Dessert and Discussion
Karen Morgan Delbridge, Johnson Junior High School, Cheyenne, Wyoming, President of Wyoming Association of Teachers of English
I am ashamed to admit that affecting legislative policy has not been something I have focused my attention on during my eight-year teaching career. It was never mentioned in my teacher preparation program, nor was it ever a part of any professional development I have taken part in until this year when I was accepted into the Wyoming Teacher Policy Institute, sponsored by the Wyoming Department of Education and endorsed by the governor. Through this yearlong institute, several teachers conducted action research dealing with different areas of education, and I realized that as an educator, I was not thinking along the lines of being an active lobbyist for education. This program gave me insight into an area of education that we all should be considering. Wyoming is home to only 450,000 people, so our “all-rural state” is a community within itself. In his state-of-the-state address, the governor recognized our small group of educators that belonged to the institute, and he took time to meet with us to discuss our individual action research projects. It was nice to see the governor truly interested in what we were doing in education. The institute also invited all the Wyoming legislators to the Nagel Warren Mansion in Cheyenne, Wyoming, for two evenings of coffee and fabulous desserts. We asked them to visit with us about educational issues and concerns that they may have and were pleased with the attendance. Eighteen senators and representatives came to engage in educational conversation. The dialogue that took place ranged from the weather in the Yellowstone area to what our vision of a perfect school was. We talked about general things, but were also able to address questions they had about what was going on in our Wyoming schools. We talked about what a writing workshop looks like, what we are doing to increase reading levels, and how we prepare our students for the WYCAS state assessment. We were able to increase the visibility of teachers among influential legislators, especially those on the Joint Education Committee and House Appropriations Committee, while establishing some valuable relationships.
In addition, we were able to raise awareness about the important role of Professional Development Sites, their potential for addressing teacher quality issues, and the need for legislative support. Originally funded for three years by a federal Teacher Enhancement Quality Grant, these sites were due to shut down if the legislature voted against providing state funding. As a result of our discussion with them about Professional Development Sites and subsequent telephoning by Wyoming Teacher Policy Institute and Professional Development Site teachers and students, the Professional Development Sites were funded for two more years. This was a major feat considering that the legislature is reluctant to fund programs first started with federal dollars.
One of the advantages to living in a small state is the access to the legislature. It is much easier to approach our representatives and discuss issues that are of importance to our students. I look forward next year to mentoring those teachers in the next Wyoming Teacher Policy Institute and engaging in more valuable conversation with the legislature at the next evening of desserts and discussion.
Legislators need to here your stories about teaching. See http://www.ncte.org/about/policy/news/116041.htm link to action pages to tell us your story and for information on contacting policymakers.
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