Educating lawmakers in support of public schools.
One of our primary goals is to educate lawmakers in the ways public education policy plays out at a granular level so they can be informed on how their work supports school districts, teachers, and students.
I, Deidre Stevens, am grateful to have grown up in a community and a family that valued education and pushed me to get the most out of my time in school. What I didn’t realize until after I earned my first degree in education and some experience in the field was how policies created with good intentions lead to gaps in practice, especially in areas in which parents have fewer resources.
As a third-year teacher at a high-poverty school in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, I saw many ways in which the education system could be better. Ways my students were being failed by no specific person, but by a system that hadn’t considered their specific circumstances when it was created. My campus was fortunate to be placed within an incredible school district with courageous leaders, yet the challenges presented by poverty, language barriers, and a high mobility rate seemed insurmountable at times. This is what inspired me to obtain my Master’s in Education–I wanted to expand my impact and become the type of leader who sees a gap and mobilizes communities and resources to fill it.
Eight years of teaching and an M.Ed later, I feel more equipped to approach the problems I see in education, but, unfortunately, as educational leaders work on solutions, those problems morph and grow. Without direct connections between decision-makers and practitioners, no system can succeed.
Changing Our Schools by Changing the System
This is why Parents for Public Education, from our earliest days of brainstorming our purpose and goals, determined educating lawmakers must be a priority in our work. The gift of having a board with 30 years of combined teaching experience and three graduate degrees in education is that we can approach educational problems from multiple perspectives as educators, parents, and community leaders.
We want to build bridges between educators and lawmakers as each group brainstorms solutions to problems facing public education.
So far, members of our board have met with 14 lawmakers to share our stories and the stories of teachers we know who have been docked pay for caring for their families. Kelly shared her story of becoming a foster and later adoptive parent and how the education system made this an extremely difficult transition (read more here). Deidre described how the birth and several ear infections of her first child have drained her PTO and left her wondering if she would have to choose between expanding her family and remaining in education (read more here).
Surprisingly, within a month of our organization’s birth, our stories of parenting as educators and the challenges that arose moved our state senator to author a bill, Senate Bill 1722, for paid parental leave for teachers.
Speaking Up to Affect Meaningful Change
You can imagine our excitement as our stories began the circuitous process of getting a bill passed into law. We are still working through the rest of that, but what we learned is our voices matter.
Gathering stories and sharing them with influential people can make a difference.
Since this first meeting with our senator, we have visited Austin and begun some training with Raise Your Hand Texas to be as effective as possible in our work with lawmakers moving forward. Our friend there, Jackson Griffon, helped show us around Austin and has helped us understand the legislative process.
The persistent problems plaguing public education can no longer be solved at the local level. When it comes to funding, which it always seems to, our state legislature is the body with the responsibility to fully fund public education and ensure each Texas student’s right to a free and appropriate education.
When legislators hear from the people they represent, they are likely to be moved to action.
When a group of constituents decides something matters enough to raise their voices in unison, lawmakers will clearly see the impact of their decisions on the people they serve.
Partner with Parents for Public Education through donations, storytelling, and organizing. We are united to enhance public education and improve the lives of teachers and students everywhere.
Find Out More About Educating Lawmakers
