– Lisa Gonzales
ACSA members urged to take action on regional advocacy
The impact of building relationships with local legislators and their staffs cannot be overstated . That ‘ s why ACSA ’ s new Advocacy in Action initiative urges all members to reach out to their senators and Assembly members in October .
Lawmakers are on recess in October and at home in their districts . Additionally , California has designated the second full week of October as the Week of the School Administrator . It is a perfect time to make contact with legislators and to build more direct and personal relationships that will result in a legislator viewing you as a firsthand resource on K-12 matters at the local level .
Stay abreast of current ACSA lobbying efforts , as well as Advocacy in Action planning on Twitter at # ACSAadvocates . Tips for preparing to meet with legislators , as well as actions to take during meetings include the following :
• If the meeting is going to focus on a specific legislative topic , let the legislator ’ s office know this at the time the meeting is arranged .
• Make your appointment for a specific time period ; usually half an hour to an hour is appropriate .
• Discuss and develop rationale for positions on issues or legislation that will be shared with the legislator .
• Review the legislator ’ s background , key interests , committee assignments , alliances and voting record .
• When meeting in groups , determine responsibilities of individuals for conducting the meeting . Select a spokesperson .
• Assign someone to function as an observer and mental notetaker . This individual should be responsible for drafting a written report of the meeting .
• Ask another person to take the role of the conciliator and “ agenda mover .”
• Have someone available as a resource who can provide pertinent examples of dollars and other statistics from local school districts on specific issues .
• Familiarize legislators with you , your school or district , and your issues . Inviting your legislator to visit your school ( s ) is very powerful . If possible , prepare position papers on education issues of concern in your region , e . g . school facilities , transportation , staff / program cutbacks , etc .
• Make personal presentations through visits with legislators and their staff . Always call to make an appointment in advance of your visit . Staff members communicate regularly with the legislator and are often better acquainted with the specifics of an issue . Never underestimate the importance of a legislator ’ s staff .
• Share positive information about your school / district . If your school wins an award , your test scores are up , etc ., let them know you are doing a good job , so they will feel good about education and about you .
• Invite legislators to a school site to conduct a parent / community forum on a K-12 policy or budget issue . This will provide them an opportunity to speak to the community and help you build a relationship . He or she will value this input when other issues come up for discussion .
• Get to know your legislators on a firstname basis . Be aware of which committees they are on . Make sure your legislators know you by name and have seen your school ( s ).
• Become familiar with the legislative process and schedule your legislative efforts / involvement accordingly
Additional resources are available online at www . acsa . org / Advocacy / advocacy-inaction .
ACSA President Lisa Gonzales , who came up through the leadership ranks as both a regional and statewide vice president for legislative action , has attested to the power of inviting legislators to meet with educators and attend school events , where they may present awards or join in a walka-thon that enables them to be visible in the community .
“ My legislative work with ACSA began when another member invited me to meet with an Assembly member when I was a first-year principal ,” Gonzales said . “ I left behind my business card and cell phone number , having shared with him the challenges of mid-year budget cuts on my elementary school . When he called days later with questions about another bill that would have a negative impact on students in my district , I was able to share those concerns and he worked to defeat the bill .
“ That is what legislative work is about - its about telling our stories and aggressively and proactively working with decision makers so they design legislation and policy that works for students .”
And don ’ t forget another upcoming opportunity to influence your legislator at ACSA ’ s annual Legislative Action Day in Sacramento , April 15-16 , 2018 .
Legislative Action Day brings ACSA members together for a two-day advocacy conference . ACSA staff and experts in the field provide members with briefings and guidance on current issues in education , giving members the tools and the opportunity to directly lobby the Legislature and carry a message of leadership , support and investment for the students and educators in California .
Contact your region VPLA to find out how to get involved with advocacy efforts . Region information can be found online at www . acsa . org / Regions-and-Charters .
Deadline imminent for 2018-19 ACSA vice president nominations
The Sept . 8 deadline for nominations for ACSA 2018-19 vice president is rapidly approaching , so the ACSA Executive Department is putting out the call for nominations to be submitted quickly .
“ The office of vice president is extremely important ; it is the direct route to the presidency ,” said ACSA Board liaison , Executive Associate Suzanne Caffrey . “ We urge eligible candidates to apply now .”
ACSA Executive Director Wesley Smith points out that in addition to helping set the direction of your professional association , the path from VP to president-elect and president is one of great influence on education policy . Many ACSA presidents have gone on to positions of greater authority or
Region 8 retreat continued to be trusted experts in the field .
Dave Brown , president from 1990-91 , led WASC and then the National Association of School Superintendents ; Louis Goins , ACSA ’ s first African American president , 1992-93 , became a consultant for Harcourt Brace ; Cheryl Ernst , 1996-97 , ascended to the superintendency of Carlsbad USD , where she worked for more than 37 years ; Larry Aceves , 2002-03 , ran for state superintendent of public instruction ; Alice Petrossian , 2011-12 , became an independent education management professional and ACSA consultant ; Tom Armelino , 2015-16 , is now leading NASS .
Smith said ACSA leadership is a proving ground for current and future greatness .
ACSA Region 8 President Norma Rodriguez reported a successful 2017-18 region leadership retreat . R-8 started the year by hearing from Jeff Andrade , who spoke powerfully about equality and equity . Vice President for Legislative Action Anisha Munshi coordinated a panel discussion with Assembly members Marc Berman ( AD 24 ), Ash Kalra ( AD 27 ) and Kansen Chu ( AD 25 ), seated left to right . Standing left to right are Region Consultant Pat Einfalt , Rodriguez , President-elect Joann Vaars , Munshi , and Programs Chair Sheila Walters . R-8 covers Santa Clara County . Visit the region at http :// regions . acsa . org / 8 .
“ The training , support and knowledge you gain are very beneficial ,” he said . “ You are ‘ at the table ’ and learn about things before everyone else .” In addition , he emphasized that staff works with each individual to ensure ACSA leadership does not negatively impact your job .
“ Our leadership structure provides the vice president with great opportunities to help shape and refine how ACSA continues to serve leaders and students throughout California , and reinvigorates the amazing ACSA State Board governance process ,” said ACSA Past President Ralph Porras .
Duties and responsibilities of the vice president include :
• Attend all board meetings .
• Know the association and the board president ’ s duties .
• Be prepared to perform the board president ’ s duties when called upon .
• Serve on the Executive Committee .
• Chair the association ’ s Finance Committee .
• Work closely as a consultant and advisor to the board president .
• Develop rapport and a close working relationship with the executive director and board president .
• Carry out special assignments from the board president .
A major responsibility of the vice president is to serve in the place of the presidentelect or president during their absence , or to assume the office of president-elect should it become vacant .
To prepare for this role , service on the Board of Directors or Delegate Assembly as region president or state chairperson is preferable . ACSA aims to present a slate of multiple candidates . The nomination form is available online at www . acsa . org / vpnominations . For more information , contact Suzanne Caffrey at scaffrey @ acsa . org or ( 800 ) 608-ACSA .
September 4 , 2017 EDCAL 3
ACSA Board members recently attended a summer planning retreat , where we selected a consultant to help facilitate our next strategic plan , analyzed our role in state and federal advocacy , better clarified the parameters around candidate endorsements , and had hard conversations about levels of responsiveness to financial challenges .
We also intentionally took time that many of us don ’ t do enough of . As a team , we deepened our knowledge , strategies and repertoire around mindfulness . Led by Tovi Scruggs of Partners in School Innovation , we focused on what the Harvard Business Review acknowledged helps us become better leaders .
Stripped down to its core , mindfulness is about being conscious or aware . Wikipedia sums it up quite simply : “ Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing one ’ s awareness on the present moment , while calmly acknowledging and accepting one ’ s feelings , thoughts , and bodily sensations ...”
Schools throughout our nation have infused practices that help students focus on their own being , from deep breathing activities to yoga , and from meditation to journaling . These schools have seen a drop in suspensions , reduced negative interactions between students , and an overall calm on their campuses . Students and adults are more respectful and school climates have been transformed by prioritizing practices that help humans be just that ... a little more human .
Mindfulness practices can , in so many ways , impact our leadership skills by giving us the tools to manage our life as we are living it . For example , taking time to breathe deeply before a challenging meeting can help center our thoughts and calm our nerves , assisting with keeping our feelings and emotions in check .
Journaling provides a chance to process and reflect on the week ’ s events or daily practices . It helps us think through decision making and proactively addressing situations in the workplace and at home .
Meditation helps us gain clarity , hone trivial thoughts and increase self-awareness . I ’ ve always found meditation to be challenging . When I was a teacher , I tried meditation yoga classes and always felt like a failure when my mind danced all over the room , while I heard deep breathing ( and gentle snoring ) from others . Now that I ’ m considerably older with the occasional sleepless night , I ’ ve successfully revisited meditation . Thank you to the ACSA leader who suggested counting down from 200 to 1 , one number for each inhale / exhale . It works . The focus on relaxation helps refocus my mind , and I fall asleep , which certainly improves my performance the next day at work .
The health benefits of mindfulness practices include decreased blood pressure , reduced stress , improved attention , and increased sensory perception . You don ’ t have to pursue the spiritual side , but rather work on focused relaxation and clearing your mind .
Commit to it for a month and see how
it changes your interactions .
– Lisa Gonzales