What to say when you contact your NC Legislators

We feel strongly about reasonable starting and ending dates for public school calendars, and because you are visiting the SOS-NC website, chances are you feel the same way.

Although we are passionate about what we believe, it is important for us to remain level-headed...and to hold onto the moral high ground even if others do not.

You are encouraged to contact your representatives about ANY issues that are important to you (not just school calendar issues). In fact, it is your duty to do so. Remember, your representatives are an EXTENSION of YOU! You elected these persons, and they should listen to your wishes and try and honor them if they reflect the will of a majority of the citizens in your district. It was overwhelming communication from "average" North Carolina citizens during the battle to pass HB 1464 that determined the outcome. There's no question about it!

SOS-NC is not going to tell you what to say, we just encourage you to HAVE A SAY.
Here, however, are some general guidelines:

• Communicate using a medium that is comfortable for you. Phone, e-mail, postal letter or fax are ALL acceptable means. So is a face-to-face meeting if that can be arranged
• Clearly state your reason for initiating contact.
• Be concise with what you say. Your representatives only have so much time in the day, and we'd like for them to read 5,000 short messages from SOS-NC supporters rather than one or two long ones.
• Be open, honest and respectful. There's no reason to resort to threats, heated language or anything along those lines. Our legislators are NOT the enemy...they are our allies. They are the only way to keep special interest groups (and the laws they try and pass) at bay.
• Sincerely state a tangible way that a reasonable school calendar benefits you and your family, or conversely, state a tangible way that you and your family are negatively impacted by a school calendar year that extends the school year from late July/early August through mid June.
• Identify yourself by name, and provide your address, phone number and other contact information. Sometimes representatives will desire a follow-up conversation, and at the very least they'll want to know that you are, indeed, one of their constituents. Anonymous communication is of no value.
• Don't assume "once and done." While you don't have to contact your representatives every day, it is important to be persistent...especially if several different groups and laws begin to emerge. Keep your eyes and ears open, and as new things come up, make fresh contact to make your opinions known.

The ability of a startup, grassroots group like SOS-NC to influence the passage of a piece of legislation still has a lot of folks shaking their heads. No long track record of success. No celebrity spokespersons or endorsements. No overflowing money coffers. No high-powered lobbyists. What did we have? We had YOU.

Thanks for all you have done and for what you will continue to do! It means the world to the children enrolled in North Carolina's public schools.