| A - APPOINTMENT:
Make your appointments with your members of Congress
BEFORE you leave for Washington DC. Even though you can
always walk in and talk to someone, your chances of
seeing the right person (such as the staff person who
handles education) will be much better if you let folks
know you are going to be there. Your purpose in visiting
your representative is to inform him/her about federal
education in your district and how NCLB is being
implemented. B - BUILDINGS: There are a lot of
buildings on both sides of the Capitol. The Metro system
is wonderful, and Union Station is very close to the
Capitol. The National Mall with all the Smithsonian
museums stretches out in front of the Capitol toward the
Washington Monument. …………(p.s. …. The Mall is NOT a
shopping Mall!)
C - CAPITOL HILL: It really is a HILL. The Capitol
is in the middle between the House and Senate office
buildings. The Supreme Court is right behind the
Capitol. D - DO’S & DON’TS: Be polite and
respectful. State your positions clearly on issues.
Don’t argue. Don’t be rude. Don’t make a big issue of
something that is dear to the heart of your legislator.
DO NOT LOBBY!! THAT IS NOT YOUR ROLE!
E - ELECTION: Remember, all members of the House
and one third of the Senate were just elected or
reelected. And, the presidential election has already
started. Education issues are at the top of most
agendas. Do your homework and represent your district.
Legislators want to know what’s important back home. F - FOLLOW UP:
When you get home, send a thank you letter to show your
appreciation. Send a copy to your superintendent—and
maybe something for your local newspaper. Take a photo
of yourself and your legislator and send it along to the
newspaper. G - GOAL: Have your goals for what
you want to accomplish in the few days you will be in
Washington. Keep visits to your legislators high on the
list. H - HOMEWORK: Find out as much as you can
about your legislators before you get to DC. What were
the election issues? If your representative is new, why
did he/she get elected? What is important to the folks
who represent you? I - INFORMATION: Bring
information about your district—statistics, good news,
pictures, and news stories. If your district is pleased
with the support from your legislator, bring him/her a
resolution from your Board of Education. K - KEEP IT SIMPLE:
This goes for what you say as well as for your main
messages. Keep advertising in mind, and make your
message easy to understand. Most important, make your
message easy to remember! L - LOBBYING: You are
NOT a lobbyist! Don’t talk about money or changes you
think need to be in the laws. Talk about programs and
their effectiveness. If your salary is paid even partly
from federal funds, you must totally avoid any semblance
of lobbying. What is lobbying? It is defined as attempts
to influence legislators about legislation, promoting
projects for future legislation, and trying to sway
legislators toward specific action. M - MAP: Be sure
to have a map so that you know where you are going.
Don’t be confused by the various office buildings—the
Senate is on one side of the Capitol (north) and the
House on the other (south). When in doubt, ask. Pay
attention to NW and SW as compared to NE and SE on the
street names. There is a reason for them. N - NCLB:
This should be your number one topic of conversation—in
regard to how the law is being implemented in your
district. O - ON TIME: If your appointment is
at 2:00, give yourself enough time to get there 15
minutes early. There is no excuse for being late, so be
on time! Don’t plan on a three hour visit. Plan to stay
10-30 minutes. P - PREPARATION:
Know what you want to say, and come with facts about
your district and how the students in your district are
being affected by federal education programs –
especially NCLB. Q - QUESTIONS: You may want to
ask your legislator some questions about her/his views
on certain aspects of education. Listen carefully. The
legislator is representing you and/or the families in
your district. R - RELAX: Don’t be nervous,
scared, or intimidated. These folks work for you, but
always be respectful. S - SUCCESS STORIES: You
can’t beat this one. Naturally, lawmakers want to know
that what they put into place for you and your district
is making a difference. Tell them what is happening in
your schools. Bring evidence of your success stories –
data, charts, photographs. T - TOUR: There are many tours to
take in our nation’s capital, but the most important one
is the tour of the Capitol. Your meeting will be in one
of the office buildings, so don’t leave without a tour
of the Capitol. V - VISION: Go to DC prepared
to help your legislator develop a vision for education
in the coming months. Education issues are NOT at the
top of every legislator’s priority list. It is part of
your job to make sure that Education is part of the
Vision. W - WASHINGTON DC: It’s our nation’s
capital, and sometimes it seems as if this city is the
center of the universe. Springtime is when the tulips
and cherry blossoms show their splendor, and just think
of the history in this city!
X - EXIT: Know when to leave, but make sure that
you leave your X—your business card and how to contact
you for additional information! Have someone take a
picture of you with your representatives….. and take the
photo to your local newspaper office when you get home.
Elected officials like the publicity, and your district
will too. Y - YOU: This visit is not about YOU,
so don’t have your feelings hurt if you meet with a
legislative staffer instead of the member of Congress
because that is most likely who you will meet with.
Staffers know what is going on, and they often have a
lot of influence with their boss, the legislator. Treat
these folks with respect just as you would the Senator
or Representative. Z - ZOO:
Is Washington a zoo? If you think it is, remember it is
your Zoo, so any changes are up to you and your fellow
voters! See you in Washington DC.......... Revised
January 2008 |
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