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Advocacy Committee

The Advocacy Committee Chair

Karen Escalante
California State University San Bernardino
Send the chair an email message with your questions.

Committee Members

  • Alan Jones
  • Annamarie Francois
  • Steve Bautista
  • Daniel Soodjinda
  • Debbie Meadows
  • John Pascarella
  • Nat Hansuvadha
  • Diana Porras
  • Mimi Miller
  • Stephanie Dewing
  • Eduardo Munoz-Munoz
  • Anita Flemington
  • Monica Boomgard

Purpose

In August 2025, the California Council on Teacher Education (CCTE) took an important step toward strengthening its presence in education policy by launching a dedicated Advocacy Committee. The committee was formed in response to a clear need: while CCTE had long engaged in meaningful advocacy through its annual Spring Policy Action Network (SPAN) Conference, our voice was not consistently present in policy conversations throughout the rest of the year. Recognizing this gap, the Advocacy Committee was established to ensure that CCTE maintains an active, ongoing role in both state and federal policy discussions impacting teacher education.

The committee’s formation was built on existing relationships and momentum. Initial invitations were extended to members of CCTE’s multilingual workgroup, many of whom had already been collaborating with Senator Alex Padilla’s office over the previous two years at the Senator’s request. Their experience and engagement in policy work provided a strong foundation for the committee. From there, participation expanded to include additional CCTE members, followed by the full membership. During the 2025–2026 academic year, approximately ten members actively participated in the Advocacy Committee.

From its inception, the committee prioritized direct engagement with policymakers and education leaders. These conversations, at the member and/or staff level, focused on ensuring that teacher education remains central to policy discussions. A consistent message emerged from the committee’s work: CCTE must not only be present but also actively engaged in shaping the future of educator preparation. Following the SPAN conference, the committee expanded its efforts in response to emerging state leadership opportunities.

The Advocacy Committee meets monthly with California policymakers to elevate teaching and teacher education, promote equity-centered practices, and ensure CCTE’s voice is present and influential at every table.

Updates

  • Meetings: We meet on the first Thursday of each month at 11:00 am.

Forms

Advocacy News