....advancing excellence in listening and spoken language education by providing services that assist schools and programs to increase their effectiveness, efficiency and ability to teach children who are deaf or hard of hearing to listen and talk.
Home
About OPTION Schools
Find an OPTION School
Announcements
Useful Information
Trainings and Workshops
Useful Links
Member Center
Member Services
Global Staff Directory
Data Projects
Public School Toolkit
University Toolkit
Peer Review
Resource Library
Meeting 2011 - Next Steps
Meeting 2011 - Minutes
Member Discussions
Weekly Updates
FDO Subscription
Employment Opportunities
Contact OPTION Schools
Download our Brochures!
Governance
Disclaimer
 

OPTION 2011 Annual Meeting - Next Steps

 

 

Thank you for your participation in OPTION’s annual meeting!  Please carefully read the following details to help address next steps. 

 

Send contact info and a mini-summary of meeting conversations to your team leader, Theresa Bulger, Claudia Hernandez and Maura Berndsen.  Below please find a linke that will organize this information.  

 

Meeting Notes from Legislative Visits 2011.docx

 

The information will help us:

  • Compile and share results with all OPTION members;
  • Provide Maura the info needed to send a thank you notes directly;
  • Create a master list of interested sponsors/cosponsors of identified language; and
  • Evaluate the list of prime contacts in DC as we proceed.

 

Send a thank you note to offices where you acted as the “lead” during the visit.   If you introduced the group and the topic, you’ll be sending a thank you note.   Below please find link to template if needed for reference

 

TEMPLATE for Thank you letters.dot 

 

  • Email a thank you to the DC (Capitol) office/
  • Send a hard copy by snail mail.
  • Fwd an electronic copy to Maura Berndsen
  • Maura will copy you on the thank you note sent to your legislator by OPTION.

 

Access the statistics and citations in the Member Section of the OPTION Schools website (www.auditoryoralschools.org) after Sunday, July 31, 2011.

 

Access the press release templates in the Member Section of the OPTION Schools website (www.auditoryoralschools.org) after Sunday, July 31, 2011.

  • Please copy newsletters or printed press to OPTION electronically. 

  • If hard copies must be sent, mail to Maura Berndsen, OPTION President; Listen and Talk; 8610 8th Ave NE; Seattle, WA  98115. 

 

The Executive Board of OPTION will appoint an ad hoc committee to consider and develop language presented to legislators. 

  • The group will create a simple document reflecting the SOCO (OPTION 2011 SOCO.pdf)
  • All members will see proposed language in advance. 

 

PLESE NOTE….OPTION’s ad hoc committee will work to create a simple document that reflects the SOCO and the language will be presented to interested legislators.  Bill drafting is a process and OPTION will expect that stakeholders meet and refine it with Bill Drafting staff and the sponsors/cosponsors.  Any bill is subject to amendment on the floor throughout the process.

 

 

More Information…

 

As this moves forward, OPTION would not reject any sponsors, but we are seeking to have the primary sponsors/those who introduce the bill to be at the HIGHEST and strongest level possible. We will include co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle and have multiple sponsors.

 

  • If your “local” legislator is a sponsor, OPTION will connect with you to be involved. 
  • All OPTION members will find news in the Weekly Updates- if you are interested in updates please make certain that OPTION is recognized as a “safe sender” and make certain to keep OPTION informed of any changes in email addresses.

 

IRS policy on nonprofit lobbying efforts: Information about IRS rules and charities can be found at http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=163392,00.html.  Please confirm state regulations in addition to the federal rules. 

 

  • As a 501 c (3) you are permitted to lobby/hire a lobbyist/give to political campaigns. Remember that merely giving information may not be lobbying and that much of future organizing activities might actually be development not lobbying (i.e. forming an outreach group or parents group is not lobbying, but spending a day talking to legislators may be lobbying).
  • Certain Foundations are not permitted to conduct any lobbying activities – however, that does not apply to all funders. Please check the status of your funders on the Foundation Center, Guidestar, Grantmakers , etc.
  • To be on the safe side either consult grant letters OR contact your foundation contributors directly before using any grants for lobbying. None of the schools would want to harm our funders. 
  • For example,  the Oberkotter Foundation can NOT and does NOT fund lobbying of any kind.

 

 

All the above information and documents can be downloaded here: Next Steps 2011.docx

 

Statistical Backup Document:  Some statistical backup.docx

 

Resources shared with Legislators: http://www.communicatewithyourchild.org/brochures.html

 

Audiory Oral Education Statistics:  Auditory Oral Education Stats.pdf