Craig White (he/him or they/them) is the Director of the Supportive Schools Program at the Campaign for Southern Equality.
Once again, we find schools on the front lines of the culture wars. For people who want to protect our democracy and support our public schools, it’s time to step up and speak out. Letters, emails, phone calls and meetings with teachers and administrators can all be effective ways to have your voice heard. For your local Board of Education, you have the opportunity to make a public comment at a school board meeting.
Many people find public speaking to be challenging, so we’ve compiled a list of tips and techniques to make your public comments easier and more effective.
THE FUNDAMENTALS
Follow the guidelines.
Your school district should post public comment guidelines online: how you sign up to speak, how long you have to speak, what can and can’t be addressed, etc. Three minutes per speaker is typical.
Be respectful.
Members of conservative groups are famous for yelling at school board members, threatening them, using abusive language, name-calling, and even sparking riots, fights and arrests. When we are civil and respectful, even in the face of hatred and discrimination, our comments are more effective, and we are modeling how to interact with other people across lines of difference.
Practice.
Nobody is born a public speaker; like any other skill, it comes with practice. I typically practice a public comment, out loud, about a dozen times– first, to see how it sounds out loud and make sure I am within my time, and later, so I become very familiar with what I’m saying. Familiarity improves self-confidence.
BEYOND THE BASICS
In your three minutes of public comment, you have two tools at your disposal: WHAT you say, and HOW you say it. Here we look at both content and delivery.
Be clear.
Start by asking yourself, “Why am I speaking?” To support or oppose an action or decision? To provide information? To ask a question? If you’re not clear, your audience won’t be either.
Keep it simple.
Three minutes is very little time. Let go of complicated explanations and arguments, and focus on one or two main points. If you have more complex arguments or explanations, follow up with an email to Board members.
Respect privacy and confidentiality.
School Board meetings are public meetings. They are often televised and recorded to be available online. Be aware that anything you say may be repeated, shared, or posted, so be very careful about sharing anything that violates the privacy and confidentiality of others, and be thoughtful about what you share about yourself.
Stories over statistics.
Storytelling is one of the few universals of all human cultures; our brains are attuned to make sense of the world through stories. Facts and statistics can be used effectively to support a story, but have little impact on their own. Sharing your own story, as a student, educator, parent or guardian, is one of the best ways to make a difference.
Truth still matters.
In fact, in this time of fake news and disinformation, it may matter more. Avoid exaggerations, absolute statements, conspiracy theories, and things you saw on social media. Stick with facts, stories rooted in your own experience, and information that you could provide citations for if you were asked.
Prepare in the way that works best for you.
Some people like to have their comment scripted, word for word. Some prefer a list of bullet points. Others like to be clear on their purpose and their point, but improvise the comment itself. Use whatever method works for you– but practice, practice, practice!
Slow down, speak up, and look up.
This is where practice makes a difference. Two minutes of speaking with pauses for effect is more engaging than a three minute torrent of words. Speaking into the mic and articulating words clearly shows that you care about what you’re saying. Making eye contact with the Board and glancing at your talking points when you need to is more effective than speaking while staring at your phone.
Be creative.
You’ve got your three minutes; you don’t have to make a speech. I’ve seen people use their public comment time in a number of different ways: inviting the room to take a moment of silence for Trans Day of Remembrance, offering a prayer for healing and justice, delivering a spoken word performance, even a counselor who led three minutes of breathing and relaxation activities during a highly contentious meeting. As an educator, my personal favorite is ‘teachable moments’– three minute mini-lessons on concepts related to race, gender, and sexuality. School board meetings are boring, so changing things up is a good way to get the attention of the room.
Watch and learn.
The public comment part of a Board meeting is, literally, reality television. You can scroll through videos of previous meetings online to watch various speakers and learn what to do, and what not to do. The guy who explains his life philosophy and never makes his point–don’t do that. The guy quoting conspiracy theories from the dark web–creepy, not persuasive. The speaker who quotes the values and mission of the school to support their request–that’s smart. The student who speaks from their own experience–that’s effective. Best of all, watch a few dozen public comments, and you’ll realize that the bar is set really low: if you can bring even a modest amount of clarity and confidence to the podium, you’ll already be among the best in the class.
Have fun!
After a while, public speaking can become boring or stale, and you might choose to freshen it up with games, in-jokes or Easter eggs. For example, whenever a colleague of mine and I are on a panel together, we give each other an unusual word to somehow slip smoothly into the presentation (ubiquitous, curmudgeon, higgledy-piggledy). In public comments, I give myself a challenge– to drop in a Taylor Swift lyric, a quote from the Barbie movie, or a nod to Star Wars. People will rarely, if ever, catch the reference, but if I’m enjoying myself, that affects my confidence and my presentation.
Good luck, speak out, and have fun!
