School Board School Board Member AdvocacyMember Advocacy

bybyFred DeutschFred Deutsch

Watertown School Board Member Watertown School Board Member

fred.deutsch@k12.sd.usfred.deutsch@k12.sd.us

GOAL:GOAL:To provide tools, ideas, To provide tools, ideas, personal experiences, personal experiences,

references and resources references and resources to help school board to help school board

members become better members become better advocates for public advocates for public

education. education.

About MeAbout Me Fifth year School Board Member Fifth year School Board Member

from Watertownfrom Watertown Married 30 years with four daughtersMarried 30 years with four daughters Believe part of the calling of a school Believe part of the calling of a school

board member is to represent the board member is to represent the best interests of our children, not just best interests of our children, not just locally, but at the state and national locally, but at the state and national levels too. levels too.

How Do Your How Do Your Legislators Learn?Legislators Learn?Some People learn by reading,Some People learn by reading,

Others by observing,Others by observing,And others just have to learn And others just have to learn

by peeing on the electric by peeing on the electric fence.fence.

-- Will Rogers-- Will Rogers

Advocacy is a matter of Advocacy is a matter of the Heartthe Heart

ItIt’’s the Power to s the Power to Create Change . . . Create Change . . .

And its PowerAnd its PowerComes from WithinComes from Within

Fundamental BeliefFundamental Belief At the heart of School Board Advocacy is At the heart of School Board Advocacy is

the belief that the people that know best the belief that the people that know best are those closest to the child. are those closest to the child.

Part of our job as School Board Members Part of our job as School Board Members is to represent the best interests of our is to represent the best interests of our children to those that make the laws.children to those that make the laws.

We must share our stories. Legislators We must share our stories. Legislators must understand how the decisions they must understand how the decisions they make impact our children at the local make impact our children at the local level.level.

ItIt’’s easy to sit and complain. s easy to sit and complain. Advocates actually Advocates actually ‘‘dodo’’

something. Isnsomething. Isn’’t that why we t that why we were elected?were elected?

The tyranny of a The tyranny of a prince is not so prince is not so dangerous to the dangerous to the public welfare as public welfare as the apathy of a the apathy of a citizen in a citizen in a democracy.democracy. - Montesquieu, 1748- Montesquieu, 1748

Can we Really Make an Can we Really Make an Impact?Impact?

Absolutely. Legislators have to make Absolutely. Legislators have to make hundreds of decisions every year, and hundreds of decisions every year, and they make those decisions based on the they make those decisions based on the information available. information available.

They listen to their constituents, They listen to their constituents, particularly those with knowledge in the particularly those with knowledge in the area they are advocating. area they are advocating.

We are on the front lines in our We are on the front lines in our community and can explain the real-life community and can explain the real-life impact of state and federal level impact of state and federal level decisions. decisions.

Foundations of Foundations of Effective AdvocacyEffective Advocacy

Develop your Develop your RFPRFP

RelationshipsRelationships FactsFacts PassionPassion

RelationshipsRelationships

The key challenge is to The key challenge is to build respectful, trusting build respectful, trusting relationships with relationships with lawmakers that lawmakers that strengthen support for strengthen support for public schools.public schools.

“Trust is the residue

of promises fulfilled.”

RelationshipsRelationships

Must Read Book Must Read Book

Tips and ToolsTips and Tools

to Develop to Develop Legislative Legislative

RelationshipsRelationships

Invest yourself into Invest yourself into developing relationships developing relationships with lawmakers – but not with lawmakers – but not just during session. To just during session. To win the advocacy game, win the advocacy game, we need to develop and we need to develop and nurture relationships nurture relationships throughout the year.throughout the year.

Personal Personal CommunicationCommunication

The best way to The best way to communicatecommunicate

is either face-to-face is either face-to-face or through insightful, or through insightful, personal letters/email. personal letters/email.

When Writing, Keep in When Writing, Keep in Mind:Mind:

Focus on one issue or bill per letter.Focus on one issue or bill per letter. Express you point of view and explain Express you point of view and explain

why your legislator should be why your legislator should be supportive. Be brief and courteous.supportive. Be brief and courteous.

Explain the local impact of the Explain the local impact of the legislation.legislation.

Request your legislator take a specific Request your legislator take a specific position on the issue.position on the issue.

Ask for a response. Ask for a response.

Communicate at Communicate at CrackerbarrelsCrackerbarrels

Crackerbarrels are Crackerbarrels are opportunities for state opportunities for state legislators to gather legislators to gather community input on important community input on important legislation during session. legislation during session.

They are a great opportunity They are a great opportunity for face-to-face interaction.for face-to-face interaction.

To Email State LegislatorsTo Email State Legislatorshttp://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2010/MemberMehttp://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2010/MemberMe

nu.aspxnu.aspx

Click on Name to Bring up Click on Name to Bring up Contact InfoContact Info

To Email House Ed To Email House Ed MembersMembers

http://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2010/Committhttp://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2010/CommitteeMembers.aspx?Committee=17eeMembers.aspx?Committee=17

To Email Senate Ed Members To Email Senate Ed Members http://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2010/CommitteeMhttp://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2010/CommitteeM

embers.aspx?Committee=4embers.aspx?Committee=4

Key National ContactsKey National Contactshttp://thune.senate.gov/public/

http://johnson.senate.gov/public/http://hersethsandlin.house.gov/http://hersethsandlin.house.gov/

Ongoing Communication is Ongoing Communication is ImportantImportant

Other Relationship Tools:Other Relationship Tools:Facebook FriendsFacebook Friends

Another Relationship Tool: Another Relationship Tool: BlogBlog

Communicate through an Communicate through an Organized Network Organized Network

Become a member of the ASBSDBecome a member of the ASBSD’’s Legislative s Legislative Action Network (LAN) – members are kept Action Network (LAN) – members are kept informed about current educational issues. They informed about current educational issues. They develop and nurture constructive dialog with develop and nurture constructive dialog with state lawmakers. state lawmakers.

Become a member of the National School Become a member of the National School BoardBoard’’s Federal Relations Committee (FRN) – s Federal Relations Committee (FRN) – members receive regular communications from members receive regular communications from NSBA about congressional activities. We dialog NSBA about congressional activities. We dialog with our congressional delegation, and once a with our congressional delegation, and once a year meet face-to-face with them in Washington year meet face-to-face with them in Washington DC. See Wayne Lueders for additional DC. See Wayne Lueders for additional information.information.

Tips and ToolsTips and Tools

for Gathering Factual for Gathering Factual Information to share Information to share

with Legislatorswith Legislators

Talk to your Talk to your Superintendent Superintendent and Business and Business

ManagerManagerLearn how current or Learn how current or

proposed legislation is or will proposed legislation is or will impact your district. impact your district. Document, document, Document, document,

document. document.

Become a Become a LearnerLearner

Read, read, Read, read, readread

Learn from Books: My Learn from Books: My ““Sweet-16Sweet-16”” List of Must- List of Must-

ReadsReads Becoming a Better Board Member, by NSBA Eight Keys to an Extraordinary Board-Superintende

nt Partnership, by Eadie Failure is NOT an Option, by Blankstein Five Habits of High Impact School Boards, by Eadie F utur e-F ocused L eader ship:Pr epar ing Schools, Stud

ents, and Communities for T omor r ow’s Realities, by Marx

Good to Great, by Collins Leading Change: The Case for Continuous Improve

ment, by NSBA Raising the Bar: A School Board Primer on Student

Achievement, by NSBA

My My ““Sweet-16Sweet-16”” List of Must- List of Must-Reads for SB Members Reads for SB Members

(part 2)(part 2) Rethinking Leadership: A Collection of Articles, b

y Sergiovanni Sixteen Trends, Their Profound Impact on Our F

uture, by Marx T each L ike Your H air ’s on Fire, by Esquith The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Covey The Board Savvy Superintendent, by Eadie The Key Work of School Boards Guidebook The Sandbox Investment: The Preschool Moveme

nt and Kids-First Politics, by Kirp What Matters Most for School Leaders: 25 Remin

ders of What Is Really Important, by Ramsey

Learn from Education BlogsLearn from Education Blogs

Understand the DataUnderstand the Data

Resources & Research for Resources & Research for Information GatheringInformation Gathering

American Institutes for Research (AIR) (AIR) American School Board Journal (ASBJ)) Associated School Boards of South Dakota (ASBSD)) Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)) Center for Public Education Education News Education Week Federal Education Budget Project IDEA – US DOE N at ’l Council on Teacher Quality NCES Common Core of Data National Academy of Education

Resources & Research for Resources & Research for Information GatheringInformation Gathering

National Education Association (NEA)) National School Board Association (NSBA)) Partnership for 21st Century Skills SASD School Data Direct SD 2010ESD 2010E SD Administrative RulesSD Administrative Rules SD Board of RegentsSD Board of Regents SD Codified LawsSD Codified Laws SD Department of Education (SD DOE)SD Department of Education (SD DOE) SD GovernorSD Governor SD LegislatureSD Legislature

Resources & Research for Resources & Research for Information GatheringInformation Gathering

SDSD’’s K12 Data Centers K12 Data Center SDSD’’s NCLB Report Cards NCLB Report Card SD Education Association (SDEA)SD Education Association (SDEA) SD High School Activities Association (SDHSAA)SD High School Activities Association (SDHSAA) Trends in Higher EdTrends in Higher Ed US DOEUS DOE US Representative Stephanie Herseth SandlinUS Representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin US Senator John ThuneUS Senator John Thune US Senator Tim JohnsonUS Senator Tim Johnson US DOE Budget OfficeUS DOE Budget Office US House BudgetUS House Budget US Senate BudgetUS Senate Budget White House OMBWhite House OMB

Passion: ItPassion: It’’s what Drives s what Drives UsUs

Passion is What Stirs us to Passion is What Stirs us to ActionAction

Passion overcomes Road Passion overcomes Road BlocksBlocks

Passion Persists through Passion Persists through FailureFailure

Passion Persists through Passion Persists through CrapCrap

Persist through CrapPersist through Crap

ThereThere’’s no magic to becoming s no magic to becoming a good advocate. Ita good advocate. It’’s like s like

anything in life . . . It takes anything in life . . . It takes practice, practice, practice.practice, practice, practice.

WeWe’’re Not at a Loss for re Not at a Loss for Issues – We Issues – We ‘‘CanCan’’ Make a Make a

Difference!Difference!ESEA reauthorization (No Child Left Behind)ESEA reauthorization (No Child Left Behind)State Funding FormulaState Funding FormulaConsolidationConsolidationSparsity FactorSparsity FactorIDEA IDEA Child Nutrition Act reauthorizationChild Nutrition Act reauthorizationAmerican Recovery and Reinvestment Act and Education American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and Education

Jobs FundJobs FundFederal funding for K-12 educationFederal funding for K-12 educationSchool vouchers and charter schools School vouchers and charter schools Early childhood education Early childhood education Education technology, e-rate and the national broadband Education technology, e-rate and the national broadband

planplanPerformance pay Performance pay Common Core academic standardsCommon Core academic standards

South Dakota House South Dakota House Majority Leader Bob FaehnMajority Leader Bob Faehn

U.S. Senator Tim U.S. Senator Tim JohnsonJohnson

U.S. Senator ThuneU.S. Senator Thune

Email me at Email me at fred.deutsch@k12.sd.us fred.deutsch@k12.sd.us

for a copy of this for a copy of this PowerPoint.PowerPoint.