESB@k12.wa.us.
AGENCY UPDATES
Strategic Planning, Budget and Policy, Professional Learning
During the joint meeting, both Boards received updates on key initiatives. Dr. Hernandez-Scott (Executive Director) presented the next steps in developing the agency’s 2026–2030 strategic plan, which will include refining the mission, vision, values, priorities, and goals, and adopting specific objectives, with final approval expected in January 2026. The Boards also reviewed the agency’s financial status following the 2025 legislative session and discussed key legislation passed, including ESHB 1651 (teacher residency and apprenticeship) and SSB 5025 (educational interpreters), along with potential policy initiatives for 2026. This will be an iterative process, which Board members will guide. Additionally, Dr. Robert Reyes from Pepperdine University shared his practically-applicable research on educator-led boards and offered to guide the Boards through a year-long professional learning and relationship-building process to enhance their policy impact and leadership in Washington (Tabs A, B, C).
PROFESSIONAL EDUCATOR STANDARDS BOARD
ACTION ITEMS
Western Governors University Teacher Preparation Program Response to PESB Staff Concerns
Western Governors University presented to the Board to discuss feedback and concerns posed by PESB staff. Following a discussion, the Board unanimously voted to require WGU to undergo a formal review and appear before the Board within one year (Tab 02). For more information, see this fact sheet.
Continuous Improvement Process: Report Appendix
Over the past year, the Board explored creating a collaborative feedback loop between P-12 educators and PESB-approved teacher preparation programs, stemming from a 2024 legislative budget proviso (ESSB 5950). In December 2024, the Board adopted the “System Transformation: Collaborative Communities for Continuous Improvement in Teacher Preparation” report, which was then shared with the Governor’s office and Legislature. At the May 2025 meeting, the Board reviewed and approved a draft appendix to this report with further input from P-12 educators. Staff will incorporate feedback and submit the final report to the Governor’s Office and Legislature by June 1, 2025 (Tab 03).
Data Manual Changes
Board members received a final update about the data manual for 2024-25, a collaboration between PESB, EPPs, and ERDC. Board members heard about changes made to the data manual and feedback staff received from the field regarding those changes. The Board adopted the final data manual changes for submission (Tab 07).
Workload Updates
PESB preparation staff provided a summary of the upcoming workload challenges the team will experience due to policy changes and possibilities for adjusting workload to better ensure the necessary work be completed with quality. The team proposed three short-term and three long-term solutions to address capacity concerns of the team. The Board approved a pause on superintendent program review until at least spring 2028, a pause on TPP endorsement reviews until at least spring 2028, and a pause on school counselor and school psychologist program review. The Board also discussed possible long-term solutions, including developing a more efficient review model for ESA preparation programs, adopting the Curriculum and Instruction review for other (non-TPP/non-PPP) preparation programs, and developing a new model for limited approval. Staff were directed to return to a future meeting to discuss long-term solutions in greater detail (Tab 10).
Annual Approval of Assignment Table
The Board approved the annual assignment table, which matches courses with appropriate endorsements. This includes approval of the updates to the tables that match endorsements to course codes for both the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years (Tab 13).
Out-of-State Endorsements
The Board considered final changes to WAC 181-82A-204 and adopted the proposed changes. The changes will allow teachers to add an endorsement to their existing Washington certificate if they add the endorsement to another state’s certificate (Tab 14). This aligns the policy with teachers who obtain endorsements on out-of-state certificates and are applying for their first-issue teacher certificates in Washington.
Board Approval Sub-Committee Recommendations
Staff provided an update on the Board approval sub-committee and discussed its progress and revised timeline. Members of the sub-committee will continue to meet during summer 2025 to outline revisions to approval processes and forms.
Staff also presented recommendations made by the sub-committee regarding:
1) Replacing the Notification of Intent with a Readiness Profile; and
2) The adoption of essential elements (previously called Board priorities) with which the Readiness Profile will be aligned.
The Board unanimously approved both recommendations. (Tab 06).
Activity-Based Clock Hour Equivalents and Professional Educator Advisory Boards (PEABs)
The Board initially considered updates to WAC 181-85-033, allowing EPP review team members and PEAB members to receive activity-based clock hour equivalents for participating on the respective team. Final consideration will take place at the July Board meeting (Tab 11).
Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) Standards Update
Board members reviewed potential changes to WAC 181-78A-225, which outlines requirements for school counselor programs, including accreditation by organizations like CACREP. Following CACREP’s updated 2024 standards, PESB staff and a workgroup reviewed them to align with PESB’s standards. The proposed WAC updates aim to ensure Washington-specific standards not covered by CACREP are included. Final WAC consideration is scheduled for the July 2025 meeting (Tab 09).
DISCUSSION ITEMS
Clock Hour WAC Updates and Clock Hour Application
During the 2023 legislative session, the Legislature passed HB 1377, directing PESB to revise the clock hour provider approval and review process. At this meeting, staff presented proposed updates to several WACs to reflect community feedback and lessons learned from last year’s initial rollout (Tabs 04, 05).
Community of Practice Update: Curriculum and Instruction (C&I) Review
Staff, joined by program leaders from Central Washington University (CWU) and Washington State University (WSU), provided updates on their experience with the curriculum and instruction (C&I) formative review process. CWU leaders reported a positive review experience, highlighting collaboration with their PEAB and PESB staff. They suggested more written guidance and clearer review report guidelines. WSU leaders noted that serving as a review panelist before their own review helped them understand the process. They recommended clearer standards alignment guidance for principal programs and shared concerns about the cost of the review process to institutions. Staff outlined changes to the PPP and TPP process and rubrics, provided brief updates on other collaboration with educator preparation programs (EPPs), shared next steps for the C&I formative and consequential reviews, and discussed amending WAC 181-78A-100 based on program feedback (Tab 08).
Building Tribal Relationships
Staff shared with the Board about PESB’s past, current, and proposed future engagement with Tribes and efforts to support Native education in Washington. Collaborative accomplishments include revising PESB’s land acknowledgement to deepen learning about PNW Tribes, supporting teacher preparation programs in implementing the John McCoy (lulilaš) Since Time Immemorial curriculum, creating the First People’s Language, Culture, and Oral Traditions (FPLOCT) certificate FAQ, and conducting a Tribal Relations road tour. Ongoing work includes developing the PESB Native Advisory Collaborative, collaborating with OSPI’s Office of Native Education and the State Board of Education, and building lasting and reciprocal relationships with Tribes to co-create pathways for recruiting and supporting Indigenous educators and moving toward true partnership in shaping educator policy (Tab 12).
English Language Learners (ELL) and Bilingual Educator (BE) Endorsements
PESB staff, joined by Dr. Eric Johnson, Professor of Multilingual Education, WSU, presented information on the remaining recommendations from the literacy workgroup, including aligning endorsements and a proposed endorsement name change. Presenters reviewed the ELL and BLE endorsements and then discussed possible options, including 1) aligning the two endorsements to have a tiered or add-on process to differentiate the two roles: or 2) aligning the endorsement as one set of standards without tiers. Staff shared proposed endorsement name changes developed by the workgroup. The Board chose not to align and rename these two endorsements at this time (Tab 15).
PARAEDUCATOR BOARD
ACTION ITEMS
Exemptions from In-Person FCS Requirements
The Board had the opportunity to initially consider language to amend WAC 179-09-060 to establish an exemption for in-person FCS requirements for small districts (those with enrollment of fewer than 2000 enrolled students). The Board considered the possibility of allowing the completion of PESB-approved teacher academy to count as an equivalency for paraeducator minimum employment requirements. In July, staff will return to the Board with additional information to inform decision-making and consider WAC language (Tab 08).
DISCUSSION ITEMS
Paraeducator Assessment, Paraeducator FCS Training and Reimbursement
The Board received several updates related to paraeducator training and assessment. Staff presented the 2024–25 form package for paraeducator training reimbursement, sparking discussion on improving the process, including refining district survey questions and ensuring training portability between districts. Updates were also provided on the development of the Canvas-based paraeducator assessment, with reliability testing and final design underway and a pilot launch planned for September or October 2025. Additionally, staff shared that up to $1.5 million per biennium will be reinvested into the paraeducator training program, with plans to enhance the FCS course and the “Paraeducator: What We Do Matters” training, making them accessible online via the PLUS platform (Tabs 02, 03, 04).
Perkins Grant Update
During the March 2025 Board meeting, members heard about PESB’s partnership with ESD 105’s Dr. Melissa Matczak and OSPI CTE Teacher Academy to explore teacher academies and paraeducator pathways. At the May 2025 meeting, staff provided an update on the project’s status and key learnings thus far. This included the progress made regarding the Grow Your Own Paraeducator Pathway and what a PESB-designated pathway entails, which is aligned with teacher academies in ESD 105 (Tab 06).
Paraeducator on Special Assignment (POSA)
The Board received a presentation about bringing on a paraeducator on special assignment (POSA) for the upcoming fiscal year. The POSA role will help advance statewide policy initiatives and cultivate a sense of belonging for all paraeducators. This role will elevate paraeducator voices in policymaking, improve working conditions, and champion professional development pathways (Tab 07).
