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DIY Toolkit for Public Ed Advocacy
Prepare to advocate for public education in our region and statewide. You can start with the “how-to” of advocacy tips presented at the Advocacy 101 workshop December 2019 by Albany lobbying firm, Ostroff Associates. See an overview of Making Public Ed Advocacy Work. Then look at how best to advocate for public education in NYS in 2021:
First, learn about the issues…
Regional Perspective:
WPSBA and the Lower Hudson Education Coalition (LHEC) have put together an advocacy agenda based on current NYS education issues and the Executive Budget.
Statewide Education Perspective:
Other education organizations in NYS have also called on the Governor and State Legislators for funding and legislative/regulatory improvement for public education:
- NYSSBA has links to their Capital Conference webinar and advocacy materials
- The New York State Council of School Superintendents (NYSCOSS) testifies to legislators regarding the Executive Budget
- The Association of School Business Officials of New York (ASBO) testimony includes a history of the Gap Elimination Adjustment with a warning to state legislators
Take Board action…
As a school board member, your views and the stories you can relate about how funding or regulations have affected your school district can be valuable information for legislators.
- WPSBA’s Public Ed Legislative Lineup included panel discussions with local legislators discussing public education funding issues.
- A board member and the superintendent from many districts were able to meet via Zoom with your state legislators in meetings arranged by WPSBA.
- Consider a Board resolution stating your views on the State budget or legislation. The latest WPSBA resolution template is focused on NYS Funding for Public Education.
Get your community involved…
Community letter-writing campaigns have been a successful tool of advocates since before the internet. Now, WPSBA and LHEC provide you with the electronic version of letters that can be sent to your local legislators with the click of a button! Tell your community where to find the VoterVoice campaigns supporting public schools:
