Stepping Up
State Advocacy
VOICES CARRY
By Hilary Goldmann
Hilary Goldmann,
ISTE’s senior government affairs officer, has
20 years of experience
in public policy and
advocacy. Her column
appears in every other
issue of L&L.
When I started leading ISTE’s advocacy and policy work seven years ago, it was clear that my first priority was
to build a presence inside the Beltway that
included lobbying, developing and responding to legislative and regulatory initiatives, and
collaborating with other organizations to advocate for federal education policy that supports
the integration of digital learning. To be successful, we would have to build a vibrant grassroots
network and rely on ISTE members’ expertise
to develop, evaluate, and respond to policy
initiatives.
At the state level, we chose a behind-the-scenes
approach by supporting ISTE members in their
advocacy work rather than actively engaging in
state policy. Over the years, ISTE has provided
its state affiliates, special interest groups, and
members with the support and professional development (PD) needed to advocate at the state
level. For example, ISTE provides PD through
its ABCs of Advocacy workshops, develops state
advocacy resources, and supports state efforts to
create action alerts on the Ed Tech Action Network website ( edtechactionnetwork.org).
However, U.S. education policy has been
shifting focus from the federal level to the state
and local levels with the implementation of
the Common Core State Standards and online
assessments, the awards of the Race to the Top
grants, and the state waivers to the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act. Additionally,
because digital technology is changing more
rapidly than most sectors can react and because
education is a trending topic in the political
spotlight, it is critical that ISTE maintain its
relevancy at both the national and state levels.
Amplifying our voices will be vital to our success
as a formidable advocate for the advancement of
technology in the education sector.
