The following post was written by Lu Ann McNabb for the new Friday Advocacy feature of this blog.
According to Chairman Lamar Alexander and Ranking Member Patty Murray, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) will consider and mark up the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) the week of April 13.
Chairman John Kline of the House Education and the Workforce Committee is working to bring H.R. 5, the Student Success Act, back to the floor, urging education advocates to remind their representatives that no action on ESEA means that the current law is unchanged.
For the next week, Congress will be on recess working in their home districts. One good way to urge them to take action on ESEA during this period is to send them a tweet. Below are the Twitter handles of the members of both education committees.
Senate HELP Committee
Republicans by Rank
Lamar Alexander (TN) (Chairman) @SenAlexander
Michael B. Enzi (WY) @SenatorEnzi
Richard Burr (NC) @SenatorBurr
Johnny Isakson (GA) @SenatorIsakson
Rand Paul (KY) @SenRandPaul
Susan Collins (ME) @SenatorCollins
Lisa Murkowski (AK) @lisamurkowski
Todd Young (IN) @SenToddYoung
Tim Scott (SC) @SenatorTimScott
Orrin G. Hatch (UT) @SenOrrinHatch
Pat Roberts (KS) @SenPatRoberts
Bill Cassidy, M.D. (LA) @BillCassidy
Democrats by Rank
Patty Murray (WA) @PattyMurray
Barbara A. Mikulski (MD) @SenatorBarb
Bernard Sanders (I) (VT) @SenSanders
Robert P. Casey, Jr. (PA) @SenBobCasey
Al Franken (MN) @alfranken
Michael F. Bennet (CO) @SenBennetCO
Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) @SenWhitehouse
Tammy Baldwin (WI) @SenatorBaldwin
Christopher S. Murphy (CT) @ChrisMurphyCT
Elizabeth Warren (MA) @SenWarren
House Education & the Workforce Committee
Republicans
John Kline,MN (Chairman) @repjohnkline
Joe Wilson, SC @USRepJoeWilson
Virginia Foxx, NC @virginiafoxx
Duncan Hunter, CA @Rep_Hunter
David P. Roe, TN @DrPhilRoe
Glenn Thompson, PA @CongressmanGT
Tim Walberg, MI @RepWalberg
Matt Salmon, AZ @RepMattSalmon
Brett Guthrie, KY @RepGuthrie
Todd Rokita, IN @ToddRokita
Lou Barletta, PA @RepLouBarletta
Joseph J. Heck, NV @RepJoeHeck
Luke Messer, IN @RepLukeMesser
Bradley Byrne, AL @RepByrne
Dave Brat, VA @RepDaveBrat
Buddy Carter, GA @RepBuddyCarter
Mike D. Bishop, MI @RepMikeBishop
Glenn Grothman, WI @RepGrothman
Steve Russell, OK @RepRussell
Carlos Curbelo, FL @RepCurbelo
Elise Stefanik, NY @RepStefanik
Rick Allen, GA @RepRickAllen
Democrats
Robert “Bobby” Scott, VA(Senior Democratic Member) @repbobbyscott
Rubén Hinojosa, TX @USRepRHinojosa
Susan A. Davis, CA @RepSusanDavis
Raúl M. Grijalva, AZ @RepRaulGrijalva
Joe Courtney, CT @RepJoeCourtney
Marcia L. Fudge, OH @RepMarciaFudge
Jared Polis, CO @jaredpolis
Gregorio Sablan, Northern Mariana Islands (no twitter handle)
Frederica S. Wilson, FL @RepWilson
Suzanne Bonamici, OR @RepBonamici
Mark Pocan, WI @repmarkpocan
Mark Takano, CA @RepMarkTakano
Hakeem S. Jeffries, NY @RepJeffries
Katherine M. Clark, MA @RepKClark
Alma S. Adams, NC @RepAdams
Mark DeSaulnier, CA @RepDeSaulnier
For ideas of what to tweet, we created the following examples using NCTE’s 2015 Recommendations for Policymakers:
@Representative: Provide ongoing opportunities for comprehensive literacy education #literacyadvocacy
@Representative: Provide funding for professional learning for teachers that includes protected time for collaboration #literacyadvocacy
@Representative: Ensure Title I funding goes to districts with greatest number of students lacking economic opportunities #literacyadvocacy
@Representative: Fund research on assessments that are proven effective; give states & localities flexibility to implement #literacyadvocacy
@Representative: Fund research on effective assessments: portfolios, performance assessments, and competency-based models #literacyadvocacy
@Representative: Use yearly standardized tests for data re: students’ literacy learning to make evidence-based decisions #literacyadvocacy
@Representative: Use standardized tests to hold leaders accountable for equity. Disaggregate data for all subgroups #literacyadvocacy
@Representative: Use testing only for the purposes and in the manner for which it has been proven valid #literacyadvocacy
@Representative: Tests designed to measure school performance should not be used to evaluate individual teachers #literacyadvocacy
@Representative: Tests should be used in ways that minimize time away from instruction #literacyadvocacy
@Representative: Tests should offer appropriate accommodations to students with special needs #literacyadvocacy
@Representative: Tests should not exclude students with special needs from challenging literacy learning opportunities #literacyadvocacy
@Representative: Fund research, professional learning & teacher prep to support formative assessment #literacyadvocacy
@Representative: Fund research, professional learning & teacher prep to give teachers, students & parents info on progress #literacyadvocacy
@Representative: Support innovation in assessments for accountability: they should be targeted & use multiple measures #literacyadvocacy
@Representative: Fund research, technical assistance & professional development focused on formative assessment #literacyadvocacy
@Representative: Dedicate funds for professional learning that includes protected time in school for teacher collaboration #literacyadvocacy
@Representative: Authorize under ESEA $500 million for a comprehensive literacy program #literacyadvocacy
@Representative: Dedicate funds ensuring comprehensive literacy programs integrate literacy instruction across disciplines #literacyadvocacy
@Representative: Dedicate funds ensuring literacy programs promote evidence-based approaches to the teaching of writing #literacyadvocacy
@Representative: Dedicate funds ensuring comprehensive literacy programs promote inclusion of diverse & multimedia texts #literacyadvocacy
@Representative: Dedicate funds to ensure adequate bandwidth for all students to access and create resources #literacyadvocacy
@Representative: Dedicate funds making ed tech accessible, ensuring all students have access to correct tools #literacyadvocacy
@Representative: Dedicate funds to offer engaging, developmentally appropriate literacy education to all preschool learners #literacyadvocacy
@Representative: Support dedicated funding streams to enable professional development for all literacy educators #literacyadvocacy
@Representative: Fund quality universal early childhood education #literacyadvocacy
@Representative: Fund access to quality teaching and learning environments & equitable support for all public schools #literacyadvocacy
@Representative: Provide funding/flexibility to give teachers time to collaborate for professional learning #literacyadvocacy
@Representative: Provide funding/flexibility to identify/promote strategies to develop leadership potential of principals #literacyadvocacy
@Representative: Provide funding/flexibility to provide teachers with time for building teacher inquiry & decision making #literacyadvocacy
@Representative: Provide funding/flexibility to identify/promote strategies to develop leadership potential of teachers #literacyadvocacy
@Representative: Provide funds/flexibility to develop/implement innovative approaches for preservice & early career teachers #literacyadvocacy
@Representative: Provide funds/flexibility to develop knowledge/strategies for parents to make informed decisions re: child #literacyadvocacy
@Representative: Provide funds/flexibility to develop knowledge/strategies for communities to make informed decisions #literacyadvocacy