John K. Sanders, Ph.D.

Progress in STEM Education Advocacy by the Tennessee Government Affairs Committee of the American Chemical Society (TN-GAC)Presented at the ETSU 2010 STEM Conference 5/25/2010 John K. Sanders, Ph.D.

Introduction – What is Advocacy? • Advocacy is about educating politicians and other policy makers about important issues that affect you and your community. It is also a means to build a relationship with them and their staff. Advocates that contact or meet with elected officials make an important contribution. Elected officials count votes, and count contributions to their campaign. They also count telephone calls, letters and office visits. Even if your official is generally supportive on a particular issue, you should still call, visit or write, since those opposed to your position will make their voices heard as well. Legislators also need to hear that an issue is important to the community. • Being an advocate can simply include making a telephone call, writing a letter, or arranging a meeting with an official or their staff. You provide them with background information and materials on an issue in order to persuade that individual to act or vote in a certain manner. Often, other members of your community are involved to let the official know their views. You may also persuade the local newspaper to write an editorial on an issue of concern to you. American Chemical Society

What Kind of Activities are Involved in Advocacy? • Contacting legislators and policy-makers by phone, letter or email • Arranging a meeting with an official or staff • Responding to “Action Alerts” through professional organizations • Writing editorials for newspapers or other media • Host an event in your district to highlight the issue (and invite a legislator) American Chemical Society

How Professional Organizations can help Advocacy efforts • Providing summaries of issues • Talking points • Elevator speeches • Emails and newsletters of Federal or State developments • Actively promoting advocacy efforts • Calls to Action • Communication tools • Lobbying at the Federal or State Level • NSTA • ACS American Chemical Society

Types of Advocacy…

The American Chemical Society With more than 161,000 members, the American Chemical Society (ACS) is the world’s largest scientific society and one of the world’s leading sources of authoritative scientific information. A nonprofit organization, chartered by Congress, ACS is at the forefront of the evolving worldwide chemical enterprise and the premier professional home for chemists, chemical engineers and related professions around the globe. ACS has 189 local sections (chapters) throughout the US, 6 of them in Tennessee. Local sections allow TN ACS members to: • Partake in legislative action calls and events • Connect with other chemical professionals in the area • Participate in ACS programs and proceedings • Contribute to the public’s understanding of chemistry • Join in regional meetings hosted by their local section ACS Facts Membership: 161,783 Journals: 39 Chemical Abstracts records: 32 million CAS REGISTRY organic & inorganic substances: 53 million ACS journal article downloads: 57 million Petroleum Research Grants: $25.1 million Academic Institutions Using SciFinder: 1,777 Employees: 1,981 American Chemical Society

ACS Public Policy Priorities: • Foster innovation through research and technology • The U.S. Bureau of Economic Affairs has estimated that R&D investment accounted for seven percent of U.S. GDP growth between 1995 and 2004 • A recent study by the Council for Chemical Research indicated that for every $1B invested in Federal R&D in Chemical Sciences ultimately results in the creation of 0.6M jobs, $8B in taxes and adds $40B GNP • Strong support of chemistry and other R&D is central to our nation’s productivity, defence, public health, energy security, and environment progress. • Advance science through openness • Science and technology provide critical tools that help us address our national and global needs. Open exchange of information and ideas is critical to scientific progress • Strengthen science education and the scientific workforce • America needs scientific and engineering professionals. • To equip today’s students with the skills to fill the technical jobs of tomorrow, we must improve science and mathematics education at all levels • Promote science and sustainability in public policy • Science can lead to better understand of new solutions to many of society’s problems • The best science should be available to, and used by, government officials when making decisions American Chemical Society

ACS Office of Public Affairs (OPA)-Government Relations: • The ACS government affairs programs promote public policies that advance the chemical enterprises and its practitioners, as called for in the ACS congressional charter. • The Society provides a voice, at the federal and state levels, for chemists and chemical engineers when laws and regulations are being developed and when government programs are being funded. • ACS members are important partners in these government affairs efforts. The Society also conducts educational activities aimed at expanding policy makers' knowledge of scientific and technical issues. American Chemical Society

ACS OPA Activities: • Educate Policymakers • Legislative visits • Informational Briefings • Advance Sound Public Policy • Advocating on Capitol Hill • Congressional Testimony • Working with coalitions • Keep ACS Members Informed • www.acs.org/policy • Facilitate Member Involvement • Legislative Action Network (LAN) • Local Section Government Affairs Committees (GAC) • State committees such as TN-GAC American Chemical Society

The Legislative Action Network (LAN): • What is the Legislative Action Network? • The LAN is a free web-based advocacy program • Notifies ACS LAN members of major issues • facilitates communication with legislators before key votes. • How does the program work? • When important legislation is being passed, LAN members receive calls to action via email. These calls to action direct members to Web-based Legislative Action Center to review ACS positions and contact their legislators online • The network focuses on: • Science education • R&D funding • Issues that pertain to the science community • Total number of LAN members in TN: 243 American Chemical Society

LAN Continued… • Does it make a difference? • YES! • Legislators respond to their constitutents • Most legislators do not have a good grasp of science issues and respect nonpartisan input from technical professionals • Few constituents contact their legislators on science issues, a few timely letters from ACS members have notable impact • What are the benefits? • The opportunity to impact legislation integral to the chemical enterprise and to chemists • Become more involved in your community • Immediate notification of hot issues and access to the Legislative Action Center • How do I sign up? • ACS members must Opt In for LAN alerts. • http://www.act4chemistry.org/register/ and fill out the appropriate form American Chemical Society

Example LAN Alert: American Chemical Society

Tennessee Government Affairs Committee (TN-GAC) In 2008, ACS formed an independent committee of Tennessee ACS members from across the state to lead and advise our efforts, creating the Tennessee Government Affairs Committee (TN-GAC). TN-GAC is comprised of individual ACS members and provides a unified voice and leadership to effectively engage the ACS membership within the state of Tennessee to drive support of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education. TN-GAC works with ACS members across the state to chart an agenda for STEM education policies and to engage with other state education stakeholders such as business and industry groups, science teacher organizations, and other education constituencies. American Chemical Society

Tennessee ACS Local Section Map TNGAC Members: 88: Ruth Woodall (Nashville Section, CHAIR) ruth.woodall@tnchamber.org; Preston MacDougall (Nashville Section) pmacdougall@mtsu.edu 22: Bill Seymour (Chattanooga Section, SECRETARY) swafseymo@bellsouth.net 65: Charles Baldwin (KY Lake Section) cbaldwin@uu.edu 39: Al Hazari (E Tenn Section) ahazari@utk.edu 75: Stan Peppenhorst (Memphis Section) SP4ScienceEd@aol.com 98: John Sanders (NE Tenn Section) jsanders@eastman.com Representing >2400 ACS members in TN American Chemical Society

TN-GAC Key Objectives: • The TN-GAC embodies and reflects the overall ACS commitment to quality STEM education. • The TN-GAC is committed to improving STEM education standards and the classroom experience for students in Tennessee schools. • The TN-GAC will work to build broad coalitions with professional education and STEM organizations, scientific societies, and with allies in the Tennessee government and in the private sector. • The TN-GAC will work with the Governor’s education initiatives that inform Tennessee’s youth about STEM careers and what it takes to be prepared for those careers in the future. • The TN-GAC will support public outreach efforts that aim to increase the science and technology literacy of all Tennesseans, broadening the scope of economic development welcomed in the State American Chemical Society

TN-GAC Committee Members: ● Ruth Woodall (Nashville Section, CHAIR) ruth.woodall@tnchamber.org ●Bill Seymour (Chattanooga Section, SECRETARY) swafseymo@bellsouth.net ●Charles Baldwin (KY Lake Section) cbaldwin@uu.edu ●Al Hazari (E Tenn Section) ahazari@utk.edu ●Preston MacDougall (Nashville Section) pmacdougall@mtsu.edu ● Stan Peppenhorst (Memphis Section) SP4ScienceEd@aol.com ● John Sanders (NE Tenn Section) jsanders@eastman.com Associate ACS Staff ● James Brown (National ACS) j_brown@acs.org – ex officio member ● Kathryn Verona (National ACS) k_verona@acs.org – ex officio member American Chemical Society

TN-GAC Accomplishments: • Participated as a group in the 7th Annual Legislative Summit in Washington, DC April 2008 meeting with Tennessee Legislators • Mid-2008, developed the Mission and Objectives of the TN-GAC Organization • During SERMACS 2008, in Nashville, hosted a well-attended Roundtable Discussion on STEM Education which included Dick Zare and Representative Bart Gordon as panelists, among other distinguished guests • Early 2009: Began using Tennessee LAN Alerts to assist TN ACS members to communicate with legislators • Participated in the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce Executives Legislative day in March 2009 in Nashville, meeting with many members of the Tennessee Legislature to promote STEM education • May 2009: Letter of support for House Bill 0364/Senate Bill 0676 (Support of math and science teacher service scholarships) • May 2009: Letter of support for use of Tennessee Stimulus funding for improvement of laboratory facilities in elementary and secondary schools (cosigned by TSTA and Eastman Chemical Company, among others) American Chemical Society

TN-GAC Accomplishments (cont’d): • May 2009: Participated in the STEM Leadership Council Meeting held at ETSU • June-October 2009: Assisted in advising the state for its application process for Race to the Top Application. Letters of support for change • Nov 2009: Hosted session at Annual TSTA meeting with focus on STEM and political action • March 2010: Completed Legislative Summit and sent a letter of support to legislature for their application of RTTT • March 2010: Advocacy letters in support of Tennessee Scholars Act (HB2130, SB2185) • April 2010: Congratulated Legislature and Gov. Bredesen on winning RTTT • May 2010: Met with the Tennessee General Assembly to propose formation of a STEM Education Caucus in the Tennessee Legislature

How Tennessee ACS Members Can Make A Difference: ACS members, who live in Tennessee and are citizens, are also constituents of Legislators. By directly approaching our Legislators and starting a dialogue about proposed bills or initiatives, we begin to voice the sentiments of the science community. • Hosting/attending events: • Connect with other chemists and chemical engineers in their area • Contributing to the public’s understanding of chemistry • Participating in the LAN • Directly contacting legislators: • Writing a letter • Writing an E-mail • Phone calls • Personal visits • Media outlets: • Letters to the Editor • Talk radio contacts • Opinion/editorial section in newspapers American Chemical Society

Thank you

Backup Slides

National Science Teachers Association Key Media Messages and Talking Points: General Messages 1. The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) is the largest organization in the world dedicated to promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all. 2. NSTA works to improve science education and increase student learning by engaging all teachers of science and help them by supporting and enhancing their teaching. 3. NSTA advocates for the importance of science and science learning and works to enhance science education through research-based policy and practice. 4. NSTA’s current membership includes more than 57,000 science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business and industry representatives, and others involved in science education. Key Points • Science Literacy: Science literacy is essential for all students; it is the key to tomorrow’s skilled workforce, strong economy, national security, and general well being. • Quality Teaching: We must ensure that every child has a quality teacher. A quality teacher is both expert in what to teach and skilled at how to teach it, and receives sustained professional development for continued learning. • STEM Education (in general): There have been a number of reports on STEM education in the past few years, which have emphasized a sweeping need for change (Glenn Commission, BRT, BHEF, Rising above the Gathering Storm, National Science Board, National Research Council). Most of these reports have included a comprehensive approach on what all stakeholders need to do to ensure that our students succeed in the 21st century. We need to stop calling for reports and get serious as a nation about implementing some of the ideas in these reports. American Chemical Society

National Science Teachers Association Key Media Messages and Talking Points: (cont’d): • Professional Development: Professional development is the lifeblood of good teaching. NSTA is committed to providing all teachers with professional development that is high quality, meaningful, and sustained. • Teacher Preparation: The nation must attract, prepare, and retain well-educated, effective preK–12 science teachers. Strong, performance-based science teacher education programs and science teacher licensure standards are essential for all science teachers and will provide a foundation upon which teachers may build throughout their professional lives. • Science Standards: Science standards are outdated and they contain far too many elements. Although states have similar standards for science education, there are significant differences in when, how, and what students are expected to learn. Many state science standards are often not clear and most standards are simply not aligned with valid assessments. We must identify a clearly defined set of national core ideas in science that spell out to all stakeholders exactly what students from New York to California are expected to know and be able to do in science. • Elementary School Science: Less science is being taught in the elementary classroom. No Child Left Behind annual testing and accountability provisions for reading and mathematics has greatly squeezed science out of many elementary schools. • Parents: Parents have to be much more engaged in their child’s science education. While a growing number of leaders recognize the importance of strengthening science education, the challenge has gone virtually unnoticed at the grassroots level, especially in America’s homes. Recent surveys have shown that even though American students test below average against leading countries, less than one-third of Americans believe that math and science classes are very relevant to life after graduation. Worse yet, 70% of high school parents believe their child already receives the right amount of science and math. American Chemical Society

John K. Sanders, Ph.D.