What is Advocacy?

PTA is the oldest and largest volunteer child advocacy association in the United States. Founded in 1897, PTA has a long, successful history of influencing federal policy to promote the education, health and well-being of all children—resulting in kindergarten classes, child labor laws, school lunch programs, a juvenile justice system, and strengthened parent-teacher relationships. National PTA continues that legacy today by fighting for change under its federal public policy priorities:
             • Family Engagement in Education
             • Quality Education for All Children
             • Adequate Funding for Education
             • Child Health and Nutrition
             • Safe Schools and Communities
             • Fair Juvenile Justice Laws

Michigan laws have a major impact on education and child welfare. Michigan PTA and local PTAs can play a pivotal role in promoting PTA priorities by involving their members in advocacy to help secure adequate state and local laws for our students.

There are many ways to be an advocate! Some ways families can be involved are to:

• Meet with school leaders to discuss a topic of importance to the district.
• Attend a school board meeting and/or serve on the school board.
• Work with the school and state leaders to implement strong family engagement policies.
• Sign up for the National PTA Takes Action Network to get updates on important federal policies and send messages to your members of Congress. Sign up for Michigan PTA's Advocacy Facebook page as well.
• Write a letter to the editor to stress the importance of family engagement and other PTA policy priorities.
• Educate your members of Congress and their staff on PTA’s federal public policy priorities.
• Join the State Michigan PTA Advocacy Committee. 

Taking part in changing public policy includes the following steps. However, the capacity of the group and breadth of change desired will determine the level of involvement in advocacy activities.  

Step 1—Gather Information

• Monitor legislation in Michigan by visiting www. michiganlegislature.org and federal legislation at http://thomas.loc.gov 
• Identify the supporters and opponents of the issue (policymakers and special interest groups) 
• Investigate the history of the issue by talking with the sponsor of the bill, if relevant, and/or by asking similarly positioned groups for any background material they may have – the MNA/CMF publication Michigan in Brief policy reference handbook and corresponding website may be helpful in this stage (www.michiganinbrief.org) 
• Develop a background piece on the issue indicating the pros and cons 

Step 2—Collaborate with Others

• Share the information gathered with board, volunteers and others 
• Hold informal or formal gatherings of other groups with similar outlooks on the policy issue – this could be as informal as a few people gathering for lunch or as formal as a coalition meeting 
• Identify how the organization can work with others to make policy change – one group does not have to carry the load alone and by sharing the responsibilities the desired goal can often get further  

Step 3—Build Relationships with Policymakers

• Send newsletters and annual reports to the media and local, state and federal policymakers 
• Invite policymakers, their staff and the media to events and/or invite them for an informal visit to see the organization’s work 
• Periodically visit policymakers in their district offices or in Lansing/Washington 
• Recognize elected officials at every opportunity (at events, in newsletters, etc.)  

Step 4—Convey a Message

The following are two vehicles that may be used to convey a message to policymakers, the public and the media. Remember that messages and how they are conveyed vary depending on the audience. However, no matter who the audience is, a good message should contain basic components: First, give numbers – how is government/public money currently being spent effectively and efficiently? Second, use numbers – what unmet need is this fulfilling in the community? 

1. To educate the public and the media, the message must be presented in a clear, non-technical manner. Refrain from using jargon and focus on addressing the impact the issue has in your community. In addition, they should show proximity to the policymaker or citizen’s self interest. Possible activities include: 

• Developing an on-going source for information – this can be a webpage, newsletter, an email alert system, fax or calling list 
• Holding community forums to educate the public on the topic.
• Activating letter writing or calling campaigns – prepare a template letter and/or talking points and share them with champions (board members, funders, friends, volunteers, clients, staff, etc.) 
• Hosting community breakfasts inviting the public, media and elected officials (depending on your target, it is best to invite state and federal officials to meetings on Mondays and Fridays) 
• Holding a rally and/or press conference 
• Creating letter-to-the-editor campaigns, writing an opinion editorial and organizing meetings with editorial boards – for these vehicles, remember to highlight the basic news tenets: who, what, when, where and why 

2. To engage in direct interactions with policymakers on specific issues, your messages must be clear and to the point. Messages conveyed to policymakers should highlight the people affected and the monetary issues involved, but also clearly state your position on the issue/bill. Keep your interactions brief and to the point. 

• Write. It is okay to mail or email letters to local and state officials, but it is expedient to fax letters to federal officials. 
• Call. If a policymaker cannot be reached by phone, feel free to talk with staff. Remember, staff field the inquiries and write the bills. They can be an important nonprofit ally. 
• Visit. Make an effort to visit policymakers in their offices. 
• Testify at meetings. Local level municipalities hold hearings on ordinances and community problems. At the state and federal level, individuals can testify at committee meetings. The committee meeting schedule for the state is posted at www.michiganlegislature.org and the federal committee meeting schedule is posted at http://thomas.loc.gov. Testimony should be brief and to the point. It is also helpful to have copies of comments available for committee members and others.