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Convincing State Legislatures  


Excuse our Dust 

We are in transition to the new NESTA website.  We appreciate your patience as we go through this change


Preparation is Key

Advocacy/Legislative Committee—Advocates for quality ESS education by monitoring & engaging State legislators
Does your state ESTA and/or Science Association have one?  Suggest creating one

Legislator contacts—Create & maintain spreadsheet

Annual Legislative Platform—Create a one page platform distributed to each legislator at beginning of each session

Pertinent legislative siteseducation policy committee, education funding committee, etc—Subscribe for updates & meeting notes

Knowledgeable personnel in your organization—Prepare list those to testify on your organization’s behalf if called—can happen quickly & without much notice

Periodic updates to members—Send to your organization’s members to stay informed on the status of relevant legislation. This also aides soliciting membership in a letter or email campaign

Survey state membership to gauge feelings on:

      • standards
      • licensure
      • graduation requirements
      • pedagogy
      • professional development

Letter writing campaigns—Use survey data to garner support—share with legislators/staff, partner with State science associations on PD opportunities, etc

NSTA position statements—Starting point for your State organization position statements

Partnerships—Reach out form relationships with other State & National science associations / educator unions 

      • NESTA
      • NAGT
      • NSTA
      • AGI
      • NGWA

Letters to State legislators—Write advocating for change in statute, to request funding for PD, etc

- Be persistent and patient

Letter Writing Tips

- One page limit

- Preface letter with ‘ONE PAGER’ overview of your request—send two weeks before letter

- Create spreadsheet of legislators & use macros to address letters 

- Send letters via BOTH email & postal service

- Use educator union ‘advocacy days’ to meet with state legislators and/or staff—Prepare short statement—create relationships with staff —Follow up any meeting with BOTH Thank You email & card

- Find State industry partners—geoscience industries, associations, non-profits, recreational, agribusiness, education, etc) to partner on letter

 American Meteorological Society Logo

  NOAA logo

American Geosciences Institute logo




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