Sticky Issues
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Sticky Issues Archive >
In this section, principals tell how they handled a challenging situation, how some policy that was in place actually worked, and the lessons learned from dealing with these Sticky Issues. Send your stories to principal@osu.edu. Please indicate if we may use your name in the “contributor” credits.
Levy Mode for Principals
In a recent conversation with Dr. Camille Nasbe, the Superintendent of the Winton Woods City Schools, the Editor of the Principal’s Office was able to glean some important talking points for principals who might be going into levy mode in November. The leadership of principals is critical to success. Be mindful that the law does not allow school employees to promote the levy on company time, but does allow you to provide factual information. So make sure the promotional activities are done after school, in the evenings, on weekends, etc. There is a fine line between “promotion” and “providing facts.” When in doubt, consult your district’s legal department. It’s not too late to put the following ideas into place to help your district pass essential school levies one school at a time:
- Nothing sells a district’s levy like positive programs and good customer relations with the parents and community. Develop talking points about the special and unique programs your school has to serve children.
- Develop a simple “talking points” sheet with facts that have the same message with correct information that everyone gets.
- Be able to provide a simple overview of why the district needs a levy. Levies are inevitable in Ohio. It’s not IF, but WHEN in Ohio. There’s an analogy to a family salary. If a wage earner gets paid once at the beginning of each month, he/she has money at the beginning of the month. But as he/she spends down for the month by paying bills, taking care of emergencies, and spending on living expenses, toward the end of the month, he/she begins to run out of money. That’s how it is with school districts. The allocations provide money up front, but then districts begin to run out of money and need levies.
- Personalize the levy information. What will it allow your school to do? For example, will you be able to expand and/or keep successful and/or unique programs? Will you be able to keep good teachers and not have to staff reduce them?
- Get a group together about 2 months before the levy. Identify grassroots, positive parents who are leaders and who are excited about education to carry the message. Make it fun. Encourage them to have parades, make banners. Keep it positive and have fun so people don’t lose interest.
- Experience shows that scare tactics are not as effective as passionate parents who love your school and who are doing the talking.
- Remember, every vote is important. Levies have been won or lost by as little as five votes.
- Have voter registration drives included at “Back to School Nights” and “Open Houses.”
- Keep the community informed prior to and after the levy drive. Good customer relations requires good communication about how you contain costs and manage resources wisely at all times not just at levy time.
- Keep staff informed. Many staff members live in the district and should be the most up front, involved, supportive and knowledgeable about the levy.
