GETTING TO KNOW YOUR LEGISLATORS AND

GETTING YOUR LEGISLATOR TO KNOW ADULT EDUCATION

Decision-making by the California legislature is influenced by the information brought to members and their staffs. Consideration of information is enhanced by its clarity, facts, data, and personal connections. Personal connections are just as important with the legislator as with their staffs. Getting to know your legislator and having your legislator get to know your program are critical to determining what will happen to Adult Education within the state legislative process.

GET TO KNOW YOUR LEGISLATOR

The following are recommended as steps to observe in getting to know your legislator:

  • Look for information on the member’s background. This may be accomplished by using any of the search engines.
  • Look for connections between Adult Education and the legislator or his staff. This connection may be enrollment in the program, family members enrolled in the program, or having worked in the program.
  • Look for aspirations of the legislator. These may include prioritizing education, jobs, employment training, or immigration reform.

GET THE LEGISLATOR TO KNOW YOUR PROGRAM

Organize informationabout your most popular offerings and cite their attendance. The following should be listed, but modify to yield the most positive respond:

ESL-Number of students: ______

High School Diploma/GED—Number of students: ______

Employment Training, inclusive of CTE—Number of students: ______

Percent of K-12 high school graduates who took at least one

Adult Education class: ______

Percent of Adult Education students who are parents of K-12 students: ______

Invite legislatorsand their staffs to school events, including graduations, awards ceremonies, and other events involving students and the community. New members are able to serve 12 years in either the Assembly or Senate and are interested in information and connections for long-range use and benefit.

Provide legislators and their staffs with facts on the cuts to your program since categorical flexibility went into effect in 2009. New members will be new to flexibility and its impact on local Adult Education programs.