State government leaders can accelerate the adoption of OER in higher ed and k-12, but first they have to know about OER and understand its advantages. This panel will address the best ways you can inform legislators about OER and encourage OER friendly policies in your state. It will feature Hon. Donna Howard, currently serving her seventh term in the Texas House of Representatives, who led the passage of major OER legislation this spring. Joining her will be Nicole Allen, an experienced grassroots organizer, and Daniel Williamson, an OER Producer. Together, we will discuss the best practices for communicating and working with legislators, explore the key components of OER friendly policies, and outline effective ways to organize and mobilize constituents. We will look at these principles in practice, using OpenStax's work in Texas over the past 3 years as an example of successful OER advocacy.
