The board of trustees at Katy ISD was selected as one of nine boards in the state to participate in the Raise Your Hand Texas Trustee Advocates Program.

“Legislative decisions made in Austin have an impact on all Texas school districts and the millions of students and families they serve,” said KISD Superintendent Ken Gregorski in a press release. “The advocacy training and work with Raise Your Hand Texas will expand beyond our Trustees and myself."

The newly-formed program aims to provide district leadership the tools they need to positively influence policy-making, according to a statement from the district on Jan. 31. The 18-month program aims to help its participants learn how to best advocate for public policy regarding education, while ensuring the perspectives, values and priorities of Texas school districts are considered during legislative deliberations pertaining to children and schools.

“School trustees provide education oversight and citizen governance to their public schools and larger communities,” said Libby Cohen, Raise Your Hand Texas’ senior director of advocacy and outreach in the release. “Katy ISD serves a large number of Texas students, and we are ready to partner with them on their advocacy efforts because these local leaders bring critically important expertise and insight that will be valuable to state policymakers."