Advocacy

There are many ways for your PTA and campus community to learn more and to speak up for issues that you care about:

LEARN

Get informed on the Texas PTA Legislative Priorities (in English and Spanish). ACPTA members have identified five legislative priorities that matter most to campus communities in Austin:

  1. Public School Funding System Reform
  2. Student Mental Health
  3. Literacy by 3rd Grade and Pre-K Funding
  4. Juvenile Justice
  5. Special Education Funding

 

  • Join Make It Matter Mondays Live!
    • Meet up with Austin-area PTA members advocating for public schools during “Make it Matter Monday LIVE” to be held on the first Monday of every month February through May. First one is April 1 2019 from 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm at Austin Public Library’s Carver Branch (1161 Angelina St, Austin, TX 78702).
    • The Theme for April is “Tell Your Story: How to Craft Persuasive Advocacy Messages“. Join this hands-on lab where you will by guided through the key building blocks to craft your personal message/story to use in advocacy efforts whether you are writing emails, making phone calls or testifying at hearings. Bring your writing instrument of choice — notepaper and pen, tablets, laptops — and we will dig in.Agenda:
      • 12:00-12:20: Kick off by Jamie Amelio, non-profit Founder/CEO and publisher of “Staying Bothered” – secrets to staying motivated to make a difference. 
      • 12:20-1:20: Hands-on writing lab led by Sara Stevenson, former English teacher and librarian who has had many op-eds and letters to the editor published by local and national media outlets. See her samples in Texas Tribune.
      • 1:20-1:30: Next steps on how/where you will apply your messaging.

      You can bring a packed lunch on your own if you like. The venue is kid-friendly if you want to bring your little ones. Questions? Email: advocacy@austincouncilpta.org

      We are exploring options to hold this virtually in times outside of lunch hour. 

      Go to the Facebook or Eventbrite links to get more information and sign up.

      Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/2011106859194666/

      Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/acpta-make-it-matter-monday-meet-up-april-tickets-58795448770?utm-medium=discovery&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&aff=escb&utm-source=cp&utm-term=listing

ACT

  • Encourage your campus to send students to the Capitol for a field trip. Field trips must follow a set of guidelines and must include a lesson plan. Here’s a great lesson plan for Capitol field trips that was written by AISD Teacher Amy Price, that’s suitable for students in middle and high schools.
  • Invite a free speaker from a local group to your campus to share information about any of these important issues. See the 2019 Legislative Resource Guides, available in English and Spanish. These groups would love to come to your campus during the session or any other time to talk about fun ways to promote literacy, supporting student mental health, support for families whose students need special education, juvenile justice issues and school funding.
  • Legislators – District Map and Contact List. Contact information for Texas state legislators that are in Austin ISD and surrounding area. Use these for post-card writing campaigns or sending emails.
  • Sign up for Make It Matter Mondays emails. These are weekly messages on key legislative priorities public education, with a focus on Austin ISD schools.  A simple way for everyone to activate. Send a message to Sonya Kaleel at advocacy@austincouncilpta.org to sign up for Advocacy Google Group.

 

 

Archive: Rally Day 2019