Legislative Committee Responsibilities

FCSS legislative committee members meet as a group during the quarterly board meetings that are generally held in the Tampa and Orlando areas. “Grassroots” members, however, can serve the committee effectively in their districts and can communicate via email. Below are suggested ways legislative committee members can be of help to FCSS. Contact Jack Bovee at boveeja@collier.k12.fl.us for ways that YOU can become involved.

● Develop a "How to Lobby Effectively" packet as well as an informational "FCSS Legislative Objectives" pamphlet in conjunction with the legislative committee. The pamphlet would be distributed to FCSS Board members to leave with legislators when they lobby/visit with them.

● Maintain a list of local district council presidents and communicate our goals to them

● Develop a list of contact persons of state-wide educational, affiliated groups who share our mission, such as FGA, FCEE, FLREA, Holocaust groups, FHS, etc.

● Develop a list of non-educational groups whom we should initiate contact and lobby to support our legislative goals (such as various Veteran's Groups, patriotic organizations such as D.A.R., Eagle Forum, League of Women Voters, etc.)

● Lobby legislators in our home districts and communicate written reports to the Legislative Chair as to the progress

● Legislators tell us they ‘never hear from social studies teachers’. Consider inviting legislators or their top aides to your classroom or to speak to your local council about governmental issues. While it would be inappropriate to lobby them in front of students, you can offer to supply them with information concerning the state of civic education in Florida afterward. This would be especially appropriate during the “Take A Legislator Back to School Week” which occurs in mid September each year! (See sample press release on this web page.) The FCSS legislative committee has certificates and tokens of appreciation for those teachers who do invite legislators into their classrooms and file reports with FCSS Board Members or Chairperson Jack Bovee.

● Lobby key legislators outside of our local districts with regard to FCSS legislative initiatives

● Conduct "How to Lobby Effectively for FCSS GOALS Workshop" at the October Conference. Make sure we enlist 'ad hoc' committee members in strategic districts to help with visitations to key legislators.

● Write articles to the newspapers in key communities about our goals. Copies of all such editorials should go to Jack Bovee and Dave Sigerson. Use boveeja@collier.k12.fl.us

● Write editorials and publish updates in TRENDS to communicate to our members.