PDK International | Advocacy for Education

KEEP US POSTED
We are interested in what you are doing to be involved in the NCLB reauthorization debate. Have you or your chapter read and discussed an article on NCLB, written a letter or Op Ed piece for your local paper, met with your legislators, or conducted a public forum? E-mail us at nclbinitiative@pdkintl.org and tell us all about it.

Advocacy Call to Action
NCLB: Making It Work
by Making It Better

In light of the century-long commitment by Phi Delta Kappa International to advocate for high-quality, universally available education, we will engage our members, chapters, and other concerned educators in an effort to inform the national debate surrounding the pending reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act.

What Phi Delta Kappa International Will Do

Report on the panel discussion on NCLB moderated by John Merrow and follow-up discussions from the 2006 Summit on Public Education in Washington, D.C.
Highlight, in particular, the NCLB-related findings from the annual PDK/Gallup Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools.
Focus on NCLB articles that are published in the Phi Delta Kappan, Edge, and the PDK Connection.
Draw attention to issues and themes in NCLB that are similar to education issues that policy makers, educators, and others are addressing in other nations, such as Canada, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, and elsewhere.
Link Kappans to the Center on Education Policy as an authoritative source of research and expert opinion on NCLB and other policy issues.
Provide print and electronic resources for members, chapters, and other concerned citizens, including: an advocacy handbook; a guide to conducting community forums; an advocacy page on the PDK website with links to advertorials, background papers, and other resources; and an electronic discussion forum available through the PDK website.
Issue this as a Call to Action for PDK members and chapters.

What PDK Members and Chapters Can Do

Become better informed about NCLB issues through reading and discussion.
Share information with colleagues and others, connecting through various means at local, regional, state, and national levels.
Conduct one or more local community forums or candidates' forum focused on the effects of NCLB on schools and how NCLB can be improved through the reauthorization process.
Gather firsthand information about NCLB effects by doing field research, such as visiting schools and contacting educators and parents affected by the law.
Write letters to the editors of local newspapers, contribute OpEd articles, contact legislators, and speak at events to let educators’ voices be heard on NCLB issues.
Design, implement, evaluate, and communicate innovative strategies for fulfilling NCLB requirements.