We often talk about crafting education policy in terms of a linear, start-to-finish process. But I like to think of it as a constantly evolving loop. In education policymaking, educator feedback links the end of the process back to the beginning. Picture this: Policymakers become aware of a need, they enact a policy to address that need, the Texas Education Agency and school districts implement the policy, educators experience the policy, educators speak out, new areas of need are identified, and the whole cycle starts over again.  

Educator feedback is important because many of those who make policies, such as elected officials and those who are appointed by elected officials (including Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath), have no K-12 classroom experience. In fact, of the 181 elected representatives and senators who served in the 86th Texas Legislature, fewer than 5% had K-12 classroom teaching experience. Occupational backgrounds in business and law are over-represented in the legislature. The underlying principles of these occupations—such as placing great emphasis on competition and a profit/loss mentality—can fall counter to the goals of public education and leave us with policies that seem to harm more than they help.  

When educators speak out, especially in great numbers, elected officials and other decision-makers take notice. In addition to exercising your voice at the ballot box, providing feedback can be as simple as a letter, email, social media interaction, or phone call to your federal or state representatives or senators, the commissioner of education, or your State Board of Education member. It could also be a virtual visit with your elected officials, which is often easier to set up than an in-person meeting. Another way to provide feedback is by communicating with ATPE, which advocates on your behalf, directly or through ATPE surveys, such as those on Advocacy Central.    

In an anonymous back-to-school health and safety survey conducted in September, 770 ATPE members visited Advocacy Central to offer their thoughts on how safe they felt in their districts and what policies were making them feel safe or unsafe. ATPE analyzed each open-ended response to this survey and now has a rich repository of on-the-ground stories and educator reflection from these unprecedented times. Complemented by other ATPE membership surveys, your communications help us learn more about your experiences and concerns, which we can use to better inform and persuade decision-makers. In fact, we have already begun to share your observations and comments with elected officials and their staffs. With ATPE members’ feedback, we can confidently and accurately explain to all state officials what changes need to be made to reduce educators’ stress, and ensure they feel safe. 

The most important time to provide your feedback is ... always! We are always here to listen. Only the luckiest people on earth have enough patience to be teachers, so not everybody understands what it is like to grow with a class of students year after year. Unfortunately, this sometimes means that you, as an educator, are left implementing policies that may not help you do your job and, therefore, do not help your students learn. By providing your feedback to policymakers and ATPE, you can help close the gap between education policy and education practice.