Advocacy Overview Neena Newberry
Stephanie Mace
Newberry Executive Solutions Chair, Advocacy Committee
Director of Public Policy
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What is Advocacy? Advocacy is focused on affecting positive changes in public policy in Education, Income, and Health 1. Developing relationships with elected officials (all levels) 2. Exchanging information about issues, including data and stories
3. Collectively bringing change by focusing on areas of alignment
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How You Can Advocate
Gain Knowledge about Needs
Spread the Word •Share information over social media or email
•Visit an accredited childcare or pre-k class
•Educate the community and elected officials on UWMD’s work
•Attend town halls hosted by your elected official
•Ask those impacted by a policy to share their story
•Attend an UWMD advocacy training or event
•Cultivate relationships with policymakers
Advocate for Systemic Change •Write a letter to the editor •Invite community leaders to visit a successful program •Call, email or visit policymakers about your concerns
•Testify at a public hearing
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Share Our Successes Did You Know?
Our Success
Hairstylists must have 1,500 hours of training
Passed a bill that tripled training for child care staff from 8 to 24 hours
1.1 million Texas children are left unsupervised after school
Passed a bill to develop an Expanded Learning Task Force
The average Texas borrower pays $840 on a $300 payday loan
Worked with City of Dallas to adopt 1st regulatory payday ordinance
Over a third of Dallas children age 10-17 are obese or at risk
Protected FitnessGram & passed a bill that created a fitness subcommittee within school districts
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How We Choose Legislative Priorities • Criteria • Advances ten-year goals • Relevant issues supported by both political parties • Builds on past efforts and success
• Approach: Leverage relationships with allies and remain budget neutral
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2015-2016 Legislative Priorities EDUCATION
INCOME
HEALTH
Prepare more kids to graduate & succeed
Help families leave poverty permanently
Improve community health
Improve children’s school readiness by promoting quality developmentally appropriate practices, maternal, infant and early childhood health, safety, and strong parent-child relationships
Grow pathways to work by supporting innovative vocational initiatives and policies that help workers acquire tools and skills needed for success and connect employers to skilled workers
Create a healthier next generation by promoting access to healthy eating, physical activity and coordinated school health programs
Enhance academic success by supporting proven practices, like expanded learning opportunities, parent engagement, STEM education, and college and career preparation services
Boost financial self-sufficiency by increasing education and access to resources for hard-working families to acquire financial tools, build savings, and acquire assets
Improve community health by supporting innovative and efficient practices for physical and mental health care, like telemedicine
OTHER Maximize resources and prioritize preventive, proven practices as additional funding is available Consider pay-for-success funding and development of alternative business corporations, such as social innovation bonds and the B Corp structure
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3 Things You Can Do 1. Attend Women of Tocqueville’s Eggs & Issues breakfast on Nov. 21st - and encourage Texas House Joe Speaker Straus to attend too! 2. Invite an elected official to every UWMD event, including Nine for 90, Second Tuesday 3. Connect us with your state legislative affairs team. We are hosting a roundtable on Oct. 29.
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Additional Information
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Advocacy Committee Roster Neena Newberry, Chair Newberry Executive Solutions
Jeff Hardgrave Atmos Pipeline Texas
Kay Lynn Brumbaugh Andrews Kurth LLP
Katy Parsons AT&T
Taylor Brinkman Locke Lord, LLP
Kevin Payne Greater Dallas Restaurant Assn.
Brent Chaney Energy Future Holdings
Kara Schillaci Frito-Lay, Inc.
Holly Dee Alliance Data
Ryan Trimble Office of State Rep. Dan Branch
Jim Gallegos The Gallegos Group
Debra von Storch Ernst & Young, LLP
Fred Halfpap Community Volunteer
Katherine Watson Meyerson Family Foundation (formerly with State Rep Stefani Carter) 9
A Deeper Dive into the Legislative Priorities Legislative Priority
May Include
Improve children’s school readiness by promoting quality developmentally appropriate practices, maternal, infant and early childhood health, safety, and strong parent-child relationships
Child care, home visiting program, prekindergarten, prenatal and perinatal care, and recommendations from interim charges
Enhance academic success by supporting proven practices, like expanded learning opportunities, parent engagement, STEM education, and college and career preparation services
Mentoring programs, support for parents and students to learn new high school graduation options, and recommendations from interim charges and state Expanded Learning Opportunities Task Force
Grow pathways to work by supporting innovative vocational initiatives and policies that help workers acquire tools and skills needed for success and connect employers to skilled workers
Implementation of Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA), adult basic education, and recommendations from interim charges
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A Deeper Dive into the Legislative Priorities Legislative Priority
May Include
Boost financial self-sufficiency by increasing education and access to resources for hardworking families to acquire financial tools, build savings, and acquire assets
Financial education, EITC & FAFSA support, reasonable payday/auto-title loan reform, and recommendations from interim charges
Create a healthier next generation by promoting access to healthy eating, physical activity and coordinated school health programs
School meals, brain breaks, physical education and health course credits, FitnessGram testing, and recommendations from interim charges
Improve community health by supporting innovative and efficient practices for physical and mental health care, like telemedicine
Telemedicine in schools and for mental health care, best practices for postpartum and substance abuse, and recommendations from interim charges
Other. Maximize resources and prioritize preventive, proven practices as additional funding is available
Diversification of funds for pre-k and home visiting programs
Other. Consider pay-for-success funding and development of alternative business corporations
Social innovation bonds and the B Corp structure
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