By: Tillie ElvrumOne of the best parts of serving as President of a parent advocacy organization is that I get to do just that: advocate! It comes in many shapes and forms — just like the educational options we fight for! — during the fall our advocacy usually resembles a recruitment event or conference. Just as representatives from PublicSchoolOptions.org (PSO) have attended the State Policy Network (SPN) conference, it’s time to pound the pavement at the Foundation for Excellence in Education conference (FEE). After networking with passionate folks from across the country at the networking reception on Wednesday night, Condoleezza Rice will welcome us bright-and-early Thursday morning. In addition to phenomenal names in the school choice movement like Ms. Rice, I look forward to catching-up with long-time friends of PSO, Andrew Campanella with National School Choice Week, Kevin Chavous from American Federation for Children, and Kara Kerwin from the Center for Education Reform. I also hope to run into state legislators who are working hard for parents’ rights, such as Louisiana Representative Clay Schexnayder and Oregon Representative Julie Parrish. If we haven’t connected before, I would love to talk with you about PSO’s work on the national and state level. Our parent members are passionate about school choice and their stories will blow you away. I’ll be the one with an #ITrustParents sticker and button on my shirt, handing out swag bags of fun collateral and useful information. I’m also an avid tweeter, so feel free to connect with me there: @TillieElvrum. As I head to Denver later this week, it is my sincere hope that state legislators head into their policy-making sessions with one clear message: parents should be empowered to choose the best school option for their children.