Speak Up and Be Heard! Advocating for Every Child Martell and Ronda Menlove

I believe that I can make a difference Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has. --Margaret Meade

Advocacy with the school, district, and state boards

Every child starts with my child Primary responsibility is to ensure that your child has a positive experience. Your presence can have both a negative and positive impact. Increase the positive by: Listening and starting with a compliment Respecting the teacher and administrator Volunteering to be part of the solution Developing relationships

Join the local PTA You already did this!!! Actively participate in PTA Room mothers Fundraising Involve your spouse Engage other parents Be an ambassador for the school and public education People will listen; what you say matters

School Community Councils Mandated in legislation Election dates may be confusing Often hard to find parents to serve Why would you want to serve? Important school decisions are made by the school communities councils Distribute the School Land Trust Funding Develop relationships with principals and teachers

Local school district, charter boards Each district and charter school has a school board. Board responsibilities include: Setting the budget priorities Adopting curriculum and instructional programs All district and school employees are approved by the board. Where do I find information?

Box Elder School District website

Working effectively with your board Get to know your specific school or charter board member. Develop a positive relationship. Don’t just communicate about problems. Attend and participate in local board meetings. They want parents there! Consider running for the school board.

Utah State Board of Education 15 elected board member, 4-year terms Represent over 150,000 constituents Recruiting and screening committee selects candidates Governor interviews candidates and selects 2 to run You vote! Election process is under review Get to know your board member Attend meetings and be well prepared

State Board of Education website

Advocacy with the Legislature

Understand the legislative process What happens behind the scenes at the Utah State Capitol? How does the legislative process work? Where does the legislative process really start? What are the most effective ways to exert influence in the legislative process?

The Utah Legislature 104 Legislators 75 Representatives (2-year term) 29 Senators (4-year term) Working with 1 Governor (4-year term) 45 day session (includes weekends) 33 working days (7 weeks) Legislators serve on standing(policy) and appropriations (budget) committees Interim meetings in non-session months

Following the Utah Legislature

Bills by the numbers Successful bills must pass at least one committee, both the House and Senate, and be signed by Governor. 784 bills introduced (120+ Education bills) 486 bills passed (60+ passed) 483 bills enacted (59+ enacted) How a bill becomes a law 276c9a09d3/

State budget

Influencing boards and legislators

Influencing the legislative process Join a political party. Get to know local party leadership. Attend meetings, donate, volunteer. Attend caucus meetings. Become a delegate. Engage others and provide information about important issues—Facebook, websites, newsletters, meetings. Ex: Education First, Prosperity 2020

Communicate that you VOTE Every vote counts. Vote for education-friendly candidates. Encourage others to vote. Host voter education events. Make sure people are registered to vote. Educate your organizations and networks about the unique Utah election process.

You CAN influence the process Advocacy or “lobbying” local school boards, the State Board, and the Utah Legislature does make a difference. Don’t buy into the myth that you can’t influence local and state decisions. It is not true! You can make an impact. The key to success is consistent and relentless work with many people coming together for a common goal.

Communicate with elected officials Contact elected officials directly. Determine the best way to contact your board members and legislators. , letter, phone call, personal visit. may not always be effective. Start with a positive, then a question. End with a “thanks”. Listening opens doors. Keep conversation short, to the point.

Share clear, concise information Keep it to one, easy-to-read page. Summarize information and format it in an understandable manner. Use bullets for key points and tables and charts for data or numbers. Remember that elected officials receive large amounts of print information. They value briefing sheets that are quick to read and clearly communicate with supporting data and facts.

Public education policy issues Education Task Force Education technology Education savings plan (vouchers?) Funding Testing and report progress Utah Core Curriculum State Board of Education elections College and career readiness Role of the federal government

Take away messages Elected officials will listen to you. You are constituents. You have a vote. Become involved at the local level. Elected officials need constant, positive, and kind reminders of issues. Legislation, policy, and budget work is never done. Any policy can be amended or any budget can be cut. Monitor issues and budget allocations.

Questions and discussion