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Ryleigh Scott, a Michigan Teacher Leadership Collaborative (MLTC) member, believes that fostering relationships between teachers and lawmakers will help promote an equitable education system for all students. With that in mind, nine teachers from the MTLC engaged in a day of advocacy on Mar. 21 hosted by the Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) in Lansing. The event was titled “Building on Momentum” and aimed at advocating for equitable policy change within Michigan education.  

The team of collaborative educators met with 18 policymakers to advocate for areas including universal FAFSA completion, teacher retention efforts, equitable school funding, and an expansion of early childhood education to all three and four-year-olds throughout the state. 

“Advocacy Day provided an excellent opportunity for me as a teacher to share what is really needed in schools right now,” said Scott. “Lawmakers that consider teacher voices when making their own policy decisions ensure that educators and students are at the forefront of these decisions.  

The educators were able to lift up impact areas and deliver first-hand insight from the communities they represent.  

Another member, Amanda Paulus, described participating in Advocacy Day as enlightening with an empowering opportunity to provide a voice for the community she represents. 

“Participating in Advocacy Day was enlightening and I learned a lot about our legislators and the legislative process,” said Paulus. “In addition, it was empowering to be speaking to those in Lansing as a voice for rural, Northern Michigan/Upper Peninsula educators.”  

MCAN’s advocacy day was a unique opportunity for members of the MTLC, a highly selective leadership opportunity for outstanding Michigan teachers looking to share their expertise around equity-focused instructional practices, deepen their knowledge of education policy, and gain a voice in decisions that affect historically underserved students and the teaching profession. 

For more information about the MLTC, visit our website. 

Recruitment is ongoing for The Michigan Teacher Leadership Collaborative, a highly selective leadership opportunity for outstanding Michigan teachers co-convened by The Education Trust-Midwest and Teach Plus-Michigan.   

Apply today to join the MTLC and have opportunities like this and to share your equity-minded classroom practices and expertise with the broader education field next school year. Applications for the 2023-24 cohort are due by Sunday, April 16, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. EST. You can also nominate an outstanding, equity-minded educator!