Art Ellison is longtime advocate for adult education, having managed numerous advocacy campaigns over the past forty years on the state and national levels. Prior to his employment in 1980 as the NH State Director of Adult Education he worked for many years as a high school teacher and as a community organizer. In this article, Ellison offers some…

This article describes how positioning an organization to be seen as trusted and expert on an issue requires careful relationship-building, patience, and an abundance of time. Such an effort often requires help, and so American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) and Washington Partners are working together to further AIHEC's goals.…

This article presents two viewpoints on creating change through politics. Frawley argues that every teacher can be an agent for change at the local level by first changing the way they think about the profession and embracing the concept that they need to take part in the conversation. Change will happen when technology teachers take greater…

Superintendents can wield influence at the statehouse if they know how. Offers tips from state-level lobbyists on how to reach a legislator's ear. (MLF)

Based on a questionnaire survey of 38 elementary-secondary and postsecondary lobbyists and 22 legislators conducted by the authors in Minnesota in 1978-80, this article examines the effectiveness of two fundamental lobbying strategies--cooperative strategy and advocacy strategy--in educational lobbyists' efforts to influence legislators. (JBM)

A study of communication between superintendents and legislators in Illinois revealed that superintendents seldom speak to legislators. Survey forms were sent to the 39 legislators on education committees: 29 legislators completed the survey, and 21 of these were interviewed indepth. (MLF)

Some members of Congress retain a Norman Rockwell image of the two-parent household. To make headway with these leaders, educators must get them into schools and neighborhoods to let them see firsthand the crying needs of children and the schools providing safe harbor for a few hours. Administrators should also share their visions of education's…

Educational policy decisions are political and are affected by demographic, economic, and social factors that influence policy-makers. As the number of federal government programs grew from the 1960's to the 1980's, so did the number of special interest groups lobbying in Washington, District of Columbia, to promote legislation, regulations, and…

School board members can influence legislation by conveying accurate information, building coalitions and grassroots support, and understanding legislators and their political climate. Offers suggestions from experts on how to lobby more effectively. Lists seven resources, and contains a brief glossary of legislative terms and a brief primer of…

Practical lessons in lobbying at the state level include the following: practice friendly persuasion and good timing; accentuate the positive; and be consistently accurate and honest. Lists 19 do's and don'ts of lobbying. (MLF)

Believing they are threatened by the Education Department, which they consider unfriendly, officials of proprietary schools have made substantial campaign contributions over the past two years to shore up their support in Congress, just at the time lawmakers prepared to consider changes in student-aid rules that would be unfavorable to…

In hopes of shedding light on how public school leaders can better advocate on the state level for the needs of their schools and their students, The School Administrator turned to policymakers in different settings and with different political leanings. They invited a trio--a Republican state legislator from the Chicago suburbs, a rural…

More than a decade ago the manner in which the North Dakota educational community related to the state legislature changed suddenly and dramatically. The North Dakota School Boards Association (NDSBA) employed a new executive director. Administrators in the state created a new entity, the North Dakota Council of School Administrators (NDCSA), and…

Higher education lobbyists in Washington work as liaisons between their institutions and the federal government. The experiences of several lobbyists are described. Lobbying is seen as a game of knowing the people who can help and showing the legislators how a side of an issue benefits them. (MLW)

Trustees and other officials of state higher education institutions should understand their role in the legislative process, including respecting and understanding the political process; working closely with the institution's lobbyist, knowing your limits and advantages, monitoring public opinion, understanding campaign contributions,…