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Invite Your Legislators to School
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | November 13, 2012
Have you invited your legislators to school this school year?
The November election has assured a challenging political environment for K-12 education in Madison. Many of you now have new legislators, but even if you don’t, now is a good time to renew your relationships.
It is clear to me that in order to meet the challenges posed by the 2013-15 state budget and the private school voucher advocates, SAA members must enhance their ability to influence their legislators at the grassroots.
The best way to influence your legislators is to develop relationships with them. Each legislator has a “small circle of experts” that they count on for advice on various legislative issues. It is important for you to become one of your legislator’s experts on K-12 education issues. Inviting your legislators to your school is a great way to begin or continue developing this relationship. Use the visit as an opportunity to showcase your school and to let your legislator know that you are an important source of information for them on K-12 education issues. You’ll also have an opportunity to discuss the major issues impacting K-12 education.
If you have not invited your legislators to school yet in 2012-13 school year, take the time to extend that invitation. In fact, make it a point to meet personally with each of your legislators to review key issues at least once a year. It’s a good idea to coordinate these visits with your district’s administrative team.
Remember, the SAA’s success on state legislative issues is, in large part, dependent upon your ability to influence your legislators at the local level.
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