Presenter urges lawmakers to hear school leaders at PSBA Spring Advocacy Day in Harrisburg

A presenter at the Pennsylvania School Boards Association’s Spring Advocacy Day on May 4 in Harrisburg urged attendees to follow up with legislators, saying direct meetings help shape budgets and policies that affect school districts.

The presenter framed Advocacy Day as an opportunity for school leaders to bring local perspectives to lawmakers, saying the event “allows for us to have a direct connection to our legislators and those who impact us the most through their vote and allowing them to hear from us and our specific issues that we have.”

Officials and school board members, the presenter said, are the people implementing rules and policies and can provide lawmakers with concrete examples of how decisions affect day-to-day operations in districts, classrooms and school board governance.

The presenter also urged attendees to view advocacy as conversation rather than confrontation, saying it is a way to take discussions from the local board table to the offices that make decisions. “Please remember to follow up with your legislators. Those connections matter, especially as we approach key budget and policy decisions,” the presenter said.

As a next step, attendees were encouraged to participate in PSBA’s advocacy campaigns and to share feedback about Advocacy Day so organizers can use that input to inform future events. The session concluded with a reminder that staying engaged year-round strengthens the ability of school leaders to influence legislative policy that affects students, staff and communities.