ABCs of Advocacy:
Advocate, Be Heard,
Create Change
T his year’s NECC was a high point for At NECC, ISTE released Technology and Stu-
ISTE’s advocacy e orts. We kicked o dent Achievement— e Indelible Link (http://
our NECC advocacy events with the www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Advo-pre-conference session, ABCs of Advocacy: cacy/Policy/59.08-PolicyBrief-F-web.pdf), the
Make Your Voice Heard!, where 27 states plus rst of three policy briefs focusing on the role
the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico were of technology in education. e ensuing briefs
represented, working together to e ect change will focus on the role of technology and teacher
at the federal, state, and local levels. Attendees quality and the role of technology and school
learned how to develop compelling success innovation and will be released by the end of
stories to share with policy makers, and worked 2008. If you are ready to take the next steps
on state advocacy strategies and plans to share with your advocacy activity, I encourage you to
and implement when they return home. At- connect with your state a liate, an ISTE SIG, or
tendees le the session energized and galvanized other colleagues to get started. Here is a list of
to make a di erence and to make their voices top advocacy activities:
heard. One attendee commented, “We came up
with some good ideas to grow our state’s advocacy program—we are anxious to get started!”
e NECC opening general session immediately followed the advocacy training event, where
advocacy was a priority in President Trina Davis’
welcome and opening remarks to attendees. Davis
highlighted ve things conference-goers can do to
use technology to transform education. e rst
was: “Advocate for state and federal funding for
educational technology.”
e Education Technology Action Network
(ETAN) booth was a destination at NECC! More
than 1,000 attendees passed through the booth,
ooding Capitol Hill with more than 3,000 letters
to support increased funding for the Enhancing
Education rough Technology program. Many attendees remembered sending a letter last year, and
rst-timers were pleased by how easy it is to do!
We burst our thermometer with the goal of 1,500
letters, and the bell kept ringing!
1. Join ETAN at http://www.edtechaction
network.org
2. Enlist ve colleagues for ETAN
3. Meet with legislators and their sta s in your
home district.
4. Superintendents and principals, include ed
tech funding in your policy priorities letter
to your Congressional delegation.
5. Attend a policy maker’s town hall meeting
and ask a question on education technology.
6. Hold an ed tech advocacy event in the
state capital.
7. Compile success stories and share them with
policy makers and the media.
8. Invite a policy maker to visit your school to
showcase your successes and needs.
9. Write an opinion column for local media.
10. Attend ISTE advocacy conferences!
VOICES CARRY
By Hilary Goldmann
Hilary Goldmann,
ISTE's director of
government a airs, has
20 years of experience
in public policy and
advocacy, and serves as
a volunteer columnist
for L&L.
And remember, ISTE is here to support you. ◾
