NCTE's Role as a Policy Leadership Organization
by Kent Williamson, NCTE Executive Director
November 2006 Council-Grams

As I write to you on election day, it seems like a good time to reflect upon NCTE’s role as a policy leadership organization. While the law is clear that a non-profit group with an educational mission like ours has no business in electoral politics, we have an obligation to bring research and insights from English language arts classrooms to those who shape education policy. We are developing new tools, resources, and networks to reach policymakers, and as we elect a new congress, it’s my hope that every legislator may hear from an NCTE member over the next few years. Here are a few ways we can work together to become effective advocates for the ELA/English studies community:

• Blogs—These provide a way to not only stay informed about new ideas and policy trends in literacy education, but to let others know what you think. Earlier this fall, NCTE launched the Literacy Education Updates blogs, with frequent reports about new studies, grant opportunities, or legislation of interest to literacy educators. This winter, each NCTE membership section, association, and conference will launch a series of blogs, and the NCTE presidential team will share their ideas and news through blogs. You can subscribe to any NCTE blog for free and get regular updates when new reports are posted via email.
  
  
• The SLATE Network—This is NCTE’s grassroots network that
  
  
• seeks to influence public attitudes and policy decisions affecting the teaching of English language arts at local, state, and national levels;
  
• seeks to implement and publicize the policies adopted by the National Council of Teachers of English; and
  
• serves as NCTE's intellectual freedom network, providing support for those facing censorship challenges.

A separate membership fee is no longer required to join SLATE. Every NCTE member will receive SLATE updates on a regular basis, will have an opportunity to participate in SLATE campaigns, and will occasionally be invited to support SLATE through voluntary contributions.

• Action Alerts—Grassroots advocates will receive action alerts. These are special invitations to take action in support of key policies or initiatives. They generally feature links to useful information, model letters or talking points, and direct email access to legislators’ offices with just a few mouse clicks. You’ll find it won’t take much time to get your message across! If you want to join this network, sign up in the Action Center.
  
  
• The Legislative Platform—Each February, the NCTE Executive Committee adopts a legislative platform outlining key priorities for congressional action, along with a basic rationale for the positions adopted. This document guides strategy for development of policy research briefs, for reaching out to selected policymakers, and for hosting conferences or seminars so that non-educators may better understand literacy education policy and its implications.
  
  
• Literacy Education Advocacy Day—On April 26, 2007, NCTE members are invited to attend a free, day-long series of literacy education advocacy events in Washington DC. Attendees will
  
  
  • learn how educational policies affecting English language arts teachers are shaped;
    
  • hear key educational policymakers discuss English language arts legislation issues and participate in question and answer session; 
    
  • gain a deeper understanding of trends in federal legislation;
    
  • receive a briefing from NCTE legislative counsel;
    
  • learn how to schedule meetings with Congressional representatives and staff; and
    
  • tour historical and educational sites in D.C.

This is a chance to meet policymakers first hand and help them understand the effects of federal programs and what is most needed to support ELA teaching and learning.

No single letter, meeting, or initiative will “turn around” education policy. But when many of us share what we know about literacy education with policymakers who genuinely care about literacy learning, we help them understand what helps readers and writers most. We build credibility using the currency of our knowledge. Join the effort to ensure that our voices and experiences are at the core of literacy education policy making.