by Clarissa West-White,
NCTE/SLATE Representative
Florida Council of Teachers of English
Can’t attend NCTE’s Advocacy Day in Washington D.C.? Don’t fret. Not only does Charity, as the proverb states, begin at home, so does advocacy.
On Wednesday, April 7, 2010, the Florida Council of Teachers of English (FCTE) sponsored its inaugural Advocacy Day at the Capitol in Tallahassee. More than 25 participants, including college students, classroom teachers (from middle grades to post-secondary), and board members participated in the day-long activities, which were organized using NCTE’s Literacy Education Advocacy Day as a guide.
See below for details on our preparations, our visits, and how your group might plan its own Literacy Education Advocacy Day.
Gathering and Preparing for the Day
Meeting with Representatives
Watching Florida Legislators in Action
Reflections
How to Plan Your Local Advocacy Day
Watch the Day Unfold!
Gathering and Preparing for the Day
We started the day at 8 a.m. in the Writing Resource Center on the campus of Florida A&M University (FAMU). After sharing the purpose of Advocacy Day, highlighting FCTE’s legislative platform, and making introductions, FCTE President Megan Pankiewicz and Second Vice-President Susan Houser presented information regarding their past experiences meeting legislators and fielded any last-minute questions. Students selected which appointments they wanted to attend and rendezvous times and locations were set. During our briefing we learned that the House Education Policy Council would meet that morning, and since Florida is in the throes of major education reform, it was deemed vital that those who wished to attend could.
Meeting with Representatives
Once at the Capitol, some grabbed breakfast, others went to early appointments, and some simply took time to gain their bearings. My first appointment was with Representative Alan Williams (D-District 8), who currently sits on the State Universities & Private Colleges Policy Committee. Several Florida State University (FSU) and FAMU students met me there. As we spoke about our platform, which includes our stance regarding professional development, literacy, and the core standards, students raised their concerns about Senate Bill 6 and House companion bill 7189. Before leaving, Rep. Williams asked for questions that he could ask on the floor during discussion of the bill, and board members Joan Kaywell, Jan Graham, and Tracey Keim and students answered.
While at the Capitol, participants not only met their Representatives, but they also left packets with Representatives and Senators who serve on House and Senate Education Committees. I was able, with son and a few students in tow, able to leave a packet in the Office of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor. Board members were able to connect with legislators and/or their aides in elevators, hallways, and all places in between. For example, Kristin Pitts and Marjorie Weiffenbach were able to speak with the legislative aide to Senator Mike Haridopolis (R- District 26), current chair of the Policy and Steering Committee on Energy, Environment, and Land Use and Reapportionment Committees because of introductions made by the legislative aide to Senator Stephen Wise (R-District 5), current chair of the Education Pre-K - 12 Appropriations Committee.
Watching Florida Legislators in Action
During the appointment with Williams we learned that the House was holding hearings regarding a number of hotly contested education bills, and after a few more appointments, everyone found his or her way to the chamber to listen. However, because this was a one-day event held in the middle of the week, members had to travel home, students had classes and/or work, and local teachers had to prepare for tomorrow’s class, so only a few were able to remain until the end of the hearing which concluded after 8:00 p.m. As promised, when Rep. Williams posed questions regarding legislation, he recognized those who visited his office and referenced questions given to him during our appointment.
Reflections
As with any new endeavor, planners took mental notes on how to improve next year’s Advocacy Day. One change will be to hold the briefing at the Capitol, even if it means having it outside. Rooms and meeting locations begin to fill as soon as the session ends, and so there were none available for this year. Since we were able to meet and greet a number of Representatives and Senators during the dozen or so appointments, we have been instructed to call as soon as the session ends to begin the process of securing an on-site location. Although we attempted to know beforehand who had appointments and who did not in an attempt to pair neophytes with veterans, this happened rather quickly during the briefing without much fuss; thus, being flexible proved invaluable. We also gathered information so that people could carpool, and for the most part, those who wanted to were able to do so. It also helped that a local board member opened her home to fellow board members further reducing the cost the board would have incurred.
The FCTE board must be commended for making this day possible. At its winter meeting a motion was made and eventually approved to fund the printing of the platform, to purchase folders and business cards for those attending, and to incur the cost of travel and one night’s stay for board members. Since the majority of the participants were local college students, and due to the efforts made to carpool and the generosity of one board member allowing another to stay at her home for a night, costs remained at a minimum. Most of the planning took place via email, phone, and in chat rooms since planners did not live in the same part of the state (and to reduce cost and the stress of trying to coordinate schedules). Maps, instructions, contact information, etc., were posted to FCTE’s website and shared via email lists.
How to Plan Your Own State Advocacy Day
In order to make your state Advocacy Day a success, here are a few steps to follow:
- Have your group review NCTE’s Literacy Education Advocacy Day itinerary and position statements, then commit to sending at least one member to Advocacy Day on The Hill in D.C.
- Have the member report his or her D.C. experience to the board and secure a commitment from the board to sponsor a state Advocacy Day. Associative costs may include travel, lodging and meals for board members, printing, advertising, and purchasing folders, business cards, etc.
- Form a planning committee and exchange pertinent contact information. The committee is charged with establishing the legislative platform and presenting it to the board for approval; securing location(s) for hosting briefing and debriefing meetings; creating an agenda for the event and packets and folders to pass out to Representatives and Senators; and preparing those who volunteer to participate for meeting and interacting with their Representatives and Senators. Eventually, aims of the committee include polling the board and members-at-large for "asks" (voting, sponsoring or co-sponsoring requests on legislation) and drafting bills/resolutions/legislation to present to Representatives and Senators to introduce and sponsor.
- Invite all teachers and stakeholders to attend the Advocacy Day after a date has been set. Use your website, GIN, or even Facebook to draw support to your Day and enlist board members and Department of Education representatives in distributing information to teachers throughout the state (if allowed). You can also contact the English Language Arts coordinator in your county or district, and request him or her to forward the announcement to fellow coordinators for dissemination.
- Inform all who register how to find contact information for and arrange appointments with their legislators.
- Ask for feedback from all participants in order to improve next year’s state Advocacy Day.
- Be flexible.