Charter School Day at the Capitol is next Monday, January 18 and the final arrangements are in place.  We are pleased to have nearly 400 adult and student participants registered.  Thank You!

If you're not signed up, please RSVP today to show your support for charter schools in Idaho!

Below is additional detail information to help you prepare for the day.

AGENDA FOR THE DAY: Check-in begins at 10:00 am at Boise Centre.  The advocacy training programs and student activities begin at 10:30 am.  We will provide a pizza lunch for participants, and march to the Capitol as a group for a 1:00 pm rally on the Capitol steps.  After the rally we would like participants to visit with their legislators.  You should be free to depart around 2:30 pm. For a more detailed agenda, Click Here.

CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS!

We urge you to make contact with your legislators TODAY to a) let them know you will be in Boise for the Charter School Day at the Capitol, and b) arrange a brief opportunity to say hello in person while you are there (after the rally, in the 1:30-3:00pm time frame).

Perhaps the most important aspect of this day is impress upon legislators that there are real Idahoans - and THEIR constituents - who are engaged in the public charter school system, support public education options, and want others to have the same opportunities.  The impact of a legislator seeing the faces, and hearing the personal story of families and individual students cannot be underestimated! 

Making contact: If you know your legislative District or who your legislators are, you can find their individual e-mail addresses and send them a message through the Legislative Information Services website:  http://www.legislature.idaho.gov/.  Click on "contact legislators" and follow the prompts. 

If you do not know who your legislators are, call the legislative information services office at 208-332-1000 or toll free 800-626-0471.  They can help you find your legislators AND send them your message.

We have already delivered an invitation to all legislators asking them to join us for the 1:00 rally.

Please Note:  Click Here for a sheet with helpful hints on talking to your legislator.  The Monday morning advocacy training agenda also includes a presentation on "How to Talk to Your Legislator".

GUIDED CAPITOL TOURS:

If you have registered for guided tours of the capitol, please meet a few minutes before your appointed time at the Information Center Desk on the new Garden level of the Capitol building.  The Garden level is the bottom floor of the building and the Information Center desk is located in the center of the building directly below the capitol dome.

PARKING:

Parking around downtown Boise and the Capitol Mall can sometimes be a challenge.  The following suggestions are all within a four block radius of the Boise Centre and the Capitol building:

RECOMMENDED: Downtown Parking System Event Parking:  We have arranged for "event parking" passes for our participants that allow you to park in any of the downtown public parking garages (Map) for five dollars the entire day.  At event check-in you will be provided a pass to be given to the parking attendant as you exit the garage at the end of the day.  Your parking charge will be limited to $5 (as opposed to the normal $12-$15).

ADDITIONAL OPTIONS: There are a few small free visitor parking lots and metered street parking near the Capitol building (Map).  Since Monday is a state and city holiday, parking in these areas will be more readily available than usual -- and the parking police will not be on duty Monday.

WEATHER:

Monday's forecast for Boise is a high of 38 degrees with "RAIN LIKELY". Please plan accordingly.  We DO have a dry contingency plan in place for the 1:00 Rally in the case of inclement weather.

The 2010 Charter School Day at the Capitol event is shaping up to be the best ever in terms of attendance and potential impact on our policymakers.  We look forward to seeing you on Monday!