Your board of education is a policy making body. Board members set the education priorities and determine how education funds are spent. Many PAT programs are operated or otherwise supported by schools through either state or local education funding. If your program is funded in this way, you need to actively advocate for PAT with your board of education.

Boards of education are unique. They are unique from other boards, such as organizational boards, and they are each unique from one another. Following are general tips on working with boards of educations, but take some time to observe your board of education and seek advice from those who have worked with your board in the past.

You want to accomplish three primary objectives. First, ensure your board of education understands PAT and how it supports their K-12 education goals. Second, keep your board members informed about your PAT program's activities and accomplishments. Third, build supporters - or champions - on your board of education.

Why is it so important for your board of education to be knowledgeable about PAT? Board members must understand PAT in order to support it. Yet PAT is very different than the K-12 education system. PAT serves parents of young children through home visits. This age range and, in particular, this delivery system are likely new and "uncomfortable" to board members. They need to understand why serving this population is important, and why and how home visiting works best.

Board members must understand it well enough to speak about it and justify it themselves. Board members are public officials. They will be stopped in the grocery store, on the street, or elsewhere by concerned citizens potentially asking the question, "Why are we spending education money on parents of infants and toddlers?"

Getting access to your board of education

If your program is based in a school and you do not already have methods to regularly communicate with your board of education, the first thing you need to do is gain access. To do that, you need a working relationship with your school administrators - principals and superintendents. Begin by ensuring that they are knowledgeable about PAT and are "kept in the loop" about what your PAT program is doing. They may be strong supporters of PAT or they may not. Regardless, the key is to develop a positive working relationship.

Methods of communicating with your board of education

Once you have developed a relationship with your school administrators, find out what the acceptable communication paths are with the board of education. How do the administrators keep the board informed? How often does the board of education meet? How is the agenda put together? Most formal communication with a board of education will happen in one of two ways - either in writing, through reports, memos, or updates, or through an oral presentation to the board. Your PAT program should try to do both on a regular basis!

For written communication, take advantage of existing communication paths. Superintendents often provide regular updates to board members - find out when and ask if you can include updates a few times a year. Find out the format, length, and deadline for submitting materials. At a minimum, provide a yearly written report to the board on your program.

You want to make an oral presentation to the board of education on an annual basis. In some school districts, this may already be expected. If it is not expected, talk to your school administrators to find out how your PAT program can get on the agenda to make a presentation.

Making presentations to your board of education

Once you get the opportunity to present to your board of education, it is important to make the most of it! Careful preparation and practice is the key. Here are a few general tips on making a great presentation (refer to "Tips on Being a Spokesperson" for additional guidance):

• Determine the primary objective(s) of your presentation. Keep the audience in mind. What do they want to hear? Seek advice from former board of education members or current board of education members in a neighboring school district. Ask them what they would need to or want to hear about PAT.
• Organize your presentation into 3 main points. For any presentation - regardless of length - it is best to have 3 main points that you want the audience to take away.
• Make it simple. Structure your presentation into three sections:
  
  

• Tell them what you are going to tell them (Introduction)
• Tell them (Body of presentation, i.e., your 3 main points)
• Tell them what you've told them (Closing)

• Develop a good report. It should be provided in advance and should include all the information and data the board members "need" to know, such as number of families and children served, evaluation outcomes, etc. Refer to, but do not read the report. Your presentation should make the report come to life.
• Use visuals. A picture really is worth a thousand words. A good visual can simplify concepts; it can cause an emotional connection. Visuals of brain development during the first few years easily demonstrate the importance of the early childhood development; pictures of infants, toddlers and parents participating in PAT activities gives the board members faces to remember and associate with the program.
• Keep your presentation jargon free. Do not assume that the board of education members know any of the education or early childhood jargon or acronyms that are regularly used.
• Keep your presentation within the allotted time. In this case, seven minutes means seven minutes. Not eight or nine minutes. It is all right if board members extend the time with questions, but do not go over your allotted time.
• Practice, practice, practice your presentation. This is essential. It helps you know your material well so you can focus on your delivery and stay within the allotted time.
• Appear confident and poised. And fake it if you don't really feel that way! Face the board during the presentation and make eye contact with them. Breathe and pause while speaking.
  

Communicate the right message

Once you have gained access to your board of education, you need to be sure that you are sending the right message. Spend some time thinking about your PAT program and your board; and develop a message geared specifically to your circumstances (see "Working with the Media" for guidance on message development). Overall, keep in mind that your board members need to:

• Understand the PAT program. What it is; how it works; the intended outcomes, etc. Board membership will turn over regularly - this is an ongoing job!
• Understand why PAT is essential to K-12 education. Board members care about education, and they need to see how PAT benefits the K-12 school system and the children in it.
• Understand the strong relationships PAT has with other community organizations and agencies. This is a unique aspect of PAT. It provides schools with a link to the community that is often not available through other programs.
• Know, respect and trust YOU. Don't underestimate the importance of relationships. Attend other board meetings so you are a familiar face. Demonstrate that you are running a solid program. Be cordial.
• Know that you are a resource for them. Board members need to know that you are available to assist them and support them in their important jobs. Resources are always valued!