Communications Update George Strout Communication Coordinator Communications Briefing

Communications Update George Strout Communication Coordinator

Communications Briefing • Regular Email Results • On average, 12, 000 are sent and 1, 870 are opened – slightly below industry expectations • Mobile devices now account for 56% of email opens • MOM Results • More than 40 Locals received MOM support for March 2016 Elections • Support in the form of postcards, flyers, Facebook pages, surveys, websites, and grants • Messages & Methods • In the current political environment, developing and deploying a pro-education message at the local level is more important than ever before

Why Our Message Matters • Brought to you by the fine folks at Prager University whose mission is” “to spread the ideas that made America great through the power of the internet” • Their five minute videos are “conservative sound bites, providing talking points to over 100 million people a year. ”

Prager University Video

False Messages That Resonate • “Schools are failing” • They have to break something so they can “fix” it • Not happy with current system, so tell everyone its broken, doesn’t work and that the problem is the union, not lack of funding, support, poverty, … • Ask them to be specific – what is actually broken. • “It’s a complex problem, but the heart of it is the teacher’s unions” • Ignores all other causes because they are difficult to understand correct • Blames a ‘powerful’ group for the problem instead • Takes no responsibility for any role they may have

False Messages That Resonate • “I’m not anti-union, but I am an expert” • Saying you’re not anti-union usually means you are. We need to help make the word union desirable again. • Opinion is ‘based on enormous amounts of research which I will not cite since you will not understand it but trust me, I do because I’m the expert. ’ • “Union Power is out of control” • • They need to make their side feel threatened by us It’s the ‘only’ thing standing in the way of great public schools. “Insurmountable problems” caused by powerful teacher unions So show me all the great charter schools …

False Messages That Resonate • “Unions only care about their members, not kids” • This guy is good – ‘you shouldn’t expect unions to stand up for kids, that’s not what unions are designed to do” makes us seem powerful, but not truly evil since we’re only doing what unions ‘naturally’ do – we just don’t know any better • Painted as selfish, how can we possibly be trusted to do what’s best for kids. • “There no accountability” • Pointing the finger at classroom professionals removes all expectations that any other party has ‘accountability’ for the ‘broken system’, including themselves

Sounds of Silence • Silence on our part validates everything he said • Our message needs to: • Undermine his basic assumptions • Center on kids • Come from our personal experiences • Appeal to the values we share with the majority of Americans • Be something our members know and can easily share with the community • Be repeated, reach beyond our schools, and be repeated and repeated. And then repeated again.

NEA-NH Full Page Ad We believe in children Not a job – a calling Student focused – picture and text Connect, discover, unlock potential Deserve the time and tools they need to learn • Get serious about what works • Ensure kids have what they need to succeed • Ensure educators have resources, respect to support students • •

MOM is Ready to Help • Messaging, Organizing, and Mobilizing is an effective solution to ‘professors’ like that guy • The key is to start early and involve your local, surrogates and community • NEA-NH can help get it started • Summer Leadership, Local Visits, and conference calls – whatever it takes to get talking about public education in your community

Lilly’s Video

Every child. Every Chance. Every day.