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Why School Boards and Community College
Trustee Elections Matter!School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
Why School Boards and Trustees?
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
To improve our lives
To make every public school great for every student
To solve our problems
To move our agenda!
Why School Boards and Trustees? Because…
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
•They determine education policy, funding distribution, and our salaries, benefits and working conditions.
•Education professionals cannot afford to stay silent while these critical decisions are being made.
Because…
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
Either we fight to influence policy . . . Or we leave the field to our adversaries and become the victims of the decisions that others make without our input.
EVALUATING CANDIDATES
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
Evaluating all the factors...
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
•The election...•The candidates...•The issues...•The process…
Interview Objectives
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
•Determine the candidate’s philosophy•Seek out the candidates views on specific issues•Outline the Association’s goals and priorities •Clarifying areas of concern
Interview Objectives
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
•Information about the campaign•Help determine what form of support the candidate wants•Answer any questions or concerns the candidate may have
INTERVIEW CHECKLISTThe Basics:
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
•The Candidate•Make them comfortable• Invite all candidates•Pay attention to more than verbal and written responses• Interview candidates separately
INTERVIEW CHECKLISTThe Basics:
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
The Team:• Select a chairperson to lead the
interviews• Train members of the team on what to
expect, what to do and how the process works• Use the same interview team for
similar interviews• Provide name tags, or badges to
identify each team member
INTERVIEW CHECKLISTThe Basics:
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
•The Process:• Make sure candidates are clear on
the process and how they will be notified• Interview candidates separately• Complete the tally sheet
immediately upon completion of the interview• Inform all candidates of the
Association’s final decision
THINGS TO AVOID IN THE INTERVIEW: The Don’ts
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
•Do not argue or be combative with the candidate•Let the candidate do most of the talking•Do not let the candidate interview the team•Do not commend the candidate for answers given during the interview•Do not guide or tip off candidates concerning any answers
Now what...what is our obligation
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
•Training•Financial support•GOTV help•Encouragement
Make sure you know what is allowable under your state law!
GOTV
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
What the Heck is GO Television
And will it be as successful as MTV?
Making the Vote Count:
Get Out The VoteSchool Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
GOTV
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
•The process of getting your voters to the polls
•Your voters – not all voters
•Remember 50%+1
Type of Election
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
Small turnout!!
Where Do You start
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
•Who are your identified or targeted voters?•When and how are voters voting? Election Day?Early voting?Absentee?
GOTV Plan
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
•Door-to-Door or ONE-to-ONE
•Phone calls – volunteer or paid
•Direct mail
•Lit drop or leafleting
Door-to-DoorOne-to-One
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
•Personal contact
•Labor intensive
•Effective
Phone Calls
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
•Labor intensive•The more personal, the more effective•Volunteer calls
Leafleting
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
More effective with targeted audience
Direct Mail
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
•Expensive•Timing•Most effective with base
Tactics in Order of Effectiveness
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
•Door-to-door or one-to-one•Volunteer phone calls •Leafleting targeted audience•Direct mail•Robocalls and e-mail have no detectable effect on voter turnout
Absentee
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
Are you going to run an absentee program?
What is the law?
Is it worth the resources ?
Election Day Operation
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
Continue to call and contact those that have not voted, especially those in your local
Victory
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
•Identify your voters
•Get them out to vote
•50% +1
•Victory party!
INFLUENCING ELECTED OFFICALS
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
Start Where They Are ……………
Not Where You Are
Boards Are Social Systems
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
•Self-Contained Value Systems•Experts on Specific Systems•Career Ladders•Informal Vs. Formal Decision Making•Rewards and Punishment
Board Members See Themselves As…
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
•Bright•Hardworking•Unresponsive to Pressure•Detached & Objective•Responsive to the People•Potential City, County, or State Elected Office Holder
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
We Often See Board Members As…
•Ignorant About Our Issues•Average•Ambitious•Inconsistent•Unresponsive
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
The Truth is….
•Most are conscientious•Brighter than average•Trying to do the right thing, as they see it
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
The Truth is….
•They are more responsive to pressure than they think•More likely to do things for people they know and trust
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
Board members think our role is to provide input they balance against others to make an objective decision.
Our Role
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
Our Role
Our role is really to persuade them to do what we want them to do.
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
Elections are the Energy that Drive the System
The desire to win election is the factor that makes representative government representative
The most important factor deciding what policies pass the school board is who sits there and how they interact with their administrators.
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
Board Decision Making
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
On Any Given Question Board Members Divide Into Three Groups
Group 1 Those who know and care about the issue and are with you
Group 2Those who know and care about the issue and are against you
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
On Any Given Question Board Members Divide Into Three Groups
Group 3Those who are not very interested or informed about the issues
This group usually comprises the deciding vote of the school board
Focus persuasion efforts on these people
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
Board Inertia is Their Ally on Controversial Issues
•Most work on a school board is not controversial or dramatic•Board members are in the business of not making people mad
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
Board Inertia is Their Ally on Controversial Issues
•Taking any action on a controversial issue will anger someone•Convincing board members to move on a tough issue is difficult
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
Board Inertia is Their Ally on Controversial Issues
•Getting them to act your way and against someone else is even more difficult
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
Lobbying Strategies
•Information-based•Coalition-based•Relationship-based•Power-based
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
Lobbying Strategies
You need a combination of these working effectively to succeed over the course of a
school year
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
Things to Remember•You can’t win everything•Pick your fights carefully•You should choose tactics appropriate to the issue and board member
School Board and Trustee
Elections 2015
Things to Remember
Your job has two parts:
1. Interpreting your needs to
the board member2. Interpreting school
board behavior to your
members
