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Do our kids deserve the opportunity to succeed?. Greenfield organizing meeting, March 4. Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools. 315 Maple Street ● Fort Atkinson, WI 53538 920-650-0525 ● http://www.excellentschools.org. Well, do they?—.
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Do our kids deserve the opportunity to succeed? Greenfield organizing meeting, March 4 Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools 315 Maple Street ● Fort Atkinson, WI 53538 920-650-0525 ● http://www.excellentschools.org
Well, do they?— So, let me ask you again: Do our kids deserve the opportunity to succeed? If they do, we are obligated to do something about it because that “opportunity to succeed” has been ripped from their hands.
Superintendent Tony Evers Walker’s budget really is that bad “When you make unprecedented and historic cuts like these to schools, it means teachers are laid off, class sizes are larger, course offerings are reduced, extra-curricular activities are cut, and whole parts of what we value in our schools are gone. These cuts to public education will do substantial damage to Wisconsin’s schools and the students and communities they serve.”
Help or get out of the way— “Sometimes our constituents just have to tell us to do what’s right.” • Sooner or later—and like it or not—it always ends up being all about politics • If you don’t have the votes you have to create the votes • So, our job is to figure out what our message is … • … and then to figure out how to deliver that message to one legislator and one Governor one at a time
There is a better way— Superintendent Tony Evers Fair Funding for Our Future • Fixes the formula to be fair, sustainable, and transparent • Holds line on property taxes • State aid for every student • Ends funding shell game • Takes poverty into account • Provides predictable growth in state aid • Gives help to rural, declining enrollment schools
And we do have money— “A Penny for Kids” today will give our children the opportunities they need for tomorrow • A 1¢-increase in the sales tax means over $800 million for schools • A 1¢-increase in the sales tax means millions for our children • State’s sales tax is one of the lowest in the nation and midwest • “A Penny for Kids” means “Fair Funding for Our Future” works
Delivering the message— Different things for different communities and is there something we can all do together? • You can leverage all of the things you do as an individual • In your own communities, build some brand new coalitions • You know what, this just doesn’t seem to be constitutional • In the end, it’s all about politics • Let’s talk … what can we do?
Websites of interest— • http://www.excellentschools.org • http://www.apennyforkids.org • http://www.tellyourschoolstory.org • http://familiesforfunding.org • http://www.wisconsinpta.org • http://www.ilovemypublicschool.com • http://legis.wisconsin.gov/w3asp/waml/waml.aspx • http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_170052743042291 • http://www.wisconsinsfuture.org • http://www.reformwi.org • http://www.fairfundingforourfuture.org
We’re here to help!— Contact us— Thomas S. Beebe 315 Maple Street Fort Atkinson, WI 53538 920-650-0525 (cell phone) tbeebe@excellentschools.org http://www.excellentschools.org