1. How to Have Successful Capitol Hill Meetings 2014 Principal of the Year Program

2. Agenda • Setting up your Meetings • Hill Meeting Myths • How to Maximize Your Influence • Additional Advocacy Resources

3. Setting Up Your Meetings • You should have received an email from NASSP staff with information on the Hill Day with a link to the POY materials page • NASSP staff has also made initial contact with each of your congressional offices

4. Setting Up Your Meetings • Coordinate with your fellow state POY on Senate meetings • Email scheduler with request, then follow up with another email or phone call • Persistency & patience are necessary!

5. Setting Up Your Meetings • Offer to meet with the Education Legislative Assistant (LA), if Member of Congress is not available • Make sure you get the name of the Education Legislative Assistant so you can email them directly • House emails: firstname.lastname@mail.house.gov • Senate emails: firstname_lastname@MOClastname.senate.gov

6. Setting Up Your Meetings • Plan approximately 30 minutes per meeting • You should also plan approximately 15 minutes of travel time in between each meeting • Especially if you are traveling from the House to the Senate and vice versa

7. Setting Up Your Meetings http://www.visitthecapitol.gov/plan-visit/us-capitol-map • House side • Office Buildings • -Rayburn • -Longworth • -Cannon • Senate side • Office Buildings • -Russell • -Dirksen • -Hart

8. Setting Up Your Meeting • Please complete the online appointment form no later than Friday, August 29 • Please contact Jacki Ball at ballj@nassp.org or at 703.860.7338 if you need assistance.

9. Hill Meeting Myths • Myth #1: • Practitioners' voices like mine don’t really matter in crafting federal policy • Myth #2: • Meeting with a staff member is not nearly as important as meeting with my legislator

10. Hill Meeting Myths • Myth #3: • My meeting won’t mean much since I’m only on the Hill for a day

11. How to Maximize Your Influence

12. Before Your Meeting • Do some “homework” • Review NASSP materials on the POY Materials page • Prepare examples, personal stories and data/statistics • Prioritize your top three to four issues

13. Before Your Meeting • Practice your “pitch” • Talking points for each issue • Don’t assume the legislator or staffer knows the issue well • Know your “asks” • What are you asking the member to do? • Cosponsor or support a bill? Oppose a bill? Or support funding for a specific program?

14. At Your Meeting • Arrive a few minutes early • Introduce yourself to the front desk staff & tell them who you are meeting with

15. At Your Meeting • During your meeting • Introductions & exchange cards • Make a connection • Thank them for meeting with you, then go into your first “pitch” and “ask”

16. At Your Meeting • During your meeting • Have a conversation • Allow them to ask questions & ask them questions too • Share your stories • Don’t forget about your “ask”

17. At Your Meeting • During your meeting • Monitor your time and adjust accordingly to cover all your issues • Leave the NASSP folder of materials with the Member of Congress or staff member • Thank them for their time

18. After Your Meeting • Immediately after: • Post photos & info about your meeting on Twitter and Facebook • As soon as possible: • Send a thank you email • Reiterate your key points and “asks” • Tell them you are happy to be a resource whenever they need you

19. After Your Meeting • In the next few days: • Share your pictures and experience with your local media and school community • Reach out to your Members’ local offices (the state and/or district offices) • Invite your Member of Congress to visit your school • Set up a meeting with the local staff

20. Advocacy Resources • Check out all of NASSP’s advocacy resources at www.nassp.org/legislative-advocacy • POY Materials Page www.nassp.org/poymaterials • Principal’s Policy Blog www.nasspblogs.org/principalspolicy

21. Advocacy Resources • Principal’s Legislative Action Center www.nassp.org/PLAC • Twitter @NASSP, @akarhuse, @balljacki • House & Senate webpageswww.house.gov and www.senate.gov

22. Get & Stay Involved! • Join the Federal Grassroots Network, if not already a member! • Receive Weekly Advocacy Updates • Commit to regularly communicating with your Members of Congress and staff (including state & district offices) • To join, visit the “Get Involved” page

23. Contact Us Amanda Karhuse Director of Advocacy Phone: 703-860-7241 Email: karhusea@nassp.org Twitter: @akarhuse JackiBall Associate Director of Advocacy Phone: 703-860-7338 Email: ballj@nassp.org Twitter: @balljacki