School Choice Messaging: One Statistic, One Story, One Solution

Tailoring School Choice Messages to Different Regions:

Key Statistic:

• Pennsylvania spends nearly $22,000 per student (top 10 nationally)
• Despite high spending, test scores continue to decline

Regional Messaging Approaches:

1. Suburban Areas:
   • Emphasize that students are unique
   • One-size-fits-all system doesn't work for every family
   • Highlight families choosing alternatives when the system doesn't fit
   • Focus on: giving options to find what works best
2. Rural Areas:
   • Acknowledge pride in local schools while recognizing need for options
   • Contrast strong rural schools with struggling districts
   • Empathize with parents who can't afford to move from failing districts
   • Focus on: maintaining strong schools while helping trapped families
3. Urban Areas:
   • Address unsafe and failing schools leaving children behind
   • Point to waitlists and lotteries showing demand for alternatives
   • Frame as an urgent safety and survival issue
   • Focus on: immediate relief for students in dangerous situations

Solution for All Areas:

• Lifeline Scholarships to give families options
• Fund students directly rather than trying to fix broken systems
• Reference successful implementation in other states

Bottom Line: Keep messaging simple but resonant for your specific audience using one statistic, one story approach, and one solution.

For more tips on effective school choice messaging, refer to the accompanying one-page PDF.

Winning Edge gives you the tools you need to lead and influence in the political and policy arenas. Every other week, Winning Edge releases short (approximately 5-minute) spots—or “snacks”—focused on one of four areas: fundraising, media, policy, or persuasion.

For more, visit our website: www.thecommonwealthpartners.com

The Hand Framework for Persuasive Speeches:

1. Thumb - The Goal
   • What you want your audience to dd, and why they aren't doing it already?
   • Shapes every part of your talk
2. Index Finger - The Hook
   • Start strong to grab attention
   • Options:
     • Personal story (builds trust)
     • Problem story (sets up challenge)
     • Curiosity story (opens a loop)
     • One surprising statistic
     • One thought-provoking question
3. Middle Finger - The Hold
   • Deliver core content with clear structure
   • Use 3, 2, or 1:
     • Three steps for teaching a process
     • Two points for contrast or reframing
     • One big idea to cut through noise
4. Ring Finger - The Hurdle
   • Address why they haven't acted already
   • Common hurdles:
     • Skill Set — They don’t know what to do. Clear the fog. Give the first step.
     • Mindset — They’re afraid to act. Reframe the risk. Help them feel safe.
     • Tool Set — They lack the tools. Give them what they need—a case study, checklist, or walkthrough.
   • Show empathy and understanding
5. Pinky - The Handoff
   • Make next steps clear
   • Show impact of saying yes
   • Script the next move
   • Give something tangible to remember

Key takeaway: Don't just inform - move people to act with this simple, memorable framework.

For more tips on creating persuasive speeches, refer to the accompanying one-page PDF.

Winning Edge gives you the tools you need to lead and influence in the political and policy arenas. Every other week, Winning Edge releases short (approximately 5-minute) spots—or “snacks”—focused on one of four areas: fundraising, media, policy, or persuasion.

For more, visit our website: www.thecommonwealthpartners.com

Applying "One Statistic, One Story, One Solution" to Education Reform:

One Strong Statistic:

• $22,000 in funding per student in Pennsylvania
• Supporting number: Nearly $7 billion in school district reserves

One Compelling Story:

• Pennsylvania's education system story arc:
  • More funding, more teachers, more programs
  • Yet outcomes keep getting worse
  • Enrollment down, spending up
  • Test scores declining despite investments
• Reframes the narrative: "You weren't wrong to want to fund schools, but it's time to try something different"

One Clear Solution:

• Fund students, not systems
• Let money follow the child
• Lifeline Scholarships as a specific policy example
• Give families in lowest-performing schools freedom to choose better options

Message Framing Considerations:

• Acknowledge positive associations with local schools/teachers
• Address negative feelings about the overall system
• Show how system-level fixes have failed
• Highlight growing alternatives (charter schools, homeschooling, private schools)

Key Takeaway: "Instead of sending money to a system that's failing, we send it to the student—so they don't have to wait for the system to change."

For more tips on messaging education reform, refer to the accompanying one-page PDF.

Winning Edge gives you the tools you need to lead and influence in the political and policy arenas. Every other week, Winning Edge releases short (approximately 5-minute) spots—or “snacks”—focused on one of four areas: fundraising, media, policy, or persuasion.

For more, visit our website: www.thecommonwealthpartners.com