It’s important for lawmakers to see your school in action!
If you haven’t already, consider inviting your local legislators to visit your school. It helps them understand how private K-12 schools contribute to the state’s educational infrastructure.
Then, when efforts to regulate private K-12 schools come along, they are more likely to consider the impact through the lens of your private school in their district.
A principal who recently hosted a visit said, “If you have not already reached out to your state representatives, I’d really encourage you to do so. We didn’t have anything special planned so there’s no extra work to do this. Just a great conversation and a quick tour around the building as I pointed out what Choice had helped us accomplish.”
See below for steps on how to invite a legislator to your school and host a visit. If you need help connecting with your legislator, please reach out to WCRIS. We’re here to serve!
How to Conduct a Legislative Visit
- Identify who your legislators are and send an invitation.
- Go to legis.wisconsin.gov. Toward the right hand side of the page, you’ll see the words “Find my Legislators.” Underneath, there’s a space to enter your school’s address. Type in your complete school address with state and zip code and click “Find.” You will see a map pop-up of your legislative district and photos of your representative and senator in the Wisconsin State Legislature, along with their contact information. Use the e-mails there to send them an invitation. Or, you can use the phone numbers there to call their office with an invite.
b. Let WCRIS know if your senator or representative agrees to visit your school. We are happy to also attend or send you WCRIS materials to share with the lawmaker about private education in Wisconsin.
- Go to legis.wisconsin.gov. Toward the right hand side of the page, you’ll see the words “Find my Legislators.” Underneath, there’s a space to enter your school’s address. Type in your complete school address with state and zip code and click “Find.” You will see a map pop-up of your legislative district and photos of your representative and senator in the Wisconsin State Legislature, along with their contact information. Use the e-mails there to send them an invitation. Or, you can use the phone numbers there to call their office with an invite.
- Hosting the visit.
- Most legislators prefer visits on a Monday or Friday because they have to be at the Capitol on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays for committee meetings and general legislative sessions and floor votes while in-session.
- Communicate to your school families beforehand that your school’s elected lawmaker will be coming for an educational visit.
- Have your students make signs to welcome the lawmaker to your school.
- Give them a tour of your school building and have them see students learning and meet some parent leaders, if possible.
- Ask the legislator to teach students a short civics lesson and share their experience working in the state legislature.
- Take pictures of the legislator with your staff and students (make sure you have permission to be photographed waivers on file).
- Points to make during the visit.
- Express gratitude for the legislature’s creation of school safety grants, if you got one. If you didn’t, ask them to support more grants and show them what you would do with the money (securing main entrances with updated locks, bullet proof glass, door bells, cameras, alarms, classroom door locks, etc.).
- Ask Legislators to support the K-12 Tuition Tax Deduction, which is a great support to school families and doesn’t carry the burden of regulations and paperwork that the voucher programs require.
- If you are a choice school, discuss what it has done to help your school families and ask them to support the choice program as-is — without additional regulations.
- Emphasize the importance of your school’s autonomy in educating children. Ask them to oppose any additional regulations on private schools.
- Tell them your school is a member of WCRIS, and we’re your voice in Madison. Invite them to contact WCRIS if they have any questions about private schools and pending legislation or existing laws affecting private schools.
- Post-visit follow up. Send student-generated thank-you notes and share a picture of the legislator’s visit to your school.
Important Reminder: Your school is a nonprofit organization that cannot engage in electoral politics, endorsement of elected officials or candidates for political campaigns. You should not be endorsing or encouraging voting for a specific elected official or candidate. Your job is to educate your lawmakers about what your school contributes to the state’s educational infrastructure and how state programs and laws effect your school. School parents are free to do what they wish on their own time.
