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NYS Council of School Superintendents

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Advocacy the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal

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A Call to ActionPart 1: Overview of the Legislative ProcessPart 2: Discussion of NYS Budget and issuesPart 3: How to Advocate

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Part 1: The Legislative Process:WHERE do I advocate and WHO should I speak with?4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-eYBZFEzf8

55The Senate and AssemblyYour representatives6Senate 63 membersMajority: Bipartisan Coalition (29 Republicans, 5 Independent Democrats, 1 Democrat)Minority: 28 DemocratsAssembly 150 membersMajority: 106 Democrats, 1 IndependentMinority: 43 RepublicansNeil Breslin (D)Didi Barrett (D)Hugh Farley (R)Patricia Fahy (D)Elizabeth (Betty) Little (R)Peter Lopez (R)Kathleen Marchione (R)John McDonald (D)James Seward (R)Steven McLaughlin (R)Cecilia Tkaczyk (D)Angelo Santabarbara (D)Phil Steck (D)James Tedisco (R)Find your Legislators:http://www.nysenate.gov/ http://www.assembly.state.ny.us/mem/

When Do I Speak Up?What Do I say?

How did it get so late so soon? ~ Dr. Seuss77

Gap Elimination Adjustment and Restorations

Adequate Funding

Mandate Relief8Part 2: State Budget Issues & tools you can useThe Budget processGovernor proposes a budget (usually mid-January)Final budget is approved through negotiations between the Governor, Senate and AssemblyState fiscal year starts April 1Due to timing of religious holidays this year, the Legislature is aiming to finish the budget by March 219

Governor Cuomos proposed budget for education

$611 million (3.0%) increase in School Aid:$550 million (2.77%) through formulas appearing on School Aid runs$60 million to competitive grants and other programsTotal reflects state cap on School Aid growth tied to change in statewide personal income

$75 million for Education Reform Commission initiatives Full-day prekindergarten, Community Schools, extended learning time, rewarding high performing teachers, Early College High Schools not allocated to districts yet.

$203 million for a Financial Stabilization Fund to be allocated through negotiations with the Legislature

Mandate Relief: Optional Stable Pension Rate Special Education WaiversPaperwork Reduction

10School Aid 3 moving pieces

$550 million (2.77%) through formulas appearing on School Aid runs:Gap Elimination Adjustment Restoration: $322 millionincrease in general purpose aid .

High Tax Aid: $50 million net reduction (some districts would gain from proposal).

Everything Else: $289 million net increases to all other aids, funded under current law. Increases/decreases occur due to changes in the data that is plugged into formulas. The Governor has not proposed changing these formulas.

and$203 million Financial Stabilization Fund not allocated on runsThe Governor has provided Legislators a way to increase School Aid for their local districts, without increasing the size of the state budget beyond what he proposed.

See a post on our blog (blog.nyscoss.org for more explanation: http://blog.nyscoss.org/index.php/the-governors-school-aid-proposal-understanding-the-moving-parts/ 1112

A tool you can use from the Councils website

www.nyscoss.org

Look for The Governors School Aid proposal & your district under Council News1213

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Part 3:So, how Do I Advocate?

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If you have only one wish, and you can wish for anything at all,what should you wish for???

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Advocacy is not about salesmanship or crisis intervention, its about building relationships.

The only way to have a friend is to be one.~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

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When you really need a friend, its too late to make one.1717

Schools must balance what students need and what taxpayers can afford.Local leaders must translate statewide policies into sensible practices.

I am as powerful as you think I am.1818

Communicate Be VocalThe squeaky wheel gets the grease.andEither you try to make a difference, or you make a difference by not trying.

191919Allies

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Tell your story

2122Tell your story

22Telling your story23Be sure to share some good news about your school(s).Tell about the impact of some of the tough budget decisions that have affected your school(s) in recent years.If possible, explain some creative steps your district has taken to save money to spare students from worse actions.Describe the tough choices your district is facing now and how state policies and proposed state policies are affecting those choices.and

2323Telling your story245. Ask the Legislator to support your agendaExamples:Eliminate the Gap Elimination AdjustmentProvide adequate state aid to educationProvide a meaningful measure of mandate reliefMove money from competitive grants to GEA reductions

2424Ask25Conclude by asking:What will you do to help us?If they ask, What do you want me to do?, repeat your action agenda (#5 on last slide); andFinally ask, Will you ask your leadership to support what we need?

2525The fool tells me his reasons, the wise man persuades me with my own ~ Aristotle

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Observeobserve /bzrv/VerbNotice or perceive (something) and register it as being significant.Watch (someone or something) carefully and attentively.272727

Why?

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A Tale of Two Brothers2929More StoriesEducation Speaks:http://educationspeaks.org/advocacy/

Capital Region BOCES:https://www.capitalregionboces.org/News/2012-2013/NYSchoolsInPeril.cfm

Check out your districts website too.3030

http://animoto.com/play/mpsEPgwhbUQe5baOpZje1A

A Message ofNecessity

3131Now its time to tell your storyThere is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.~ Maya Angelou

32New York State Council of School Superintendents7 Elk Street, 3rd FloorAlbany, NY 12207(518)449-1063www.nyscoss.org

Check out our blog blog.nyscoss.org Follow us on Twitter ~ Like us on Facebook

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