Your Levers of Civic Power: Advocacy Preconference
If you have been involved with AACTE for any length of time, you know how important it is to advocate on behalf of educator preparation. The Committee on Government Relations and Advocacy, one of AACTE’s standing committees, is offering a preconference at the AACTE 2020 Annual Meeting to help you improve your advocacy skills. Your Levers of Civic Power: Moving the Gears of Democracy is half-day interactive session designed to provide information and practice in three important areas of advocacy: participating in town halls, speaking before a committee or commission, and engaging candidates during a debate.
Town halls provide a forum to interact with your elected officials and candidates for office on a variety of topics that may or may not be announced in advance. Committees or commissions might also convene around your state or at the state capitol or legislative buildings. Debates, like town halls, can happen around the state, and give you an opportunity to engage with candidates on issues important to the profession.
It’s an election year, and it is critical that we engage in the electoral process at all levels—federal, state, and local. Town halls, debates, and committee or commission meetings are all ways to participate in your democracy on the state and local level and exercise your levers of civic power. Preconference participants will learn strategies for engaging in these forums and the “do’s and don’ts” of speaking to and asking questions of elected and appointed officials. Modifying your message based on previous speakers at town halls, committee, or commission meetings is an important part of this process—and techniques for this will be covered during the session. Throughout the afternoon, participants will see the strategies modeled and then have the opportunity to practice them in scenarios so that each person can put these skills to work back home.
Note: Registration is required; click on the Preconference tab for details.
Space is limited so register early!
Do you have questions on this preconference? Email gra@aacte.org .
Trish Parrish is the chair or the AACTE Committee on Government Relations and Advocacy.
Tags: advocacy, Annual Meeting, events
