Bring Your Legislator

To School
Toolkit and Timeline
2015
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About
Some of the finest educators in the nation serve as leaders in New York State as we continue to make
progress in meeting the academic and emotional needs of every New York child. Highly effective
teachers combine strong classroom instruction with a supportive and nurturing environment while
developing excellent parent communication and utilizing engaging, data-driven lessons.
Our children deserve the finest education possible. Great educators change lives, and in some
circumstances, save lives. Our goal is to ensure that these exemplary teachers who elevate the
profession are given deserved acknowledgement and praise for their efforts. Assist us in identifying such
teachers by nominating a colleague or educator you know who meets the criteria for a highly effective
teacher based on his/her performance and experiences.
State policymakers have the responsibility of making powerful decisions that impact education. Partners
for Inspired Education strives to provide an opportunity for legislators to observe students and teachers
engaged in instruction aligned with high standards by training New York educators to host their own
Bring Your Legislator to School day events to continue positive conversations on education issues.
This is why Partners for Inspired Education has initiated a New York Bring Your Legislator to School Day
effort in coordination with the New York Educator Voice Fellowship and Educators for High Standards.

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Table of Contents
Legislator Engagement:
Sample Email to Legislator
Sample Phone Script to Legislator
Planning Your Day:
Engaging Community Stakeholders
Sample Agendas
Making Your Visit Substantive:
Legislator Guide for Observing an ELA Lesson
Legislator Guide for Observing a Math Lesson
Follow Up:
Sample Thank You Letter
Sample Letter to the Editor to a Local Newspaper

Additional Resources:
Checklist
Contact Information
Notes
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Legislator Engagement
Legislators are very busy individuals! You should plan to reach out to your selected legislator through
both email and phone. See the sample email and phone script below!
However, before engaging your legislator, be sure to find out their interests and past participation with
your school.
Guiding Questions:
Has he/she visited your school before? If so, what did they do/learn?
What committees does he/she sit on?
How has he/she voted on relevant/important legislation?
Resources:

http://www.nysenate.gov/senators
http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/

Sample Invitation Email from Educator to Legislator

Date
The Honorable First Name, Last Name
State Senator or Representative
1700 W. Washington
_______, NY _______

Dear Senator _____________ or Representative ____________:

On behalf of the students at school name in the XX legislative district, I would like to invite you to
participate in the Partners for Inspired Education Bring Your Legislator to School Day event. Our
students, staff, administrators and school community would be honored by your visit.

This school-wide event has been organized in your honor. It will provide you with an opportunity to visit
an actual classroom, tour the school and visit with your local school officials. I am honored to be your
host for Bring Your Legislator to School Day.

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Ideally, we would like to hold this event on either day of week, month, day, 2015 at time or day of week,
month, day, 2015 at time at name and address of school. However, we are flexible if this time does not
work with your schedule.
You can reach me at phone number and email to RSVP and discuss this opportunity. Unless I hear from
you before, I will follow up within the next week with a telephone call to establish a time that will fit
your schedule.
Thank you for all you do for education in New York. I very much hope that you will accept my invitation
to come to my classroom and to my school to watch our students at school name learn.
With much appreciation,
Educator Name

Sample Phone Script to Legislator

Good Morning/Afternoon ______________________,

My name is ___________________ and I am a teacher in ____________________ School District serving

students in your district. I am an advocate for higher standards for all students and serve kids in our
state through Partners for Inspired Education.
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today!
I am calling to follow up to my email sent ___________________
During your visit, you will see examples of students using problem solving and critical thinking skills as
they explore complex text/reason through real world problems.
After you visit the classroom, we will have the opportunity to spend time discussing the other great
work that is taking place in our school to help prepare students for success in college and in the
workforce.
Ideally, we would like to hold this event on either day of week, month, day, 2015 at time or day of week,
month, day, 2015 at time at name and address of school. However, we are flexible if this time does not
work with your schedule.
Do you have any preferences on what youd like to see during your visit? How much time do you think
youll have available for us? Are there any questions that you have for me?
Thank you so much for your time today! I am very excited for your visit to our school.

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Engaging Community Stakeholders

Be sure to include everyone in developing your plan! The entire school community should be engaged
and excited about participating in the visit. Gather all input to ensure your day is substantive and a true
learning experience for your legislator!

Administration

Teachers

Consider inviting students to serve as ambassadors for the visit. Ask students to create a
banner that can serve as a background for photo opps!

Parents

Ensure that custodial staff are engaged and prepared for the special occasion!

Students

Identify teachers who may be willing to be observed or take pictures during the day!

Custodial Staff:

Be sure that administrators will be in the building and available to meet. Review the
school calendar for multiple dates that you can offer your legislator as options!

Ensure that parents are aware of the visit and invited to participate or make/bring food!

Community:

Consider inviting a member of your neighborhood association or school board.

Sample Agendas
1. Meet and Greet (30 minutes)
a. The host teacher should be present to greet the visiting legislator. Decide who else will be
present. This may include principal, support staff, students and other teachers. Introduce all
present.
b. The host teacher should then take the legislator to an area where there are some
refreshments available, so that they can discuss the days agenda and the legislator can
share any specific goals or questions. The legislator should be briefed on steps that the
teacher has taken to prepare for the lesson(s) that day. Teacher should be prepared to tell
the legislator what he/she should hope to observe during the time in the classroom. Teacher
should discuss the make-up of students in his/her classroom. Additionally, discuss the
specifics of the civics lesson that the legislator will be teaching, including how long the
lesson should run and what assistance/materials the legislator might want while teaching
the lesson.
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2. Guided Tour of Campus (Student-led)

a. Accompany a select group of students as they take your legislator on a guided tour of your
campus. Be sure to celebrate the great things on campus and also point out the areas that
need improvement. If your legislator has expressed interest in a certain aspect of your
school, be sure to spend time there on your guided tour and allow time for questions.
b. Be sure to visit extra-curricular areas, such as PE, art and music rooms.

3. Classroom Time
a. Teach a lesson while your legislator observes. The legislator should not necessarily be the
focus of the lesson, but rather an observant.
b. Invite your legislator to teach a short lesson on civics.
c. Visit other classrooms to observe instruction if time allows.

4. Lunch and Open Discussion

a. Prearrange to have lunch brought in from an outside venue or to have it ready in the
cafeteria.
b. You may wish to include other teachers and students for an informal, open discussion
during lunch.

5. Question and Answer Session

a. If you choose to have a question and answer session, please provide your legislator with
sample questions prior to the event.
b. Invite teachers, parents, a group of students, community members and other staff members
to attend a 1 hour question and answer session with the legislator. We suggest no more
than 50 participants overall, so that most questions can be addressed.
c. Questions should be focused on specific needs of the school and issues pertinent to
education in Arizona. Please discourage attendees from whining, complaining or attacking.
d. As the host, you should moderate this session and intervene when necessary.

6. Conclusion
a. Thank your legislator for taking the time to participate. Mention any specifics that you think
went well or that you appreciated. You may wish to present the legislator with a schoolrelated gift.
b. This is a good opportunity to take a few photos.
c. Ask the legislator if he/she felt this was a beneficial event and why.
d. Suggest sustaining the relationship via correspondence or occasional meetings.

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Sample Agenda
8:30 - 8:35 am
main door,
outside main office

Meet and Greet

Check-in, welcome Legislators who are attending.

8:35 - 9:00 am
Conference Room

Welcome: The
McGlone Story

Getting to Know McGlone.

Welcome and introductions; review our itinerary for the day and
tell the McGlone Story. (Turnaround, FarNorthEast Struggle and
Triumph!)

5 min transition

(Have coffee and water bottles.)

9:05 - 9:35 am
Carasick/Ryan
Room 120

Raise the Bar: The

power of effective
co-teaching.

Visit 5th Grade Classroom.

Set with lens:
What does effective co-teaching look like and how does this
raise the bar for our students?

5 min transition
9:40 - 10:10 am
Mazzella
Room 112
5 min transition

Raise the Bar:

Technology and
differentiation

10:15 - 10:45 am
Art Room (3rd-5th)

Raise the Bar:

Common Core and
Arts Integration

Visit 3rd Grade Classroom.

Set with lens:
Through the deliberate use of technology how we can shrink the
divide our students face moving into the 21st Century?

Visit 3rd-5th Grade Arts Classroom.

Set with lens:
We are focused on Common Core Implementation in all of our
classrooms, what does that look like for the Arts and how do we
continue to value the importance of creattivity and arts?

5 min transition
10:50 - 11:20 am
Conference Room

Debrief
with question and
answer

What did you observe today? What questions do you have?

11:20 - 11:45 am
Conference Room

Lunch with _______

Panel

Snacks & beverages will be available

11:45 - 12:05 pm
Big and Little
Building

School Tour by
students

School tour led by our wonderful 5th Graders

12:05 - 12:25 pm
Conference Room

Final Reflection and

Next Steps...

Wrap up thoughts provided by A.P., Dean, Teacher-Leaders and

YOU.
What were you biggest take-aways?
Where are you seeing our school Raise the Bar with education?

What can we do to enhance collaboration in the future?

12:25- 12:30 p.m.
Exit Building

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Thank you!

ECEers will present you with a final thank you/goodbye! :)

Making Your Visit Substantive

As you plan your agenda, consider how to make the day especially meaningful for your legislator
through active engagement and substantive activities! Included here are some sample guides you may
wish to share with your legislator to help them know what to look for!

Legislator Guide for Observing an ELA Lesson

Expectations
Balance of
fiction/informational
text

What it looks like in the classroom

Learn about the

world through
reading

Read more
challenging text

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Classroom libraries and texts

students are exposed are fiction
AND informational
Students make connections among
fiction/non-fiction
Students understand and can
discuss the details and text features
of non-fiction
Students get smart in science and
social studies through READING
Students handle primary source
documents

Students will often re-read the

same passage or sentence for
understanding
Unpack the text with guided
instruction
Students learn to handle frustration
and keep pushing through a text
despite difficulty with it

Questions to ask
What texts are the students
utilizing during the lesson?
Are they using the features
such as captions, bold print,
Table of Contents, etc., to assist
them with a task?

What content knowledge was

the student able to build from
the lesson?
How did the teacher expose the
students to interesting text to
motivate them and/or build
their knowledge about a
specific topic?
What questions did the teacher
ask the students to get them to
think about what was read?
In what way did the teacher
scaffold her questions for the
students to build
understanding?
How does the teacher support a
child who is struggling?

Discuss reading
using evidence

Write non-fiction
(develop a claim)
using evidence from
multiple sources

Enhance academic
vocabulary

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Students learn to find evidence to

support their arguments
Students form judgments and
develop claims
They learn the power of becoming a
scholar on a specific topic through
the use of research and evidence.
Students analyze and evaluate
evidence, learning what is relevant
and meaningful to select

Students learn to state a claim and

use evidence to support argument
Compare multiple texts/sources to
determine appropriate support
Fosters critical thinking
Writing skills are enhanced through
multiple exposure to this form of
writing
Learn to identify credible resources
Students must be exposed to words
they will need to use in their
professional lives (Tier 2 words)
Students must get smarter in the
power of language
Better vocabulary will enhance
comprehension skills which are
critical to success at the secondary
level and beyond
Students will improve their
vocabulary by being exposed to
advanced vocabulary. It is all about
multiple exposures (Ie: every 3-4
year old knows the word
inappropriate despite how
advanced the word is).

Were the students able to

identify specific textual
evidence to support their
opinion/claim during the
classroom discussion?
How did the teacher word the
questions asked of the students
to ensure they would require
the text to respond?
Were there any questions
asked where the student did
NOT have to rely on the text?
What sources did the students
select?
Were the sources selected for
the students and reviewed, or
were the students working
independently?
How did the students go about
the selection of the sources?
How did the teacher address
words that were unknown to
students?
Is there evidence around the
room to suggest that
vocabulary acquisition is a
priority?
Did students utilize higher level
vocabulary during classroom
conversation?
Did the teacher use advanced
vocabulary during her
discussion and offer definitions
as part of the conversation?

Legislator Guide for Observing a Math Lesson

Expectation
Great focus on
fewer topics

What it looks like in the classroom

Coherence:
Linking topics
and thinking
across grades

Questions to ask
students/teachers

Classrooms will have lessons and

materials with stated clear math
goals (I Can messages)
Students using real-world
problems to solve
Students work
highlighted/displayed showing a
solid understanding of
procedural skills
Students problemsolving/collaborating with one
another
Confident math learners
Students will spend MORE time
on FEWER concepts to think
more deeply about how the
math concepts work to solve
problems.

S: What math activities are you using to

help you best understand?
S: Can you show me a real world
problem you have solved using (the age
appropriate skill) and why you decided
to solve your problem in this way?
S: Have you used this math outside the
classroom to help you solve a problem?

Students using foundational skills

from the prior grade level to
extend their current learning
Math questions, curriculums
with previous years skills
referred to in building concepts
deeper
Math manipulatives used by
students to solve problems

S: What did you learn last year that is

helping you to understand todays
lesson?
S: Can you show how your learning
from last year is connected to what you
are learning today?
S: How do you think you will use this
math skill(s)?

T: What math activities are you using to

help you best teach?
K-2 addition and subtraction
3-5 multiplication and division of
whole numbers
6 ratios, proportional relationships
and early algebra expressions
and equations
7 ratios, proportional relationships
and arithmetic of rational
numbers
8 linear functions
T: How are you implementing realworld problems that best meet your
students interests to engage them?
T: What changes have you noticed in
your teaching and students learning
using the higher math standards?
T: How has the shift of focus
enhanced your instruction?

T: What questions did you ask students

to recall prior learning to connect with
todays lesson?
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Rigor:
Pursue
conceptual
understanding,
procedural
skills and
application
with equal
intensity

Fluency:

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Students analyzing and

evaluating what various math
foundational skills needed to
solve multi-step problems
Students using a myriad of
techniques to critically think to
solve math problems
Students deciding what math to
use to solve the presented math
problem
Students learning to handle
frustration and keep pushing
through a math problem despite
difficulty with it
Classroom rich with math
examples with vocabularies in
real world situations posted
Students completing Exit
Tickets to quickly assess each
students
learning/comprehension of
presented materials
Students using different
supporting materials to help in
solving complex problems in
building fluency
Students will have speed and
accuracy with simple calculations
Materials and resources for
students to practice mastery
through repetition, utilizing
technologies and resources such
as math sprints from
EngageNY.org

T: How do you connect with last years

math standards to what you are
teaching today?
S: What way helps you best to
understand the math today: working
with a partner, the real world challenge
questions, using math manipulatives,
drawing bar models?
S: What questions did your teacher ask
you to get you thinking about what
math to use to solve this problem?
T: How do you support a child who is
struggling?
T: What way did you scaffold your
questions for your students to build
understanding?
T: What math vocabularies have you
notice during classroom conversations?

S: What tools help you the most in

learning the math you are using today?
S: Can you explain your thinking on
what math you chose to use today to
solve the problem(s)?
S: Can you teach me how to solve that
math problem?
T: How do you decide on what
resources to best teach fluency
foundational skills to your students?
T: What tools/resources do you think
are best in teaching fluency for the
math skills presented today and why?
T: What is one thing I can I do as your
legislator to support math education for
students?

Sample Thank-You Letter to Legislator

Dear Representative/Senator last name:
On behalf of the students, staff, administration and entire community at name of school, I want to thank
you for visiting us on date. Our community works hard each and every day throughout the year to
provide the best educational experience for its students, and we are all honored and very appreciative
that you took time from your very busy schedule to spend so much quality time with us here at name of
school.
I hope that this first-hand look at name of school has provided you with a better understanding of the
issues facing our students and educators. (Mention specifics related to the lawmakers experience the
day of the visit.)
I am more than willing to answer questions that may have arisen from your time on our campus.
Moreover, I would welcome the opportunity to visit with you on a recurring basis to keep you informed
of what is happening at name of school and in the education community at large. I know that we share
the same goal, which is to provide the very best possible education for all students. Working together,
we can achieve that outcome.
Sincerely,
Educator Name

Sample Letter to the Editor to a Local Newspaper

To the editor:
The staff at name of school would like to publicly thank Representative/Senator last name for
participating in Partners for Inspired Educations Bring Your Legislator To School Day on date.
Representative/Senator last name took time from his/her busy schedule to visit classrooms, talk with
students and faculty about education successes, needs and challenges at our school, and teach a civics
lesson to our students.
Because education is of the utmost importance to all New Yorkers, we believe it is imperative for
lawmakers to get a first-hand look at local schools and get some idea of what it is like to walk in the
shoes of an Arizona classroom teacher.
We encourage other community leaders to come and see for themselves what is going on in our schools.
Sincerely,
Educator Name

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Checklist for Bring Your Legislator to School Day

Inform your school community, school district administrators, and board members of visit and
dates

Contact your legislator

Follow up with calls/emails

Organize your team

Meeting prior to classroom shadowing: refreshments; set goals for visit; review
schedule for visit
Student-led tour
Classroom visit(s)

Prepare an agenda and packet for legislator for his/her time on campus; ensure he/she has an
escort for entire time on campus

Write follow-up letters

To legislator
To local newspaper/media

Contact Information
Partners for Inspired Education, Kim Hardwick: khardwick@cmschools.org
Partners for Inspired Education, Rachel Gershon Rourke: Rourkes@nycap.rr.com
NY Educator Voice Fellowship: Sheri Rodman: sheri.rodman@americaachieves.org
Educators for High Standards: Melissa Stugart: mstugart@forstudentsuccess.org

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NOTES

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