events in a box Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals Inviting Legislators to Your Region Meeting Three Reasons for the Invite: 1. Relationships, Relationships, Relationships Any lobbyist will tell you that building ongoing RELATIONSHIPS with legislators is one of the most important things you must do to help shape good public policy. Building these relationships, if possible, before you need to address a specific issue is best, but even if you aren t able to do that, work to build the relationship nonetheless. Legislators are people too and they are much more likely to take advice and counsel from a source they know and trust than one they are just meeting. 2. Because YOU are the Expert Michigan legislators are now term limited and have a great deal to learn about many issues in a short period of time. Legislators seek out and rely upon the input of experts in various fields to help them shape public policy. MASSP members bring to the table a valuable understanding of what impact a particular idea or piece of legislation can have on schools, both for the better and the worse. It is not always an easy role to play, but remember that as an educator who has to live with the changes that legislators enact, you have a compelling and energizing reason to keep fighting until you get what you need. 3. Growing the Grassroots Whether you are trying to influence your local legislator to support a piece of legislation or building community support for a bond issue, political power resides with the people. Don t wait until the pressure is on before you start to build your local your grassroots network, in this case the principals in your area. Reach out and develop a communication and advocacy relationship before you need it so it s ready to go when push comes to shove. Inviting your local legislators to your regular region meetings is a simple first step in engaging your grassroots network, and the effort is worth the payout because grassroots advocacy is powerful! It not only puts legislators in contact with their constituents, but also connects voters with each other to drive public opinion through interpersonal contacts. Events in a Box - Legislator Invite by the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License. 1
How to Extend the Invite: 1. Call your the legislative office and ask to speak to the staff person in change of scheduling. If you have a personal relationship with a legislator or happen to run into him/her around town and want to extend a personal invitation, that s great, but formal scheduling should always be done through the legislative office. 2. Explain who you are (including your position and your school) and that you are calling to invite the Representative/Senator to your Region meeting. 3. Be prepared to answer the following questions: When and where is the meeting? Who will be in attendance? Why are you inviting the legislator? Are there specific topics you want to discuss? How much time will he/she have to speak? 4. Tips for Success If the staff person doesn t ask for this information, you should offer it to them anyway. Set aside specific time in your meeting agenda for the legislator and don t expect him/her to stay for the entire meeting. If possible, be willing to be flexible with your meeting dates and/or times to improve the chances that a legislator will be able to attend (remember that they are typically in Lansing all day Tuesday-Thursday). 5. Most likely, the staff person you talk to will have to check with the boss before being able to respond to your request, so make sure to leave your contact information for an RSVP. 6. Specifically ask for an RSVP, either yes or no or you may not hear back from the office. 7. Follow-up with an email invitation to the legislator s office detailing all the information outlined above including your contact information. If the Legislator ACCEPTS: 1. Follow up in writing with your thanks and any additional details (including directions or a meeting agenda) that the person may need. 2. If you have a few specific questions you think are likely to come up, particularly if you have invited the legislator to your meeting to discuss a specific topic, include those so he/she can come prepared. 3. See the Keys for a Successful Meeting with Your Legislator guide for suggestions on preparing for your meeting. If the Legislator DECLINES: 1. Don t be discouraged, just because the Representative/Senator couldn t attend your meeting this time doesn t mean he or she will always decline. 2. Whether you are communicating by email or phone, express your regrets and let the office know you will look for anther opportunity to have the legislator to your region meeting or a similar event. 3. Ask what times and days work best. 4. Be on the lookout for another good opportunity to involve the legislator with your group. 2
AFTER Your Meeting: 1. Make sure to follow up with the legislator s office by email with any materials or information that you promised to deliver. 2. Always be sure to send a thank you note, preferably handwritten. 3. Be on the lookout for other opportunities to engage your legislator: Invite him/her to an event at your school, like a game, or to present an award of some type. Have them back to your region meetings, particularly if the experience was positive. Most representatives and senators will also have local coffee hours or office hours when constituents can stop by and discuss issues with them. Sample Communications: The following is sample text for emails you can use to contact your legislator after you have called his/her office to extend the invitation: FOLLOW-UP Invitation Email: My name is and I am the (Principal/Assistant Principal) at (school) in (location and/or district). I am following up on a recent phone call I made to your office inviting you to attend our upcoming MASSP Region (X) meeting. Region (X) is made up of principals, assistant principals, and teacher leaders from (geographic area covered by the region). We are meeting at (location) at (time, date). [IF INVITING ON A SPECIFIC TOPIC] We would like to invite you to meet with our group on (issue). As principals, we have a frontline perspective on how this issue impacts students and schools and would very much appreciate the opportunity to share our perspective and knowledge with you. Particularly since this topic directly affects our buildings it is also something about which we are particularly passionate. [IF INVITING FOR A MEET & GREET] We would like to invite you to come meet our group and discuss your vision for education policy in Michigan. As principals, we have a frontline perspective on how many of the issues that are debated in Lansing impact students and schools. We would like to give you the opportunity to get to know our group and tap into our expertise and understanding on many of the issues you are facing. We very much hope you will be able to join us at our region meeting. Please RSVP to (contact) whether or not you will be able to attend so we can make sure to build our agenda appropriately. We look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, (name, title, school, contact info) 3
Follow-Up Email If They DECLINE: Thank you for getting back to me about attending our upcoming MASSP Region (X) meeting. While we are disappointed that you will not be able to attend, we certainly understand that your schedule can be demanding. We would still very much like to arrange a time when you could meet with some of your regional principals. We will stay on the lookout for opportunities to engage with you and hope that in the meantime you will look to our group as a resource on education issues about which you have questions. We stand ready to work with you to bring positive change to Michigan s education system. Sincerely, (name, title, school, contact info) Follow-Up AFTER THEY ATTEND (preferably handwritten): Thank you for attending our recent MASSP Region (X) meeting and getting to know your local principals. We very much appreciated your perspective and candor on the issues you are facing in Lansing. We hope that in the future you will look to our group as a resource on education issues. We stand ready to work with you to bring positive change to Michigan s education system. Yours, (name) 4
Keys for a Successful Meeting with Your Legislator: Making direct, personal contact with your legislator can be the most effective means of influencing his/her opinion. In order for your regional group and MASSP as a whole to be successful in driving our issues, it is crucial to build the relationship between you as principals, community leaders and your Representative and Senator. Following these basic guidelines will help ensure that your meeting is successful and runs smoothly. Do Your homework. Whether you have invited him/her to speak with you about a specific issue or just to get to know your group and its areas of interest, review as much of the available background material on your legislator s positions as possible. Come Prepared. If you are only speaking about one issue, have questions ready ahead of time. If this is just a meet and greet, pick two or three key issues that your group can agree are your priorities that you want to communicate to the legislator. Select a Spokesperson. Having one or two people leading the conversation will help keep things on track and ensure that the conversation is effective. Stick To the Issues. Keep to the issues or business at hand. Don t spend too much time on socializing. Stay focused on the main topic of the conversation or the two or three priorities you are looking to communicate. Be Knowledgeable. Understand and be able to speak in some detail to the particular things you want to discuss. If any of those things are specific pieces of legislation, know the bill number, its sponsor, and its current status in the legislative process (you can find all this information at http://legisalture.mi.gov). Relate Examples. Give your legislator examples of how legislation will affect your building, students, and district. Be Brief and To the Point. If you have expert knowledge or specific data about a bill, you can be of great help and very influential to your legislator. Be sure to present your legislator with your data or information in writing before he/she leaves, or get it to his/her legislative office as soon as possible after the meeting. Offer Clear Proposals. Give substantive reasons for making changes and supporting information to justify your positions if you are proposing amendments to a bill or an alternative solution to a problem. Show Appreciation for Support. There is no reason to belabor issues on which your group and the legislator agree. However, make sure to let your Representative/Senator know you appreciate his/her support of your position and ask what, if anything, your group can do to champion the issue. Keep Your Cool. Particularly, if your legislator disagrees with you, try to avoid prolonged or controversial argument. There are neither permanent enemies nor permanent friends in politics. You may need to reach out to this legislator again in the future and if you lose your cool, you not only lose the case, but also harm the relationship. Allow your legislator to express doubts, questions or opinions without interruption. A calm, reasonable attitude and well-prepared reasons for your position may change minds. Contact MASSP for Support. You are a busy building administrator and we are here to help you. Contact MASSP beforehand for information, research and assistance to make your meeting a success! 5