Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/477223
12 Spring 2015 | AEA Advocate AROUND AEA AROUND AEA AROUND AEA AEA Members Invite Legislators into their Schools AROUND AEA This past fall teachers across the state invited their elected offi cials to spend the day in their classrooms as part of the Take Your Legislator to School (TYLTS) program to provide an educator's perspective to legislators. The program was started by Bobbie O'Boyle, Executive Director of the Arizona Education Foundation (AEF), and has required a substantial amount of preparation, time, energy and resources. "The planning and implementation is complicated. I fi rst heard about similar programs at a National Teacher of the Year conference. I had the idea of bringing it to our state in 2013 and it took me that much time to think about how to make it work. Our organization just didn't have the depth nor breadth to do it alone," O'Boyle explained. After further exploration, she reached out to the Arizona K12 Center, the Arizona Education Association and the Rodel Foundation of Arizona to gain momentum. Together with the AEF, these four groups compose the Take Your Legislator to School committee. With the support of several education-related organizations, the TYLTS committee set out to identify 90 teacher leaders in 30 legislative districts across the state, with the goal of bringing nearby legislators into the classroom. Each participating educator was asked to complete a four-hour training and two online interactive collaboration sessions. "In this fi rst year, we have recruited teachers to participate who have been recognized in a variety of ways, including AEF Teachers of the Year, National Board Certifi ed Teachers, Master Teachers, AEA teacher leaders, and others identifi ed through Rodel's Exemplary Teacher Initiative," said Taryl Hansen, Ed.D., Arizona K12 Center Director of Teacher Leadership. "Together, we hope to build this into a program that gains momentum and has legislators clamoring to participate," she added. Logistics aside, the program objective is even more complex than sending 90 legislators to visit 90 campuses. According to TYLTS committee members, the hope is that the educator and political offi cial will form a two- way, sustainable relationship. "The goal is two-pronged. The fi rst is to give all 90 Arizona legislators an authentic experience in the shoes of a classroom teacher. The second is to have the teacher and legislator establish a relationship so that there's an understanding between the two of them," O'Boyle claimed. "It's important for teachers to be current on bills that are being considered and discussed. It's also critical for legislators to focus on the impact of schools, students, teachers, and so forth. I believe the teachers can prove to be a resource." AEA Lobbyist Jennifer Loredo said she sees a gap between legislators and classroom teachers. During the training sessions for TYLTS week, she said she stressed to attendees that legislators and teachers are not going to become best friends overnight. "I see the void at the capitol with legislators who have no clue what is happening in Arizona's classrooms. I can talk facts and fi gures all day long with them, but there is nothing like seeing a room of 42 freshmen in an algebra class without enough desks and textbooks, Senator Lynne Pancrazi, an AEA member and past teacher, visited Jessica Santiago's class at Eliseo C. Felix School in Goodyear.