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Building Grassroots Support and Citizen Involvement
The success of public education and the achievement of all students depend on the involvement of the community. Building a coalition with local partners and involving them in decision making will help develop community support for public education, enable district initiatives to succeed and advance state and federal advocacy efforts.
Build a Coalition: Include the board's philosophy, goals and practices for advocating for education and building local partners in written board policies. Seek citizen involvement in decision making. Include citizens, elected officials and community leaders on board advisory committees and strategic planning teams. Permit public participation at school board meetings. Place matters of interest on board meeting agendas. Distribute board minutes, school performance reports and other district publications to community partners. Publicize the district's Web site. Establish and maintain relationships with municipal, county, technical colleges, and other local officials. Hold joint meetings with other local government entities to discuss issues of mutual concern. Attend local civic organization meetings. Conduct tours of your district for community leaders. Invite local, state and federal representatives to a school board meeting or community forum. Make sure your district is visibly represented at forums, discussions or presentations on issues affecting children. Encourage district staff to meet with staff members from other agencies in similar positions.
Local Partners: Students Teachers and staff Parents/Parent Teacher Associations Retired school employees Local businesses/Chambers of Commerce Local news media Service and civic groups Senior citizens Alumni Churches/temples Law enforcement Local government Non-profit associations Local colleges and universities Childcare providers/Private preschools Realtors Others
School Board Member's Role in Legislative Process Communicating with Legislators Working with the Media Making Advocacy a Habit How the WASB Can Help
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