Sacramento Head Start Alumni Association

Advocacy Tools National Head Start Association

Dec 12, 2002

Strategic Planning: Reauthorization 2003

This advocacy tool offers a basic framework for strategic planning that
will
coordinate with the reauthorization process. They should be used as a
supplement
to any legislative planning that has or will be taking place. They are
meant to
unify our voice. However, because of the need for us to target certain
messages
to particular members of Congress, GAD would also like to discuss
state-specific
strategies with each state association.

Basic Strategy Plan
NHSA?’s strategic plan has several important components.
First, it is based on building relationships and providing information
to key
staff and members in Congress. We will spend a considerable amount of
time
focused on the two most important subcommittees that will deal with
Head Start
reauthorization. In the House, that subcommittee is Education Reform
under the
Committee on Education and the Workforce, and it will likely be chaired
by
Congressman Michael Castle (R-DE). The ranking member has not been
determined
but will probably be Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey (D-CA). In the Senate,
our focus
will be the Children and Families subcommittee which is under the
Senate HELP
committee. The chairperson has not been determined but may include
Senator Bill
Frist (R-TN) or Senator Mike DeWine (R-OH). The ranking member will be
Senator
Chris Dodd (D-CN). Most of our work will be ensuring that key members
understand
the intricacies of Head Start and pushing our Reauthorization agenda.
Already,
we have had several meetings including with key staff for both Senator
Edward
Kennedy (D-MA), the ranking minority member for the Senate HELP
committee, and
Senator Dodd.

Second, it is based on several large educational events we plan to put
together
to educate members of Congress. Some of the events include the
following:

?· January 29th ?— NHSA?’s ?“Head Start Hearing on the Hill?” taking place
on January
29th.
?· March ?— ?“Head Start National Literacy Day.?”
?· April ?— Head Start
Teachers on the Hill
?· May ?— Head Start on the Hill.

Third, we will use our strong public relations firm to let the American
people
and key decision makers know about the great work of Head Start and our
forward-thinking agenda to create ?“A Head Start for a New Generation.?”
Many of
you have already seen the benefits of our public relations efforts
which have
led to articles in major newspapers, short pieces on the great of work
of Head
Start, especially around literacy and language development, and several
television interviews including one on Oregon Public Television. If you
want to
see a sampling of what we have been doing public relations wise check
out our
Web site at www.nhsa.org and click on Press Room under the Advocacy
section. In
the coming year, the Hauser group will help us communicate with the
public about
the great work of Head Start, help us get our message into the key
congressional
districts, and build public support for our reauthorization agenda. As
of today,
the Hauser Group is working closely with us on making sure our January
hearing
has a big impact. From our many meetings with the Hauser group we have
concluded
that there are three simple messages we want to convey during this
reauthorization:

?· Head Start Works! It successfully prepares children living in poverty
for
school. The subtext to this message is that it works because it is
comprehensive
and because it is already providing an academic curriculum that
includes early
literacy. At the same time, people should understand that the
president?’s
proposal to move Head Start to the Department of Education is both
flawed and
dangerous to poor children and that we are in favor of strengthening
the
literacy component of Head Start within HHS without sacrificing the
other
important elements.
?· Head Start improves the lives of poor children and their
families! Poor children have different needs than their middle and
upper income
peers. Therefore, it is critical that Head Start continue to provide
comprehensive services. Furthermore, as currently structured, Head
Start is
actually meeting many of the president?’s goals ?— in terms of providing
quality
early education, empowering families, improving health care for the
nation?’s
children, and so on.
?· Head Start must be fully funded! Head Start serves only a
very small fraction of preschoolers. And contrary to popular opinion,
it doesn?’t
serve all of the nation?’s impoverished children as the program has
never been
fully funded. Policymakers who are serious about in their desire to
leave no
child behind have a responsibility to fully fund Head Start.

Now in terms of specific messages, a lot will depend on your particular
member
of Congress and the issues you are likely to make head way. Generally,
with more
conservative members you want let them know that Head Start is an
investment and
will save taxpayers money. You might also focus on the unique federal
to local
control structure of Head Start and how Head Start empowers parents to
take care
of themselves and their children. Liberal members on the other hand
might be
more interested in the need for comprehensive services, parental and
community
involvement, and the anti-poverty benefits of the program. Both parties
want to
hear what we are doing with literacy and language development and that
we are
willing to move forward to continue to strengthen this component of
Head Start.

To figure out how to best target your own message you must find out as
much as
possible about your congressional delegation and target your advocacy
efforts.
Some questions you might consider are:
?· What are their records on children?’s issues, and particularly Head
Start?
?· Are there certain issues that they tend to pay special attention to,
such as
adoption or economic development?
?· What committees do they sit on? If it is the Committee on Education
and the
Workforce in the House or the Senate HELP committee, they may take
priority in
your planning.
?· Have you developed a relationship with a particular member or staff?
If not,
find out who may have influence with them, such as a top contributor?

To find out your member?’s record you can go to www.vote-smart.org. But
more
importantly, contact the member?’s legislative assistant who handles
Head Start
and find out what issues they feel the member would most like to focus
on. For
instance, we know that Senator Dodd would like to find ways to allow
more
over-income children and families into the program, while Senator
George
Voinovich (R-OH) and Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) are interested in
working on
providing student loan forgiveness to Head Start staff. To find out
from whom
your member has been receiving campaign contributions, and thus be
influenced
by, check out www.opensecrets.org. Some of the best information can be
found by
simply clicking on your member?’s Web site and reading about the issues
they have
worked on.

Fourth, we will coordinate a strong grassroots attack. Probably the
biggest
weapon we have in this reauthorization battle is the Head Start
community.
Although there is a lot that can be accomplished here in Washington,
NHSA cannot
compete in resources with the likes of big tobacco, big oil, and other
large
special interests. As an example, while NHSA will go into
reauthorization with a
strong team consisting of a public relations firm, a law firm, a
legislative
consultant, and GAD staff, the pharmaceutical industry has more than
600
lobbyists roaming the Capitol. But we do have one thing that these
groups don?’t
have ?— we have people dedicated to ensuring that every child in America
is given
an opportunity to meet their fullest potential. We have strong state
associations, many friends, lasting coalition partners, and an active
grassroots
network. This reauthorization, therefore, will be built on a strong and
united
grassroots attack that allows the Head Start community to be both a
resource and
a force to be reckoned with.

Because of the current situation, don?’t look at advocacy simply as
conversation
between you and your member of Congress. Any strong advocacy effort
needs to
focus on getting the message to the public. This can be accomplished in
a number
of ways: news conferences, public hearings, demonstrations, literature
distribution drops, petition gatherings, or writing letters to the
editor. For
example, Marvin Hogan, executive director of Friends of Mississippi,
was a guest
columnist in one of the state?’s newspapers in which he discussed the
benefits
Head Start brings to low-income children and families and to the state
of
Mississippi itself. If you want to find a fresh way to get your message
across,
try to persuade a local CEO or a college Dean to write a letter to the
editor on
Head Start?’s behalf concerning the move to the Department of Education.
The
messenger changes, but the message remains the same, and this can be
very
effective. If you are looking for additional communications strategies,
please
contact the Government Affairs Division or go to www.earlycare.org.

State Grassroots Advocacy Activities
Speaking with one united voice is going to
be essential for our success in this challenging political environment.
During
this whole reauthorization process, it is critical that everyone in the
Head
Start community continue to conduct Head Start site visits for members
of
Congress and staff and that the everyone continues to write to members
of
Congress regarding the president?’s proposal to move Head Start to the
Department
of Education. NHSA also suggests that at each conference a
letter-writing room
be set up similar to the Grassroots Action Room unveiled at the annual
conference. We focus a great deal of our energy contacting our members
and
telling them what we think. We write letters to them; we call them; and
we try
to be a resource for them. All these things are extremely important and
critical
to advocacy work. In countless Hill visits, NHSA has made the Head
Start
community?’s voice heard in Congress. Just recently, GAD met with
offices in
which either the state president or executive director was well known
to the
staff. Barbara Haxton, executive director of the Ohio Head Start
Association, is
well known to the staff of Congressman Boehner, who is the chair of the
Education and Workforce committee. It?’s important to continue to
establish such
relationships.

Here are the main grassroots activities you should try to accomplish
during 2003
and a timetable for completion:

November to December 2002
?· Contact all members of Congress in your state
delegation (especially members on the House Committee on Education and
the
Workforce and the Senate HELP committee) and key staff. Send a brief
reauthorization agenda to all members.
?· Set up a reauthorization task force
consisting of key coalition partners.
?· Prepare materials (such as talking
points and short papers) for the move to the Department of Education
and other
key agenda items on which your state association would like to focus.
?· Make
sure you have short papers consisting of 1 to 2 pages on literacy and
language
development.

January 2003
?· Send congratulations on their election and a reauthorization
agenda to newly elected members of Congress.
?· Plan a national call-in day on
Head Start funding. Members return in mid-January.
?· Circulate a new Department of Education sign-on letter. State
associations are
urged to sign on and also circulate to local elected officials and
other state
organizations. State associations can also create and circulate their
own
sign-on letter.
?· Take part in the Hearing on the Hill and Rally.

February 2003
?· Unveil Head Start for All petition drive. Collect final
signatures for the Department of Education petition drive and send to
NHSA.

?· National call-in day on stopping the move to the Department of
Education.

?· Success story paper completed and distributed to all members of the
state
delegation.

March 2003
?· Head Start Reads Day (national service effort in which all programs
set up literacy activities and invite volunteers to read to children).

?· Concentrated letter-writing/post card campaign on the move to the
Department
of Education
April 2003
?· Knock Across America to Save Head Start (massive
door-to-door campaign to let the community know about the president?’s
proposal
and our forward thinking agenda).
?· Head Start Teachers on the Hill Day.
?· Set
up full funding press conference or demonstrations across the state
(target
district offices, the federal department of education, television
stations)
Remember, demonstrations can also be positive such as ?“Thank you
Senator X for
supporting Head Start.?”

May 2003
?· Head Start on the Hill (states can hold their own Hill day for
congressional district staff and local elected officials at the state
capitol).
You might want to consider waiting until July when members return home
for the
recess.
?· Hold super rallies around the state regarding reauthorization (invite
parents, friends, and members of Congress to participate).

June 2003
?· Letter writing month for full funding (consider holding a potluck
picnic).
?· Hold a Letter-to-the-Editor campaign concerning funding and the move
to the Department of Education.
?· Make arrangements to meet with members when
they return to the district in July, or invite them to an open forum.

July 2003 (members return home for recess)
?· Plan and coordinate site visits.

?· Set up literacy carnivals around the state.
?· Hold public hearings and plan
demonstrations.
?· Generate a high level of calls on the reauthorization agenda.
?· Organize folks
to call into a local radio station when a member is scheduled to
appear.
?· Have
children send members hand made July 4th cards.

August 2003
?· Send faxes to district offices. (If issues decided favorably, send
thank you faxes; if they are undecided, continue with persuasive
actions.)

?· Continue with calls to members of Congress.
?· Coordinate site visits until members return.


September-December 2003
?· Depending upon the political position, transition into
an aggressive full-funding campaign.
?· Generate letters and phone calls on
funding.

Other Grassroots Activities
?· Conduct your own Head Start hearing and rally on
the state capitol
?· Hold a press conference in which you recognize a member of
Congress as a Head Start Hero. Or, if you are daring enough, you can
present
awards to Head Start bullies.
?· Purchase an ad in a local newspaper describing
the benefits of Head Start.
?· Make state-wide media calls on particular topics
such as the president?’s State of the Union Address and other key
happenings
around reauthorization

NHSA Needs Your Help
To be the most successful, NHSA needs your help on a few
big items. We still are looking for more information on:
?· Literacy and language
development in each state. Although some of the information has been
good, in
order for the Hauser Group to highlight a program, we need to get
literacy
surveys from every state.
?· Supporters and opponents of the president?’ proposal.
Please send to GAD any Department of Education pledges. We are going to
post on
our Web site members who support the move and those who oppose it, but
we can?’t
do that unless we receive a copy of a letter stating the position of a
particular member.
?· Success stories. Parent success stories from each state can
be very effective at communicating our message and highlight not only
the
benefits to children but the unique benefits Head Start provides to
parents as
well. Not only are we going to continue to post it on our Web site, but
we
intend to develop a national paper.

In the upcoming months we are also going to be asking for your help in
obtaining
information regarding particular components of Head Start and
state-specific
issues. Just as an example, we have been getting a lot of requests for
information about assessments, funding, and enrollment. Although the
grassroots
activities have already been highlighted, we would like special
attention to be
given to the following major initiatives:
?· Collection of signatures for the
Stop the Move petition drive. Please send back all collected petitions
by the
end of February 2003.
?· Several national call-in days focused on particular
issues. It is critical that everyone participate so that we have a
united front.
Of course, if you need to modify your message (for example, ?“member has
already
stated they oppose the move?”) then make the necessary adjustment. But
please,
make the call.
?· Participation in targeted grassroots activities which are
initiated by state associations, regional associations, or NHSA.
?· Circulation
of a new sign-on letter opposing the move to Department of Education.
?· Knock
Across America for Head Start children and families scheduled for
April.

?· Participation in the Head Start National Literacy Day.
?· Participation in the
January 29th Hearing and Rally on the Hill.

Once again, if you need any assistance in planning an event or
developing some
advocacy strategies, the GAD team would be happy to help you. It is
critical
that before moving into reauthorization each state and regional
association have
a plan to communicate with one another, legislative committees be set
up,
coalitions formed at the local level, and each state get critical
information to
their members of Congress. Again, please remember that the most
effective
grassroots strategy is letter writing and conducting site visits. We
will be
contacting each state president and executive director to discuss
grassroots
strategies and targeted events in key strategic areas in which we can
coordinate
together. So far, Gloria Lopez, state president of New Mexico, has been
very
proactive and recently put together a state-wide strategy conference
call with
all Head Start directors in the state. At the meeting, GAD provided a
legislative update and advocacy assistance. Keep an eye out for an
upcoming
conference call on reauthorization strategy.


This document is paid for with Dollar Per Child Campaign donations.
For more
information on the campaign, contact NHSA?’s Government Affairs Division
at:
(703) 739-0875 or by Fax (703) 739-0878