Prepare to be Alaska’s Education Advocates

The start of the 34^th Legislature is rapidly approaching, but I have to say it feels like it began in November. The AASB advocacy team has been hard at it since September. With the general election now over and both bodies organized, it is time for you, as school boards and staff, to prepare to be Alaska’s public education advocates once again.

In preparing for my Commentary article this month, I reviewed what I had previously covered in the December issues. What follows is my message to board members last year, which continues to be appropriate for this year. This year, there is a narrow majority in the House that strongly supports public education. They have indicated that increasing the Base Student Allocation (BSA) is their top priority. They aim to address education funding promptly, as it is essential for advancing the rest of the legislative agenda.

How can we achieve our goals and overcome what may seem like insurmountable challenges? AASB is diligently working to advance your priorities and help prepare you to be effective advocates for your districts. Let me share with you what AASB has planned.

The AASB advocacy team has been working to create a strategy, build relationships, and connect with other public education advocates to develop and support a unified message supporting a BSA increase and additional education funding opportunities. AASB has been busy meeting with many legislators and staff this fall to prepare for the upcoming Legislature. You can find a host of helpful resources at AASB Advocacy Resources.

Designate your legislative advocates. AASB asks each board to designate one or two board members as their primary legislative advocates. Your board can develop stronger relationships with legislators, other school board member advocates, and local stakeholders through continual and focused involvement.  AASB will ask school board members to visit the Capitol throughout the legislative session.  We aim to have school board members in the Capitol and meet with legislators nearly every week of the session.

Attend events advancing advocacy. AASB is holding events, board academies, webinars, and meetings with legislators to help prepare you to advocate effectively. Your boards must be represented so that a comprehensive representation of the needs for public education is presented, as well as your examples.

Here are the upcoming important events:

• AASB Law & Policy – School boards and First Amendment rights – February 8^th, Juneau
• AASB Legislative Fly-in – February 9^th in Juneau will focus on advocacy training, reviewing the legislation, and understanding the context of what is happening in the Capitol.  February 10^th & 11^th are committed to meetings with legislators – start making those appointments NOW!
• Follow-up advocacy trips to Juneau. AASB will work to find an opportunity to bring a couple of board members to Juneau frequently.  By strategically engaging key legislators at critical times, we know this can be very effective. We will use this technique rather than hosting a second legislative fly-in.

Written and oral testimony.  AASB is here to support and facilitate your written or verbal testimony. Engaging and compelling your parents and community members to testify is crucially important.

Participate in AASB Connect and stay connected! This is an opportunity to communicate amongst ourselves about our collective advocacy efforts. I will briefly summarize what happened each Friday afternoon, along with suggestions for focus in the following week. It will not replace The Session, which will still provide in-depth and comprehensive coverage for which it is well known.

To wrap up, the following is a partial list of techniques and tasks commonly identified that can help us become more effective advocates.  Give some thought and begin preparing now.

1. Research and Data Analysis: Gather comprehensive data and conduct thorough research to support your cause. Compile statistics, case studies, and reports showcasing the correlation between increased education funding and improved student outcomes.  Highlight the specific needs of schools, including infrastructure deficiencies, teacher shortages, or outdated resources.
2. Coalition Building: Creation or involvement in local coalitions comprising educators, parents, students, community leaders, and other stakeholders who share the same goal. A unified voice carries more weight and can exert greater influence on legislators.
3. Relationship Building: Cultivate relationships with legislators and their staff members. Attend community meetings, educational forums, or other public events where lawmakers are present, or you have the opportunity to engage your stakeholders. Personal connections can help you present your case more effectively and increase the likelihood of support.
4. Messaging and Framing: Craft a compelling narrative emphasizing the broader societal benefits of investing in education.  Emphasize how increased funding can lead to improved student outcomes, a stronger economy, reduced crime rates, and enhanced community well-being. Tailor your message to resonate with the legislators’ and their constituents’ values and priorities.
5. Media Outreach: Leverage various media platforms to raise awareness and garner public support. Write op-eds, letters to the editor, or press releases highlighting the importance of adequate education funding and its effect on student outcomes. Collaborate with journalists to feature stories that illustrate the impact of insufficient funding on schools and students.
6. Legislative Testimony and Public Hearings: Participate in public hearings or legislative sessions to provide testimony on the significance of increased education funding. Prepare compelling arguments backed by data and personal anecdotes to sway lawmakers’ opinions.
7. Continuous Advocacy and Persistence: Recognize that advocating for legislative change is often a prolonged process. Stay persistent and maintain consistent pressure on legislators. Follow up regularly, provide updates, and adapt your strategies based on the evolving political landscape.
8. Recognition and Appreciation: Acknowledge and appreciate legislators who support increased education funding. Publicly recognize their efforts through letters of appreciation, social media acknowledgments, or community events to reinforce positive behavior.

Public education investment has lagged for more than a decade, leading to a continuous loss of future opportunities for our students and communities. Commissioner Bishop has often claimed that increasing education funding through the BSA comes with an “opportunity cost” for other state programs and priorities. However, the opportunity cost to Alaska’s children should be the state’s top priority.

Recently, the topic of “outmigration” has captured the headlines, and folks are pointing to all kinds of causes. We already know that a fundamental element of why people remain in a community is the quality of the education their students receive. The lack of deliberate and sufficient funding to support high-quality schools and activities is a major factor in retaining our citizenry. Great schools translate to great communities resulting in great opportunities.

We have significant challenges ahead this session, but we also have an important opportunity with a new majority in the House. The prosperity and future success of Alaska are at stake. The Association of Alaska School Boards (AASB) is ready to assist you, your students, parents, and stakeholders in clearly conveying this message.

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season! Thank you for your dedicated service to the students, families, and communities of Alaska.

Lon