Your Voice Matters

Welcome to KSSWA's advocacy page!  Here you can make a difference, because your voice matters for your students, for your school, and for your profession.  Below you will find resources to help in your advocacy efforts.  However the most impact we can have is if all School Social Workers join together with a unifying voice across the state.  School Social Workers need to be the ones dictating what the profession is and can be.  As School Social Workers we know and see the influence we can have on a student, family, and educational system.  It is only with your support that we can advocate and grow this profession at the state level.  Collectively our voice is powerful and can make change happen.  So please join with us to create one collective voice for School Social Workers across the State of Kansas.

2024 KSSWA Legislative Focus

1. Strengthen the Profession of School Social Work

2. Promote Student Growth and the Wellbeing of Families and Staff

3. Advocate for Sufficient Funding and Support for Educational Growth in Kansas

Please click here to view the 2024 Legislative Focus

March 2024 Legislative Updates

Hello all,

Happy Almost School Social Work week! Attached to this email you will find the .jpeg attachment for our School Social Work week Proclamation! Be on the lookout from KSSWA for additional resources to use for School Social Workers week. 

The legislative session has began and there are multiple bills in the House and Senate that are school related. Below you will find a quick snapshot of educated focused bills. 

KSSWA Legislative Committee

Education Related bills (not an exhaustive list):

  • HB 2475 – Prohibiting the commencement of the school term prior to Labor Day.  
  • HB 2480 – Requiring each school district to employ an attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder specialist. 
  • HB 2485 – Requiring enrollment under the Kansas school equity and enhancement act to be determined using the current school year or the preceding school year and requiring any district that closed a school building in the preceding school year to use the current year enrollment count. 
  • HB 2489 – Limiting the legislative option to purchase school district buildings to buildings that were formerly used as attendance centers.
KSDE Newsroom

Helpful legislative tracking websites: 

KNEA Under the Dome: Legislative and Political Advocacy

KSDE Legislative Bill Tracker

School Social Work Association of America Advocacy Page (National Bill Information)

KSSWA Legislative Folder

KSSWA 2024 Legislative Focus

School Social Work Week - SSWAA

#PearlsOfWisdom

KSSWA Legislative Focus 2024 Highlight

We are now on the KSDE website! Please copy and paste the link below into your browser to see our section under School Mental Health. 

https://www.ksde.org/Agency/Division-of-Learning-Services/Special-Education-and-Title-Services/School-Mental-Health

2024 School Social Workers Week

                                               

KSDE Guidance - Section 27 HB2567: Nonacademic Tests, Questionnaires, Surveys & Exams

Please see the .pdf below for guidance from KSDE about HB2567 that was passed in May 2022. 

HB 2567 - Nonacademic Surveys (Updated 8.18.22) (2).pdf

Contact Your Legislators

To find further information about who represents your district please visit Openstates website. You can enter your address here to find who it is that represents your district. Legislators usually welcome any contact with constituents, so please email, call or even invite them to your school to further that relationship.    

Resources for Advocating


Letter-to-Legislator July 2022(1).docx

Letter-to-Legislator July 2022 (2).docx

This is a letter to help you communicate with your legislator about social workers and the importance of our presence in schools

Letter-to-School-Administrators Updated July 2022(1).docx

Letter-to-School-Administrators Updated July 2022 (2).docx


This is a letter to let a school administrator about school social worker and how we can benefit students, staff and our communities

 KSDE School Mental Health (School Social Work) Information posted on the KSDE website regarding School Social Work and School Mental Health.
Surgeon General Youth Mental Health Advisory
Information regarding youth mental health and creating a responsive systematic support for todays youth. 
School Mental Health Teaming StatementNational Associations statement indicating effectiveness of teaming strategies to address school mental health concerns
Kansas Legislature VideoThis is a video put together to assist with the navigation the Kansas Legislature Website
School Social Work Association of America - News & Advocacy

This portion of the SSWAA website includes advocacy resources, legislative updates, and guidance regarding how to contact legislators on various levels. 

School Social Workers - A Necessity in the Fight Against Youth Mental Health .pdf Provided is a policy brief from a member of KSSWA, Sara Nowak. This brief discusses School Social Workers and the importance of our positions to help support our students mental health needs.
Social-Emotional Growth and the Kansans Can Vision for Education
 KSDE information about Social Emotional Growth. Provided on this site are: SECD Standards, Resources, and Measuring Documentation in addition to other resources.

KSSWA Advocacy Information last updated on:  November 29, 2023

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