Eight Congressional Meetings in Eight Hours

By Adam Drummond

As a first time attendee of NAESP’s National Leaders Conference (NLC), the anticipation of meeting with members of Congress brought little sleep as I reviewed key issues, reminded myself of nonverbal body language, and memorized the map of Capitol Hill. Now, as I sit here and reflect on the eight-hour, eight-meeting day I conducted, I can breathe a sigh of relief that I have completed my first advocacy experience with self-defined success thanks to mentoring, preparation, and next steps.

I spent my eight-meeting, eight-hour day being mentored in advocacy by the Indiana Association of School Principals Executive Director Todd Bess. In our first congressional meeting, I witnessed a master (think Obi-Wan Kenobi) at work as I, a young Jedi, watched in awe of his ability to be succinct, poised, and critically strategic. Each meeting provided me a new opportunity as I gained confidence in my elevator speech on key issues, shared my anecdotal experiences, and pressed the importance of professional development for principals, school leader definitions, and pre-K education.

Kelly Pollitt, who serves as NAESP’s associate executive director, policy, public affairs & special projects, provided the guidance and preparation for all NLC attendees to take Capitol Hill by storm. I have to admit that watching principals from all over the country invading Capitol Hill was a spectacular scene (think Return of the Jedi). Kelly’s notes, resources, and folders of information were spot-on and organized in such a way that every legislative assistant, chief of staff, or even the representative could easily understand. Our message was loud and clear and delivered effectively.

I enjoyed the evening by catching up with friends who work and live in D.C. I met at a local establishment in the city to discuss my day with another friend who is advocating for pre-K and literacy for another non-profit organization. We compared notes and talked education as we caught up from our last visit together—a selfie or two may have been taken, too! Then, I met up with a college fraternity brother and his wife for dinner. He works for the Office of Management and Budget. I can honestly say that by this point my elevator speech on the principals’ advocacy positions flowed with ease and confidence. I had him convinced that education was a top priority that every person in America should be advocating for next year. Then, I met up back at the hotel with principals from across the country to debrief and celebrate the successes of the day. All in all a great day!

But, our work is not finished. It has only just begun. Tomorrow, on my way home from Washington, D.C., I plan to write a thank you note to each person I met with. And I have already scheduled to send friendly “remember me” emails to keep shaking the tree branches throughout March. I am already gathering my notes so that back in my district I can present to my principal colleagues about this experience and the purpose we all have as educators.

What is your next step? Let this experience be the first step to a successful 2015 year in education for America. We are the leaders of our schools and it is time to change the message America is hearing about public education. Let us stand and tell our own stories together.

Guest blogger Adam Drummond is principal of Lincoln Elementary School in Huntington, Indiana. 

Follow updates from NLC on Twitter with the hashtag #naespNLC.