Horace on the Hill: Educating Our Lawmakers

Join the Coalition of Essential Schools and the Forum for Education and Democracy for Horace on the Hill to meet with legislators to tell your story in order to influence policies that support equitable, personalized and academically vibrant schools for your students and for young people everywhere. Click here to register for this event, and read on for a special bonus for early registrants.

Horace on the Hill will educate you about current proposed education legislative initaitives and equip you with adovcacy skills to talk with your Senators and Representatives to ask for the support for specific measures that will improve policy conditions. With so much focus on education in Washington—particularly with the process of ESEA reauthorization underway—now is the time to demand educational policies that create and sustain conditions essential to creating vibrant, productive learning communities that serve all students effectively. We need federal, state, and local support for assessment measures that provide rich information and opportunities for meaningful teaching and learning. We need school-based autonomies and decision-making authority about the best ways to structure pedagogy, curriculum, and evaluation. And we need to tell our Congressional representatives exactly why we need educational policy that creates an environment for teacher professionalism and academic achievement for all students in all communities.

Agenda

On Day One (April 19), you will participate in an engaging training session designed to increase your understanding of national education policy and its impact on local conditions. This training session, led by Dr. Maya Rockeymoore, President and CEO of Global Policy Solutions, includes legislative briefings from House and Senate education committees, and strategies to educate policymakers about the needs of the students and families we serve. You will have the opportunity to develop and polish your story and message. On Day Two (April 20), you will visit the legislative offices of your respective representatives and senators. We will provide guidance and support to help you arrange these visits prior to the start of Horace on the Hill. The day will close with a debrief and identification of next steps for continued advocacy. Click here for specific daily agendas.

Logistics

Cost: $100.00 per participant. Fees include registration, materials, transportation to Capitol Hill, lunch on day one, and breakfast on day two. Participants are responsible for travel and hotel accommodations. Click here for more information about Horace on the Hill locations and nearby hotels.

We realize that due to district-wide testing in DC public schools, some may not be able to visit Congressional offices on Tuesday, April 20. If this applies to you and you wish to attend Horace on the Hill training, you may register for Monday, April 19 only for $50.00 per participant.

There will be a $15 administrative fee for cancellations up to March 31, 2010. After that date no refund will be given. You may, however, transfer your registration to another individual.

Registration

Bonus for early registrants! The first 35 Horace on the Hill registrants will receive a complementary copy of Dr. Maya Rockeymoore’s The Political Action Handbook: A How-To Guide for the Hip Hop Generation. 

Register here! For general questions you may contact Jill Davidson at (401) 345-2464.