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Creating a Year-Round Advocacy Program

Creating a Year-Round Advocacy Program. Marie Sullivan, Director of Governmental Relations NOVEMBER 21, 2013. Why Should You Advocate?. You make decisions that affect the education of children in your community. But… Decisions made in Olympia or Washington, DC affect your district’s:

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Creating a Year-Round Advocacy Program

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  1. Creating a Year-Round Advocacy Program Marie Sullivan, Director of Governmental Relations NOVEMBER 21, 2013

  2. Why Should You Advocate? • You make decisions that affect the education of children in your community. But… • Decisions made in Olympia or Washington, DC affect your district’s: • Level of service to school-age children • Programs to help children achieve success • Operations • Budget • Staffing

  3. Advocacy, Not “Arm-Twisting” • Advocacy is about speaking up • Share your district’s success stories • You know what works on the ground • Increase understanding about how their decisions impact kids in the classroom • Advocacy is about relationships • Get to know legislators and their staff • Understand the process, players, and issues

  4. Getting Started • WSSDA opportunities: • Legislative Committee – members elected at Annual conference • Legislative Assembly – voting on positions • Legislative Conference in Olympia • Serve as your board’s Legislative Representative • Regional meetings in the Spring or Fall • Legislative Updates to members • Federal Relations Network (FRN) to interact with Washington’s congressional delegation

  5. Getting Started • Community Opportunities: • Speaking to or becoming a member in service club organizations, associations, other boards • Knowing the reporters with the education beat for local media • Attending school-related events • Campaigning – for school director or on levy campaigns • And so much more. Remember: you are the best ambassador for your specific issues

  6. Building a Year-Round Program • Create a plan with goals, objectives, strategies • Identify what you can do individually, what you need others to do • Establish timing that reflects decision-making cycles – what they need to know from you and when • Target legislators, community partners, natural allies, potential opponents • Pick 2-3 key issues critical to the district • Develop messages, materials and a 30-second “elevator” speech related to those issues

  7. Plan: Goals, Objectives, Strategies • Be clear about what you want to happen • Keep objectives simple • Identify multiple strategies to speak up and establish relationships • Add some milestones and measurements to help track progress • Realize it will take time and is on-going

  8. Plan: Who does What • Know what your strengths are; enlist others to help with the plan • Make a list of decision makers you know, and one who influences those decision makers – then build a matrix for contacts • Do your own research – on the issues, the players, and how decisions affect your district

  9. Plan: Timing is Everything

  10. Plan: Create a Target List • Focus on all legislators in the school district – some have overlapping borders • Read the bios on the web, know which committees they serve on, what their education experience is • Get to know legislative staff • Reach out to community partners, natural allies

  11. Plan: Pick Critical Issues • Funding for education tops the list for all districts but if this is one of your issues … • Know how much state money you receive and what it buys, and how much is local funding • Know if the issue is federal or state, and what the state’s role is to make a change • Pick 2-3 issues to increase a level of understanding with legislators

  12. How a Bill Becomes Law • Bills are ideas that: • Create new law • Add to existing law • Change existing law • Bills must pass both the Senate and the House of Representatives during a legislative session

  13. Learn the Players • Legislators from your district and staff • Know committee assignments • Know issues of interest/expertise • Personal information • Legislators in leadership • Legislators as committee chairs, ranking • Committee staff • Caucus (political) staff

  14. Learn the Players • OSPI Superintendent (separately elected) • OSPI leadership and staff • State Board of Education members/staff • Education advocate organizations and associations (e.g., WASA, AWSP, WEA, PTA, PSEA, LEV, Stand for Children, PFL, etc.) • Other lobbying organizations and lobbyists • Other state agencies (DEL, DOH, DSHS)

  15. Example of Existing Activities

  16. Tips: Calling your legislator • During session, call Olympia; during interim, legislators may have a district # • Ask for the legislators or specific assistant • Give your name, title, school district • Focus on one issue/bill

  17. Tips: Calling your legislator • State your position, include the “why” or rationale for the position • Ask for your legislator’s position • Ask for your legislator if you can count on their support or if they need additional information

  18. Tips: Writing your legislator • Stick to one subject • Be brief – one page letter or one screen email • Be positive and polite – thank them for prior support and say “thank you” at end • Ask for action – and a response

  19. Tips: Writing your legislator • Avoid form letters – make it compelling to the district • Get others to write too – more voices get more attention – there is strength in numbers! • On emails, use when timing is crucial and include your postal address to show constituency

  20. Tips: Meeting with your legislator • Schedule the meeting well in advance • Note the subject matter and other attendees • Do your homework on the legislator and the issue • Prepare the presentation • If more than one person attending, pick a spokesperson to lead the conversation

  21. Tips: Meeting with your legislator • Introduce yourself and/or team • Briefly present your case (2-3 minutes) • Provide “the facts”; avoid emotion or inflammatory words • Note the local impacts of the decision or consequences • Use visuals or compelling stories • Allow for questions, legislators to state their position • Leave a one-page summary or statement • Follow up with a written “thank you” • Restate your position • Provide answers to questions

  22. Advocacy Year-Round Calendar

  23. Advocacy Resources - WSSDA • Advocacy Manual • Legislative Updates during session • Daily E-clips Web site: www.wssda.org • Legislature Web site: www.leg.wa.gov • Hotline: 800-562-6000 • Legislative info Center: 360-786-7573

  24. Advocacy Resources • Printed Materials • Citizen’s Guide to K-12 Finance • http://www.leg.wa.gov/Senate/Committees/WM/Documents/Publications/BudgetGuides/2009/K1209.pdf • Washington School Finance Primer • www.k12.wa.us/safs/PUB/PRI/primer99.pdf • Organization and Financing of Washington Public Schools • http://www.k12.wa.us/safs/PUB/ORG/09/2009OrgFin_Final%20Copy.pdf

  25. WSSDA Advocacy Contacts • Marie Sullivan, Governmental Relations Director • m.sullivan@wssda.org • 360.742-7647 cell; 360.252.3010 desk • Nan Laughton, Administrative Assistant • n.laughton@wssda.org • 360.252-3011 desk

  26. Save the Date! January 26-27, 2014 Legislative Conference Day on the Hill Registration Open Now! Sponsored by: WSSDA/WASA/WASBO

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