Example: Formal Letter to the Board (of Education)
This may be yet another official letter, drawn from the work of your advocacy committee. Each version requires several general yet crucial components. First note the template below, which will need your particular additions in order to become a useful letter of advocacy.
[Your Address/Contact Information]
[Date]
To [Superintendent/Chair of Board/President and Board Members]:
On [date], I [observed] a [circumstance out of compliance with Title IX]. I am disappointed because our [school site or district.] has [not performed as it should, is wrong] because [state the problem as you understand it giving as much detail as possible].
A school is obligated to ensure that it provides its male and female athletes with comparable benefits, resources and participation opportunities. [The example that follows focuses on treatment of athletes. If your group’s concern is related to opportunities to participate or funding (you want a girls’ varsity soccer team) please target that in your statement.] The treatment categories include: equipment, facilities, publicity, scheduling, coaching, travel and daily allowance, training (medical), [tutoring, recruitment, housing/dining—typically in higher education] and support services. [Add specific standard language from Step 2.]
To resolve the problem I would appreciate your [state the action you require]. Enclosed is a copy/are copies of the [documentation, supporting resources] that supports my concern.
I look forward to hearing from you and to a resolution of this problem. I will wait for [set a time limit] before seeking help from [an attorney; the state Title IX Coordinator; the Office for Civil Rights]. Please contact me at the above locale, e-mail address or by phone [give numbers].
Sincerely,
[Name]
A Concerned Citizen and Parent
cc: [send copies to other related parties]
Now, let's see how a sample letter looks when the text is filled in with a story drawn from our files.
1150 17th St., NW
Washington, DC 20036
Cparent@emailaddress.net
October 25, 2009
District School Board
Dear Board Chair Russ Tration:
I have been a proud parent of three students in our K-12 district, and I have watched and supported their achievements as both students and student-athletes. I am also an advocate for equality, and I am reaching out to correct local inequities, especially in athletics. I have been on a step-by-step journey to correct problems, but unfortunately I have met astonishing roadblocks. I have spoken with many individuals who have power to make changes. Regrettably, they have neither done so, nor do they seem to care. Therefore, I am writing you in an effort to guarantee change—understanding that equality must be evident across all of our campus programs and services.
A school is obligated to ensure that it provides its male and female athletes with comparable benefits, resources and participation opportunities. The treatment categories include: equipment, facilities, publicity, scheduling, coaching, travel and daily allowance, training (medical) and support services.
There are many differences in the athletic programs for our boys and girls. Issues include quality of equipment, lack of proper facilities, and coaching. As a parent, I come to many of the after-school and evening events, and I am distressed by the condition of the girls’ gear. The girls’ basketball team competes in the old gymnasium with unacceptable locker rooms, a bad gym floor, four-year-old uniforms and barely enough basketballs for practice. The girls’ lacrosse team has old lacrosse sticks and goggles, and the softball team is in desperate need of a new field. Also, one girls’ team has had four reassigned, new coaches (all unsuccessful males) in six years, and the school has done nothing to recruit a competent coach.
These conditions represent just a few school problems involving equality between the boys’ and the girls’ programs. I have spoken with the athletic director [name and date] and the school principal [name and date], and neither have done anything to remedy the problem or even provide the due diligence these issues require.
I have included my notes from both meetings and several resources from the Women’s Sports Foundation. Therefore, I am seeking a meeting with you as the School Board Chair, to personally relay my concerns and feel confident that my voice will be heard. Then we can put a strategy in place to fix the problems, being sure Title IX compliance is achieved. I will contact your office by phone this week, looking to establish a date for our initial meeting.
Sincerely,
P. A. Rent
Concerned Parent
cc: The Stepup HS Title IX Advocacy Group, District Superintendent Dr. Rightmove
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