Chapter 9: How Can Science Educators Influence Legislation At The State And Federal Levels?: The Case of the National Science Teachers Association

In this chapter I describe the role that the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) plays in attempting to influence policy decisions in science education, primarily at the national level but also at the state and local levels as well. The chapter also provides practical advice to individuals on how to lobby members of congress or their state legislators and how to advocate for policy positions in science education.

In any discussion of policy and policymaking, it is helpful to first understand what is considered “lobbying” and what is considered “advocacy.” Although the terms are often used synonymously, the difference is important to nonprofit organizations such as NSTA because lobbying is strictly controlled by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). At the simplest level, lobbying is an attempt to influence specific legislation, and advocacy more generally involves promoting a cause but not influencing specific legislation. Advocacy activities may include an individual educating a legislator on an issue, or an organization educating members on an issue, as long as the organization members are not encouraged to ask the legislator to vote in a particular way on a particular piece of legislation. Any contact with a nonlegislative body, such as the mayor or governor of a state, is considered to be advocacy and not lobbying.