The spring NCTE Executive Committee meeting, held in Washington, DC, is a vital part of NCTE’s ongoing advocacy work. While NCTE staff and members of the Executive Committee all work far in advance to plan this event, special thanks go to Janet Swenson, chair of the Advocacy Subcommittee, who provided invaluable leadership for the April 25-27, 2002, visit.

In 2002, a month before their arrival, NCTE Executive Committee members made appointments with their senators and representatives. Once in Washington, members attended a briefing by NCTE lobbyist Ellin Nolan and then fanned out in pairs or trios to meet with their legislators. Armed with talking points and NCTE materials and brochures, five staff and 20 Executive Committee members spent a full day making the rounds on Capitol Hill, talking with a total of 32 senators and representatives. The topics of the meetings included NCTE concerns regarding current and pending legislation, the allocation of the No Child Left Behind funds, and the need for representation on U.S. Department of Education policy boards. Members also presented information on the recently initiated Teacher Tribute campaign.

A few highlights follow

NCTE Executive Director Kent Williamson, President Leila Christenbury, Past President Anne Ruggles Gere, Vice President Patti Stock, and President-Elect David Bloome met with an aide to Deputy Secretary Susan Neumann of the U.S. Department of Education. The discussion involved two areas of concern, possible restrictions regarding mandated reading programs and the need for ongoing communication and consultation.

Later in the day, Gere visited the offices of Representative Lynn Rivers and Senator Carl Levin of Michigan, both of whom are supportive of NCTE and its concerns. Gere notes, however, “Unfortunately Rivers lost out in a newly configured district primary” and will not be returning to Washington, DC.

Executive Committee members Shirley Wilson Logan and Rick Chambers visited Representative Steny Hoyer and Senator Barbara Mikulski (both of Maryland); Mikulski is a member of the Appropriations Committee and the HELP Committee. Logan reports, “We had nice chats…but we were preaching to the converted. I think anything we can provide them in the way of evidence that the push towards more testing and quantification is not effective would be helpful.”

Executive Committee member Sharon Chaney and President-Elect Bloome visited the offices of Representatives Bob Clement and Bill Frist (both of Tennessee). “No promises were made in either office,” Chaney recounts, but Senator Frist responded to the visit with a three-page letter that summarized which aspects of the No Child Left Behind Act he felt were positive and would improve Tennessee schools.

Executive Committee member John Lovas attended a constituent breakfast for Senator Diane Feinstein (California) and met later with Feinstein’s aide and with an aide to Representative Anna Eshoo.

Christenbury, staff member Dale Allender, and Executive Committee members Katherine Bomer and Steve Hornstein met with an aide to Senator Paul Wellstone (Minnesota). While the Senator was on the floor for a vote and could not get back to the office, the meeting was very positive. (As readers recall, Senator Wellstone was recently killed in a plane crash, and his tireless support of education will be missed.)

Advocacy is an essential part of NCTE’s ongoing work, and while yearly visits to Capitol Hill are important, individual members’ ongoing contact with their senators and representatives cannot be replaced. One message is clear: our elected officials want to hear from us, their constituents. When we communicate regularly and express our concern regarding issues and legislation, we are helping our legislators make intelligent decisions that will benefit education and our students.

The NCTE Executive Committee will visit Capitol Hill in May 2003 during their Spring meeting in Washington, DC.