UNI Legislative Update
The Office of Governmental Relations provides legislative updates to the campus community through online communication and bimonthly campus presentations. These updates will inform faculty, staff and students of hot topics facing the legislature and legislative actions affecting UNI and the Regents institutions.
March 24, 2008
Letter to legislator example
The following letter was submitted to a Senator within the last week and hits on all the necessary points. The most important aspect of the letter is that it includes personal experiences and how those experiences influenced his life. I've also included Senator Danielson's response to the email. Please take a look at this and use it as a model in your own letters.
To see more tips on contacting your legislators click here.
Senator Danielson,
Having taught mathematics and/or physics in Iowa high schools for 30 years I ask for your support of the Math & Science Education Collaborative Initiative (MSECI) that is a part of the Appropriations Committee SSB 3234.
Last year I left 7-12 education out of frustration. If the Math & Science Education Collaborative Initiative had been around I might be teaching in an Iowa high school today.
Some of the proposed MSECI programs that I would have used:
- Coordinate and enhance professional development opportunities (PDO) for math and science teachers. [The lack of meaningful PDO for math and science was maddening. I felt as if the PDO that was available was mostly a waste of time. I could have used that time much more productively to positively enhance my impact on my students.]
- Offer a special STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) community college teaching certificate program. [As a secondary teacher I had heard about STEM for several years but there wasn't any "trickle down" to my school. Now, as an adjunct community college instructor, I still hear much about STEM but do not see anything that is meaningful for me.]
- Star Math and Science Majors to Teaching is a program that encourages high school students to be teachers. [I believe that I helped steer many of my talented students toward STEM related careers. However, very few went into teaching. I found this quite frustrating since teaching can be such a rewarding career. This program (modeled after UTeach from Texas) could help alleviate the math and science teacher shortage in Iowa.]
- Summer internships in the private and public sector for math and science teachers. [It is overwhelming for teachers to keep up with changes in STEM related curriculum. This program would at least provide math and science teachers some feel for what is actually happening in the "real world." I know I would have jumped at such an opportunity.]
The legislative language for the MSECI can be found in SSB 3234 at:
It starts at P.12, L.10:
"12 10 f. For funds for regents universities general operating
12 11 budgets to implement a mathematics and science collaborative
12 12 initiative to improve the performance of Iowa's students and
12 13 teachers:
12 14 .................................................. $ 4,700,000
Senator Danielson's response:
Dear name deleted,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me on this important matter.
I agree with you and have helped craft this proposal from the beginning. I'm going to need your help to make it happen.
I encourage you to personally contact your legislator and let them know you support this. You may mention my name as well.
Thanks again for caring enough about this to take the time to let me know.
Keep in touch.
Warm Regards,
Senator Jeff Danielson - President Pro Tem
"Serving Hudson, Cedar Falls & Waterloo"
Stay in the loop ... get my E-news at www.jeffdanielson.org