This document provides guidance on grassroots advocacy for issues affecting English language educators. It outlines key steps including educating others about issues, organizing around goals, and activating networks to advocate. Specific advocacy tactics are recommended such as meeting with decision makers, writing personalized letters, following up, and building long-term relationships. The document also reviews legislative processes and using various communication channels such as media, email lists, and websites to strengthen advocacy efforts.

1. Dynamic Grassroots Advocacy John Segota Director of Advocacy and Professional Relations Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. Alexandria, VA 1

2. Strengthen Your Voice Educate Organize Advocate 2

3. Guiding Questions What? Issues Goals Rules Who? Decision Makers Allies Colleagues How? Communication Testimony Meetings When? Timelines Deadlines 3

4. Issues What are the issues at your place of work? What are the issues in your community? What is happening at the state level that might affect your program? What is happening federally that may affect your program? 4

5. Educate What are the issues? What are the specific details of the issues? Who will you be dealing with? Decision makers? An agency How do you interact with them? Who do you need to educate on the issues? How will you educate them? 5

6. Educate – How? Articles in Newsletters Presentations Mailings Action Alerts Position Statements E-mail lists Letters to the editor Community newspapers PTA Meetings School board meetings 6

7. Organize Identify the issues Analyze it – break it down! What are the specific causes? Identify possible goals What do you want to accomplish? What is the process to reach the goal? Develop a plan of action 7

8. Organize Your Network Who? Affiliate? Committee? Organization? Colleagues? Coalition? How? Membership lists, interest groups, e-mail lists Districts, key contacts Allies Other organizations “Champions” 8

9. Activate Messages to key decision makers Phone calls Faxes Meetings Testimony Speeches Mailings Press Releases Position Statements Press Conferences Media outreach 9

10. Using the Media Letters to the editor Press releases Events Statements / positions Get to know key reporters Tie your story ideas to broader issues Know the right way to reach the media 10

11. Decision Makers/Leaders Who makes the decisions that affect your classroom? Who makes the decisions that affect your school/district? Who makes the decisions that affect your institution? 11

12. Legislative Process Introduction Referral to Committee Hearings and Markup Committee Action Floor Consideration Referral to other chamber Conference Committee President’s signature 12

13. Communicating with Congress Most effective Meetings Personal messages* Faxes E-mail / web forms Phone calls District office Washington office Less effective Mass mailings Form letters Postal mail Postcards Petitions 13

14. Letter-writing to Congress Identify yourself as a constituent. Address the legislator appropriately. Be polite. Identify the issue – one per letter. Provide background and facts. Personalize the issue! Be specific about what you want your legislator to do. Offer to discuss the issue further. Request a response. 14

15. Follow-up your letter Double-decker approach: make a phone call, especially if you have not received a reply. If your legislator makes an action that reflects your position, thank them. Offer to provide additional information. Send copies of correspondence to TESOL. 15

16. Tips for a campaign Strike early and often Identify allies. Establish and nurture relationships with them. Identify them to their colleagues. Go for quantity and quality (i.e. personal messages.) Have follow-up communication. 16

17. Meeting with Congress Be prepared – do your homework. Establish a common denominator Be concise, specific, clear, and reasonable. Humanize the issue Provide written materials. “Close the sale.” Follow up promptly. Let TESOL know! 17

18. Building Relationships Get to know the staff in their offices. Find common denominators. Arrange a reception or luncheon to honor the official. Invite the official to speak at meetings or conferences. Recognize the official’s efforts in newsletter or in letter to the editor. Volunteer in the official’s re-election campaign. 18

19. Using the Internet TESOL’s U.S. Advocacy Action Center http://capwiz.com/tesol http://www.senate.gov http://www.house.gov http://thomas.loc.gov 19

20. 20