As we’ve posted here before, Wisconsin is facing a COVID-19 budget reckoning. While schools will undoubtedly be asked to play a part in resolving that looming revenue shortfall, school leaders need to be proactive in telling the stories of how your schools are stepping up to meet your students’ needs. We are aware that many districts have already done this (particularly superintendents) with letters to their state legislators.
Legislators need to hear from you but so do your own communities. Below are links to sample letters to legislators as well as a sample column or op-ed piece that you can share with your local media. Included are some suggestions for things to include that we think lawmakers and your communities need to know about. While district-specific information needs to be added to these sample templates, they can give you a starting point as you tell your story.
We hope these samples are helpful and encourage you to not use them verbatim.
Check out the WASB Legislative Advocacy Toolkit on our website for further advice about communicating with your legislators.
