9020.1 - Advocacy

Bylaws of the Board

Public Statements

9020.1 - Advocacy

The Board of Education (Board) believes that advocacy is a critical part of its activity and an important responsibility of school Board members. Advocacy is engagement in the political process at local, state and national levels to influence the public policies that affect Boards of Education and school children.

Education advocacy requires the Board to publicly state what is needed to achieve effective public education. It is a recognition that the Board has an important message to deliver to all governmental levels, the media and community, that affect educational policy and power to influence outcomes.

Education must be a priority in local, state and national policy and actions. Advocacy is necessitated by the many laws mandated on the school district by the state and federal government as well as regulations promulgated by State and Federal Departments of Education.

School Board members, respected by legislators are powerful advocates, with the responsibility to explain to legislators, the local impact of state and federal policy decisions. Local school Board members must help the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education deliver its message to legislators.

In fulfilling its advocacy responsibilities, the Board will cooperate with parent groups, other educators, special interest groups, business and service organizations other school Boards, CABE, and community members to achieve favorable legislation on education issues. Coalition building is critical to effective advocacy.

To fulfill its advocacy role, the Board will:

1. join broad advocacy networks, such as CABE, at the state and national levels;

2. nominate, at the annual organizational meeting, a point person to be the conduit for information and action; with the power to write and contact legislators on behalf of the entire Board;

3. schedule time at Board meetings for a report on state and national advocacy issues;

4. recognize the Board Chairperson, or his/her designee, as the press spokesperson for the Board on state and national educational issues;

5. use varied available means of communication, such as newsletter, general media, public forums to publicize federal and state legislative policy issues being addressed by the Board;

6. agree as a Board, in its lobbying effort on the particular issues and tactics, to be given priority;

7. cooperate, in a coalition with other Boards of Education, teachers parents, administrators, local elected officials, business and community leaders on agreed upon education lobbyist issues;

8. use media as an advocacy tool, meeting with the editorial board of newspapers serving the local area, writing letters to the editor and talking with reporters on educational legislative issues.

Bylaw Adopted: June 14, 2012

Revised: November 2019