As an elected official, each of us is an advocate for children. The LR (Legislative Representative) is key to this process by:

• being responsible for providing information to your own Board about legislative issues; and
• providing accurate and concise information on public education in a timely and effective fashion to your legislators.

What is "Clout" . . . and how do we get it?

Webster defines "clout" as a noun meaning "a blow, especially with the hand" or "a hit in baseball;" it may also be a verb meaning "to hit forcefully." Imagine Babe Ruth "clouting" the ball about 500 feet over the right field fence in Yankee Stadium. It becomes easy to understand how the word clout has come to be used in political and business circles to mean "great and effective influence" or "sufficient pressure to achieve a desired end."

Within any legislative process some individuals and organizations have more clout than do others. They are the ones who win, whether by helping to influence the passage of desired legislation or by defeating the undesirable.

School directors in Washington state, individually or collectively, as elected representatives of their communities and as advocates for public education, seek more legislative clout.

Advocacy and lobbying . . . the same or different and how to be effective.

"In the minds of many citizens, lobbying is associated with something bad," wrote former PDC executive Director, Graham Johnson. He continued, however, "Lobbying is necessary and honorable. Legislators, as decision-makers and policy-setters, need information. They need facts, views, thought, ideas; and they need to know the possible consequences of the various alternatives they may be considering. Those who will be working with the results of legislative action are in the position to provide that kind of advice."

Despite recent decreases in funding, Washington state provides a larger percentage of districts budgets than does almost any other state in the Union.  Because of that, your role as an advocate for public education is necessary and more relevant than that of any other school directors in the nation.

Washington state laws encourage open and free discussion between and among elected officials. School directors all-too-frequently believe that legislators do not want to hear from them. That is simply not the case. Because legislators are very busy people in a very tense environment, it only makes sense that some common courtesies exist when communicating with legislators.

• DO NOT bring up an issue particular to your local district if you are in a group representing WSSDA. Talk with your legislator at another date and time to share your districts view.
• DO be brief and to-the-point.
• DO NOT lecture or patronize.
• DO explain the problem, but . . .
• DO NOT forget to explain the proposed solution.
• DO give examples of how the issue relates to your local school district.
• DO attempt to personify the issue with names of students, teachers, school buildings, etc.
• DO NOT threaten. Never, never threaten.
• DO be accurate in your information. If you don't know, say so. You are a volunteer elected official. You are not expected to know everything (and neither are the legislators).