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Pennsylvania Education Advocacy Network
A Project of The Education Policy and Leadership Center(EPLC) A partner of the Pennsylvania PTA
The Pennsylvania Education Advocacy Network is a non-partisan statewide network of legislative district-based teams of volunteers (registered voters) who represent a broad range of education perspectives including early education; K-12; career education; special education; post-secondary education; libraries; literacy; arts; and museums. Teams include parents and students, professionals, lay leaders and other advocates. Team members are not expected to represent their employer or any organization with which they may be affiliated.
An Education Advocacy Team in a state legislative district will:- Develop and maintain a continuing effective relationship with a legislator and staff in order to be a reliable and valued resource, effectively becoming a "go-to" information and informed opinion resource for state lawmakers.
- Become an information resource for media, other community partners, and organizations with which Team members may be affiliated.
- Promote greater public awareness about significant state and federal education policy issues.
- Be part of and engage with other teams in the statewide Pennsylvania Education Advocacy Network.
- As a collateral benefit, develop relationships that promote a more collaborative approach to a variety of issues and endeavors relevant to the broad set of education perspectives reflected on the Team.
A volunteer on an Education Advocacy Team agrees to:- Participate in periodic meetings of the Team with their legislator and/or staff.
- Participate in local planning meetings and/or conference calls necessary to ensure effective Team meetings and communications with policymakers.
- Contribute to other local Team activities intended to promote greater public awareness about significant state and federal education policy issues.
- Make a reasonable effort to keep themselves informed about education policy issues generally and particularly those issues relevant to the perspective(s) they reflect as a Team member.
EPLC will:- Provide support necessary to ensure the effectiveness of the Pennsylvania Education Advocacy Network and its legislative district advocacy teams.
- Recruit and assign a Team Leader in each legislative district.
- Coordinate the recruitment of Team Members across the state and maintain a statewide database of volunteers.
- Maintain a website to support the Statewide Network, the work of district teams, and volunteers.
- Provide policy and advocacy information to support the work of the district teams and their volunteer members.
- Provide statewide and regional informational and professional development opportunities for team leaders and members to be engaged with volunteers from other legislative districts.
