August 2009
An Open Letter to Educators
It's Time to Connect Your Classrooms to the Capitol
By Gene R. Carter, Executive Director, ASCD
Dear Educator,
In just a few short weeks, students will once again flood the classrooms and hallways of schools across the country, and you and your colleagues will be hard at work on the challenging and important task of helping them learn. But in addition to building the master schedule, planning lessons, teaching to the standards, and calming first-day jitters, you must become advocates for sound education policy.
A variety of circumstances have amounted to what could be called education policy’s perfect storm. We have a new president and administration poised to revise the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Schools and districts across the country are using stimulus dollars to advance education programs, and states will soon be competing for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's Race to the Top funds to implement innovative education reform. Meanwhile, a coalition of governors and chief state school officers are working to establish common standards that could influence what we teach.
For the past seven years, NCLB in particular has had a dramatic impact on your work. Now, Congress is on the verge of making major changes to the law that will lead to another round of profound adjustments to your role and responsibilities as an educator. Educational accountability, assessments, school quality, corrective actions, and teacher qualifications are all issues that influence your day-to-day work and will be hotly debated. It is not enough for you to know about these debates and impending changes; you also need to become an active participant, proactively helping to shape the policies affecting you. The education community has waited seven years to "fix" NCLB, and the time has finally arrived. I urge you not to let this opportunity pass you by.
Attending ASCD's LEAP Legislative Institute, September 13–15, is a good first step. LEAP brings educators from across the United States to the nation's capital to advocate for smart and effective education policy. At LEAP you'll learn about the status of the stimulus funding, the reauthorization of NCLB, and other federal initiatives affecting educators and children. Speakers such as the White House education policy advisor and senior members of the U.S. Department of Education will outline the president's vision and the department’s plans to transform our education system. Journalist and author Gwen Ifill will provide her impression of the new administration's first nine months in office and the looming challenges national leaders will have to address.
LEAP participants will also learn about ASCD's legislative priorities for the year. The agenda focuses on equitable educational opportunities for all students; highly effective teachers who elicit growth in student achievement and receive support throughout their careers; a comprehensive assessment and accountability system that incorporates multiple and varied indicators and targets assistance where it is needed most; and innovative, research-based educational redesign that ultimately ensures high school graduates are ready for success in a global society. Educators like you helped shape these priorities after grappling with the practical implications of these issues at the district, school, and classroom levels.
But perhaps most important, LEAP culminates in Capitol Hill visits with your elected officials. Federal lawmakers are eager to hear from you and your colleagues about what is working best (and what is not) and how changes to NCLB can help you and your students maximize your professional and academic potential. Many legislators recognize the grave mistake that was made seven years ago in not getting more input from educators; they are extremely interested in learning how to support your on-the-ground work to improve schools and help students learn.
Becoming an educator advocate doesn't have to be difficult or take too much time. You don't need to be a high-ranking education official or have policy experience. All you have to do is draw on your professional expertise to communicate how our education system can be improved. Even if you can't travel to Washington, D.C., in September, your voice needs to be heard. Sign up to become an ASCD Educator Advocate, and you'll receive the tools and resources to help you advocate with the click of a button.
The time is now. Together let's take advantage of education policy's perfect storm so that you, your colleagues, and our students can help our nation reach its full potential.
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