These are the faces of the hardest-working lobbyists in Austin. I have donated $850 in the past year to ATPE-PAC because I believe deeply in this talented team of lobbyists, who do exemplary work for ATPE at the Texas Capitol. The success of their fight to protect our rights during the 85th legislative session speaks for itself. Our right to authorize payroll deduction of our association dues was saved. Vouchers failed once again because of their valiant work to keep public tax money out of private institutions.

I believe these people represent us better than we could represent ourselves. We teach. They advocate. It is a perfect plan.

While we are in Texas classrooms teaching this state’s 5.4 million schoolchildren, our lobbyists are pounding the granite corridors of the Capitol on our behalf, trying to get behind closed doors to have meaningful conversations about public education, accountability, teacher benefits, and school finance.

Their work continues during the interim. They do a good job, but they need funds in ATPE-PAC to work with in order to engage our legislators. By law, membership dues dollars may not be donated to candidates or officeholders, which means voluntarily donating to ATPE-PAC is our only means of making campaign contributions. By choosing to support ATPE-PAC, you are supporting the growth and development of strong relationships with those who make Texas law.

ATPE is the largest education association in Texas and should have the strongest voice. More than one-third of Texas’s 300,000 educators are members of ATPE. Imagine if each of our 100,000 members made a $10 donation to ATPE- PAC. That’s $1,000,000! And that is precisely what ATPE-PAC needs to fight the powerful and wealthy special interest groups who want to privatize schools, test students into unconsciousness, and reduce teacher rights and benefits.

Join me in supporting ATPE PAC. Donate today. Any amount will help—$5, $10, $25, $100. Go online to atpe.org/pac-donate to donate using your credit or debit card. Or mail a check to ATPE’s headquarters in Austin.

Gayle Sampley is a retired elementary behavior training teacher who has been a member of ATPE for more than 25 years. She most recently served as the chair of the state Bylaws Committee, chair of the Region 4 Scholarship Committee, and legislative chair of Humble ATPE.

ATPE-PAC solicits contributions only from ATPE members, employees, and their families. Participation in ATPE-PAC is voluntary. Members can contribute any amount or nothing at all without affecting their ATPE membership status, rights, or benefits.