"For all the investment of time and resources...we will not achieve the outcomes we expect and need without comprehensive professional learning for educators.... ~ Stephanie Hirsch, Ed Week 2/01/12
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If you don't, now is the time to find out! No doubt, you've been inundated with emails lately telling you about house bills, ways and means committees, and other "legislative speak." And if you're like us, you scan them quickly, tell yourself that you really should email your legislator one of these days, and then get back to administering the WASL, calling parents, grading papers-"the important stuff."
We definitely understand how overwhelming it is to be a teacher, particularly at this time in our economic climate. School districts are cutting teaching positions and programs. And, as a teacher, it's sometimes all we can do to stay positive and just focus on working with our kids. An email asking you to contact your legislator is the last thing you want to see.
But, the truth is this...if you want to see a CHANGE from the current direction of education legislation...if you want to see less cutting and more HELP for the children of Washington...the MOST POWERFUL thing you can do RIGHT NOW is CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATOR! I understand the feeling of wanting to just close the door and work with your students. But, unfortunately, that only helps the kids that are in the classroom right now. Your students for the 2009-2010 school year are just as important. An email NOW can help THEM...and every student that comes after them. There are ONLY DAYS left in this legislative session and crazy things can happen in those last few days. Let's inundate Olympia with the teacher voice!
If you need help getting started, go to our CSTP web site link at: http://cstp-wa.org/get-involved/nbct-network where you will find additional information on how to contact your policy makers: from "step 1" (finding out who your legislator is and their contact info) to "steps 2 and 3," writing letters, inviting them for coffee, inviting them to your classrooms and much more. Follow the links for more valuable information. If you need help knowing what's going on in Olympia, take a look at the emails Jeanne Harmon and Terese Emry are sending out from CSTP. If you are not getting those emails and want to, please let us know.
Please don't let this email be one that you read, feel guilty about and then get back to the important work of helping kids. Help kids NOW. Let your legislator know what's important in education!
Thank you!
Debra Howell NBCT and Andrea Peterson NBCT
WNN Liaison Coordinators
Send all correspondence to: network@cstp-wa.org