Parents and Friends for Tacoma Public Schools (PFTPS)

03/23/2026

Check the policy and state law.

https://www.facebook.com/100044467864968/posts/1499852071507041

A Texas mom was quietly watching her otherwise thriving 8-year-old - chess club, robotics, 95 in math - slowly fall apart every morning. The culprit? His entire class was being stripped of recess daily because a handful of kids were acting up. Her son, who had nothing to do with the disruptions, started crying before school, dragging his feet, gripped by anxiety over losing his only midday break. When she reached out to the teacher, the answer was cold and final: no exceptions.

She dug into Texas law and discovered schools are *legally required* to provide at least 30 minutes of recess daily for students through 6th grade - and it cannot be used as punishment. Her son's district handbook said the same thing. Armed with receipts, she went straight to the vice principal face-to-face, made it clear she wasn't looking to get anyone fired, praised her son's record, and then calmly dropped the legal and policy bombshell. The VP's mood visibly shifted.

Result? Her son's entire class had recess the very next day - and the day after that. She also nudged the VP to review the handbook with ALL teachers after learning a kindergartener in the same school had also been losing recess. Other parents are now speaking up too.

Her son? Now educated on both the law AND the handbook - and ready to call it out himself if it happens again. Mom closed her post wishing everyone a happy spring. The internet went feral with support.

01/13/2026

https://www.instagram.com/reels/DTQUTA8ku5Q/

01/07/2026

11/11/2025

07/03/2025

National PTA is extremely disappointed that the final bill includes provisions that will impose a federal private school voucher program upon states, redirecting billions of taxpayer dollars away from public schools towards private and religious institutions and homeschooling. It is also devastating that the bill limits access to vital federal programs—like SNAP, WIC, Medicaid and CHIP—that serve families most in need. Read our full statement at PTA.org.

06/30/2025

https://nancyebailey.com/2025/06/29/the-trump-administration-is-ending-special-education/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR4CY7WJBPYQFZ4WRBxYmyzFkZWb1_y-LK8j9dyYxJ5eU3ImoYumrrWV5j_bHA_aem_JVefCTrNgpFGlSSZzbp4DA

...[B]efore IDEA, before the Department of Education existed. State and local schools did not educate these kids; they barred them from the classrooms. These kids [with disabilities] were institutionalized and abused. There is a reason that the Department of Education and IDEA exist, and it is becau...

06/25/2025

05/18/2025

03/24/2025

Grrr.
3/24 Child Nutrition Services Special Update

OSPI Child Nutrition

Mar 24 at 1:25 PM
Special Update - Local Food for Schools and Local Food for Childcare
Child Nutrition Bannerspecial update banner
3/24 Child Nutrition Services Special Update
Update: Local Food for Schools and Local Food for Childcare
Update: Local Food for Schools and Local Food for Childcare
During the 2023–24 and 2024–25 school years, Washington received $3.6M in United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) funding for the Local Foods for School (LFS) program. LFS funding supported the purchase of domestic, locally grown foods from local producers, small businesses, and socially disadvantaged farmers/producers for distribution to schools.

USDA announced the continuation of the LFS program and a new Local Foods for Child Care (LFCC) program in December of 2024. Washington was to receive $8,840,854 in LFS funds and $2,687,472 in LFCC funds. On March 7,2025 OSPI received a Termination Notice for the Local Food for Schools and Local Food for Child Care program project agreement. The termination noticed cited that the agreement “no longer effectuates agency priorities.”

03/15/2025

Map Shows States With Most Schools Impacted by Proposed Meal Funding Cut

A new map shows which states will be hit hardest by proposed school meal funding cuts, potentially affecting millions of students.

03/15/2025

"Hundreds of thousands of Washington students could lose access to free breakfast and lunch at school under a proposed policy change that would cut billions in funding from federal child nutrition programs.

The proposed change, if implemented, would hit Washington hard, said Misha Cherniske, a senior policy analyst with the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction."

As Congress contemplates reduced funding for free school meals, Washington lawmakers punted on a measure to make lunch and breakfast available for all students.