Letters are a simple way of communicating your ideas, concerns and expectations. Elected officials and candidates value personal letters, rather than form letters.
Email is the fastest written communication method to get your message to your elected representatives. To send an email to a Maryland Legislator, you must have access to the Internet. You can also track legislation on the Internet.
LETTERS and E-MAIL PROTOCOL
Identify yourself as a constituent, voter, parent, grandparent, or volunteer and a member of the MVMPCS school community
Clearly state the purpose of your letter. What is the issue? What is your position? What do you want the elected official or candidate to do? Write about one bill or issue per letter
Use personal experience as evidence of your position. Explain how the issue will affect you or people you care about. Tell your child’s success story at MVMPCS. Demonstrating to the legislators that this school makes a difference for each child attending is an important component of the broader legislative advocacy picture
Ask the elected official or candidate to respond in writing about his/her position on the issue
Thank them for their time and consideration
Include your name, address and phone number
Use simple stationary if you are writing a personal letter. Use letterhead if you are writing on behalf of a coalition, business or agency
Do not threaten to withhold your vote during an election if your elected representative holds an opposing position
Do not send photocopies of one letter to all your legislators or candidates. Send individual letters to each legislator or candidate for office
Consider writing letters supporting the positions or actions of your elected officials or candidates on various issues. They rarely get written compliments and this may build rapport for subsequent communications, when you may be in opposition to their positions
If possible, please keep it to one page
Please email a copy of your message to mmci2001@yahoo.com (this is the MMCI generic mailbox – we would love to have the great stories in your letters so they can be used for future charter school advocacy work as well)