Child Advocate
ee h h TT
February 2009 Issue 6, Volume 17
PTA: Every Child’s Advocate
Ne
ws
Fl as h!
Focus Day in Olympia Coming Soon!
Contents 7
4
February 26, 2009
8:30 am—4:00 pm Columbia Room, Legislative Building
5
Rally on the Capitol steps from 12:00 noon—1:00 pm
A full day of activities is planned including:
s Briefings on WSPTA’s priority issues s Visits with legislators s Networking with other child advocates s Additional learning opportunities For more information and to register for this event go to the WSPTA website! www.wastatepta.org
Be a Child Advocate... Make a Difference for All Children
3
Empower Your Kids
4
Communicating With Policy Makers
5
Focus on Issue: Basic Education Finance
6
Problem Solving at School
7
The Child Advocate is published online every month from September through June by the Washington State PTA, 2003 65th Avenue West, Tacoma, WA 98466-6215, (253) 565-2153. Contributors are welcome. Call the State PTA office for guidelines. Whenever PTA is used it also refers to PTSA. PTA is a registered trademark of the National Congress of Parents and Teachers.
Child Advocate
The
a Washington State PTA parent involvement publication
Washington State PTA 2003 65th Avenue West Tacoma, WA 98466-6215
WSPTA Vision, Mission and Goals
Laura Bay, Washington State PTA President Bill Williams, Washington State PTA Executive Director Karen Fisker-Andersen, Editor
VISION:
“Making every child’s potential a reality.”
MISSION:
PTA is: ■ A powerful voice for all children, ■ A relevant resource for families and communities, and ■ A strong advocate for the education and well-being of every child. The Washington State PTA accomplishes the mission of PTA by
■ Speaking on behalf of children and youth in the schools, in the community, and before governmental bodies and other organizations that make decisions affecting children; ■ Supporting parents* in developing skills to raise, protect and advocate for their children; and ■ Encouraging parent* and community involvement. * Parent may include adults who play an important role in a child’s family life since other adults (grandparents, aunts, uncles, or guardians) may carry the primary responsibility for a child’s health, welfare, education and safety.
Phone: (253) 565-2153 or 1-800-562-3804 Fax: (253) 565-7753
Website: www.wastatepta.org Email: wapta@wastatepta.org
Be a Child Advocate... Make a Difference for All Children
C
hild Advocacy is standing up for children—your own and all other children. It is an attitude, a process you go through, and the many steps along the way that bring about positive change in helping children grow and develop. Children constitute the segment of the population that policy makers often forget. Children cannot vote, are not organized and do not participate in the legislative process. Thus they have no say in creating the policies that affect their lives and well-being. National PTA efforts have led to positive changes in child labor laws, public health services, federal education laws, parent involvement policies, school lunch programs, juvenile justice protections, and many more. In Washington State, the PTA has been a leader in the fight for better schools and improved health and human services for all children and families. We cannot expect to completely wipe out hunger, racism, poverty, violence and illiteracy. But we can support nutrition programs, school reform, promote the teaching of tolerance, and urge the passage of
The Child Advocate, February 2009
new safety and health programs. We can bring about change by creating incremental solutions to big problems. The first step in making a difference for children is to volunteer. If your PTA doesn’t already have an advocacy chairperson, maybe you’re the one to accept this role. Now is the perfect time to get involved. If your PTA already has an advocacy chairperson, contact that individual and let him/her know your willingness to help out. No experience is necessary—just a genuine interest in the welfare of children and a willingness to learn on the job. With Focus Day just around the corner (February 26), you will have an opportunity to get involved at a time that you can receive advocacy training, and work to make a real difference for the children in our state. (For more information on Focus Day or to register, visit the WSPTA website www.wastatepta.org.) Building Advocacy Programs in Your PTA s Determine your issues. You don’t need to
be an expert to advocate for a cause. You do need to be willing to roll up your sleeves and do your homework. Get to know the pros and cons of your
3
s
s
issues and what information is available, forthcoming or lacking. Sources for information could include: online articles, websites, studies, newspapers, community meetings, action alert emails, etc. Investigate key questions: What is the importance of the issue to the PTA? Does it fit within the organization’s mission and goals? How will it affect the education and well being of children? Will it result in concrete and quantifiable improvements? Does the issue have clarity, and will it appeal to a broad range of people and their everyday concerns? Will it bring your members together and not alienate outside individuals and organizations? Will promoting your issue require a lot of resources, both people and money, to have an impact in persuading the decision makers? Is there organized resistance to your cause? Do you think the resistance has the ability to attract media attention, such as public figures or celebrities for spokespeople? How do the arguments of the resistance differ from your organization’s position? Do these arguments carry weight with the community or voters? Develop goals and message. Break issues into short-term sustainable goals. They should be action-oriented, clearly defined, and focused on what can be accomplished. Develop a message that resonates. The message is the disciplined delivery of PTA core beliefs that inform the public how the issues affect their families and communities. Build a network of people. Get out there and meet people, let them know about your issue. Take every opportunity to spread the word and find other people with similar interests. Change occurs as a result of grassroots pressure. Determine where you are likely to get support and what you will need to bring these supporters on board. The more people you empower, the more you build the movement and the more powerful an impact your group can have. With a few exceptions, most of those people you recruit don’t need to be experts in the legislative process or particular laws. Your volunteers need just a few simple things from you: A reason to know it’s worth their time and effort. The confidence that THEY
s
can do this. Easy (and enjoyable) ways to fit it into their busy lives. You can do this by breaking things down into manageable tasks and deciding who will do what. Develop an action plan. Identify targets and tactics. Describe the goals and objectives for each activity you plan to undertake, the audience it is intended to influence, and the range of potential outcomes. Develop relationships with media by becoming a credible source of information, staging newsworthy events, releasing information, and always telling the truth. Communicate with decision makers. Decision makers are the people who will ultimately decide your issue. They could be the principal, school board, county agency, or the Legislature. Frequent and persuasive contacts with decision makers improve your chances for success. Create a written plan in which you identify PTA goals, organizational capacity, target audiences, potential allies, opposition, and the activities to be pursued. There is no one way to change things. But the key to advocacy is to use different tactics or approaches when you see a target of opportunity. There are no road maps here. The politics of each situation will dictate a different set of responses. Some strategies you can use beyond letter writing are the following: Distribute fact sheets on an issue detailing the impact of your concerns. Write letters to the editors of newspapers. Inform neighbors and friends. Call radio talk shows. Work with state PTA to testify in Olympia. Develop letter-writing campaign or petition drives.
To be a successful advocate, you need to be able to create relationships; communicate ideas in ways others can understand; and be prepared by knowing the facts that apply to your issue. Parents don’t need to know a lot about legislation and the legislative process. Successful advocates are able to educate others (PTA members, the public and policy makers) on the issues; encourage policy makers to accept or reject proposed initiatives; and build an effective association that speaks with a united voice on behalf of children and youth. We sincerely hope that you will accept the challenge and opportunity to advocate for all children. n
Empower Your Kids Ieverything n teaching children advocacy skills, parents should encourage their children to first learn they can about the problem. Encourage your children to listen with an open mind and be respectful of other people’s challenges, without having their concerns marginalized or their self-confidence defeated. This will lead to greater understanding of the problem. Parents can help their students practice how they might address this issue and who they should talk to about it. Finally, talk to your children about how a productive outcome might look. Encourage your students to join organizations at their school where they can learn leadership skills and how to voice their opinions. Wherever possible, encourage your students to express their thoughts on their goals, dreams, and concerns. This helps build self-confidence and critical thinking. Children need to know that it’s okay for them to ask the teacher to explain why they received the grade that they did, or that they don’t have to put up with being bullied. Be there for your children if they ask for your help. Some problems may prove to be too difficult for children to tackle on their own. n
a Washington State PTA parent involvement magazine 4
Communicating With Policy Makers Y
ou can make a difference and influence laws and decisions that affect children. Don’t wait for the right time or until you completely understand the legislative process. There may never be a “perfect” time to do these things. Now is the time to communicate with your legislators, school administrators, and policy-makers through letters, emails, phone calls and meetings. Following are some tips to guide you through this important process. General Communication Tips
s Always strive to be positive and polite in your communication. Never threaten or accuse the recipients of your communication. Express your desire to work with them for the common good of the children. s Do your homework. Find out as much as possible about your issue, what the opposing side is saying and how to rebute their arguments. s Determine what argument will help to further the purpose and
The Child Advocate, February 2009
s
s s
s
desired outcomes of the decision-maker and show how your solution will help advance that purpose. When communicating with a lawmaker, be concise and clear on all your communications. State that you are a constituent and a voter. Give the bill number and title and what you would like your legislator to do about the issue and why. Explain how a bill would affect you, your family, your school, or even your state or community. Provide your return address, phone number or email address and ask them for a response on how they will vote on this issue. Thank your legislator when they have voted in a way that you agree with. If they vote against you, thank them for considering your views, but politely disagree with the way they voted. Then focus on winning another day, another way. Look for angles and new developments that could change their minds. You can contact your legislators online by going to www.leg.wa.gov/ house or www.leg.wa.gov/senate. To call your legislators, dial 1-800-
5
562-6000 and if you are hearing impaired, dial 1-800-635-9993. s For information and updates on Washington State PTA’s priority issues, go to www.wastatepta.org. Writing Letters
s Avoid using form letters. The impact of your correspondence is lessened if it is clearly a form letter. s Write one letter for each issue. Ask for a response in each letter. s Place your return address on the letter as well as the envelope. Also put your home address on your email correspondence so your legislator will clearly see that you are a constituent. Phone Calling
s Be prepared. It would be helpful to jot down a few quick notes before calling, to make sure you get your entire point across quickly. s Speak with the staff. It is rare that you will speak directly to the legislator. Since the staff often has the expertise that the legislator does not, and the legislator depends on the staff for information, you are not “settling” when you speak with them. s Ask the legislator to mail you something regarding the issue. That way you will have in writing where your legislator stands on the issue. s Be timely and start early. To increase the impact of your call, contact the legislator as soon as you can. The earlier in the process that she hears your opinion, the more impact you will have. s Check in. From time to time, it’s good to see how an issue is progressing. This also provides a good opportunity to build a relationship with the staff and the legislator. Meeting in Person
s Telephone for an appointment. Call your legislator’s office and ask for the appointments assistant to arrange a meeting with your legislator
or the staff member who follows your issues. s Identify yourself. Make sure that they know whom you represent. Are you a constituent? Are you a board member in an association? Let them know how the issues affect the folks back home. s Be prepared. Make sure that you know the key points you want to get across. Meetings are often interrupted, and someone may change the subject off of what you want to say. Make sure you are ready to give them your three or four most important points. s Be understanding and discuss both sides of an issue. The most effective advocates—those who gain and keep the ear of legislators—are sources of information as well as opinion. You will gain credibility if you can educate in one breath and persuade in the next. s Present accurate facts and good arguments. The mere fact that you want or do not want a piece of legislation to go through is not enough. If an issue goes against you, don’t rush to blame the Legislature for “failing” to do what you wanted. The failure may be yours. Make certain first that you did a good job in presenting your case. s Be realistic. Remember that most legislation is the result of compromise. It always has been so and it always will be so in a democracy. s Support your legislators. If they are running for reelection and if you believe they deserve it, support them with your time and money—as an individual, not as a representative of your PTA. Do not become aloof at the time when they need help the most. s Remember to thank him or her for his or her time. After the meeting write a thank you letter to each person you met with. Everyone likes to feel appreciated. This is especially important if you and your legislator have different opinions. Thanking them for their time, and mentioning the highlights of your meeting will build the credibility and relationship you may need in the future. n
Focus on Issue:
Basic Education Finance A
cross Washington, districts face severe financial shortfalls and some may become insolvent. It’s not supposed to be this way. By law, the state is supposed to cover basic education for all kids. School districts are supposed to tap local levy funds for enrichment programs. But as standards changed (and funding didn’t), as inflation rose (and funding didn’t), a disconnect grew between what most people consider basic and what the state actually pays for. Two years ago, Gov. Gregoire’s Washington Learns committee did a top-to-bottom, 18-month review of our education system. Its findings were grim. Here’s one of those findings: “We have been importing educated workers from other states and nations to fill our best jobs, leaving the less stable and lower paying jobs for people educated in Washington.” In response to Washington Learns, the Legislature set up the Joint Task Force on Basic Education Finance. Its charge: to review and redefine basic education and develop a funding model for it. The Washington State PTA also responded by establishing the Basic Education Funding Committee and the “It’s Basic” campaign to focus on this issue. The It’s Basic campaign focuses primarily on educating parents
6
on the current education funding system shortfalls. Aside from becoming better educated on this subject, there are some specific actions needed by parents. The most basic thing for every parent to do is to send an email, or call their legislators. Get connected to the information pipeline. Each local unit needs to choose someone to be their Its Basic contact. This can be the PTA’s advocacy chairperson or someone else. As soon as the person is selected, the board or president, needs to make sure that the council, region, and state office are aware of their new advocacy contact. This will ensure that the contact starts receiving It’s Basic communications for the unit. Inform your audience. Our membership can’t act if they don’t know what’s going on. It’s the It’s Basic contact’s job to make sure they’re kept up to date. As the largest child advocacy organization in this state, and with our successful history of advocacy, the WSPTA is in a position to make a difference on this issue. n
a Washington State PTA parent involvement magazine
Problem Solving
at School in theMclassroom any parents volunteer and the school, establishing a relationship with the teacher and others who interact with their children. Not everyone is available for this type of involvement, but all parents can show support for their students, the teacher, and the school. A short note, occasionally chaperoning on field trips, or taking the time to call and leave a brief message for the teacher will indicate a desire to share in your student’s educational experience. Reinforce the positive as soon as possible and problem-solving the negative will be much easier later. Continual two-way communication between parents and teachers builds a strong partnership for the benefit of the students. When there is continual communication between parents and teachers, positive experiences occur, problems are easier to solve, and students achieve more. Talk to your child’s teacher about his learning styles and strengths as well as his weaknesses. Find out what your chid will be expected to do during the school year. Ask the teacher what you can do at home to be involved in your chid’s education. Let the teacher know your expectations. A lot of friction between parents and teachers could be eliminated if parents were clear on their expectations. Although teachers have to make decisions for the whole class, rather than just one student, if they know your expectations they are able to make some adjustments.
If this is an emotional issue for you, writing it out will help you separate how you’re feeling from what needs to happen for the child’s educational benefit. During your meeting, expect to learn more about the situation, and allow yourself and the teacher sufficient time to process new facts and clarify information. Remember, you and the teacher have your child’s well-being in common. You have come to discuss the situation as partners and equals. Treat the meeting as a business meeting. Arrive on time, prepared both to speak and listen, and maintain a friendly and cooperative manner. Know what results you hope to gain. Establish an end to the meeting that leaves you satisfied or with an agreement for further contact about the matter.
Problem Solving with Teachers
Pitfalls
When your child comes home from school complaining about something that happened in class, consider these questions before acting: • Is this really a problem? Sometimes kids simply need to learn to adapt to a teacher’s set of classroom rules or grading guidelines. • Is this a problem my child can solve on his own? Give children the tools they need to solve some of their own programs. • Where can I look for more information on this? You need to understand the problem completely before you can solve it. Before requesting a meeting with a teacher, write down your objective.
The Child Advocate, February 2009
Occasionally, parents will encounter problems with seem insurmountable. Don’t give up! Express as clearly as you can your frustration. Make certain the teacher understands that your needs are not met and you intend to move further into the system for a solution. This does not have to be antagonistic; the teacher understands that there is an appropriate procedure for moving to another level for satisfaction. Before taking this step, review what has transpired. Talk it over with a neutral person, seeking not validation, but objective feedback. It is a rare situation that has to be taken beyond the parent-teacher
7
meetings. There is a department head or principal to whom the parent may turn when the problem-solving effort isn’t satisfied. This chain of responsibility can lead all the way to the district’s superintendent. School district personnel will point you in the appropriate direction if necessary.
important and education is the key to successfully obtaining an interesting and fulfilling job as an adult. Talk to your children about their day, check their work and see if there is any communication from the teachers. Parents should monitor their children’s progress in school to make Every child’s advocate sure they’re completing things that are required for that grade level, and The very best way to be a welcome advocate for your own child, is first make sure they are not falling behind in subjects. to be an acknowledged advocate for all children. A teacher who knows you Help students explore interests and talents. Parents should talk support education and expect all children to succeed, will more willingly to their children about what types of careers are associated with those accept your input regarding the success of your own child. talents and interests and what educational requirements are needed for employment in those fields. Make the Most of Regular Parent-Teacher Conferences Make sure students go to school ready to learn by ensuring they Parents need to be participants in parent-teacher conferences, rather have had a good night’s sleep, have eaten a healthy breakfast, and are than just observers. Write some questions down and bring them to the conference. Some suggested questions: What are the strengths and weak- equipped with a positive mental attitude. Provide children with a daily study time, and a well-lit place to nesses you see in my child? What can I do to help? Are there things you study at home with all the supplies needed to complete their assigncan suggest I can do at home? ments. Parents can provide homework help to students by helping them Other ideas parents can ask about at parent/teacher conferences understand how to solve the problems, without doing the work for them. include: how much effort the child has put forth in class, explanation of Parents should be vocal about their expectations that students will any ability groupings and their child’s placement within theses groups, social progress of the child, clarification of classroom rules and policies, attend class, treat their teachers with respect, work diligently at school, be responsible for completing their homework on time, and work toexplanation of standardized test results, samples of child’s work. wards the goals of a post-secondary education. Be Involved at Home Finally, parents should provide students with appropriate rules at What parents do at home has a profound affect on their children’s home that reinforce respectful and responsible behavior. n success in school and in life. Parents need to instill the value that school is
WSPTA Convention 2009 Convention Highlights... Dynamic guest speakers...
From both the National PTA and the community!
Convention classes...The biggest selection ever to
be offered at a Washington State PTA Convention!
Displays...View award-winning PTA programs, unique fund-
raisers, and the Reflections display!
Mark your calendars! Plan to attend on May 1-3, 2009 at the Seattle Airport Doubletree Hotel. Registration materials will be coming in February.
Convention Volunteers Needed…
Be Inspired...Be inspired and renewed in your journey as a child advocate, a volunteer leader, and a parent! Have Fun...Have fun with friends and meet other PTA leaders from around the state!
Learn...With new, innovative classes set in strands including leadership, parent involvement, and advocacy, you will have endless learning opportunities!
Get Involved… Vote on candidates and bylaw amendments to determine the future of the Washington State PTA! Get New Ideas...Learn more about the programs
other PTAs are doing and discover some new fundraising opportunities for your PTA!
Many volunteers are needed at the WSPTA Convention! Volunteers are needed in these areas: Exhibitor Security, Recognition Area, Pre-registration, General Sessions, Information Booth, Worker Room, Hospitality and more. Please be sure to contact me soon if you are interested in volunteering for complimentary attendance as the number of volunteer positions available is being reduced this year and will fill up fast. Convention Volunteer workers must contribute a minimum of three hours to receive free attendance for that day. Volunteer workers may attend classes, General Voting Sessions, and visit all exhibits and vendors. To sign up to volunteer or to obtain information about volunteering at convention, please email Sharon Pfeiffer at conv2009volunteers@gmail.com or call 206-244-3389.