Getting to Know the Work of the Public Policy & Advocacy Committee

By Kali Fedor, Ed.D. Chair, Public Policy and Advocacy Committee (PPAC)

As the Chair of NAGC’s Public Policy and Advocacy Committee (PPAC), I’m excited to welcome you to our first blog post. The work of the PPAC is essential to advancing policies that support gifted education, and I look forward to sharing insights on our mission and the impactful initiatives we are leading.

Our Mission

The PPAC collaborates with the NAGC Board and staff to shape the legislative and public policy agenda of the Association. We work tirelessly to ensure gifted education remains a priority in policy discussions at both the state and federal levels. Our committee’s key goals include:

• Providing input into NAGC’s public policy agenda, focusing on state and federal issues impacting gifted education and advanced learning.

• Supporting grassroots advocacy efforts, helping our members and the broader community take action on critical issues.

• Developing advocacy resources, including sample letters, toolkits, and training materials to empower advocates.

• Facilitating partnerships with other organizations, including state affiliates, to amplify our efforts.

Our goal is to create a strong and sustainable advocacy network that supports the needs of gifted learners across the country.

PPAC’s Role in the Leadership and Advocacy Webinar Series

As part of our ongoing commitment to advocacy, the PPAC is excited to support NAGC’s new Leadership and Advocacy Webinar Series. We are proud to be conducting at least three of the webinar sessions, which provide educators and advocates with valuable tools and insights to navigate the landscape of gifted education policy.

The first webinar, launched in December 2024, was titled "Doing Your Homework: Getting Ready for Advocacy in 2025." This session covered essential guidance for individuals looking to influence policies that support gifted learners. The webinar highlighted key strategies for effective advocacy:

• Building Relationships for Advocacy: Effective advocacy starts with cultivating relationships with local, state, and federal officials, including their staff. Connecting with legislative staff, even when legislators are not on education committees, can lead to powerful results. Advocacy requires persistence, clear communication, and relationship-building.

• Defining Your Advocacy Strategy: Successful advocates know their "why" and communicate it with passion. Sharing success stories from gifted education programs and linking these efforts to broader issues like student achievement and teacher retention, can help resonate with policymakers.

• Organizing Advocacy Efforts: Advocates need to understand local and state policies and collaborate with ongoing initiatives to avoid redundant efforts. Crafting clear messages and focusing on key decision-makers is essential for advancing our cause. NAGC’s State of the States in Gifted Education report is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to navigate state-level advocacy.

Advocacy Highlights and Resources

In the webinar, we also highlighted critical federal initiatives such as the Advanced Coursework Equity (ACE) Act, which seeks to expand access to advanced coursework for underrepresented students, and the Javits Program, which provides $16.5 million for research and innovative strategies in gifted education. These programs are key to advancing our goals, and we encourage advocates to engage with these and other initiatives.

We also emphasized the importance of engaging directly with elected officials, whether by phone, video, or in person. Personal meetings with legislators are powerful tools for advocacy, helping to humanize policy issues and build long-term relationships. Additionally, advocacy doesn't stop after the meeting! It is vitally important to follow up with thank-you emails or notes, and staying engaged through grassroots efforts at all levels of government is critical to maintaining momentum.

Looking Ahead

Our work is far from over. As we continue to collaborate with other advocates and build relationships with policymakers, we invite you to join us in advancing gifted education policies. Whether you're new to advocacy or an experienced advocate, there’s a place for you in this effort. We encourage you to stay involved, attend our upcoming webinars, and take action on the resources we provide to make a difference. Additionally, keep your eye out for an email from NAGC around May for volunteer opportunities with committees like the PPAC! We are always in need of more support, knowledge, and expertise from strong advocates like you!

Thank you for being part of the NAGC community. Together, we can create meaningful change for gifted learners across the nation.

Stay tuned for more updates, webinars, and blogs from the PPAC…we are looking forward to collaborating with you on this vital work!