Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1205100
5 | WEAnews CONTINUED ADVOCACY IS ESSENTIAL TO STUDENT SUCCESS WEA Executive Director, rsniffin@wyoea.org Thanks to our state's investment in education, Wyoming students are consistently outperforming peers in neighboring states and across the nation, as evidenced by both the 2019 Quality Counts Report and the 2019 NAEP Scores. WEA has advertised Wyoming student achievement across print, radio, television, and social media ads, recognizing Wyoming students as the Best in the West. The exemplary achievement of Wyoming students proves that dedicated educators, committed constituents, and consistent advocacy for education in Wyoming are paying off. Ultimately, their exceptional performance is indicative of the effectiveness of Wyoming's education funding model and the importance of continuing to provide ample and equal opportunity for Wyoming students. We cannot rest on our laurels, and we cannot penalize our students' excellence by becoming complacent about school funding. We face a significant battle to keep and improve funding in the next session. We must continue to prioritize education funding and work together to convey to legislators that Wyoming citizens value excellent student achievement and fully support our schoolchildren. With the 2020 Budget Session kicking off February 10, the WEA Lobby Team will be hard at work advocating for students and educators to continue to receive adequate resources necessary for quality education. WEA members are critical to our continued success at the legislature. I encourage you to get to know your representative and senator. There are no better lobbyists than members like you, especially if you already have existing relationships with your legislators. You are the experts on education issues, and we can help our elected officials understand what's best and necessary for education in Wyoming. To help you learn how to effectively lobby your legislators, I encourage all WEA members to attend the Equality State Policy Center's SHAPE Wyoming citizen lobby training. It takes place February 23- 24 in Cheyenne. SHAPE empowers regular people to engage with the Wyoming Legislature on the issues that matter to them and their communities by helping attendees to navigate the political process, and influence key policymakers. WEA members enjoy free admission to SHAPE, and guests traveling extended distances to attend may be eligible for a complimentary hotel room (based on double occupancy) and a mileage reimbursement. Learn more at bit.ly/shapewy2020. WEA provides many avenues by which members can stay informed and engaged in legislative happenings during the session. You will find a daily legislative update email in your inbox throughout the session. Members can also keep up with real- time updates from the WEA Lobby Team on WEA's new Legislative Affairs Blog and follow legislation impacting education through the WEA Bill Tracker at wealegislativeinfo.com. In prioritizing education, Wyoming ensures that our students enjoy equitability and opportunity as they prepare for their futures. Lend your voice to ensuring that legislators continue to honor our priorities as a state and maintain the best possible educational environment in Wyoming for today's students and for generations to come. Learn more about student achievement in Wyoming at wyomingstudents.org Register for SHAPE at bit.ly/shapewy2020