Educational Advocacy - Why & How

I had the opportunity to attend ASCD's legislative institute (LILA) in DC last week. At this event, ASCD released their 2014 Legislative Agenda that was developed by a team of educators from around the Nation. We also explored both "why" and "how" to partner with elected officials. These ideas might be old news to a few of you, but likely they're new to most of us so I figured I'd take the time to share some key take away's.

Why partner with elected officials?

• Legislation can be done "to" us or can be done "for" us. By partnering, and being a
  
  resource, it's more likely we can work together on making a difference.
• Staffers and elected officials are overseeing information on many topics. A staffer might oversee policy recommendations related to immigration, healthcare, and education. This is a lot for one person to keep up on! Developing a relationship so the staffer feels comfortable asking us questions about education is essential. 

How do you partner with elected officials?

• Focus on developing a relationship with staffers and elected officials. We're all here to serve in different ways, and we can develop long-term partnerships to help shape a better future for kids. 
• Find common ground. Everyone is pro-kids in different ways so start with the places you agree and work from there.
• Go into conversations with a plan. Here's a copy of the plan our team used. (Thanks to LILA presenters for helping us with the outline!) We didn't actually need this outline during the conversation. Personally, mapping out the conversation ahead of time supported me in being articulate with the free-flow of ideas, examples, and research.
• Follow-up with the staffer and/or elected official.
• Connect via social media with staffers and elected officials.
• Make sure staffers and elected officials know you're available as a resource for information, perspectives from the field, visits on-campus, and stories that share personal journey's. You are an expert and a resource around education.
• If you don't know the answer to a question, say you'll find the answer and follow-up. Be a resource and help shape connections.
• Stay informed, and invite others to stay informed. You can sign up for legislative updates from ASCD online. By being informed and involved, we can make a difference for kids and families each day.

Interested in learning more about LILA? Check out the Twitter hashtag: #LILA14 and read Tweets from the legislative institute that took place in January, 2014.

Cross-posted: http://edge.ascd.org/_Educational-Advocacy-Why-38-How/blog/6562168/127586.html