Lisa Maatz, Director of Public Policy and Government Relations
Attendees at the 2009 AAUW Convention were encouraged to call and urge their senators to support pay equity and the Paycheck Fairness Act. The first state delegation to fill their senators’ voice mailboxes with these messages would receive a special prize. With wonderful activism, tenacity, and enthusiasm, the AAUW Pennsylvania delegation won! Congrats for shutting down Senator Specter’s mailbox!!
The prized one-hour conference call with Lisa Maatz included 50 members across PA as Lisa described current AAUW thinking on education policies, No Child Left Behind (NCLB), Health Care Reform, the Paycheck Fairness Act, and effective public policy action. Lisa spent 30 minutes discussing topics before answering questions. Her remarks are summarized here.
No Child Left Behind: NCLB reauthorization is in limbo this year because Congress is focused on health care and other appropriations. Next year, the mid-term elections are expected to be top priority. Without official reauthorization, NCLB continues under existing rubrics and current funding. This delay in reauthorization may enable the work needed to examine and determine common core standards.
AAUW is focusing on these issues:
⁃ Strengthen STEM education (science, technology, engineering, math), especially for girls.
⁃ Build support for collection of Title IX data from high schools, bringing those numbers to public attention. Current Title IX data collection focuses on colleges and universities.
⁃ Encourage, to a greater extent, the Safe and Drug Free School Act as it applies to bullying and harassment, which are not part of Title IX.
⁃ Increase multiple measures and standardized testing that monitor school standards of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)
⁃ Close achievement gap (see AAUW’s report Where the Girls Are),
⁃ Expand after-school programs and early childhood education opportunities.
Health Care Reform
The AAUW approach is framed as an economic security issue for women, with support given to these specific positions:
⁃ Eliminate gender rating which charges women more than men for services.
⁃ Cover reproductive health issues: Birth control needs, PAP tests, etc.
⁃ Ensure preventative care coverage for health education; screenings, depending on age, gender, medical history; and immunizations.
Lisa expects Congress to be in session through Christmas trying to get health care reform done. The House goes first because any health bill is, by definition, a tax bill. The House presents a tax bill before moving it to the Senate for reconciliation.
Paycheck Fairness Act
Senator Casey is one co-sponsor on the Paycheck Fairness act; Senator Specter is not.
The Paycheck Fairness Act remains a priority even as Health Care Reform receives center-stage attention. We need to speed up the process of updating the enforcement and civil rights portions of the 1963 Equal Pay Act. The Ledbetter bill was a good first step.
The Paycheck Fairness Act is a bigger bill that includes employer issues and negotiation of contracts and salaries.
Public Policy Programming Ideas
Make Public Policy issues a part of branch programming during the year. Add a mission-based twist to each meeting.
⁃ Target one meeting for an issue or thread a PP issue into regular meetings on other topics.
⁃ Utilize Program in a Box ideas on the website; PP will soon add seven more (PP luncheons, district mtgs, town-hall issue meetings, etc.).
⁃ Publicize April 20, 2010, as Equal Pay Day; use the Pay =T resource kit; attend a rally, hand out fun-size Payday candy bars (buy in bulk at Halloween and freeze) with stickers comparing women’s earnings @ 77 cents to men’s @ $1 for the same work, this according to the latest 2008 census data.
⁃ Hold a bake sale where items cost men a dollar and women 77 cents.
⁃ Thread PP positions into book, bridge, gourmet clubs, book sales, and house tours.
⁃ Share the latest Action Alert with an interest group and bring a copy of the action letter for petition style signatures; mail it to a local representative’s office.
⁃ Use PP position papers or the Federal Policy Agenda as a good discussion starter to publicize a variety of issues that AAUW works on.
Ways to motivate Branch Members in areas of Public Policy
⁃ Always leave room for civil debate in conversation.
⁃ Spur public policy action by reminding everyone that AAUW public policy debate is needed now more than ever. Our non-partisan background, backed by research, is a valuable tool.
⁃ Attend town hall meetings and speak out as an AAUW member, demonstrating that you care and are able to speak on issues intelligently.
Use AAUW resources as preparation materials, e.g., Washington Update, Action Alert. Everything is available at aauw.org or aauwpa.org.
Q & A and Remarks
Will you suggest coalition partners to work with as we can move our issues forward?
Pull in other groups to share the load. Different issues may appeal to different groups. Highlight AAUW’s non-partisan reputation when building partnerships. Collaborative groups may include: BPW, LWV, Women’s Clubs, advocacy groups, PTOs, C/U women’s studies and education departments, Altrusa clubs, Soroptomists, Planned Parenthood, and NARAL.
Equal Pay Day (4/20/2010) is perfect for coalition building and producing event(s) that can be planned early or late. Invite a member of Congress, hold a WAGE workshop, include high school girls in discussion of the wage gap.
When speaking on behalf of AAUW, you may not adopt a position that AAUW doesn’t have policy on or one that is contrary to an AAUW public policy position. In that case, speak as an individual. Call or e-mail AAUW to find out or look at the position papers on the www.aauw.org website.
Education: AAUW does not oppose charter schools as long as they meet stringent standards. AAUW is opposed to vouchers.
Tap into experiences of school principals and superintendents for updates on No Child Left Behind. Engage them as speakers at a program, juxtaposed with AAUW positions on the same subject.
Host a town hall meeting to discuss education funding as well as bring individual knowledge to the table.
Have a Public Policy luncheon and invite a school superintendent, state legislator, and/or member of Congress to speak about education in your county.
International: Research and discuss the Global Resources and Opportunities for Women to Thrive (Growth Act) as it concerns helping women in developing countries.
AAUW has supported the U.N. Millennium Development Goals since they were first instituted. Carolyn Donovan is our UN representative.
Arlen Specter’s office number is 202-224-4254. Call and urge him to join other sponsors of the Paycheck Fairness Act – S182. Thank him for his work on healthcare. We appreciate his vote on the Ledbetter Act.
In conclusion: Lisa is a very motivational speaker and researches her topics well. Thanks to her for information on AAUW’s healthcare positions, economic self-sufficiency for women, and more confidence in working with community coalitions. She gifted AAUW-PA members with a stimulating hour of listening and conversation.
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