Advocacy Training for Influence and Impact

1. Advocacy Training for Influence and Impact Arkansas ASCDJanuary 6, 2011

2. ASCD Public Policy • ASCD • Founded in 1943 • Reputation for educational leadership dedicated to best practices and policies for the success of each learner. • Public Policy • Established 2003-04 • Advocating for educators and students

3. No Child Left Behind Act • Dramatic alteration of federal role • Direct involvement in schools • Prescriptive policies • “What happened?”

4. ASCD Public Policy • Influence and advocacy • Relatively new and growing • 160,000 members • 13,000 Educator Advocates • Overcoming pushback

5. ASCD Public Policy “The genteel age when school leaders need not involve themselves with the politics and policies of education are over…if it ever existed at all.”

6. ASCD Public Policy • Policy Team • David Griffith – Director of Public Policy, dgriffith@ascd.org • Tina Dove – Legislative Advocate, tdove@ascd.org • Melissa Mellor – Advocacy Outreach Manager, mmellor@ascd.org • Sumi Vishnu – Program Coordinator, svishnu@ascd.org policy@ascd.org

7. ASCD Advocacy • Annual Legislative Agenda • Member developed • Transparent • Legislative Committee • Mary Gunter • Marsha Jones • Special focus • Whole Child • Professional development

8. ASCD Advocacy • Opportunities • Legislation • ESEA • IDEA • Regulations • Budget/funding/appropriations • Committee hearings

9. ASCD Advocacy • Advocate on behalf of educators & students • Teacher and Principal Improvement Act – Sen. Reed • Race to the Top grant criteria • Comprehensive, well-rounded curriculum • Whole child resolution • Whole child hearing testimony

10. ASCD Advocacy • Resource to policymakers • Schools’ fiscal status • $10 billion EduJobs bill • What works in PD • Emerging state work • Whole child state policy recommendations • Work with affiliates • Information to members

11. ASCD Advocacy • Educator Advocates • Weekly newsletter • Tailored to educator leaders • Legislative & Policy Updates • Congress, Department, White House, national news, reports • ESEA • Status of the Common Core • Funding • Children’s issues • www.educatoradvocates.org

12. Leadership Institute for Legislative Advocacy (LILA) • Legislative Conference, January 22-24, 2012 • Policy briefings • Secretary Arne Duncan • ESEA reauthorization • FY12 funding and fiscal outlook • Advocacy training • Take your message to federal policymakers • Continue policy discussions & advocacy at the state and local levels

13. ASCD Advocacy • Action Center • www.ascd.org/actioncenter • Action alerts • Legislative research • Priority bills • Talking points • Communication tools • Email • Facebook • Twitter #ascdpolicy

14. Why Advocate?

15. “Lobbyist”

17. Why Advocate? • NCLB • Share expertise • Support children • Direct effect on professional role/responsibilities • Exposure/visibility • Others are doing it • Member service (Arkansas ASCD) • Empower members • Politics of education

18. U.S. K-12 Education Funding

19. Federal Role in Education • Research, evaluation, information dissemination • Best practices, Regional labs, What Works Clearinghouse • Data collection • NCES & NAEP • National priorities and solutions • Closing the achievement gap, college access • Equity and special populations • Students with disabilities, LEP, socio-economically disadvantaged students

20. 2001-02

21. No Child Left Behind Act • Expanded testing • Grades 3-8 (once in high school) • Reading and math • Stricter accountability • Set goals, timeline • Specific interventions

22. No Child Left Behind Act • Highly-qualified” teacher definition • 100% in all core subjects • Bachelor’s degree • State licensure • 2005-06 deadline

23. No Child Left Behind Act • Sweeping reforms • Dramatic shift in federal role • Huge change for advocacy • Lessons from NCLB • Input from educators needed • Rank & file distrust of education committees • National education groups minimized/maximized

24. Why Advocacy Matters • Obligation • Educational leader • Altruism • Children’s advocate • Self-interest • Teacher qualifications • School reforms • Accountability • Classroom impact

25. Why Not Advocate • Not my job • Too busy • Don’t know how • Issues don’t matter/affect me • Won’t make a difference

26. Why Advocate National Issues • Need to be engaged and aware • Expertise/experience to offer • Ensure coordination with state/local/school policies/practices • Harbinger of state and local reforms

27. Why Advocate • Members of Congress • Want to hear from you • Need to hear from you • ASCD • Wants you to speak • Needs you to speak

28. “When the eagles are silent, the parrots begin to jabber.” - - Winston Churchill

29. Get Involved • Get Involved

30. 2010 Elections & the New Political Landscape

31. 111th Congress 112th Congress House of RepresentativesBefore & After • Democrats – 255 • Republicans – 178 218 = Majority • Democrats – 193 • Republicans – 242

32. 111th Congress 112th Congress House of Representatives Before & After • House Speaker • Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) • Majority Leader • Steny Hoyer (D–MD) • Majority Whip • Jim Clyburn (D–SC) • Education Committee Chairman • George Miller (D–CA) • House Speaker • John Boehner (R–OH) • Majority Leader • Eric Cantor (R–VA) • Majority Whip • Kevin McCarthy (R–CA) • Education Committee Chairman • John Kline (R–MN)

33. House Republican Leaders • Rep. John Boehner (OH) • Speaker of the House • Education Chair during NCLB

34. House Republican Leaders • Rep. John Kline (MN) • Education reform priorities for 112th Congress • restore local control • empower parents • let teachers teach • protect taxpayers • Advocate for IDEA full funding

35. House of RepresentativesBefore & After • Republicans – More conservative - Tea party candidates • Democrats – More liberal • Half of “Blue Dogs” lost • Half of votes against health care lost • Out – Hill (IN), Kanjorski, Murphy and Dahlkemper,(PA), Etheridge (NC)

36. 111th Congress 112th Congress Senate Before & After • Democrats – 59 • Republicans - 41 • Democrats – 53 • Republicans - 47

37. Majority Minority Senate Before & After • Majority Leader • Harry Reid (D–NV) • Majority Whip • Dick Durbin (D–IL) • Education Committee Chairman • Tom Harkin (D–IA) • Minority Leader • Mitch McConnell (R–KY) • Minority Whip • Jon Kyl (R–AZ) • Education Committee Ranking Member • Mike Enzi (R–WY)

38. Senate Majority Leaders • Sen. Reid (NV) • Majority Leader • Recipient of ASCD’s Whole Child Leadership Award • Supporter of addressing the dropout crisis, high school reform, STEM. • Wants NCLB to address student growth and include middle and high school improvement.

39. Senate Majority Leaders • Sen. Harkin (IA) • Education Committee Chairman and Education Appropriations Chairman • Winner of ASCD’s first Whole Child Leadership Award • Supports increased funding for NCLB and IDEA.

40. Senate Minority Leaders • Sen. Mike Enzi (WY) • Ranking Member on HELP Committee • Concerned about rural schools • Opposes idea of competitive funding found in ESEA Blueprint.

41. Senate Minority Leaders • Sen. Lamar Alexander (TN) • Former Secretary of Education (Bush 41) • Supportive of Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF), charters, state-led common standards, and RttT.

42. Senate Republican Wild Cards • Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (KY) • Legislative priority - Make Obama 1-term president • Sen. Jim DeMint (SC) • “Self appointed” leader of Tea Party • Could make it difficult for McConnell to compromise with Democrats and President on many issues.

43. Senate Before & After • Republicans – More conservative • Out - Specter (PA), Bennett (UT), LeMieux (FL) • In - Paul (KY), Rubio (FL), Lee (UT), Toomey (PA) • Democrats – More liberal • Out - Bayh (IN), Lincoln (AR), Feingold (WI) • In - Chris Coons (DE), Joe Manchin (WV)

44. Elections & Education • Campaign Issues • Economy • Obama • Health care • Big Government/Spending

45. Elections & Education • Education was not a campaign issue • Four Reform Priorities • Higher standards • Effective teachers • Data management • School turnaround • Main programs • Race to the Top grants • i3 grants • Race to the Top assessment grants • ARRA • $100 billion for education

46. Governors • 37 Elections: • Republicans 23 • Democrats 13 • Independents 1 • GOP gained 11 states

47. State Legislatures • Republicans 25 • Democrats 16 • Split 7 • GOP gained control of 11 legislatures Source: National Conference of State Legislatures, 2010

48. Chief State School Officers • Elections were held in seven states • Arizona, California, Georgia, Idaho, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Wyoming • All but Tom Torlakson (CA) are Republicans • Meanwhile, six new governors will be appointing new chiefs • All of those governors are Republicans

49. What all this change means… • Chiefs’ platforms: • School choice • Local control • More $ into the classroom • School safety/classroom discipline • Career & technical education • Rethinking teacher tenure • Potentially significant implications for efforts like Race to the Top and the Common Core State Standards Initiative.

50. Common Core State Standards Initiative • 38 states and DC have signed on to the common core; nineof these states and DC will have entirely new leadership implementing the standards • New leadership opinion on the initiative is mixed: • Georgia: New governor Nathan Deal has commended common core for cost-saving and flexibility; new chief John Barge has criticized it for leading to more federal control.