The work of the ACSA Legislative Policy Committee is grounded in purpose. That purpose was on display during a recent full-day LPC convening in Sacramento, where members moved beyond orientation and into the heart of legislative advocacy.

The day began with an intentional focus on preparing members for the role they play in shaping ACSA’s policy positions. New and returning LPC members were centered in the charge ahead: to represent their regions and councils, elevate the voices of school leaders, and advance ACSA’s One Voice for Students Legislative Platform. Through an LPC orientation and hands-on bill review exercise, members began building a shared foundation for the policy deliberations they will lead throughout the year.

From there, preparation gave way to practice.

LPC members walked to the Capitol for a rare opportunity to visit the Senate Floor and connect directly with Senator Dave Cortese, and hearing about the legislative process from inside the chamber where education policy is debated and decided. The group also attended an Assembly Education Committee hearing, giving members a firsthand look at how bills are presented, questioned, and deliberated — an experience that reinforced how critical informed advocacy is at every stage of the process.

The convening also created meaningful space for relationship-building with lawmakers. Members spent more than an hour in substantive discussion with Assemblymember Alex Lee and Assemblymember José Luis Solache, engaging on consequential policy issues and exploring concrete ways ACSA members can continue to amplify their voices in the legislative process. The conversations underscored the value legislators place on hearing directly from school administrators who understand how policy decisions play out in classrooms and school communities throughout the state.

The experience reinforced the importance of showing up, building relationships, and engaging directly in the policy process.

“At its core, this work is about students,” said Legislative Policy Committee Chair Cheryl Jordan. “When we learn together, build relationships, and show up at the Capitol, we bring the real needs of schools into policy conversations, and that is how meaningful change happens.”

The convening served as a powerful reminder that effective advocacy is built through preparation, engagement, and relationships. By showing up at the Capitol, engaging directly with policymakers, and witnessing the legislative process in real time, LPC members are well-positioned to lead ACSA’s policy work with purpose and clarity in the months ahead.