It doesn’t take much time to make a difference. Our legislators love hearing from parents and children and there are a variety of ways you can let them know your opinion on issues that matter to you.
- Find your representatives here.
- Get their contact information and save it for future use.
- See what bills are being considered and read their text. (Public Education bills can be found here.)
Then you have several options:
Write a letter – Be polite and make your points near the top of your story, if you have a perspective to push.
Write an email – Also feel free to share factual articles with them about whatever you’re interested in.
Call the office – Again, be polite. Generally an intern or aide answers the phone and they’ll be more likely to hear you out if you are friendly with them. Sometimes it’s better to keep it very short on the phone because they are really busy people. You could say something simple like, “Hello, my name is Diane Ravitch. I’m a parent at Davis Elementary in Austin ISD and I support all day recess with art, music and naptime in-between for children up to 9.” For example.
Go to the Capitol – Visit your representatives or other representatives who sit on committees that might be hearing bills about subjects that interest you. They love hearing from parents and are very likely to make time for you. You can make an appointment by calling their offices.
Write letters to the editor – Search your local newspaper’s website for their editorial rules and then fire away. Make your points near the top of the letter and offer solutions. Editors are more likely to publish letters that identify and then solve problems.