How to Contact Your Elected Officials

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Don’t be intimidated by the idea of contacting your elected officials. Keep in mind that officials want to hear from you because they represent you, and they want to earn your support. They need to know what concerns their constituents and what is going on in their communities.  You have valuable experiences that can help them determine how best to represent your community.

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To get contact information for your local school board and other elected officials, call or check the website of your local school district, SAU or town.

 

Finding Your State Legislators

visit: http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/members/wml.aspx

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Sending an Invitation Letter
Mail an invitation letter – or send an email --  to your elected officials as much in advance of your event as possible to request their visit. Use the Sample Invitation Letter (See "Sample Documents") and feel free to modify it with your own information. Helpful letter-writing tips include:

• Be brief, clear, and specific – your letter should be no more than one page long.

• State your request within the first few sentences.

• Avoid educational jargon. It can make your message sound confusing, distanced, or elitist.

• Have someone else proofread the letter. Grammatical and spelling errors can detract from the message.

• If you have any personal association with policymakers, remind them. Nothing is more effective in getting a policymaker’s attention.

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Phoning Your Elected Official
If you have not received a response from your elected official(s) within one week of sending the invitation, make a call to their office(s). Helpful tips to remember before calling include:

• Make sure that you are prepared with a few talking points about arts education, the purpose and importance of the official’s visit to your school or district and specifics about your event. [See the Support Materials section)

• When you phone a federal elected official’s office, ask to speak with the aide in charge of education issues.

• Be as brief as possible, understanding that elected officials and their aides are very busy.

• Remind the person you’re speaking with that you sent an invitation and are following up to confirm the official’s attendance.

• If your invitation was not received or got lost in the shuffle, ask if you can email or fax a copy. Ask for a convenient time to call him/her back to confirm a time.

• Follow up with the official several days before your event to make sure that he/she has all the details needed.

 

Suggested Materials to Present to Your Elected Official

• 10 Important Things to Know About Arts Education in New Hampshire (see sample documents)

• Copy of Arts Education Policy as adopted by your local school board, if available.

• Copies of key news clippings on your school/district arts programs, if available.

• Measuring Up executive summary

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