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Home > Parents > Meeting Legislators
Having an Effective Meeting With Your Legislators
- Meet legislators as soon as possible. Make a friend before you need a friend. It's effective to meet them before the legislative session begins. Invite the staff member who handles education issues to join the meeting.
- The purpose of the first meeting is to introduce yourself, discuss your school and invite them to visit your school.
- Confirm your appointment if you made it far in advance. Remind the scheduling staff of the meeting's topic and confirm that any information you sent has arrived.
- Keep the visiting group small. Three is ideal; six is maximum. At least one person should live in the legislator's district. Consider having a school leader, an action team member, a parent and a teacher or school board member do the visit together.
- Review the points to be made and questions to be asked of the legislator. Meet with the rest of your group and decide who will lead the discussion, who will make which points and who will ask which questions.
- Be prompt. Arrive five minutes early.
- Have someone in your group take notes. Do not record the entire conversation.
- Don't stay too long. Twenty to 30 minutes should be ample. Don't be insulted if you only get 15 minutes.
- Always be polite and courteous. You are gathering information and seeking support, not debating issues. You don't win support by going on the attack.
- Meet the aides and staff and make a note of their names and personal information for future reference.
- Send a personal thank-you note (U.S. mail, not fax or e-mail) within three days expressing appreciation for the legislator's time and enclosing any information you promised to send.
CONGRATULATE YOURSELF FOR BEING AN ADVOCATE FOR PARENTAL EMPOWERMENT!
For assistance or additional information please contact MAPSA at (517) 374-9167 or MAPSA@charterschools.org.
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