Tennessee Education Advocacy Hub
Statewide education policies affect millions of students, families, and communities and have a critical and far-reaching impact on educational equity and justice. That’s why legislative advocacy is a core function of our work in the Tennessee Alliance for Equity in Education.
The following tools are designed to help stakeholders effectively advocate for education justice in the state of Tennessee using multi-faceted advocacy strategies. We are excited to continue bridging policy and community to inform policy decisions that expand educational equity and opportunity.
Gearing Up for the 2024 Legislative Session
How can advocates engage in the 2024 legislative session? This resource is your access point to webinar recordings and resources about effective legislator engagement, engaging youth in legislative advocacy, understanding Tennessee’s education budget, and telling your story: media and communication strategies.
How a Bill Becomes a Law in Tennessee
Knowledge is power and to be an effective advocate, we must first understand the political ecosystem, where the power lies and the policy levers at play. This resource provides an overview of the legislative process in Tennessee and highlights the important role of advocacy each step along the way.
Guide to Public Offices in Tennessee
Ever wonder how decisions related to K-12 and postsecondary education are made? From the Governor’s office to local school boards, public offices play a major role in shaping education in Tennessee. This resource will help deepen advocates’ understanding of the Tennessee public offices that impact our state’s education budget, operations, and decision-making.
Guide to Building Your Advocacy Strategy
Sometimes the hardest part of advocacy is knowing where to start. This resource, adapted from the Center for Evaluation Innovation’s Advocacy Strategy Framework, provides a simple way to identify effective advocacy tactics for your organization’s desired outcomes.
Education Committee Legislative Directory
Now that you’ve learned about advocacy tactics and how the Tennessee general assembly members impact education, you are ready to reach out to your legislators! This resource is a one-stop-shop for the contact information of each member of education committees.
Power Mapping
You’ve learned from other resources about the legislative process, Tennessee public offices, and advocacy tactics. But how do you decide who has power to move your advocacy campaign forward? Who might oppose your plan or fall in a neutral stance who could be brought over to your side? This resource will help grow your capacity to answer those questions to effectively influence a specific issue.
The WHY of Our 2023 TAEE Policy Agenda
At the Tennessee Alliance for Equity in Education, we provide advocates with data-driven resources to support their advocacy efforts. Our policy agenda is developed annually, reflecting the most pressing education issues across the state. This resource equips advocates with data and insights to articulate why these issues are our top priorities and why education advocacy matters. From the Governor’s office to local school boards, understanding the data behind decision-making processes is crucial to advocate effectively for positive change in Tennessee’s education system.
Questions?
Have questions about any of our resources? Please contact us.