Our lobby team attended the ATPE at the Capitol event along with ATPE members this week. We'll post our next Week in Review summary Friday, March 3.

This week ATPE members gathered in Austin to attend ATPE at the Capitol. They heard from a panel of lawmakers (Democratic Rep. James Talarico and Republican Rep. Ken King) discussing current education issues, attended a fundraiser for ATPE-PAC, and met with their representatives at the Capitol to advocate for public education. You can find photos of ATPE at the Capitol in action on ATPE’s social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram).

Even though ATPE at the Capitol is over, lawmakers are still in Austin considering legislation that will shape the future of public education in Texas and it is important for them to hear from educators. That's why ATPE created Advocacy Central, a member-exclusive tool that makes it simple to contact elected representatives. Log in to Advocacy Central to explore tools you can use to influence legislation. The site lets you search for your elected officials, view key legislation under consideration, and participate in advocacy campaigns set up by ATPE lobbyists. These campaigns allow you to read ATPE's stances on particular issues and send messages directly to the elected officials who will be voting on bills. To learn more about the available tools at Advocacy Central and how you can use them, watch this video tutorial. It is more important than ever that educators make their voices heard and stand up for ATPE’s legislative priorities.