Opportunities for Advocacy

Upcoming Events

Roundtable Discussion on NCLB Reauthorization, 8 February 2007
Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

Contact Members of Congress

An end to one-party rule in Washington is expected to open up Capitol Hill to diverse views for the first time in six years. One likely result: The new 110th Congress will hold a thorough-going debate about how to reform the No Child Left Behind Act.

With advances in communication technology, getting in touch with elected representatives has never been easier. Getting their attention is another matter. Congress receives hundreds of thousands of letters, emails, faxes, and phone calls daily. So targeting the appropriate members of Congress and their staffs – and choosing the best way to reach them – has never been more important.

To make your views known on an issue, it helps to contact members of the committee that has jurisdiction. The key committees on No Child Left Behind, for example, are the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, especially the Education and Early Childhood Development Subcommittee, and the House Education and Labor Committee, especially the Early Chldhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee.

Information on legislative issues, bills, debates, and hearings is available at THOMAS, a Library of Congress web site, and through committee sites.

Direct visits remain the most effective way to influence Congress, either in Washington, DC, or in state or district offices. Personal letters and phone calls through the Capitol switchboard (202-224-3121) are the next best alternatives. Email messages can be useful if well targeted, although mass emailings generated by advocacy groups are rarely effective. Faxes seem to have the lowest status of all and are usually not recommended.

Messages should be concise and constructive, if possible including specific suggestions for legislative changes or other actions.

To find out who your representatives are and to send them email, click on the links below.

Organize

For plenty of creative ideas, see FairTest's Seven Ways to Overhaul the Federal Education Law.

State Issues

Arizona – Several anti-immigrant initiatives appear on the 7 November ballot:

  • Proposition 100 would amend the state constitution to deny bail to undocumented immigrants who commit even minor offenses, such as overstaying a tourist visa.. PASSED, 78% - 22%
  • Proposition 102 would amend the state constitution to deny punitive damages in civil lawsuits to undocumented immigrants. PASSED, 74% - 26%
  • Proposition 103 would amend the state constitution to designate English as Arizona's official language and restrict the use of other languages by state and local government. PASSED, 74% - 26%. Direct legal impact should be minimal, Arizona Republic says.
  • Proposition 300 would amend state laws to exclude undocumented immigrants from adult English classes, state universities and community colleges, child care assistance, and other publicly funded programs.
    PASSED, 72% - 28%

Coalitions

Forum on Educational Accountability – An alliance of more than 100 education and civil rights groups working to overhaul No Child Left Behind. The Institute has endorsed FEA's Joint Organizational Statement on NCLB.