As constituents, community leaders, and educators with a keen understanding of the practice of public education, MASA members are a position to engage their lawmakers on a variety levels.  Engaging directly with lawmakers allows members to shape their lawmaker’s opinions and their understanding of key political issues.  This kind of direct influence can have an immediate and decisive impact on the state and national policy that affects schools.

This section of the toolkit with provides you with information on engaging lawmakers as . . .

A Constituent

Legislators care what their local voters think and want.  Lobbying can lay the ground work for shaping policy, but the real influence comes from direct MASA member contact with legislators.  Whether that contact comes through an email, letter or phone call, understanding the protocol for contacting your lawmakers is key.   The MASA Legislative Action Center (see the Legislative Action Center section) is one powerful tool that you can use to engage your local lawmakers.  The tools in this section will also give you information on effective letter writing and phone calls.

A Community Leader

MASA members are leaders in their communities and, as such, are in a position to influence the people around them.  Their role also puts them in position to build relationships with lawmakers and, from that, be able to effectively lobby them.  The tools in this section will teach you how to build relationships with lawmakers, effectively lobby them, and engage lawmakers and community members through a calendar of activities that will influence both your local voters and lawmakers.

An Education Policy Expert

Lawmakers seek and out rely upon the input of experts in various fields to help them shape public policy.  MASA members bring to the table an understanding of how schools operate at every level.  They can provide valuable insight as to what impact a particular idea or piece of legislation will have on schools, both for the better and the worse.  The final set of tools in this section will teach you how to effectively prepare for, execute, and follow up on your committee testimony and, as such, will help you communicate your knowledge in a way that make an impact.

In this section, you will find the following tools

• Ten Golden Rules of Lobbying
• Building Relationships with Legislators
• MASA Grassroots Calendar
• Legislative Protocol
  • Letter Writing
  • Phone Calls
• Testifying Before A Committee
  • Ahead of Time
  • When You Get There
  • Afterward