Tag Archives: School Board

Uncategorized, General, Education, Commentary, Public Policy Principles News, The Vote

American Majority–Building Coalitions

This entry is part 2 of 7 in the series American Majority Training

constitutionThe AM staff began the session by describing what a coalition is (individuals or organizations coming together to address a common issue, who have common interests and values) and why they form (for solving a problem, naturally!)

Discussion centered around purposeful coalition building–creating a roadmap for success, with clear planning for identifying the issue, growing the group intelligently, creating the vision for the solution, establishing clear targets for success, planning the specific strategies, and implementing.  One thing that wasn’t discussed was having a post-issue analysis to certify that the goals were actually met.

Credibility and authority of the group and leaders was noted as being critical to the foundation for success of any coalition.  In order to be effective, the coalition leadership have to be visible and accessible, and be able to accurately assess the depth of the network,  broaden and deepen the network (including direct methods and social networking options),  and mobilize and motivate your volunteers and core membership.

Examples of effective tools for reaching the community you are wanting to impact was discussed, from the traditional word of mouth to getting earned media, from petitioning to fundraising events to educate and connect more people to your cause, from networking to building and deepening relationships.  All of these tools and options are going to be explained in more detail during the activist training break out sessions (of which I will bring you information after the event).

A thought struck me during this presentation, especially during the part on networking:  No time was allowed for participants at this event to introduce themselves and to let others know who is in attendance.  Maybe this will happen before the lunchtime “networking”.  We’ll see.

Uncategorized, General, Education, Commentary, Public Policy Principles News, The Vote

American Majority–Training for Solutions

This entry is part 1 of 7 in the series American Majority Training

constitutionI am going to be blogging live today from the American Majority Candidate and Activist training class, being held on the campus of Otterbein College.  The morning has started well, as the staff of AM provided coffee and pastries for such an early starting event!  They also are providing professional-quality training materials, and I was impressed to see that the training booklets are specific to the state of Ohio’s elections laws, not just a generic template booklet.

About 25 people are already here, with an anticipated attendance of 40+.  I already recognize a number of people, including former legislators and community activists, along with folks who may never have before been engaged in the civic arena except for dutifully marching to the polls in general (and maybe primary) elections.  The current political and policy climate, along with the energizing effects of tea parties, 912 movements and the like, have indeed “brought people out of the woodwork.”

Their brochure outlines the “Problem”:  “In recent months, how often have you asked yourself, ‘What happened to the conservative movement?  Why isn’t America reflecting the basic principles on which she was founded?’  Government is too big, too bureaucratic, spends too much money, and doesn’t spend it wisely.  Few of our elected officials, regardless of party, are doing anything to change it.  In fact, through earmarks and increased regulation, they are only making the problem worse.  We need citizens engaged and candidates worth voting for…”

The training being offered today is to bring one solution to the above-stated problem.  I will be sitting in on the “candidate” track, as the activist track is well documented in the training manual for that track, and I will be discussing that track later.  The opening session, for both tracks, is “Building Effective Coalitions.”   As the opening session starts, there are about 50 people now present.  Looks like a great turnout and a hopeful glimpse of the future.

Education, Public Policy Radar, Commentary

A Fresh Look At John Freshwater

Schools In RuinsFinally! A balanced look at the Freshwater case! And it took a California based para-church ministry to get the job done.

The Chalcedon Foundation has run an article on the matter that seems to cover all of the bases, something the local news media and some Christian para-church ministries have tried with varying success. Most media outlets, among them the Columbus Dispatch and local TV station news, have taken the Mount Vernon school board yarn as gospel and disseminated it as unquestionable fact. Other self-styled unofficial spokesmen for Freshwater walked into the lion’s den of tabloid cable infotainment programs only to emerge badly mauled by hosts bent on crucifying John Freshwater as someone who would purposefully “burn crosses into childrens’ arms” in the most sensational way possible. None of these “news” outlets has bothered to let facts get in the way of a good story.

The Chalcedon article does what the so-called “mainstream media” has completely failed to do- cut through the rhetoric and the sensationalism to get at the facts of the story. They also expose the underlying motivation of the Mt. Vernon school board for trying to fire a teacher so accomplished that he was the 2007 teacher of the year and his students, which included a large number of special education students, outscored not only all the other teachers in the district on the science standards test, they also beat the national average.

Read the article here.