Tips on Presenting a Back to School Speechpg. 2

In this Toolkit:

- Tips on Presenting a Back to School SpeechPg. 2

- Sample Remarks for Back to School Events (hope & inspiration)Pg. 3

- Sample Remarks for Back to School Events (challenging times)Pg. 5

- Sample Letter to the EditorPg. 7

Tips on Presenting a

Back-to-School Speech

You've been asked to give the welcoming speech for your school district and/or your local association. Congratulations! This may be your first public appearance as the president of your local Association, so you will want to make the best of it. This will be a great opportunity to make a positive impression on members and potential members. Follow these simple rules, and you will be guaranteed a successful speech AND a head start on a successful membership campaign.

Your message is important. But don’t ignore what communications research says about how people filter messages. Research has shown that audience interpretations of speaker messages are determined by 55% of what they see (visual), 38% by tone, pitch, volume, variation (vocal), and only 7% by the content (verbal). So. ...
Visual

Dress up. Your members want you to look special—after all, they are special and you represent them.
Be comfortable. If you are sitting on the stage, be aware of how short your skirt is or the color of your socks.
Try to maintain as much eye contact with your audience as possible.
Smile.

Vocal

Practice your speech or welcoming address. Practice in front of a mirror. Practice in front of a friend. Practice in front of the dog. Even if you only have 5 minutes, make sure you know what you are going to say.
If you don’t know how to pronounce someone's name, find out and practice it.
Be enthusiastic. Optimism is infectious!

Verbal

Tell a short story, read a poem about going back to school, or relate a personal experience. Spice up your opening or closing with a quote.
Be very cautious about telling a joke. It is difficult not to offend someone.

Sample Remarks for

Back-to-School Events

(Hope & Inspiration)

Thank you Mr/Ms XXX for the kind introduction. I’m delighted to be here with you today.

This is probably my favorite time of year, and I think it has something to do with the special bond we share as educators.

I’m sure you’ve all heard of the saying—“Hope Springs Eternal.”

Well that’s what the start of the school year is all about.Parents have their hopes as well—they’re hoping that this year their sons and daughters encounter something that ignites their passion for learning.

(Or maybe they’re just hoping they pass all their classes!)

But the point is that this is a time for new starts. Everyone starts off the new school year with a new chance to go even further than ever before.

But the idea of Hope is much deeper than just the time of year. It goes to the core of who we are.

Wemay be called by the title of “Teacher/Custodian/Bus Driver/Instructional Assistant/Professor,”(select – and add – whichever professional titles best fit your audience) but our mission is really all about Hope. It’s about the belief deep down in our gut that says, “I know I can reach that one. I know I can make a difference.” We are the ones who can make Hope a reality and—now and then—a dream come true.

Chances are, when you got into this profession it wasn’t to compile grade books or file paperwork.

You became an educator because you believed children’s hopes and dreams should not go unanswered.
You became an educator because you knew that no child dreams of dropping out—they dream of being doctors or teachers or—let’s face it—baseball players and movie stars. And you knew they needed your guidance to reach their dreams.
You became an educator because you knew that hearing the words, “Ohhh….NOW I get it,” was as sweet a reward as you could ever hope for from your chosen profession.

I certainly Hope for you that you have a year filled with those very special moments.

And I want you to know that the Oregon Education Association and (the Local Education Association) are doing everything in our power to put the focus on Learning and creating the conditions necessary for you, the Professionals, to do your jobs.

We are sponsoring first-rate professional learning experiences. We are publishing great tips-oriented articles in Today’s OEA and our local newsletter. And, locally and at the state level, we’re representing you to make sure that policies and laws support what’s best for students and don’t make it harder for great educators to do their jobs.

Parents and education professionals strive for each and every student to meet the highest expectations for learning. We make this much harder on our students when the name of the game is more high-stakes testing. Instead, we need to invest the time, resources and money to ensure student success.

Educators are standing up for their students and the schools they deserve. Students need their teachers, education support professionals and community college staff to be empowered and have the time to challenge and support them in meeting the demands of new high academic standards.With the rush to implement new standards, we’re simply missing an opportunity to do what’s best for our students.

According to a national study, more than a month of instructional time can be lost to test preparation and administration in a single school year.

It is about to get worse for Oregon students.

There is a better way. Educators want to work with parents and school leaders to demand a moratorium on fully implementing the new high-stakes, standardized tests until Oregon school districts are able to better support and empower educators and students in transitioning to the Common Core.

We need to put an end to toxic testing in our schools.

If you have not yet chosen to be active in your local association, I would humbly offer that there is no one else doing as much as XXX to help and support you and your students. We need all of you toget engaged and make sure our voices are heard.

And your voices are needed now more than ever! As you know, we are facing a crisis in our public schools. Years of budget cuts have led to class sizes that are out of control. In fact, Oregon currently has the second largest class size in the country.

As a consequence, our students aren’t getting the individual attention they need to succeed. Oregon has set a number of ambitious goals for students and our public schools – including ensuring a 100 percent high school graduation rate by 2025. If we are to meet these goals and prepare Oregon students for college and the workforce, we must make sure our investments match our expectations.

Finally, I’d just ask you to remember that, even if teaching is often a “solitary” profession, You Are Never Alone. Association members who are your colleagues are ready to lend you a lesson plan or a listening ear if you need it. Do not hesitate to reach out to us. Together, we’ll make this a truly special school year.

{Suggest you promote your email address and web address to people at the end.}

Sample Remarks for

Back-to-School Events

(Getting Involved in Challenging Times)

Welcome back to school! My name is XXX and I am the president of the XXXX.

I am honored to be here and excited to begin another school year. I’m excited to reconnect with all of the incredible staff, students and parents here at XXX. I know that together, we can help ensure that our students receive the best education possible and that they have the support they need – in the classroom and beyond – to succeed.

This past year has been a difficult one for all of us. With continued fallout of the economic crisis, we have all faced incredible challenges and occasional heartbreak. We’ve seen many in our community struggle with job loss and underemployment. We’ve seen local businesses struggle. And we certainly have seen our school district and school employees face some difficult choices to address what seems like a never ending budget crisis.

We are so lucky to live in a community that understands the value of public schools. Our schools are the building blocks for the future. As I look out at all the employees and community members it gives me such pleasure to see the support we have here in XXX. All of us here today recognize that we all have a responsibility to do our part in helping to prepare students for college and the workforce. The health of our families, local community and economy depend upon it.
It’s been a roller coaster of a ride. The good news is that the economy is improving and your local and state associations are standing up for you and standing up for students!

Educators are standing up for their students and the schools they deserve. Students need their teachers to be empowered and have the time to challenge and support them in meeting the demands of new high academic standards.With the rush to implement new standards, we’re simply missing an opportunity to do what’s best for our students.

According to a national study, more than a month of instructional time can be lost to test preparation and administration in a single school year.

It is about to get worse for Oregon students.

We need to end toxic testing in our schools!

And we are still facing a funding crisis in our public schools. Years of budget cuts have led to class sizes that are out of control. In fact, Oregon currently has the second largest class size in the country.

So what can you do about it? We demand change. We demand investment.

Together we will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder – supporting each other so we can support our students. We’ll do the best we can with what we have and we’ll fight like hell for the future of our schools.
Now, I would like to introduce the leaders of our association who are at the center of that fight. I want to say how much I appreciate all their contributions to our association and members. Would the XXXX Executive Board, building Representatives and bargaining captains, please stand up? Thank you for your leadership in our association and in your classrooms.

I am so very proud to represent you and to work on your behalf and on behalf of our students and community. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity.

Sample Letter to the Editor

It’s that time again – Back to School! As parents try to get their kids back on a morning routine without too much grumbling, XXX educators are already back in the classroom making sure that we are ready to welcome back our students.

As an educator, this is my favorite time of year. It’s a time of hope and endless possibility. Each student has a clean slate and a new year to fulfill the hopes they have to succeed and to find their place in the world.

I have hope because we are so lucky to live in a community that understands the value of public schools. Our schools are the building blocks for the future.

But I’m concerned about the impact our abuse and overuse of standardized testing is having on students. Our toxic testing culture is taking the love of learning out of our classrooms.

Oregon educators have a better way. We are demanding a moratorium on any new high-stakes, standardized testsand have created a plan for the successful transition to the new Common Core State Standards.

I welcome you to join me in hoping for our kids’ futures. Join us in our fight to end toxic testing! And I welcome and encourage you to get involved in your neighborhood school – volunteer in a classroom, help clean up a playground, mentor a student and help welcome them back to school!