WEAR BLUE to show PTA unity!
Thank you for stepping up to advocate for kids, in person, to legislators! Below are some links to assist you with planning, tips for parking, navigating the Capitol and meeting with legislators.
The Focus Day program will begin at 9am in the social hall of the United Churches of Olympia, 110 Eleventh Ave SE (the corner of Capitol Way and 11th, across the street from the Capitol campus). There will be a presentation designed to help you better understand WSPTA priorities, the legislative process, and tips for talking to legislators. We are working on getting a few legislators (who are also PTA members!) to join us.
The program should end around 10:30am. You then have the rest of the day to meet with legislators. WSPTA has reserved the social hall until 5pm so that members can eat lunch or use it as a base between meetings.
The most important tip is to make an appointment with the legislators you wish to see, as far in advance as possible. Members should consult with their local PTA, council or region legislative/advocacy chair for assistance in making legislator appointments for Focus Day.
Tips for making appointments: Input your address into the Washington State Legislature’s District Finder to get the names for your Representatives and Senator. Many school districts are covered by multiple Legislative Districts and reaching out to all those legislators on Focus Day will make an even bigger impact. Determine which Legislative Districts your school district is in by using this map, and then use this roster to find names and contact information for the legislators. The roster may be sorted by legislative district by clicking on “District” heading.
What do you say during an appointment with a legislator? WSPTA encourages you to visit our advocacy page, where you will find our 2019 WSPTA Legislative Platform, as well as a detailed “Issue one-page handout” for each Legislative Priority in the drop-down lists under “Legislative Platform.” These one-page handouts are great sources of talking points and can be given to legislators as well. You can also pre-write messages to legislators on our Focus Day postcard – write one for each legislator you visit.
Tip: tell legislators why WSPTA priorities are important to you and ask for their support!
Stay up to speed on bills related to the WSPTA Platform by subscribing to The Action Network. WSPTA sends out weekly updates during the legislative session, and action alerts when members need to contact legislators on important bills. We will also send one action alert per day during Advocacy Week, February 11-15. Don’t miss out on the action!
Planning to testify on a bill relating to a WSPTA long- or short-term position? Please contact me, and we can coordinate testimony, and get you signed in on the speaker list.
Thank you again for speaking on behalf of the 1.1 million public school students in Washington state!
Nancy Chamberlain
Advocacy Director, Washington State PTA
ptaadvocacydir@wastatepta.org
Additional information and links
Coming to the Legislature
- http://leg.wa.gov/legislature/Pages/ComingToTheLegislature.aspx
- https://des.wa.gov/services/facilities-leasing/capitol-campus
- Parking info
- DASH (free shuttle)
- Capitol Campus Map
- Maps for the Legislative (LEG), John L. O’Brien (JLOB) and John A. Cherberg (JAC) Buildings
Coming to Olympia with KIDS – Legislators LOVE to hear stories from students, so here are some tips for making it a happy experience if you bring your kids.
- Arrange a one of several tours of the Capitol campus
- Include a trip to an area park
- Visit the award-winning Hands On Children’s Museum
General Information on the Legislative process, and participating in it