Podcast Summary: Does Advocacy Work? Lessons from ASBO New York Advocacy Day

School Business Insider
Host: John Brucato
Guest: Dr. Ron Clamser, Assistant Superintendent for Business, Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES
Aired: February 10, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, host John Brucato sits down with Dr. Ron Clamser to examine the real-world effectiveness of advocacy efforts, drawing on their experiences from ASBO New York’s recent Advocacy Day in Albany. The discussion provides an inside look at how school business officials engage with legislators, reflect on evolving advocacy strategies, and consider what truly drives change in public education policy.

Key Themes & Discussion Points

1. The Evolving Nature of Advocacy Day

• Participation and organization at Advocacy Day have grown in recent years, with more structured preparation and increased involvement from diverse geographical chapters.

• (02:00) Ron Clamser:
  “It's becoming a much more well-oiled process…we bring our government relations committee members in, which has a diverse representation, and then we're also bringing in representatives from the various regional chapters.”

• A notable shift this year involved attending a local legislative breakfast with lawmakers shortly before the statewide event, leading to more focused discussions at Advocacy Day itself.

2. Importance of Local Stories & Regional Nuance

• While ASBO NY maintains consistent statewide talking points, each group is encouraged to personalize discussions to reflect regional realities and district-specific needs.
• (08:29) Ron Clamser:
  “When we advocate, we're advocating for membership as a whole... but what's important is that we're bringing the regional perspective to the table.”

3. What Advocacy Day Looks Like

• Advocacy Day consists of a series of tightly scheduled, brief meetings with lawmakers (often 15–30 minutes), requiring concise, impactful messaging.

• The day is an “experiment in grassroots democracy,” but can feel rushed and impersonal.

• (09:36) Ron Clamser:
  “You have a 15 minute meeting and then you're off to the next meeting...your time with the lawmakers is pretty limited.”

• Attendees must be prepared for meetings with either lawmakers or their staffers, with varying levels of buy-in and engagement.

4. Relationship-Building Over Time

• Advocacy is not a one-off event—building consistent, authentic relationships with legislators at both the state and local levels is crucial for long-term influence.

• (26:38) Ron Clamser:
  “It’s a longer process, building a relationship…they also know that when they come back home, we're here.”

• ENGAGEMENT TIP: Lawmakers respond most to personal connections and stories from their own districts.

5. Preparation, Messaging, and Storytelling

• Significant behind-the-scenes collaboration goes into developing key legislative priorities and preparing cohesive talking points.
• Storytelling is more effective than simply presenting data; legislators want to hear the direct impact on local schools and communities.
• (22:44) Ron Clamser:
  “Those are the real stories…when one of our colleagues is talking about how this legislation impacts them in their local district.”

6. Priority Issues Discussed

• The big topics for ASBO NY’s 2026 Advocacy Day were:
  • Foundation Aid updates and adjustments
  • Universal Pre-K (UPK) funding and mandates
  • Prior Year adjustments (state aid owed to districts)
  • Zero-emission bus transition challenges

Memorable Quote on UPK:

• (24:05) Ron Clamser:
  “Now they kind of gave the funding and now we're going back to them and saying, hey, thank you very much for the funding. But the reality is we don’t have the space...all sorts of other issues that made it a difficult conversation to have.”

• The increased UPK funding was welcomed, but ASBO members faced complicated reactions when they raised the remaining logistical and practical challenges.

Memorable Quote on Zero-Emission Buses:

• (31:22) Ron Clamser:
  “With the bus mandate...we want to follow the law. And we were finding a little bit of a dance with that. We weren't getting real clarification on what happens if you don't do it.”

7. “Does Advocacy Work?” — Reflections on Influence

• Both speakers express that advocacy leads to incremental change, not sweeping overnight victories.

• Legislators cite concerns public officials raise, and over time, persistent advocacy helps shape funding formulas and implementation details.

• (38:17) John Brucato:
  “So the million-dollar question, Ronnie: does advocacy actually lead to change?”
  (38:26) Ron Clamser:
  “I would like to believe so. I think we need to believe in the process…if we don’t go, then the narrative is, well, if you had a problem with it, you should have come and told us.”

• The key is consistency and the willingness to “beat the drum” over years, not just one session.

• Effective advocacy is much about being “in the room” and maintaining credibility as an informed, constructive voice on school finance.

Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the anxiety of Advocacy Day:
  (12:44) Ron Clamser:
  “There’s a lot of anxiety, you know, going into it. But it’s really important. If we don’t go, then the narrative would be, well, you didn’t come and you didn’t tell us your opinion, and so we didn’t know what position you would take.”

• On the “real work” of advocacy:
  (20:05) Ron Clamser:
  “The culmination isn’t even the meeting in the office. There’s a lot of prep work…all that background work leads to this. And then they get to hear from real people that are living it in the trenches.”

• On adapting the message:
  (35:50) Ron Clamser:
  “We were approaching it...from a very tactical, you know, like ‘Hey, we appreciate it, but these are the issues.’ And it was almost like, well, don’t come to us with the problem unless you have a solution, right? …So we just had to, you know...retool that and say, you know what, we are appreciative...we just need to point out some things that we want to draw your attention to...”

• On incremental change:
  (39:10) Ron Clamser:
  “If we don’t go, then the narrative is, well, if you had a problem with it, you should have come and told us... There are plenty of other players in the game that are going to speak their narrative.”

Notable Timestamps

• 01:52 – Ron Clamser on the evolution of Advocacy Day participation
• 09:36 – “Experiment in grassroots democracy”: what Advocacy Day meetings look like
• 20:05 – The importance of preparation and groundwork before official advocacy
• 24:05 – Challenges of new UPK funding and lawmaker reactions
• 26:38 – Relationship-building as a long-term advocacy strategy
• 28:36 – Recap of this year’s legislative priorities
• 31:22 – Unanswered questions around the zero-emission bus mandate
• 35:50 – Fine-tuning advocacy messaging to balance gratitude and concerns
• 38:17 – “Does advocacy work?” direct question and answer

Closing Thoughts

The episode reveals that successful school advocacy is a marathon, not a sprint. The consistent, professional presence of school business officials—armed with real local stories, thorough preparation, and a willingness to adapt messaging—allows them to shape policy, even if only incrementally. The relationships built and credibility established ensure that when big shifts come, school business voices are part of the conversation.

As Ron Clamser put it:
“If we want our voice to be heard, we have to speak our voice.” (40:54)