Mark Your Calendar: April 28 Is the Date for the
2011 Literacy Education Advocacy Day
It's not too early to plan to take part in NCTE's next Advocacy Day on Thursday, April 28, 2011, in Washington DC. During the months leading up to Advocacy Day, watch your email for details on literacy education issues, NCTE policies and legislative platform, and tips for talking with legislators.
NCTE members attending Advocacy Day will learn the latest about literacy education issues at the federal level and have a chance to interact with people highly involved with those issues.
Can't Make It to DC for Advocacy Day?
No worries, you'll have an opportunity to show your support for literacy education through activities you can do right at home during Literacy Education Advocacy Month, March-April 2011.
Your Visits & Letters Made NCTE's 2010
Literacy Education Advocacy Day a Success!
Nearly 60 NCTE members visited congressional offices in Washington, DC, and hundreds of NCTE members sent nearly 1,000 letters to their representatives on Literacy Education Advocacy Day, Thursday, April 22, 2010!
But I Don't Know Anything about Advocacy: See the recording of our March 16 "Advocacy for Everyday Teachers" online session where Susan Houser, Clarissa West-White, Shelbie Witte, and Millie Davis tells us how easy it is to advocate for literacy education! Make sure to go to the Elluminate site and follow all three steps to ready your computer before clicking on the session.
Read more about literacy education advocacy and how important your efforts are in "Teacher Advocacy: Teachers Speaking Up Through Advocacy Day—and Other Grassroots Activities—We Can Make a Difference in Literacy Education" from the March 2010 Council Chronicle.
See also "Inside NCTE Policy Work: Bringing Member Knowledge and Experience to Bear," an overview of NCTE policy work by Barbara Cambridge, Director of NCTE's Washington, D.C., office.
Watch Florida member Clarissa West-White's video account of her Advocacy Day experience.
Go Out, Get Involved, and Make a Difference
Are you actively involved in the decision making that affects your work in the field of education? Do you have a strong opinion on what changes should be made? Do you wish our government would make a legislative change that would directly affect you and your students? You can do something about this and let your voice be heard! Read this inspiring article by Janice Suppa-Friedman about the Virginia Association of Teachers of English's commitment to literacy education and involvement with the NCTE Literacy Education Advocacy Day.
(Above, Janice Suppa-Friedman, NCTE Liaison, Congressman Tom Perriello, Representative 5th District, and Adria Merritt, VATE President-Elect, meet in the Rayburn Building on Capitol Hill, April 22, 2010)
No Place Like Home: Florida Holds Its First Advocacy Day!
After taking part in NCTE's Literacy Education Advocacy Day, members of the Florida Council of Teachers of English worked to establish an Advocacy Day in their state! See also Clarissa West-White's video account of the day's activities.
At right, Florida Representative Alan Williams (in center of back row, in front of window) poses for a picture during his April 7, 2010, meeting with members of the Florida Council of Teachers of English and students from Florida State University and Florida A&M University.
Nearly 50 NCTE Members Met with Congressional Staff
and Legislators at the 2009 Advocacy Day
See the May 2009 SLATE Update for stories from NCTE members about their experiences meeting with Congressional staff and legislators. In their discussions members focused on asking for support for a resolution recognizing October 20, 2009, as the National Day on Writing and for a comprehensive literacy bill.
Watch Clarissa West-White's video account of her 2009 Literacy Education Advocacy Day experience!
Two NCTE Members from Virginia Met with Their Congressman
(from left to right, above: Janice Suppa-Friedman,
Congressman Tom Perriello, Sarah Tanner-Anderson)
Six NCTE Members from Florida Attended the 2009 Advocacy Day
(left to right, above: FCTE's Clarissa West-White, April Blaze, Joan Kaywell;
Clint Cates, legislative aide to Senator Bill Nelson;
FCTE's Christiana Succar, Susan Houser, and Kathleen Blake Yancey)
Tell Us What You Did to Advocate for Literacy Education during Literacy Education Advocacy Month by Completing this Short Survey.