ACSA has maintained its commitment to advocacy on behalf of administrators and students through lobbying the legislative and administrative branches of state and federal government, grass-roots political influence, state-level candidate endorsements and campaign contributions, and ballot measure campaigns.

Governmental Relations Department

ACSA currently maintains a lobbying staff of three registered lobbyists to handle all of the policy and fiscal issues that impact preschool through adult education in California. Each lobbyist is assigned to cover specific issue areas that may be as broad as the state budget or as narrow as school site acquisition or adult education. ACSA follows more than 800 individual bills over a two-year legislative session.
Lobbying the Legislature includes testifying on bills before the Legislature's policy and fiscal committees, meeting with legislators and their staffs on issues that are important to ACSA, negotiating specific amendments to individual bills, and working in concert with other organizations on issues of common interest. As much as possible, ACSA's lobbyists also speak at local ACSA region meetings to update members on the latest developments in Sacramento and Washington, D.C.
ACSA's lobbyists maintain close liaison with the California Department of Education, State Board of Education, Commission on Teacher Credentialing, State Teachers' Retirement System, Public Employees Retirement System, and other boards and agencies that affect public schools and administrators. Fiscal agencies such as the Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst are also monitored and lobbied when necessary. To assist Governmental Relations staff on issues before administrative agencies, ACSA has formed reactor groups, consisting of ACSA members with specific expertise. Two reactor groups exist currently; one advises on issues before the State Board of Education and one advises on issues before the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Others are formed when necessary.
In addition to four registered lobbyists, ACSA's Governmental Relations Department includes other professional and clerical staff who assist and support ACSA's advocacy efforts, and who are eager to help administrators who have questions on pending legislation or current statutes.

ACSA's Governmental Relations Team

http://www.acsa.org/about/department.cfm?id=13

How You Can Influence ACSA's Positions: The Legislative Policy Committee

All of ACSA's positions on legislative issues are determined by ACSA members who serve on the Legislative Policy Committee. Two members from each of ACSA's 18 regions are official members of the committee. ACSA's other committees are also invited to send a representative to each meeting to assist in position taking. Legislative Policy Committee members vote on which positions are taken on each bill that is introduced in the Legislature. The committee also decides which issues and bills ACSA will sponsor, meaning which bills ACSA will take the lead on. Another important function of the Legislative Policy Committee is helping to draft the Legislative Platform: ACSA's statement of philosophy that helps guide the association when adopting positions. ACSA members who are interested in serving on this committee or on regional legislative policy committees should contact their region representatives.

ACSA's Legislative Policy Committee

http://www.acsa.org/about/committee.cfm?id=25

Making Things Happen: The Legislative Action Committee

ACSA's Legislative Action Committee supports the association's advocacy efforts through local grass-roots operations. Composed of elected region Vice-Presidents for Legislative Action, this committee organizes local networks to engage politically active ACSA members to contact legislators on key issues. To volunteer, members only need to contact their region's Vice-President for Legislative Action to volunteer. ACSA's Legislative Action Committee also coordinates each region's assessment of legislative candidates and the development of recommendations to the Board of Directors on which candidates to endorse. For more information, contact your region's Vice-President for Legislative Action.

ACSA's Legislative Policy Committee

http://www.acsa.org/about/committee.cfm?id=24

Links to California Government and Other Valuable Resources

http://www.acsa.org/links.cfm#legislation