How to Have Successful Hill Meetings August 22, 2017

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Presenters Amanda Karhuse Director of Advocacy, NASSP Zach Scott Manager of Advocacy, NASSP

Capitol Hill Day: Tuesday, September 26

Agenda Scheduling Your Meetings Hill Meeting Myths How to Maximize Your Influence Additional Advocacy Resources

Scheduling Your Meetings Assume that your meeting will last at least 30 minutes You should also ensure at least 15 minutes to travel between each meeting, especially if you are going from the House to the Senate or vice versa

Scheduling Your Meetings Let NASSP know your Hill meeting times via the Google Document: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cBKTA7R3DybTxXxej00HBL0ogjW1M_qUry6-qxNQlOI/edit#gid=0 Email Zach Scott at scottz@nassp.org with any questions or concerns.

Scheduling Your Meetings http://www.visitthecapitol.gov/plan-visit/us-capitol-map House side Office Buildings -Rayburn -Longworth -Cannon Senate side Office Buildings -Russell -Dirksen -Hart

Hill Meeting Myths Myth #1: Practitioners’ voices like mine don’t really matter in crafting federal policy Myth #2: Meeting with a staff member is not nearly as important as meeting with my legislator

How to maximize your influence

Before Your Meeting Do some “homework” Review NASSP materials on the Legislative Advocacy page Prepare examples, personal stories and data/statistics Find background information on the legislators or staffers Prioritize your top 3 issues

Before Your Meeting Do more “homework” Find a piece of legislation, a resolution or something that the legislator has worked on in Committee that relates to the issue you are discussing (Based on your passion for ______, I thought this issue would be of particular interest to you)

Before Your Meeting Practice your “pitch” Draft talking points for each issue Don’t assume the legislator or staff knows the issue well Prepare your “ask” (e.g. cosponsoring a bill, supporting funding for a particular program)

Before Your Meeting Keep in mind that on some days, staffers take between 5-10 meetings so think about how to be memorable Make sure you are familiar with everything in the folder as some staffers like to discuss all of the issues with you

During Your Meeting Arrive a few minutes before your scheduled appointment time Introduce yourself to the staff at the front desk and tell them with whom you are meeting Give your business card to the MOC & staff

During Your Meeting Make a connection with the MOC & staff (Do they have a family member who attended your school? College? etc.) First thank them for the meeting, and then go into your first “pitch” and “ask” Have a conversation that allows for questions from all parties

During Your Meeting Try to think of specific examples of how the issue you are discussing impacts your life as a school leader (Unable to fund specific programs because of budget shortfalls, understaffed, etc.) Be prepared to answer difficult questions on the issues you are discussing; some staffers may ask very technical questions

During Your Meeting Monitor your time and adjust accordingly to cover all of your issues Leave the NASSP folder of materials with the MOC or staff Thank them for their time and ask if they would like any follow-up information Ask to take a picture with the legislator or staffer with whom you met

After Your Meeting Immediately after: Post photos & information about your meeting on Twitter & Facebook and use the #PrincipalsAdvocate hashtag As soon as possible: Send a thank you email that reiterates your key points and “asks” Offer to be a resource and tell them to contact you whenever needed

After Your Meeting In the next few days: Share your experience & photos with your local media and school community Reach out to the district or state office and invite the MOC or staff to visit your school Complete the NASSP Hill Day Meeting Report

Advocacy Resources NASSP Website www.nassp.org/legislative-advocacy ESSA Toolkit for Principals https://www.nassp.org/advocacy/essa-toolkit School of Thought Blog http://blog.nassp.org/

Advocacy Resources Principal’s Legislative Action Center (PLAC) www.nassp.org/PLAC Twitter @NASSP, @akarhuse, @zachscott33 #PrincipalsAdvocate Congress www.house.gov, www.senate.gov, and www.congress.gov/

Advocacy Resources Federal Grassroots Network Commit to regularly meeting with your member of Congress & staff Stay informed by receiving the monthly FGN newsletter Participate in future trainings and 2018 advocacy conference http://www.nassp.org/Legislative-Advocacy/Get-Involved/NASSP-Federal-Grassroots-Network

Contact Information Amanda Karhuse NASSP Director of Advocacy karhusea@nassp.org 703-860-7241 Zach Scott NASSP Advocacy Manager scottz@nassp.org 703-860-7292

THANK YOU! DISCUSSION Comments & Questions