afterschoolnetwork

-Safe place

-Good environment

Oregon – politics is local, work close to home first; be concise; how does it impact close to home; use staff persons; keep legislators aware of what you are doing

Arizona – know staff if a term limited state (they may stay when elected official is gone); be vigilant, know who your champion is; influence elections, recruit persons to support your agenda; don’t rely on a politician un understand data

Missouri – find people who know someone to talk to legislators; keep lines of communication fluid in all ways; consider that you are providing information; identify a key legislator; be prepared to take any route to get in budget

What does conversation look like?

• It’s a workforce issue
• Connect any hot topic in your state to afterschool
• How you use data can make a difference
• Make sure you know what afterschool is all about & relate it; use a common vocabulary
• Know issue that is important to legislator and relate to what is important to him/her
• Start during campaign, call on both parties; engage staffers
• Make plans to work w/legislators when they aren’t in session; invite the spouse
• Be sure to know your agenda – what is the “ask”
• Pay attention to superintendents who are being hired – during interview ask where he/she stands on topic
• “School improvement” may be language to use
• Funding can go through several state agencies – health, human services, education – complement NOT compete
• Find out from legislators how they spent their time afterschool – what did they do as youth?
• Agencies that have school age monies – how you can be helpful in their afterschool program; department of natural resources, conservation, etc.
• Expand partnerships in your community
• Don’t take things for granted
• Slow cooker, not microwave - long process
  

// posted by Rebecca Kelley @ 9:22 PM