Lobbying 101

For our 1st real post we just wanted to give you some tips to remember.

1. Lobbying is all about building relationships. This develops over time through repeated interactions.
2. Contact information for legislators is on the legislative website (email, text, or call). Reach out and let them know that you are a constituent.
3. Attend townhall meetings for your representative or senator.
4. Be informed if speaking about a specific policy proposal but speak from your experience and don't feel the need to know every detail of the legislation.
5. Don't get into arguments. If a legislator is not receptive or is argumentative, agree to disagree and look to find common ground.
6. Work to understand the concerns of the policymaker driving decisions. What is it they really want to accomplish?
7. Avoid education jargon when speaking with non-educators. You will lose the impact of what you are saying.
8. Legislators are more likely to remember a personalized story than a policy discussion. Stories and personal experiences illustrate the real-world impact of policy ideas on classrooms and students.
9. Policymakers want to know solutions, not just problems, so include an "ask" (i.e., solution) in your conversation.
10. Remember, you are the education expert. Most legislators are not full-time educators. They are not in your classroom daily. You know how policies impact your students and profession. Speak from your expertise.