NCLD’s Parent Leaders Team Visits Washington, D.C.

NCLD spent March 28 thru March 30, 2011, in Washington, DC, with our Parent Leaders Team — a group of 13 parents whom NCLD has trained and empowered to serve as advocates for NCLD and the LD cause. Our parent advocates:

• Learned about critical issues facing students, families, and teachers affected by LD;
• Embraced NCLD’s policy agenda for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act ;
• Experienced media training “boot camp” with our consultants from Policy Impact, led by the former Reagan speechwriter and CEO of Policy Impact;
• And marched onto Capitol Hill on March 30th with NCLD’s Executive Director, James Wendorf, and the Public Policy team to educate Senate and House members and their staff about our issues.

In one day NCLD:

• Made 19 Senate visits, including face-to-face meetings with senators from Minnesota, California, Colorado and Wisconsin, and an important meeting with Majority Leader Harry Reid’s education aide.
• Made 13 House visits, including face-to-face meetings with two congressmen from Michigan and Pennsylvania.
• Provided detailed leave-behind packets and developed follow-up plans for every person.

All of this is made possible by NCLD leadership and financial resources from two sources:

• The Oak Foundation, which is the lead underwriter of our Parents as Advocates program, and
• Individual NCLD supporters who give unrestricted gifts to NCLD through the annual Board Campaign, the annual Benefit Dinner and other events.