FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Anne Lasseigne Tiedt, APR 

atiedt@ryht.org, c. 512-784-3805

NEWEST COHORT FOR RAISE YOUR HAND TEXAS’ TRUSTEE ADVOCATES PROGRAM ANNOUNCED

Eight Districts, Representing Diversity of Texas, Selected For Innovative Advocacy Program To Educate, Engage, and Advocate at State Capitol

Austin, Texas (Jan. 26, 2024) — Raise Your Hand Texas today announced eight Texas public school districts have been chosen to participate in the newest cohort of the Trustee Advocates Program. This Raise Your Hand Texas initiative trains Texas school districts and their locally-elected trustees to educate, engage and activate their school districts and local communities to amplify their voices in state public education policy and advocacy.

With the success of the program’s inaugural cohort, Raise Your Hand Texas is eager to equip more Texas school boards and district superintendents to participate in state education policymaking.

“Public school board trustees and school superintendents bring a unique and important voice to the table in public education policy debates at the Texas Capitol,” said Dr. Libby Cohen, senior director of advocacy for Raise Your Hand Texas. “These local leaders can offer invaluable firsthand experience and on-the-ground insight, helping shape meaningful, sustainable policy that benefits the students, teachers, and the public school community.”

School districts from all regions of the state applied, and Raise Your Hand Texas leadership selected eight school districts through the application and interview process. Competitive grants for the second cohort are awarded to:

• Corsicana ISD
• Pearland ISD
• Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD
• Plano ISD
• Port Aransas ISD
• Prosper ISD
• Temple ISD
• Tomball ISD 

Over the course of the 18-month fellowship, Trustee Advocates will learn to build a local public education advocacy network that encourages community connectedness and influences state legislative outcomes. Trustees and Superintendents will have the opportunity to learn and build relationships with others across Texas, as well. 

“The Trustee Advocates Program helps connect local leaders with the tools and know-how they need to advocate for public school students and teachers. The program aims to lift up the voices and expertise of local leaders at the Texas Capitol,” said Missy Bender, trustee-in-residence and regional advocacy director for Raise Your Hand Texas.

In 2022-23, Amarillo ISD, DeKalb ISD, Ector County ISD, Gregory-Portland ISD, Katy ISD, Lake Worth ISD, San Elizario ISD, and Tornillo ISD were part of the inaugural program. Throughout the 18-month fellowship, these districts participated in in-district and Capitol training sessions and workshops. Participating districts developed their own legislative agendas and met with their legislative delegation at the Capitol, actively participating in the Texas Legislative Session and raising their voices for public school students, teachers, and their communities.   

The Trustee Advocates Program is issue-based and non-partisan. The program will be held in accordance with the Open Meetings Act. As a Texas Education Agency-registered provider of continuing education, Raise Your Hand Texas will award continuing education credit to participants for the hours spent in training.

For more information about the program, visit https://www.raiseyourhandtexas.org/advancing-public-education/advocate/trustee-advocates-program/. 

Raise Your Hand Texas supports public policy solutions that invest in our students, encourage innovation and autonomy, and improve college and workforce readiness. For more information, visit RaiseYourHandTexas.org.

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