Demand Great Schools!

House Party

A Guide to Hosting a Demand Great Schools 2012 House Parties Includes:

1. 2. 3. 4. Introduction Host Check-list Sample Agenda Sign-In Sheets
5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Create Great Schools example Stand for Children one-pager Stand for Children platform School Merger Fact Sheet List of Opportunities for Action

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Introduction:
Vision:
Conduct small house parties throughout Memphis and Shelby County to demand great schools, leading to group and individual actions that influence our communitys decision-makers.

Purpose:
1. Educate the community on what is happening in our schools 2. Educate the community on how to demand better schools and influence the decision-makers. 3. Generate action for better schools, especially around the coming school board elections

Materials:
Group of friends Good food (paid for by us!) Space for group gathering Large paper Markers A computer to display YouTube video or Prezi presentation Stand for Children one-pagers Put Education First platform handout School Merger handout Opportunities for Action List Sign-In and Action Sign-Up sheets Stand membership cards

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Demanding Great Schools House Party Host Checklist Identify a date, time, and location that works for you Read over the background material Look over the sample agenda and exercises, adjusting them based on your personal preferences Meet with a Stand organizer to get support and funding Invite some friends and family to your house party Get the supplies you need, talking with a Stand organizer about what we can provide Cook or order some delicious food Have a fun and meaning house party!

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Agenda Overview
Creating Great Schools: (10 minutes, school poster, markers, sign-in sheet)
Goal: As individuals, sign in. As a group, begin brainstorming what a great school looks like. Everyone signs the sign-in sheet to providing their contact information. Together guests create a large picture of a great school.

Introduction: (10 minutes, poster paper, markers)

Goal: As a host, lay out purpose of meeting and agenda; as a group, decide on guidelines. Purpose: We are here to demand great schools, because our schools are not great yet. Guidelines: (such as Keep it short and simple, step up step back, dont be rude).

Letting it out (10 minutes, timer)

Goal: Allow people an opportunity to voice the problems in our schools and then be ready to move on to the solutions. Each person is given 30 seconds (timed) to answer the question What has to change in our schools?

Defining Great Schools: (10 minutes, poster paper, markers)

Goal: Using the great school picture, come up with (1) a group definition of great schools and (2) a group list of what our schools have and what they are lacking. Group discusses and decides on what is a great school. Group discusses what aspects of a great school are missing in their community.

Presentation: (10 minutes, computer, Stand one-pager, merger handout)

Goal: An introduction to Stand for Children and why we believe now is the time to demand great schools. Talk with Stand organizer about using our video or delivering a scripted presentation. Give Stand for Children handouts and School Merger handouts to guests

Snacks/Dinner and One-on-One Discussion: (15 - 25 minutes, food, action list)

Goal: Connect attendees with opportunities for action. In twos or threes, everyone eats, reviews the list of opportunities for action, and discusses how they feel about what comes next.

Demand Great Schools Actions: (15 min, poster paper, markers, action sign-up)
Goal: Decide on the actions the group will take, and what next steps do we need to take action. Share pair discussions on next steps & come to consensus on at least one group action. Closing: Everyone share one individual action they are going to take as a result of this meeting, and also write it on the Sign Up For Action sheet.

***Please keep in mind that these are suggestions. Feel free to adjust any and all parts of the House Party Agenda based on your audience and your style.***
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Handouts Sign-In Sheet Create Great Schools example Stand for Children one-pager Put Education First platform School Merger Fact Sheet List of Opportunities for Action Sign Up For Action sheet

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Heres a sample of the Create Great Schools drawing. Guests will draw their own ideas onto a template like this. Well give you a poster-sized copy so everyone can participate!

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Action Packet
Organize Your Community
Join

a canvassing team. We're looking for people to go door-to-door in their communities this summer, spreading the word about the policies and leaders we need for great schools. Lead a canvassing team. We need neighborhood leaders to coordinate the door-to-door conversations in their communities. This will be a paid position. Host your own house party. It can be just like this one or you can talk with Stand for Children about how youd like to do it differently. Well help pay for whatever you need! Create a community event. To build a county-wide movement for great schools, we have to talk about demanding great schools in churches, neighborhoods, and community groups. If you're part of a group that could do an event about public education, let us know! Continue to meet up with this group. You all can make your own decisions for action steps and keep each other involved. Making a difference is more fun with friends!

Demand More From Decision Makers

Attend

a candidate forum. Meet the people who would represent you. Ask them the tough questions to see if they understand the community. Demand great schools from them! Write a letter to your possible representatives. You can consult our website, www.stand.org/TN for a packet with every candidates mailing address and tips on how to write letters to politicians. Attend a school board meeting. On the last Tuesday of every month, the school board meets. We regularly bring groups of Stand supporters to hold our representatives accountable. Attend a TPC town hall meeting. The Transition Planning Commission is in charge of the city-county school merger, and they have to make a merger plan with community input. We're looking for people to demand great schools from this group! Research the candidates. Stay up-to-date on the news or visit Stand for Childrens website, www.stand.org/TN, where well post videos
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of our members interviewing the candidates, along with descriptions of each candidates positions on the issues. Vote on August 2nd. We need leaders who understand their responsibility to provide great schools for all of our children. We'll tell you who we support and why, but in the end it's your responsibility to pick your representative!

Make Stand for Children Stronger

Join

Stand for Children. You can fill out a membership card right here, right now. You can join at no cost if you prefer, but your donations will fund the movement for great schools in Shelby County. Organize at your school. We organize parents and teachers to form stronger school communities. Together, we can tackle challenges at the school and connect them to district-wide issues. Text VOTETN to 69866. We'll send you one or two texts a month, sharing opportunities to take action for great schools. There are no extra charges, and we'll be sure to share only the most important news and reminders. Participate in a training. Out work is dedicated to developing courageous grassroots leaders. We offer trainings on parent engagement, school district policies, and community organizing. Become a leader with Stand for Children. We have many members, but some of our most dedicated supporters choose to become leaders with us. Our leaders recruit new members, mobilize their networks to take action, demand great schools from politicians, and shape our organization's agenda.

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Facts to know: 2012 School Board Elections

What happened in the consolidation? - MCS surrendered its charter and therefore was absorbed into the county school district. - Starting in the Fall of 2013, MCS will no longer exist. - The merged school district has been divided into 7 districts.

7 New School Districts of Shelby County

Who will be the leaders of the merged school districts? - On August 2, 2012, we will elect one person from each district to be on the school board. - The new school board will be in charge of making the decision on how our schools will be run. How can we influence the decisions on how our schools are run? - VOTE for a representative that will listen - Help campaign and spread awareness for that representative - Organize your community around what you want in your schools and communicate it.

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