Go to
the Senate web site at http://www.senate.gov,
or the House web site at http://www.house.gov,
click on your state to find your Congressman. Click on “contact
us” for the address, phone numbers and fax numbers for the
district offices and the Washington Office.
1. Meet, 2. Write, 3. Telephone
Meeting
with your legislator
It always makes an impact on members of Congress when constituents
take the time to visit in person.
The purpose of the meeting:
-
to
persuade your legislator to take appropriate position on
issues related to adult education by supporting (or opposing)
a particular bill
-
to
continue a relationship with your elected officials and
their staff, and let them know you are a resource for adult
education and literacy issues.
Simply walking through the door raises the awareness of the
importance of the adult education program and services. And,
you don’t
have to travel to Washington to meet with your legislators. Members
of Congress return to district or state offices most weekends and
holidays.
The following suggestions may help make your meeting effective:
Contact Policy Committee or Washington Staff. We can help
you put your visit in the context of current adult education issues, and
brief you on how you can help advance our legislative efforts. E-mail the
the Council at
dc2@ncsdae.org or call
202 624 5250. Check the House web site at
http://www.house.gov/house/2005_House_Calendar.shtml,
and Senate web site at
http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/legislative/one_item_and_teasers/2005_schedule.htm,
for times when your Congressman may be in the home district.
Plan Your Visit Carefully. Small groups
are generally best (the Director, a teacher, and an adult
learner for example). You probably will not have a lot
of time with your legislator, so be clear about what you
want to achieve. Remember to begin and end the conversation
with a specific request that you’d like you legislator
to follow up on.
Make an Appointment. Contact the legislators’ appointments
scheduler to arrange a meeting. Explain your purpose and
whom you represent, because it is easier for the staff
to arrange a meeting if they know what you will be discussing
and your relationship to the issue. You may need to be
persistent, but be polite.
Be Prompt, Patient and Polite. It is not
uncommon for a legislator to be late, or if you are visiting
the Washington office, to have a meeting interrupted due
to committee or floor actions. Be flexible. If you are
interrupted, if possible, continue your meeting with a
member’s
staff.
Be Prepared. Prepare a brief fact sheet
about your adult education program to leave with your legislator.
Legislators must take a position on many issues and may lack
details about the specific issues. Leaving a one-page document
on the impact of your program is especially helpful.
Put Your Issue in Context. Legislators
want to represent the best interests of their district
or state. Wherever possible, demonstrate the connection
between what you are requesting and the broader interests
of the member’s
constituency. How many adults do you serve? Your success
related to learner outcomes. Collaborations you have with
other agencies.
Be
Responsive. Be prepared to answer questions or promptly
provide follow-up information. While it is important to know
the substance of an issue, you are not expected to know all
the technical details. It is always acceptable to say, “I
don’t know, but I’ll find out and get back to you.” Follow
up with a thank you letter that outlines the different points
covered during the meeting and answer any remaining questions;
send other items as requested. Use a meeting as an opportunity
to build and continue a relationship with an elected official
and their staff.
Writing
your Legislator
Surprisingly, few people ever write their elected officials, but
for members of Congress, mail is an important connection to the
opinions of their constituents. For every letter received, it is
assumed that many constituents feel the same way. Because of the
delay in mail due to the anthrax issue, it is wise to fax (not
from your business fax machine) your letter.
Go to the web site of the Senate at http://www.senate.gov,
or of the House at http://www.house.gov,
click on your state to find your Congressman. Click on “contact us” for
the phone numbers and fax numbers.
Before you write a letter, consider the following suggestions:
Identify the bill or issue first. Your purpose for writing
should be contained in the first paragraph. About 20,000 bills are introduced
each year in Congress, so it is important to be specific about a bill number(s).
The NCSDAE web site, http://www.ncsdae.org,
and the Policy Committee will reference the appropriate bill numbers in
the action alerts that are sent out.
Identify
yourself and whom you represent. Whether you are a single
concerned constituent or you represent your adult education organization,
the effort you are making on behalf of adult education sends
an important signal. If you take the time to write, you probably
take the time to vote too.
Be brief. Keep letters concise and to the
point. As a rule of thumb, stick to one issue per letter
and try to keep the letter to one page.
Include anecdotal or local information.
Let your legislator know how the issue may affect you and
your program. Include specific examples or success stories
where appropriate. Key information would include how many
adults you serve, how you meet your performance standards
and other learner outcomes, and your services have done for
workers, families, and the community you serve. Describe
the reaction(s) you often receive from the adults who are
successful in your program.
Be courteous. Even if you do not agree with
the person, maintain a level of respect. Also, be sure to
appropriately commend the legislator for any past help or
support on the issue.
Ask for a specific action. Tell your representative
that you want them to take some specific action, such as
cosponsoring a bill, supporting an amendment or making
a floor statement about a particular issue. Again, the
Policy Committee and staff at NCSDAE can help you compose
your request — check
the Council web site at http://www.ncsdae.org to
see what most recent request is.
Personalize letters. The more personal the
letter, the more impact it will have. If letters are typed,
a handwritten postscript at the bottom can be helpful. Also,
include your home address on your letter. The envelope may
be separated from the letter and your letter will be thrown
away if your name and return address is not labeled clearly.
If you choose to e-mail a letter, be sure to include your
mailing address in the text.
Address the letter as follows:
[Date]
The Honorable [_________]
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
or
The Honorable [_________]
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear [Senator/Representative _________]:
Follow up. Never underestimate the power of constituent
reaction — positive or negative — to a legislator! Did he/she
respond to your request? If so, thank them for their support. If not, don’t
be shy about expressing your disappointment. Describe the importance of
your request and its impact on your adult education services. Be sure to
ask for the legislator’s support in the future.
Telephoning
your Legislator
The effect of the telephone call is similar to that of letter
writing. If a significant number of calls on an issue are coming
into an office it alerts staff to specific constituent concerns.
Like written communications, volume counts. If your time is limited,
making a quick phone call might be a better way to communicate
with your legislators.
Contact the appropriate staff person. Ask
to speak with the staff person that deals with the issue
you would like to address. Adult education is funded through
the Department of Education, so you should first ask for
the staff person that handles education. If he or she is
not available, ask to leave a message so that your inquiry
is recorded. Keep the message brief and focused. If referencing
a specific bill, it helps if you include the bill number
or sponsors.
Do not be intimidated. Although telephone
calls may make you nervous as compared to writing a letter
because you are speaking with someone personally, you are
still a constituent with concerns that they must take seriously.
Keep in mind the most successful advocacy is not a single event or communication.
Advocacy is an ongoing process. Each of the methods described above will
provide a way for you to establish a relationship with your legislators
and to nurture those relationships that already exist. Your legislator
needs to be reminded what adult education is and the role the services
play in ensuring that adults and families in their communities are able
to take advantage of all the benefits of living the community and make
full contributions to the community.
Thanks to Reach out and Read at http://www.reachoutandread.org/index.html and
The American Society of Association Executives, the sources for these guidelines.
