Structure of the Committee
The committee consists of a chair and members from both schools and universities who are interested in serving the organization and fulfilling the purpose of the PA&ER Committee. The Chair is an appointed position and serves a two-year term, which can be renewed according to the NAPDS Bylaws. The Chair attends all Association Leadership Meetings, provides monthly updates on committee activity to the Association Leadership, and offers input on Association Leadership decisions but does not have voting responsibilities. Only elected members to the Association Leadership may vote. The composition of the committee mirrors the Association’s commitment to equal representation from PK-20 institutions. 

History of the PA&ER Committee
Since its inception, the NAPDS had a policy and external relations committee. Dr. Les Sternberg (former Dean, College of Education, University of South Carolina) served as chair while the NAPDS was created and incubated within the University of South Carolina. Following its separation to become an independent organization in 2015, Dr. Danielle Dennis (Director, School of Education, University of Rhode Island) served as chair for one year (2016-2017). In 2017, the NAPDS Association Leadership decided that advocacy needed a more prominent role in the organization and made it a part of its five-year strategic plan. Thus, during the Bylaws revision in December 2017, “advocacy” was added to the committee, changing the name to the Policy, Advocacy, and External Relations Committee. Dr. Rebecca West Burns (Associate Professor, University of South Florida) became the first chair of the expanded PA&ER Committee.