YOUR VOICE
COUNTS!
Presented by Donna Tinberg
Policy & Legislation Chair
International CASE
Focus for Today:
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Critical importance of getting involved
Specific strategies for Washington
CEC Legislative Action Center
Current CASE agenda
Why advocate?
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Our kids deserve it.
Civic responsibility demands it.
Legislators want and need us.
It helps us grow as professionals and
people.
Three Types of Political Advocacy
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Formal lobbying
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An individual or organization takes a position and
actively attempts to defend or change laws or
decisions to benefit affected individuals.
Professional lobbyists frequently perform formal
lobbying for organizations.
From Wittenberg, E. and Wittenberg, E. 1989 How to Win in Washington.
Cambridge, MA: Basil Blackwell, Inc.
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Educational advocacy
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Researching the effects of legislation and
circulating the information to legislators or the
public.
A position may be stated, but no attempt is
generally made to directly defend or alter laws or
decisions.
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Grassroots advocacy
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Individuals or organization members are enlisted to take
independent action with their elected officials and/or their
staff on issues of interest.
Acting as a reliable information resource is one way to
build a relationship with congressional representatives,
and also build the credibility of an organization with
elected officials.
Legislators need accurate information in order to make
informed decisions. They also want to know how a
particular piece of legislation affects their constituents.
Audiences for our Advocacy
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Members of Congress
OSERS/OSEP Staff and other ED Offices
Governor’s Office
State Legislators
State Board of Education
State Department of Education
County/Local Boards of Education
Other Agencies or Professional Organizations
Vehicles for Advocacy
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Legislative visits
Email/phone/letter writing campaigns
CEC Legislative Action Center
Developing partnerships
Testimony at public hearings
CASE Summer Leadership Seminar
Select Your Target:
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The Champions
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Tireless, committed advocates for your cause
Can make your case to their colleagues, help
develop a strong “inside” strategy, or be visible
public spokespeople
They need good information and visible support
outside the Capitol.
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The Allies
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Generally on your side, but need a push to do
more
The Fence Sitters
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Uncommitted on the issues, with the potential to
vote either way
Key targets for lobbying efforts
Mix “inside” persuasion and “outside” pressure to
sway them
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The Mellow Opponents
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Clearly will vote against you, but not inclined to
be active on the issue
Keep them from becoming angry, but lobby
enough to give them pause
The Hard Core Opponents
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Leaders of the opposition
Isolate them and highlight the extremes of their
positions, rhetoric and alliances
Give other legislators pause about joining them
“Inside” Strategies
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Meetings with legislators and staff
Providing analysis and info to committees
and legislative offices
Testifying in committee
Negotiating with policy makers and other
lobby groups
“Outside” Strategies
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Media activity including news conferences,
editorial board visits, assisting reporters
with stories
Visits by constituents to local legislative
offices
Building broad and diverse coalitions
Grassroots activities such as rallies
Remember…
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Coordinate “inside” and “outside” lobbying
activities to get the strategic advantage in
terms of timing, targeting, message, etc.
At your tables….
 What are the key issues that MAASE should
be trying to impact at this time?
 With which other organizations should
MAASE be developing coalitions to
positively impact the key issues?
 How would you categorize the legislators in
Michigan’s delegation with regard to IDEA
and NCLB?
Making a Legislative Visit:
Arranging the Appointment
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In DC Tuesday through Thursday
In home district offices (generally)
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Friday-Monday
During Congressional recesses
During District Work Periods
August
Around holidays
Finding Contact Information
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Check the business section of your
telephone book under the legislator’s last
name.
Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-2243121 and ask to be connected to your
members’ Hill offices.
Visit the CEC Legislative Action Center at
http://capwiz.com/cek/home.
The Initial Contact
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Ask to speak with the person who handles the
legislator’s schedule.
Each congressional office schedules
appointments differently.
Introduce yourself and explain that you are a
constituent.
Tell the scheduler the date and time you would
like to meet with your legislator (be flexible) and
the general topics you wish to discuss.
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If there is more than one person attending
the meeting, let the scheduler know their
names and affiliations.
If someone in your group knows the
legislator personally or professionally, make
sure that the scheduler is aware of the
relationship.
Call the day before to confirm the
appointment.
Meeting with a “Staffer”
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Learn before calling which staffer handles
educational issues.
Do not discount staffers.
Be sure to ask for a business card before
leaving.
Logistics
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Expect the meeting to be scheduled for 1520 minutes.
Allow for delays.
Allow for travel time between Senate side
(north) and House side (south) of the Hill
Preparing for the Meeting:
Do your Homework!
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Know what issues are important to your
legislators.
Find out their current positions on the issue
that you are going to discuss.
Look at their biographies (accessible online
at http://congress.org)
Review their voting records.
Identify the committees on which they
serve.
Be Organized
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If you are part of a group, discuss what topics
each participant will address and in what order
they’ll speak.
Be certain everyone agrees on the central
message and what will be asked of the legislator.
Anticipate the counter arguments and potential
questions your legislator may ask you.
Prepare an Information Packet
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Include information on your organization.
Develop a one-page summary of your
issue(s).
Attach your business card to the packet.
Dress for Success
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Dress professionally. Although legislative
staffers may be dressed more casually than
you, the Legislature is a grand old formal
institution. Dressing conservatively is a
matter of respect and allows legislative
staffers to focus on your issue and not on
just you.
Making the Presentation
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Be on time and be patient.
Respect your legislator’s busy and forever
changing schedule.
Be flexible if your time is cut short – offer to
accompany your legislator to his or her next
appointment so you can talk further.
First Impressions
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Always begin your meeting by thanking
your legislator for taking the time to visit
with you.
If your legislator has been supportive of
your cause, thank him/her for that support.
Getting Acquainted
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Explain to your legislator who you represent and
why you asked for the meeting.
If you are in a group, introduce yourselves and
briefly describe your organization.
Present your concerns and stay focused.
Get to the point quickly by being brief and direct.
State your views in about half of the time allotted
for your meeting.
Setting the Stage
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Don’t assume your legislator has any prior
knowledge of the subject.
But don’t get too bogged down on
background information either!
All legislators want to improve the
economy and quality of life in their
district and state.
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Provide your legislator with specific, quotable
facts about how this issue manifests itself in your
district.
Use simple, bold graphs/charts to illustrate your
point.
Share a brief, memorable anecdote about a
specific student/family in the legislator’s district to
make the issue “real.”
Lasting Impressions
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Convey the overall message that if you “win,” so
does your legislator and the community.
Be careful not to antagonize or lecture the
legislator or, conversely, say only what you think
the legislator wants to hear.
Be straightforward, but courteous in expressing
your views, and be receptive to the legislator’s
questions and comments.
Don’t Know an Answer?
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Admit it!
Follow up and get back in touch.
It Takes Two
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Make sure you don’t do all the talking.
Give your legislator an opportunity to ask
questions and respond to your concerns.
If the lawmaker doesn’t volunteer his or her
position on the issue – ask!
Don’t be Timid
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Ask your legislator exactly where he/she
stands on an issue or an aspect of a bill.
There is no such thing as a lost cause;
convince your legislator that there are
enough constituents who feel as you do, so
that he/she can commit to missing the vote
or abstaining, rather than voting against
your issue.
After the Meeting
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Send a thank you letter to your legislator.
Briefly summarize the main points of the
meeting.
Provide any follow-up information that you
may have promised to deliver.
Continue to cultivate your relationship with
your legislator through a variety of
activities.
Keep in Touch
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1) Make visits, write letters and make phone calls
advocating your concerns when necessary.
2) Add your legislator’s name to your mailing list and ask
to have your office added to your legislator’s mailing list.
3) Invite your legislator to your district. Create photo
opportunities and then publish them in your publications.
4) Visit your legislator’s office whenever you are in the
DC area.
At your tables…
 Has anyone in your group done a legislative
office visit? Share how it went and what
was learned through the experience.
 What would it take for MAASE to develop
stronger relationships with lawmakers?
Written Communications
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Email generally preferred over US Mail.
Use the same formality you would in writing a
conventional letter.
Always include your postal address. Most
legislators will respond by sending a letter through
the mail rather than e-mailing a response.
Messages that appear to come from outside the
legislator’s district may be blocked or deleted
unread.
Use the Proper Form of Address
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The Honorable [Full Name]
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator [Last Name],
The Honorable [Full Name],
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Representative [Last Name],
Addressing Committee Chairs
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If writing to the Chair of a Committee,
letters should be addressed to Mr.
Chairman or Madam Chairwoman.
Time your Email
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Send your e-mail on Wednesday or
Thursday. Congressional offices receive a
high-volume of mail on Monday, Tuesday,
and Friday. E-mail that arrives on
Wednesday or Thursday is more likely to
be attended to in a timely fashion.
Content of Email or Letters
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Letters should be brief and legible.
Identify yourself and state your purpose
within the first paragraph.
Make sure your legislator knows you are a
constituent.
If your letter pertains to a specific piece of
legislation, identify it appropriately (House
bill: H.R._____ or Senate bill: S._____).
Content-continued
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Focus on one issue at a time.
State clearly your position and concerns regarding
the issue, using personal examples.
Identify the course of action you are requesting
that your legislator take.
Be courteous. End your letter by saying “thank
you” and “I look forward to your response.”
Communicating by Phone
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Identify yourself and state that you are a
constituent.
Be brief. Focus on one issue at a time.
State your concerns and position with the first 30
seconds of the conversation.
If your call pertains to a specific piece of
legislation, identify it appropriately (House bill:
H.R._____ or Senate bill: S._____).
Phone calls-continued
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State your message.
Concentrate on one or two important facts that
create a solid debate.
Stress personal experiences and give examples.
Identify the actions you are requesting of your
legislator.
Offer to provide your legislator with materials that
support your position.
Be polite. Always say “thank you” and request a
written response to your call.
CEC’s Legislative Action Center
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http://capwiz.com/cek/home/
Free service
Encourages greater involvement from the
field
Features of the LAC
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Find contact information for your members of
congress simply by entering your zip code
Access pre-written (editable) email messages on
current issues; customize for greater impact or
write your own
Legislative Action Alerts
Updated information about federal legislation and
important issues
Guide to Congress
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Get information about all members of Congress
including:
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Photos
Phone
Legislative assistant information
Committee appointments Daily Congressional Schedule
Click on Congress Today and get House and
Senate floor and committee schedules (updated
daily)
Bill Status and Sponsor Tracking
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See a list of key legislation moving through
Congress; view a list of co-sponsors
Voter Scorecard
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See how your members of Congress voted
on key special education/gifted education
legislation
Media Guide
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Use the media guide to send original and
customized emails, faxes and printed
letters to members of the media based on
city, state and type of media.
Easily locate your local media outlets by
typing in your zip code.
Free Web Banner
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Post a link to CEC’s Action Center with a
“Write to Congress” graphic on YOUR
website so that your visitors can write
directly to Congress from your home page.
How is the data used?
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CEC tracks emails sent from LAC
LAC links to Congressional web forms
(85%+ of Congress use web forms)
ADVOCACY MODEL
PREPARE
PLAN
EVALUATE
ACT
Adapted from Ziraldo Berger of Canadian CEC and the Active Living Alliance for Canadians with
Disabilities.
Prepare
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Gather background information
Define the key issues
Gather data to support/illustrate the key
issues
Plan
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Identify resources/allies
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Who is affected by this issue?
Who are the potential supporters?
Who are the decision makers?
Identify potential barriers
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Are there ways to circumvent the barriers?
Plan
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Identify a preferred solution
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Be as specific as possible
Anticipate the possible outcomes (good and bad)
What would the ideal condition look like in the
future?
What is a realistic level to achieve while
continuing to work toward the idea?
Plan
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Select your action
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Take stock of your resources
Identify the appropriate individuals and systems
that can make this happen
Identify the formats that your advocacy should
take (visits, phone, email, media, etc.)
Be prepared to counter any arguments
Determine your Action Steps
Act
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Carry out the Action Steps of your plan
Keep notes of meetings with decision
makers
Monitor what works and what doesn’t
Evaluate
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Review the effectiveness of your action
plan
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Were the key issues defined clearly enough?
Was there sufficient time to prepare?
What unanticipated barriers came up?
Were there adequate resources to carry out the
plan?
Were the desired outcomes achieved?
Principles of Advocacy
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Know your case; document facts.
Know the opposing case and develop a
strategy for countering.
Operate from a solid base of support.
Intervene at the appropriate level to be
effective.
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Take a positive approach. Assume good
will on the part of the system and give the
system a reason to accept that assumption.
Demonstrate to the system how the system
is defeating its own goals.
Strenghten alliances through shared
advocacy.
The Current CASE Agenda
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PPPSCWDs
White Paper on RtI with NASDSE
Proposed 2% Flexibility Regulations
NCLB Reauthorization
CASE
R
US!!
(and that means YOU!)
CASE Needs Its Members:
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Input via attendance at CASE conferences
Participation on CASE Committees
Feedback on web surveys
Email correspondence with Executive
Committee
Follow through on Action Alerts
Grassroots advocacy on state-level
implementation of federal policy issues
Use International CASE:
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www.casecec.org
Email the Executive Director, Luann Purcell, at
lpurcell@bellsouth.com
Contact Donna Tinberg, Policy & Legislation Chair
at dtinberg@novi.k12.mi.us
Attend the CASE Summer Leadership Seminar,
July 9-12, 2006, in Washington, DC
Never doubt that a small group of
committed people can change the
world…
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…indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.
 Margaret Mead