Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Happy Holidays from your Legislative Committee

We have our first meeting right when we get back in January.  January 3, 2011 in the front conference room at the  Woodcliff Administrative Building at 11:45am.

I will send an agenda out closer to the time.

Thank you to those committee members took time to help me plan for next semester and beyond for this committee.

One idea we are working on is to increase our profile in the schools, we are thinking of advocating for reporting earlier during the school building PTA meetings since we are part of the PTA Council rather than a building committee.

Another idea is to have some kind of forum to address school funding since we are facing a huge deficit next school year and budget decisions will likely have to be made once the new year rolls around.  We are thinking that parents need a continuous review of the basics of school funding in order to understand the changes that are made.

If you have any other ideas for increasing both our profile and our effectiveness, please come to a meeting and send your thoughts to me at lucylafleur@sbcglobal.net.

Until then, Happy Hollidays. 
Lucy Lafleur and the committee

The Edujobs dollars have been distributed! Thanks for your work!

Here is a message from Ron Koehler at Kent Intermediate School District from last Friday.  He is thanking everyone who contacted our legislators about the Edujobs dollars.  Thank you from me too!!  Lucy

Thanks!
As this session of the legislature comes to a close, I would like to thank each and every one of you for your efforts on behalf of children. Your hard work is valuable, and it is making a difference. Last night the Legislature passed a school aid supplemental bill (HB5887) that distributed the federal EduJobs funds via the 2x formula. Most of our districts will benefit greatly from this, as those at the base foundation level will receive $222 per pupil while those with the highest foundation grants will receive just half that amount. This would not have happened without your hard work over the years, communicating to legislators the basic unfairness and inequity of distributing increased funding equally among all districts.


If you have the time, contact your legislators via email and thank them for distributing these dollars via the 2x formula. I expect to see many of you during the next month, but if I don’t, have a great holiday season. I look forward to working with you on behalf of children when the Legislature and our new administration begins work in January. Cheers!

Ron Koehler, KISD

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Is the State Playing Games with the Federal Dollars for this School Year?

Everyone who has been paying attention can see that there are some games happening with the finalizing of the federal Edujobs dollars for this school year's budget.  Unlike the bullying bill, the budget bill appears to be at the top of the docket for this week and through Tuesday next week as the lame duck session closes before the holidays. 

Our schools were promised these federal dollars which should replace the cuts that happened last year.  During this current session, our legislators have not gotten the job done to apply those cuts and the schools still have not seen the federal dollars. 

Also, the expenses for school districts to meet the new requirements that were placed into law in order to compete for Race to the Top will be a burden on all school districts without further financial help from the State.  Michigan did not win the Race to the Top but our school districts are obligated by law to meet the requirements.

Please write to Seator Jansen and Representative Hildenbrand and request that they get the federal dollars to the schools.  Also, ask that they consider the financial burden meeting the requirements to Race to the Top will have on the districts.

See some examples below that can be cut and pasted using your email.  The addresses are next to this post.  Thank you for your consideration.

Lucy Lafleur

Dear Senator Jansen--

I have been following the budget negotiations carefully and am aware that the federal Edujobs dollars have not yet been released to the schools.  I also am aware that the negotiations have to do with funding the requirements for the Race to the Top legislation.  Our schools received severe cuts last year and they are surviving on this reduced budget although federal dollars have been promised.  During this last push before the holidays, please release the federal dollars to the schools and carefully consider how the Race to the Top requirements are a financial burden on schools.  We are counting on you to represent your consituents who are very concerned about public education.

Sincerely,

Dear Representative Hildenbrand--

I have been following the budget negotiations carefully and am aware that the federal Edujobs dollars have not yet been released to the schools. I also am aware that the negotiations have to do with funding the requirements for the Race to the Top legislation. Our schools received severe cuts last year and they are surviving on this reduced budget although federal dollars have been promised. During this last push before the holidays, please release the federal dollars to the schools and carefully consider how the Race to the Top requirements are a financial burden on schools. We are counting on you to represent your consituents who are very concerned about public education.


Sincerely,

Bullying Bill

It appears that the bullying bill will be tabled for the lame duck session and will need to be reintroduced in the next session.  I just heared from Michael  Zois from Senator Mark Jansen's office.  Please continue to write to Senator Jansen now and in the new year about this important peice of legislation.  I will keep you informed.

Lucy