Meeting with legislators can sometimes be intimidating. When meeting with a legislator, here are some tips:
- Share the AMSD platform and your local district needs
- Consistent messaging increases effectiveness. Develop consistent message themes for school leadership, school board members, principals and others to deliver to legislators.
- Repeat priorities and needs in different delivery forms (meetings, school tours, e-mails, handouts) and different messengers (superintendent, school board members, leadership staff, parent leaders, etc.)
- If your legislator introduces a bill on your behalf or one your district supports, be available to provide
testimony and handouts to support the bill. - Ask your legislators if they are interested in establishing a regular meeting.
- Add legislators and staff to your news and press release distribution.
- Your concerns and messages will be better received at the end of the session during budget negotiations if you’ve established an ongoing rapport/relationship.
- Focus on priorities. Provide clear, concise talking points; don’t bombard them with too much information.
- Make sure information is relevant and timely.
- Keep interactions positive and clear.
