Board Members as Legislative Advocates

School board members can help their districts by building collaborative relationships with their legislators. There are many ways to do this:

• Invite them to your school and to a board meeting. Show them the good things that are happening in your schools. Explain challenges your district faces and show them areas where your district needs additional support. Don’t wait until the legislature is in session to invite them to your district – they probably won’t have time then to visit.
• Explain how proposed legislation would affect your district. Give actual data and reasons specific to your district. Give them a reason they should support or oppose the bill. Tell them about any unintended consequences you perceive to be in a bill.
• Offer to be a source of reliable information or a sounding board for the legislator on education-related bills.
• Acknowledge and thank legislators when they vote on a bill in the way you have requested.
• Communicate both the positive and negative aspects of a bill.
• Counter half truths and inaccurate information with facts.
• Treat legislators with respect, and remember to disagree agreeably.

During a legislative session, check the ASBA website frequently. This will help you keep up with education bills so you can speak to your legislators about those that are not in the best interest of your district or those that you support.

Legislators typically have specific areas of expertise and interest. As an education proponent, give them specific reasons, real-world examples and statistics that they can use when they discuss the bill with others.

It’s helpful to understand the data overload legislators face during a session. While those of us in the education community can focus our attention on education bills, legislators ultimately are responsible for voting on every bill.

The sheer volume and variety of material they must know well enough to cast an informed vote is daunting. In the 2005 legislative session there were 3,176 bills filed. One day over 300 bills were filed. Many bills get changed (amended) during the process of debate, often more than once. Each amendment can change important aspects of a bill or even the whole bill.

Regardless of how conscientious and dedicated legislators are, it is a challenge to know the full effects of each bill. They often rely on others to educate them about a bill. Your informed comments about pending legislation can have a real impact.