Site visits provide important opportunities for grass roots advocacy. It is always beneficial to build a relationship with your representatives as early as possible and site visits are an excellent way to build this relationship. Your professionalism and courtesy to representatives will be remembered fondly when we later need to ask them for assistance. Post visit anecdotes help spread positive news of the charter movement to other members of the legislature.

* Don't be worried if your representative is late for their visit. Delays may arise in busy schedules.

* Arrange for an opportunity for the representative to see students participating in learning, try to avoid a series of visits to classrooms with lecture style lessons occuring.

* Try not to schedule the visit during lunch hour.

* Provide advance notice and information to the students. If you representative is actively working on a local problem, educate the students about that situation so they can ask or answer questions.

* Have photos of the representative taken with students and a school designator (school sign, poster, students wearing school shirts, etc.).

* Have students write about the visit and submit their pieces to your local newspaper. Include photos.

* Use one representative's visit as an opportunity to invite others to visit.

* Invite the local media to cover the event.

* Have the students send thank you notes and enclose any information you promised to send.

CONGRATULATE YOURSELF FOR BEING AN ADVOCATE FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS!

For assistance or any additional information please contact
Helen Wallquist at (916) 448-0995 or wallquist@canec.org.