what we learned on the way to the ballot box

WHAT WE LEARNED ON THE

WAY TO THE BALLOT BOX Or, Everything You Wanted to Know About Being

a Trustee with an Initiative on the Ballot but

Were Afraid to Ask

PRESENTERS

Moderator

Seth Rosenblatt – Trustee, San Carlos Elementary

Panelists

Mark Olbert – Trustee, San Carlos Elementary

(Council member elect, City of San Carlos)

Alisa MacAvoy – Trustee, Redwood City Elementary

Eileen Manning-Villar – Trustee, Pacifica Elementary

CAVEATS

We are experienced, but not experts

We’re not campaign consultants

…or parcel tax or bond counsel

Counsels can differ…so check with yours!

ADVOCATING

REPRESENTING

YOUR ROLE IN AN INITIATIVE

Defining the Need

Picking Your Dance Partner

Setting the Date

Anticipating Outside Influences

Crafting the Language

Campaigning for The Measure

Acting as a Trustee

DEFINING THE NEED

Do the Hard Work First

Then look to voters

Supports advocacy later

Sharing the pain

District - Efficiency/Cutbacks

Parents - Financial support

Set up and nurture an Ed Foundation

General populace – Tax

Diligence, integrity, and transparency

Over-communicate!

PICKING YOUR DANCE PARTNER

Consultants are cautious!

They know you stick with winners

Consulting/polling packages

Picking pollster could pre-select campaign consultant

Marketing versus Campaigning

Hiring campaign consultant prior to measure

Is that good use of taxpayer dollars?

Knowing Your Community

Consultant helps, but you know the district

SETTING THE DATE

Advocacy vs. Representation

Timing and form of election

General versus Special

Remember the fiscal dimension

All Mail versus Traditional

What else is on the ballot?

e.g. statewide propositions

ANTICIPATING OUTSIDE INFLUENCES

External events may force a decision

Speed vs. Diligence and Hard Work

Expect Odd Confluence Of Interests

Unions

Charter schools

Parent Groups

Engage Interest Groups Proactively

CRAFTING THE LANGUAGE

What you need vs. what you can sell

Amount and term

Specificity versus flexibility

Voters like specificity; boards like flexibility

Making commitments many years in the future

Prominence of language

Other terms

Senior exemption

“No Administrator Salaries”

Oversight Committee

“State can’t take away money”

CAMPAIGNING FOR THE MEASURE

When the board is divided

Trustees can advocate…

…but maybe subtly?

…at board meetings?

When many trustees want to be involved

Think about Brown Act

Staff cannot…on company time

Superintendent as expert

District employees can provide facts

Guilty until proven innocent on use of district resources

ACTING AS A TRUSTEE

Representing everyone, not just supporters

Dealing with thorny issues during campaign

Consultants don’t like them

But issues may not wait

Preserving harmony during the campaign

THANK YOU

Questions?

Contact Info

Seth Rosenblatt – [email protected]

Mark Olbert – [email protected]

Alisa MacAvoy – [email protected]

Eileen Manning-Villar – [email protected]

what we learned on the way to the ballot box

Education