State-level legislative advocacy plays a crucial role in shaping the educational landscape. While federal policies often set broad educational priorities, state legislatures hold significant power over the funding, governance, and standards that directly impact local schools and districts. AESA supports state-level advocacy by offering training through publications, workshops, and presentations, which can be customized for individual states. For questions about any of the state-level advocacy resources listed below, please contact Joan Wade, AESA Executive Director, at jwade@aesa.us.
Monthly Advocacy Tips!
The State Examiner is a monthly report curated by AESA. It features legislative monitoring, news articles, and relevant updates from all 50 states. This report keeps members informed about the latest state-level education policies, funding issues, trends, and news affecting educational service agencies, their client schools, and districts.
Workshop Levels Available to Members
AESA offers three levels of workshops designed to enhance your understanding and effectiveness in state-level advocacy: the Three-Day Workshop, the One-Day Workshop, and Customized Presentations.
Three-Day Workshop
Objective: This in-depth, three-day workshop covers the essential aspects of state advocacy and lobbying, providing participants with the knowledge and skills needed to engage effectively in the state legislative and policy-making process.
Day 1: Understanding the State Legislative Landscape
Day 2: Navigating State Policy and Rule-Making
Day 3: Advocacy in Action
One Day Workshop
Objective: This condensed one-day workshop covers the essential aspects of state advocacy and lobbying, providing participants with a comprehensive overview of the state legislative process, budgeting, rule-making, and effective advocacy strategies.
All workshop sessions include specific learning objectives to ensure participants gain valuable insights in the available timeframe.
Customized Workshops and Presentations
You can rely on AESA to provide highly qualified, experienced speakers for presentations at your local or regional events. This approximately one-hour legislative update presentation will cover state politics, finance, and education policy with an added emphasis on effective advocacy embedded throughout. It can be customized as appropriate to a state’s unique issues. Please contact Joan Wade, AESA Executive Director, for more information.