WSPTA Focus DayThursday Feb. 26, 2009AdvocacyInFull View

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WSPTA Vision PTA Vision:Making every child's potential a reality PTA is:A powerful voice for all children.A relevant resource for families and communities.A strong advocate for the education of every child.

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WSPTA MissionAccomplished by:

Speaking on behalf of children and youth in the schools,in the community, and before governmental bodiesand other organizations that make decisions affecting children.

Encouraging individuals in community involvement. *

. Show and Tell: Different and why Easier, the least for the most Description of the event Your Feedback Virtual Participation - CapWiz*New Focus Day

Our Focus is . . . .1 Role Collective advocacy1 Agenda Rally on the Steps1 Message - BEF1 of Many - Partners 1 Multitude Us1 Outcome Influence all legislators*

Focus on 1 Specific RoleSubmit Issues and Survey the Membership, Establish Priorities at Legislative Assembly

Nurture relationships with Legislators Focus Day*

Focus on 1 Specific AgendaRally on the Steps*

Focus on 1 MessageBasic Ed Funding is our top priority

PTA supports the work of the Basic Education Funding Task Force*

Focus on being 1 of Many Partners*

Focus on 1 MultitudeSize matters!*

Promote participationVirtually . . . .

CapWiz!*

Focus on 1 OutcomeInfluence Legislator Perceptions*

Promote participationOnline registration

Online support*New!

Promote participation -CarpoolCharter a bus*

Visualize yourself here . . . .*

Promote participation -

Maps, directions, support materials

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And visualize yourself here. . . .*

Give FeedbackDo you see barriers to using an RSVP system?May we address obstacles to help your members use CapWiz in significant numbers?Would you like additional activities in the Columbia Room i.e. speakers, meetings with legs, structured networking, etc?Can we better support year-round contact with legislators?

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Your Action Items Save the date! Personally contact your legislators Show up, bring your friends Communicate that funding is top priority Plan ahead to invite others Participate - dont be a slacker Ask legislators about their support of BEF

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Contact Information

WSPTA Focus Day Co-ChairsByron Shutz &Shelley Kloba425-867-1941425-823-9732bcshutz@comcast.net shelley@kloba.com

Legislative Director - Paul Cheek253-845-6395ptalegdir@wastatepta.org

Advocacy Coordinator - Kim Howard,253-565-2153khoward@wastatepta.org

everychild.onevoiceeveryvoice.anadvocate*

Make no little plans, they have no magic to stir mens blood.Daniel Burnham*

Good Morning thanks very much for your interest and effort to be here early this morningto hear about Focus Day, and to help develop Focus Days roleas the demonstration of State PTA advocacy -- we greatly appreciate your participationI am Byron,andI am Shelly.We are going to share the show this morning, trading turns at further waking us all up at this Saturday hour..so, Shelley -

*I am going to begin by posing a question to you all----- what is WSPTA without advocacy?

It is the core of our existence..

Frankly, without legislative advocacy wed all function as PTOs

All of us concerned only with what is going on inside our own building, not linked together towards a higher purpose

We would not be speaking in the community on behalf of children and education,and before governmental bodies and other organizations that make decisions affecting children.

*And so how is Focus Day advocacy? Its role is to:

visibly highlight our commitment to supporting change,

visibly highlight the unity and depth of our obligation to advocacy partnerships, and,

this year in particular, visibly convey State PTAs attention & resources towards the Basic Education Finance Task Force work.

Another State PTA committee the Education Committee on Basic Ed Funding is a big part of the effort this year too with the Its Basic informational campaign and programs would the members of that committee like to stand to be recognized?

Many of these same folks volunteered to develop the State PTA position on the proposals presented BEF in July

Focus Days role is also an effort to zero-in on becoming effective advocates to display the potential for State PTA to be influential as a significant advocacy group, on any issue, as an organization.

This afternoon you will learn more on how to build and strengthen relationships 1-on-1 with your legislators throughout the year.

So Focus Day is to show you and everyone that you are not alone, but fully engaged.

Over the next 20 minutes or so well cover 3 topics around Focus Day

Several weeks ago on the leg-listserve, in a response to notes with suggestions for evolving some characteristics of Focus Day, I spontaneously offered up 3 cryptic phrases as clues to a teaser riddle

The 800Solos are for rock stars, andSeriously, beam me up, Scotty

Well try to live up to the hype when we highlight the meaning to each phraseas we come to its part of the presentation. You may already have a feel for them .

And well ask questions later for your input

Please do email us with your comments, suggestions or concernson the developing concepts reviewed here today.

*SHOW & TELL HOW LESSONS LEARNED

Input / Requests to-date by Members, BOD, and Leg. Comm:

We listened to member input from various formal and informal surveys, feedback forms, plus meetings and discussions last spring and at Convention, and the main points of some hard-earned lessons of past Focus Days have been examined carefully

Well share what we think has been learned,how this year will be significantly different, and what else we need to learn to make Focus Day (FD) an even more effective component of the inter-related, individual advocacy endeavors that you all conduct throughout the year.

So listed up on the screen are the items we will focus on:

1 specific role for Focus Day:1 specific Agenda:1 Message:1 of Many Coalition Partners:1 Multitude Size Matters:1 Outcome Influencing Legislator Perception

And at the end of each section, well mention a specific action you can do.Lets get started on the first part

*Lets get started on the first part of the show

What Will be Different for this years Agenda and Goals, and How It Will be Easier to Participate?

First, this year we are all getting started months in advance and have plenty of time to further develop various options and plans.

A number of FD Resources are already up on the State PTA Legislation web pageto support your year-around advocacy with your legislators, with which whom your contact leads to a more productive Focus Day in February.

Though still a progress in work on the details, we think there will likely be these main progressions from previous events:

And FD is different because the year is different there are generational, watershed events occurring, a sea-change in history -- we are at a time and place when our organization truly must change and adaptand must deliver one message in order to be successful.*Focus on 1 specific role for Focus Day:

This big event serves as a distinctive climax to our advocacy efforts before and after the Legislative Session, It will emphasize the advocacy role infused through all Washington State PTA activities and events; Will facilitate better year-round integration with consistent contact by individual constituents with their legislators throughout the year.

Indiv. Action: personally contact your legislator once or twice before FD They dont bite, honestly!

*First, the #1 feedback from attendees is that you liked hearing legislator speakers.

Secondly, there is a preference to concentrate attendance nearly exclusively on one genuinely meaningful activity Thus - the Rally On The Steps

The single 12 noon to 1:00 event focuses arrivals and departures around that 1 hourAnd the one very visible event

So it is all about the rally, but there may still be activities in the Columbia Room before and after the Rally, we are still exploring ideas and organizing outside the building for attendees simply coming & going from the rally

Traditional meetings with legislators wont be discouraged, but minimally highlighted or supported; to focus legislators on the rally event too .

But the event is about the goal to really augment more of your year-round advocacy.

Any mass-showing in Olympia is a cap to those efforts.

FD is a game that gets us onsite to have influence when things are in play

A rhythm and schedule to the legislative process, and it depends greatly on what transpires starting the very day the Session opens.

So, a major group event in mass is often better than a mass number of 1-on-1 with Legs.

We are hardly the only org in the game vying for priority, visibility or superiority.

So, cryptic clue #1 thanks to our friend and heart & soul advocate extraordinaire Dennis Gerlitz, as he improvised last spring at the Convention RoundTable = It is about the Attendance The 800: our minimum target for the devoted few.

Undertake the risks to have The 800 In Full View.

The Individuals Action for the Main Show Rally Agenda: show up, with friends!

*Focus on 1 Message:Our big emphasis this year as Washington State PTA is to support the BEF Task Force goals to redefine and fully fund Basic Education

Well want to avoid constraining ourselves to specifics until events develop. Things move fast during the session.prepare alternative positions on BEF that are supportable by membershipbe able to adapt to a range of probable BEF report outcomes that can translate into legislation

Slogan/Rally Phrase: create a 4-6 word phrase (chant) clearly expresses and encompasses WSPTA ed funding position, without getting boxed into any specificsIf you have some catchy ideas, email us!

Indiv. Action: Communicate with everyone you know that funding education is top priority

*Cryptic clue #2 = Solos are for rock stars maybe an easy one to guess

The very important Focus on PTA being 1 of many Partners in a big Coalition

Focus day is about demonstrating Partnerships education issues permeate nearly every cause, every constituency.

We have a lot of partners out there

For years legislators tell us time and again dont show up alone; So, really, dont arrive alone for the party.

Our focus on BEF and the funding message is an effective opportunity for PTA to draw in partnerships for this unique year and exceptional events.

With an emphasis on providing many avenues for real and virtual participation by all your friends

So what does a diversity of representation and partnerships mean to you?

Think outside youre your school building, bring those non-school child oriented friends and associates Your non-PTA advocates and friends

Grandparents older, experienced voters without direct links to schools

The Grange, Chambers of Commerce, Realtor Associations, 4-H, Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions Club, church groups, etc, etc. etc

A visibly wide spectrum of supporters, a diverse coalition of residents outside of education and childrens issues, will speak most strongly to our cause

The Individuals Action for this topic is to plan ahead to invite your friends, acquaintances and colleagues of all kinds, and their organizations

Education is not an island

*Focus on 1 Multitude:

an overwhelming, undeniable, un-ignorable # of constituents, thats right, SIZE MATTERS (Im talking about the rally)How does 800 sound to you? Thats our goal for the number of people onsite If each of you in this room brings 3 friends, were there!In addition, we have set our sights on an Email count online -

The 8,000 to build community tools to make this happpen

The last cryptic phrase = Seriously, beam me up, Scotty =

Using technology that most of you are comfortable with, in less time than it takes for you to heat your lunch in the microwave---you can be a

*Virtual Participant using CapWiz:

24-hour Window: simultaneous activity by bulk of membership

Well prepare advance actions (email content, newsletter blurbs, website materials, etc) for CapWiz / Action AlertsDirect Legislator contact: email, call, write

When it comes to CapWiz & Legislators:

They tell us again and again that personal communication is best a hand-written, factual story with emotion carries the most weight wont discount that.

And hopefully all 150 legislators do receive a basket full of such notes.

But we need to be realistic about our capacity for that

How many of you will sit down and write a note by hand, versus a personalized and eminently easier email through CapWiz?

We think youll agree that we would rather put our efforts towards every legislator receiving a dozen, if not a dozen dozen emails, especially those legislators who may rarely, if ever, hear from their constituents on the topic of education

Indiv. Action: participate one way or the other dont take easy option and do nothing

*So in the end, what do we want, what do we need to come out of Focus Day?

Influencing Legislators

Influence the legislators perceptions that there is cross-issue unityand constituent momentum behind supporting a meaningful expectationfor the core Basic Ed Task Force actions of redefine and fund Basic edto have real, viable and durable legislation.

Simply -- for more legislators to cast more votes toward a position WSPTA champions.

And alongside that of course, also emphasizes the pivotal role members contributeto their legislators focus around the issues.

And to share with many fellow advocates showing up to collaborateand collectively make a difference.

The Individuals Action for this topic is to follow-thru and follow-up with your legislator to ask what they are supporting from BEFs work

*Alright, moving on now to How It Will be Easier to Attend & ParticipateAnd, How to Build Up Your Communitys Overall ParticipationFirst all new this year -- online RSVP and registration just like we do for Leg Assembly and ConventionWell incorporate the capability & objectives of State PTA with the FD program too

Similar to Leg Assembly and Convention, Focus Day Registration would add service and better capability to manage participationThis RSVP Capability will most likely be active no later than January

Staff will enable online registration to bring several new capabilities

to collect individual contact data, build up a commitment aspect to the event to help with planning and follow-thru,help ID an RSVP to their Region, Legislative District, maybe a a specific legislatorhelp ID 1st timer, As well as help to organize carpools or busses,And keep registered attendees informed, involved, engaged, and supported As well as their RLCs and Council LCs, with local and current data-

Plus it will really help tie-in virtual participation to CapWiz and Action Alerts

*Transportation

These Resources will be a big part of our effort the next few months This is where you could each make the biggest difference in impact: making it easier to get people from your area to OlympiaBus: Well assemble an outline and list of resources for area leaders to build bus ridership.

Byron and I will collect info and assemble a toolbox to create easy access and capability for Regions/Councils/ Areas to charter a bus (at their expense tbd) online templates & tools for organizingcontact info for Bus companies rate and reservation sheetsability to inform contacts using RSVP system

*Carpool: Ditto for carpooling in a similar manner inform contacts using RSVP system coordinating local assembly areas

*Heres how we make it easier for to to participate

Arriving at the Capitol: parking and assembly info, maps, hints & tips, etc

-Local Intra-Support: Instigate a participation program at the local level (particularly for those living a long distance from Olympia). Maybe you cant attend, but could you watch your friends children after school so that he or she may attend?In addition to the toolbox, well recruit Field Leaders:

Act as a liaison between FD co-chairs and participants DOETheyll assist you in getting registered and in place for the Rally on the StepsTheyll prepare you with talking points provided by FD co-chairsTheyll be a visible anchor in staging process and source of day-of-event infoTheyll help you follow cues during the rally -- chant now, wave signs, etc.

*Just a little more overview of the activities and physical operation of the day

The Focus on Visibility is also all about Media Coverage

Leverage the event into ongoing and multiple exposures to a much broader audience:Well invite major TV, paper and online (blog) media (who to extend invites?)And have a real show to give them if yaall show upBut, again, the effort and timing is really more about your year-round advocacy --- any mass-showing in Olympia is a feather in the cap to those efforts.

Lets talk very briefly about the timing of FD in the year and within the legislative session

Long Budget Session this year -- likely an extended Session to go really long..

FD is a game that gets us onsite to have influence when things are in play

The calendar for the legislative Session is formally released just months before the session begins, We dont really know what the actual day may look like for legislators keeping their meetings throughout the day

So - a concentrated hour in the middle of the day is easiest for EVERYONE.

Again - we are hardly the only org in the game vying for priority, visibility or superiority.

Heres our vision for what this event looks like:Emcee: supplies a consistent motivational voice and tone through the eventWho: TBD hoping to keep it in the WSPTA family not to farm out to a 3rd party Rally Speakers: We are considering pros & cons of politico vs non-politico speaker atmosphereWe will begin making inquiries on WSPTA-internal talentPotential Speaker Options:Speaker 1: An intro rabble-rouser set the energy barSpeaker Option 2: GovernorSpeaker Option 3: Superintendent of Public InstructionSpeaker Option 4: BEF Task Force Member(s)Speaker Option 5: Advocate PartnerRally Atmosphere:

Pep Rally for a very serious issue BUT well have some fun with -Music:Visual Identifier Item: easily distributable lanyard, ribbon, button, etcSWAG: additional take-aways, either for anyone or Legs, media, etc

FD is, after all, an organizational team-building moment! And when this many passionate people get together, it is a party.

*Looking Ahead to the next several months After Leg Assembly

Please do email or call us with your feedback

And look for follow-up activities

Leadership News announcementsGrassroots NewsWSPTA websitePerhaps a Survey on Zoomerang new CapWiz Action Alertsand of course, all the fun around the November elections

in order to get your members input and feedback to help design and refine our Day in Olympia

We greatly appreciate your efforts to improve Focus Day for everyone, and contribute to its success when in full view of everyone in Washington.

*The Questions: All of this may seem a little overwhelming, and youve been sitting for awhile, and we need to get that caffeine re-circulating, so I am going to request some responses from you.Stand up if you have ever written a letter to the editor, volunteered for a campaign, made phone calls or waved signs for the local levy committee.you are hard coreStand up if you have ever set up a meeting with your childs teacher to discuss a problem she was having . you show promiseStand up if you are tired of sitting around and waiting for someone else to take action and fix the concerns you have involving kids..I see potential hereYou may not see yourselves as such, but YOU ARE ADVOCATES. And YOU are the experts when it comes to how public policy affects YOUR child, YOUR school, and YOUR community. The legislators need to hear from YOU.Now, Simon Says.everybody willing to volunteer to be a Field Leader on Focus Day, sit downTake names, Byron!B - PPT SLIDE # 20 Contact UsBoth of us thank everyone Pres. Laura Bay, Vice Pres. Scott AllenLegislation Dir. Paul Cheek,Exec. Dir. Bill Williams,Advocacy Coordinator Kim Howard, and Lobbyist Donna Christensen

Along with all the support of the Board of Directors and staff

We look forward to seeing everyone on the Steps!

*Please contact us with questions, suggestions or concerns.*Please contact Byron Shutz bcshutz@comcast.net

As repeatedly highlighted today, participating online through CapWiz is a very effective supplement toshowing up in the crowd on the Capitol Steps.

8,000 emails spread across every legislator in the state will be a resounding echoto the 800 on the legislators doorstep.

Community member enrollment and participation should occur all year long.just go to WSPTA website and follow the formSo, to better inform us on this VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION We are delighted and honored to introduce TODD HAIKEN from National PTATodd will give a thorough presentation on how to use CapWiz Todd -

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