For Amie Crowder, the thought of speaking in front of Congress is daunting, but worth it for the cause she’ll be representing. 

“I want the same education for my neighbor's child as I would want for mine, as I would want for a grandchild or a child across town,” Crowder said. “As fearful as I might be standing in front of some of those legislatures, those children will be paramount on my mind, and my job is to fight for their education.”

The Newton Falls school board president has been chosen by the Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA) to be a delegate with its Federal Legislative Advocacy Group (FLAG), she shared at a school board meeting Thursday night. Crowder is a member of OSBA’s Northeast Region Executive Committee. 

The FLAG delegates will travel to Washington, D.C., in September and, according to Crowder, testify on Capitol Hill. It’s her first time as a delegate, and she told 21 News she plans to use her time in front of Congress to advocate for public dollars staying in public education. 

“We're expected to do the same educational process with less monies that are filtering to these other schools that are not held in the same state standards,” Crowder said. “Our constitution provides for a free and public education … It does not say free charter education or private education.”

Crowder said she is not using any district funds for the trip, and is instead paying for it herself. She said she encourages community members to reach out if they have stories or information that would be worth sharing in her testimony. 

“It's not just the money. It's the quality of education,” Crowder said. “It's the right to have equal education.”