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Communicating with Legislators
Do:
Your homework. Know your district, the issues, the political process and your legislators. Develop rapport over time. You do not need to be chummy with a legislator, but you do need to be respected. Be a source of reliable information. If you inadvertently offer erroneous information, always contact your legislator and explain the mistake as quickly as possible. Treat the legislator with the dignity and respect you expect for yourself. Give your legislators your home and work contact information so they can get in touch with you during a critical vote. Work with a legislator's staff. Staff members do research, draft bills, make recommendations on amendments, and develop expertise in areas in which their legislator cannot devote the time. Develop strong grassroots support. The more people forming the consensus that you speak for, the more impact you'll have. Invite your legislators to board meetings and district Events.
Don't: Wait for your legislators to contact you - pick up that phone! Be rude, offensive or argumentative. A good guideline to follow is "Will the legislator invite me back or avoid me in the future?" Give an ultimatum. Learn to accept rejection without having it destroy a relationship; this week's enemy is often next week's ally. Resort to name calling. If you use strong negative labels for those who oppose your proposals, you may alienate them forever. Expect to change a legislator's mind immediately. Get frustrated. We can't expect victory overnight. We often have a difficult task and have to learn to rejoice in small victories. Take a shotgun approach. Focus on your board's priorities for the district, rather than trying to accomplish everything at once. Forget that legislators are faced with hundreds of bills and thousands of constituents, but only a few are also elected officials with policy-making responsibilities. You are both accountable to many of the same constituents.
School Board Member's Role in Legislative Process Working with the Media Building Grassroots Support and Citizen Involvement Making Advocacy a Habit How the WASB Can Help
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