Download the MCS Advocacy Toolkit (PDF) - Marcellus Central ...

“Building Futures”Central School District2Your voice can make a difference…Be an advocate for students in theMarcellus Central School DistrictMarcellus Central School District—like school districts throughout New York—is facing a fiscal crisis. The downturn of the national economy, coupled withnew mandates and the state’s tax levy limit, has challenged public schools tocontinue to provide a high-quality education to all students with significantlyfewer resources. As a result, districts are making devastating cuts toeducational programs as they adjust to rising costs that are outpacing revenue.District leaders at Marcellus have been working with staff and communitymembers to find creative ways to weather the economic storm withoutsacrificing the integrity of our program. Yet without meaningful and timelyrelief from our government leaders, MCSD residents may risk losing the highlevel of public education that they have come to know and value throughoutthe years.The time for change is now. The voices of school leaders and lobbyists forstate-level education groups simply are not enough, as recent legislative sessionshave shown. Elected officials need to hear from you, their constituents. Theyneed to hear from the people that are most directly impacted by their decisions(or indecisions) year after year—the students, parents, employees, residents,community groups and business owners of Marcellus.But what can I do?Advocacy takes many forms. It could be a note to an elected official, acomment made during a public forum, a letter to a newspaper editor or formaltestimony at public hearings. It could be as simple as chatting with neighborsto clear up misunderstandings about education issues or sharing educationrelatedstories with a local civic organization during monthly meetings.Becoming an advocate for education is not as hard as you might think.Anyone can become involved, at any level they choose. The only prerequisitenecessary is a desire to fight for our students and our community schools.Effective advocates do their homework. They know the issues and plantheir communication. Most of all, they give their time to advance theircause. Enclosed in this packet you will find several tools to help you becomean advocate for education and for MCSD. Thank you for taking the time toadvocate on behalf of the children of Marcellus and for helping to ensure thatthey receive the high-quality education they deserve.ADVOCACY CHECKLISTConcerned citizens at communityforums and public meetings oftenwonder what they can do to helpMarcellus students. The answer:Complete one or more of the items onthe Advocacy Checklist below. Thenencourage your friends and neighborsto do the same!Empower yourself• Choose an issue affectingMarcellus Central Schools andlearn about that issue. Attenda school board meeting, readlocal and statewide educationpublications, or review the “factsheets” posted to the SchoolBudget News section of the districtwebsite (www.marcellusschools.org) to get started.• Develop and hone a “lasertalk”—a short, focusedmessage—about the issue youchose. A “laser talk” should brieflyidentify a problem, present asolution, and issue a call to action.It is a very useful tool when youhave only a minute or two ofsomeone’s attention and you wantto get a point across.Advocate with your electedrepresentatives• Send a letter or e-mail to locallegislators.• Call local legislators and scheduleface-to-face meetings.• Establish a relationship with theaides in legislators’ local offices.• Attend and ask questions at townhall meetings hosted by locallegislators.– continuedwww.marcellusschools.org