Engaging Parents and Families in Grassroots Advocacy National

Engaging Parents and Families in Grassroots Advocacy National Representative 2017

Today, You Will Learn How to: 1. Define advocacy 2. Understand the difference between legislative and grassroots advocacy 3. Describe National PTA’s legislative priorities 4. Design a grassroots advocacy plan

In Your Own Words: What is Advocacy?

What is Advocacy? Synonyms • Supporter • Backer • Promoter • Proponent • Campaigner • Fighter • Crusader • CHAMPION

National PTA Mission To make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children. PTA Grows Champions for Children

Who are PTA Advocates? PTA advocates speak up for every child to ensure a high -quality public education, no matter the race, ethnicity, disability, gender, income or place of birth. PTA advocates engage families in schools, communities and all levels of government to protect the rights of all children and families. YOU! You are a PTA Advocate.

PTA Advocacy: Organizing & Amplifying Voices Legislative Advocacy Grassroots Advocacy Self Advocacy

National PTA Framework: Legislative Advocacy • National PTA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and leads the association’s federal advocacy work • National PTA’s annual public policy agenda guides federal advocacy • National PTA does not take positions for or against state-level policies • State and Local PTAs are encouraged to align with National PTA’s positions • State and Local PTAs may not contradict national resolutions or position statements

2017 NPTA Policy Agenda: Quality Education Elementary & Secondary Education Special Education Early Learning & Childhood Education Post-Secondary Access & Opportunity Federal Investments in Education

2017 NPTA Policy Agenda: Health, Safety & Overall Well-Being Gun Safety & Violence Prevention Juvenile Justice Child Health & Safety Education Technology & Student Data Privacy

Forms of Organizing for Social Change: • Form Approach Service Providing a direct response or program to solve a problem Education Researching and raise awareness a problem to generate support for an issue Speaking Up for Others Grassroots Lobbying about an issue on behalf of a community Engaging the people directly affected by the problem to take action and win a solution Adapted from Midwest Academy with permission.

3 Principles of Grassroots Advocacy: • 1. Win concrete improvements 2. Make people aware of their own power 3. Alter the relationships of power between people and government Adapted from Midwest Academy with permission.

Grassroots Strategy Map GOALS: The victory you want to win. ORGANIZATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: What do we need? What can we get back? CONSTITUENTS, ALLIES, OPPONENTS: Who else cares? TARGETS: Decision-makers who influence/give you what you want. TACTICS: What you do to make target give you what you want. Adapted from Midwest Academy with permission.

ACTIVITY: The school board is examining a proposal to cut funding for out-ofschool arts education programs at the high school. The proposal comes from a school board member who feels boosters (i. e. , parents) should fund arts education. There is no plan for how the funds would be used. Program cuts would impact: high school marching band, theater group, dance team. Already the funding for these programs was sparse and booster clubs and participation fees covered 2/3 rds of expenses. Design a grassroots advocacy plan. GOALS ORGANIZATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS CONSTITUENTS, ALLIES, OPPONENTS TARGETS TACTICS

Communicating Your Message: The Power of PTA’s Voice • 1. PTA media 2. Social media 3. News media 4. Word of mouth

Why Is Being an Advocate Important? Advocates advance change that could benefit a large population Advocates keep their interests on the minds of policymakers Congressional Management Foundation: The Partnership for a More Perfect Union. (2015). Communicating with Congress: Perceptions of Citizen Advocacy on Capitol Hill.

Why Grow as a PTA Advocate? As a PTA member, you are knowledgeable of the needs of students and families involved in the school system. As a PTA member, you bring credibility to the issues and are most often seen as working on behalf of others. More voices amplify our movement and mission to ensure our goals are achieved.

Roadblocks to Advocacy Lack of time Lack of focus Lack of knowledge with the issue(s) Lack of comfort with advocacy process

How Can National PTA Help You Breakdown Roadblocks? National PTA Advocacy Toolkit PTA. org/Advocacy. Toolkit

Every Student Succeeds Act: Engaging Families in School Plans PTA. org/ESSA

National PTA Advocacy Resources Policy Updates & Advocacy Tools: • • • Public Policy Agenda – PTA. org/Advocacy PTA Takes Action – PTA. org/Take. Action Advocate with PTA Brochures Federal Policy Action Alerts Advocacy Toolkit – PTA. org/Advocacy. Toolkit Election Year Guide – PTA. org/Election. Guides Standards & Assessments – PTA. org/Assessments Parents’ Guides to Student Success – PTA. org/Parents. Guides Special Education Toolkit – PTA. org/Special. Education Advocacy E-learning Course – PTA. org/Training Resolutions – PTA. org/Resolutions

We Need Your Voice: #Stop. Cuts. To. Classrooms PTA. org/Stop. Cuts

Government Affairs Staff Elizabeth Rorick erorick@pta. org Jacki Ball jball@pta. org Josh Westfall jwestfall@pta. org Lindsay Kubatzky LKubatzky@pta. org Beth Yenis byenis@pta. org National PTA Legislative Committee legchair@pta. org PTA. org/Advocacy. Toolkit