Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1205100
26 | WEAnews To engage membership in the political process and provide information about the current legislative landscape in advance of the 2020 Budget Session, the Albany County Education Association (ACEA) hosted a local Legislative Forum in January. Speaking at the forum were both Senator Chris Rothfuss (D) and Representative Dan Furphy (R). Rothfuss and Furphy addressed constituents, answering questions and providing information about everything from existing caps on transportation and special education funding, to this year's recalibration study, and the importance of educators providing public testimony throughout the upcoming session. "More educators need to become involved in the legislative process, and generally people don't know how to do that," said ACEA member Paige Gustafson, "so, when you have opportunities like these—where people aren't put on the spot—and they can just listen and understand how Attendees listening attentively at the Legislative Forum im Laramie. Representitive Dan Furphy addressed the crowd at the Forum. ACEA Legislative Forum: How One Local is Getting Members Involved in Education Legislation the legislative process works and how to talk to local legislators, the better off we are as a state and as a community of educators." Senator Rothfuss shared with WEA News the importance of constituents communicating directly with legislators. "If we, as a state, want to maintain this excellence of education that we have right now," said Rothfuss, "then that needs to be communicated to our legislators, and members of the WEA certainly can play a role in that." Senator Chris Rothfuss addressed the crowd at the Forum. Education Support Professionals (ESP) from across the state gathered in Lander, in November, to participate in the WEA training Building an ESP Leadership Pipeline. Attendees were provided a stipend for participating and are now eligible to assist the Association with ESP organizing efforts across the state. Over the past 18 months, WEA has put particular emphasis on developing programs and resources to best serve our ESP members. "We were wonderfully surprised by the enthusiasm, interest, and expertise demonstrated by the participants," said Northwest Region UniServ Director, Elise Robillard. "I've done many trainings with many members over the years, and this was by far the most engaged, enthusiastic, and purposeful group of trainees that I've ever worked with." ESP training in Lander. Building an ESP Leadership Pipeline trainings will be made available regionally, as resources and capacity allow. If you're interested in bringing this training to your region, contact your UniServ Director. WEA at Work: Building the ESP Pipeline