Phone Advocacy: It’s as easy as 1-2-3

Objectives Participants will explain and use the three steps to follow when advocating for the teaching profession. Participants will advocate using their phones. Directions: Pause the recording after each slide so that participants can use their cell phones to complete the step.

Warm-Up Directions: Think about your answers to the following questions. When given the signal by the facilitator, discuss your answers with the participants sitting nearby. Be prepared to share your answers orally with the whole group. 1. Have you ever voted in an election? How did you select the best candidate? 2. Who are the local, state, and national legislators who represent you? 3. What are some topics or issues that are currently important to you as an educator?

Step 1: Find your legislator Whom do you want to find?  Answer: Identify the person you want to contact. Here are some examples: United States Senator United States Representative State Senator State Representative State Board of Education Member How do you find these people?  Answer: Conduct an Internet search by typing in the search function a question that will elicit the answer. Here are some examples: “Who is my United States Representative?” “Who is my representative in (your state)?” “(your state) legislature”  A legislator locator function is usually located on your state legislature’s webpage. What are your legislator’s views about education?  Answer: Go to your legislator’s website and review his/her position on education. It’s wise to determine your legislator’s position before contacting him/her.

Step 2: Find a bill What is the education-related bill that you want to advocate for or against?  Answer: On your legislature’s website, there is a search function that will allow you to locate and track a specific bill. It is important to know where the bill is in the legislative process.  Also, you may want to look for the committee that focuses on education because education-related bills are first developed in this committee.

Step 3: Take action How do you want to communicate with your legislator?  Answer: Decide how you want to communicate with your legislator. This contact information is located on the legislator’s website and on the legislature’s website. Here are some possible methods of communication: Phone call Text What do you say?  Answer: At a minimum, all communications should include four parts. Be sure to use a respectful tone. Here are the four recommended parts: 1. Your name and your contact information. State that you are a constituent. 2. The name and number of the bill 3. The way that you want the legislator to vote. Supply at least one reason, coupled with a two-sentence story from your classroom or community. 4. A statement of thanks to the legislator

Let’s Reflect Directions: Think about your answers to the following questions. Be prepared to share your answers with other attendees. 1.What happened when you contacted your legislator? 2.What worked well? 3.What would you do differently next time? Why? 4.How do you feel about advocating for the teaching profession?

Kappa Delta Pi Public Policy Committee You are invited to join the KDP Public Policy Committee and help us advocate for your teaching profession. For more information, the Chair of the Public Policy Committee. This information is located on the KDP website: You can also connect with us on KDP Global.