1. Decide the issues: What are three key successes at your school and three key challenges, particularly those exacerbated by district budget cuts? Plan to share these with your legislator. Your school principal or other staff can help you identify and focus on these issues, if necessary, but remember that your own stories are especially important.
   
   

   Possible examples of successes:

   • A reading intervention program that is bringing kids up to grade level.
   • Community and parental involvement in the school.
   • A math lab that is improving achievement.
   • A challenging curriculum integrated with the arts.
   • Student newspapers, newsletters or projects that are especially engaging.
   • Art and music projects that highlight the gifts and/or cultures of the students.
   • Student community service projects.

   Possible examples of challenges:

   • Crowded classrooms.
   • Declining enrollment.
   • Difficulty with funding transportation for as many children as you feel need it.
   • High cost of student activity and athletic fees.
   • Diversion of resources to NCLB testing or compliance.
   • Insufficient services to kids and families living in poverty.
   • Loss of ELL staff.
   • Loss of or limitations on special programs, such as gifted and talented.
   • Loss of or limitations on fine arts programs or world language instruction.
   
   
2. Plan the time: Assume a two- to three-hour visit. Depending on the time of day you have set aside for the visit, decide what you’d like to do with your legislator. 
   
   Plan to begin the day by spending a little time (10-20 minutes, depending on your comfort level) with the legislator in a gathering place where you won’t be interrupted.  This will allow for introductions and outlining the planned activities for the day. Sitting down with a cup of coffee can create a relaxed and cordial atmosphere for beginning the day.
   
   

   Suggestions of possible activities for the rest of the visit:

   • Share a meal with children in the cafeteria. If lots of kids eat breakfast at your school, that would be a nice start. If lunch fits the schedule better, do that.
   • Visit a classroom; have the legislator read a book to the class or participate in a math or social studies lesson; a short presentation by a class on a particular culture they’ve been studying or that is represented in their classroom could be informative.
   • Stop by an ELL, special education or reading intervention session to observe the work done there.
   • If there’s a short student assembly happening, the legislator can visit, or s/he can participate in a gym class.
   • Consider giving students an opportunity to ask questions of or interview the legislator for the school paper.
   • Create a collection of photographs of students and school activities which can be given to the legislator and compile a duplicate collection of the photographs for a display at the school.

   Plan on having some time (10-30 minutes) at the end of the visit for parent hosts to sit down with the legislator, perhaps in the school’s library/media center, to wrap up the day. This will give parents an opportunity to clarify any concerns they have and to answer any questions the legislator has. This will also provide parents and the legislator with an opportunity to articulate a follow-up plan or further communication.

   You might find that a visit of an hour-and-a-half is more comfortable for you than a 3-hour visit. That’s fine. Plan the time in a way that you think will be enjoyable for the legislator and the parent hosts and that will convey the important things you feel s/he should know about your school. The amount of time they spend at the school is less important than everyone having as positive a day as possible.

3. Send a letter confirming the date and time to the legislator. Thank them for their willingness to spend their time with this and give any directions they will need: where the school is, where you will meet them, the names of their parents hosts, the time frame for the day, etc.
   
   
4. Prepare a small packet of information for your legislator about your school and/or district. This can be as simple as a brochure about or newsletter from the school or it may be more comprehensive.
   
   If your district can offer you more information, or if you have a parent in your organizing group who would like to work on this, here are some possibilities:

• Comparative data – year-to-year comparisons of enrollment, heating and transportation costs, health care costs, classroom expenses, etc.
• An outline detailing the effects of current budget cuts.
• Anticipated future cuts (school year 2004-05).
• Concerns about the future funding of education.
• Hopes and dreams for education, e.g., school buildings that can physically accommodate the number of students.
• No Child Left Behind (NCLB) – Report on the current effects of NCLB on your school and how the next phase of NCLB will affect your school.

For more ideas, see Media Kits.

Next