Take Action Now

We’re sending an SOS to Lansing! See the talking points and background information from SOS to Lansing. We held a news conference in the Capitol on Feb. 16 and want to make you aware and ask for your assistance.

You know that school funding, and Lansing’s inability to provide solutions, is putting education in Michigan at risk. SOS is telling Lansing that we need action now, or we face dire consequences in the coming year.

We appreciate your support and ask that you take action now:

  1. Have your school district spokesperson contact your local media on Feb. 17 to discuss what’s happening (or not happening) in Lansing and the impact on your district. Also, express your support for a balanced approach of reform and revenues as proposed by SOS.
     
  2. Have your superintendent and board president write an “op-ed” column for your local newspaper - or write your own letter to the editor - by Feb. 28. You can use state-level facts from SOS materials on our Web site, and add in the impact of the funding crisis on your district: what you’ve done already, and what you’ll need to do for 2010-11 if Lansing fails to address the problems.

We’re asking every school district in the state to invite their legislator(s) to visit their school district and tour their schools and meet with board members, parents and administrators about the crisis in funding. Or, take a team of parents, board members and school administrators to Lansing to meet with them. We ask that this be done by March 5.

On March 10, MASA and MASB are holding their Legislative Conference at the Lansing Center. If you aren’t already registered, please consider attending. Click here for more information.

Also on March 10 we are gathering at the Capitol in Lansing at 1:30 p.m. for a rally to send another strong message to Lansing – we need actions, not words! Whether or not you can attend the Legislative Conference in the morning, please come to Lansing for the rally. We want parents, school supporters and ALL SOS members to join us that day. It will occur at a crucial time, just as the legislature is considering the state budget. We need you there and we need your help spreading the word.

Finally, we’re planning a postcard campaign to help get parents and communities involved and allow them to express their frustrations to Lansing. We’ll send you more on that later. In the meantime, we'll be doing editorial board meetings in major media markets across the state.

SOS is taking a balanced approach to solving Michigan’s funding crisis. We’re offering sacrifices and reforms, as well as seeking new and more stable revenue streams. In the short-term we have a goal of restoring all cuts and returning to 2008-09 levels of funding. In the long-term, we must engage in a comprehensive review and overhaul of Michigan’s school funding system.

As you can see from the above message and information we have a fairly aggressive set of activities for the coming month. We’ve been told again and again by legislators that nothing will happen this year in Lansing unless we apply pressure. These varied activities each take time, but time that is well invested in saving one of Michigan’s most precious resources – our education system.

Thank you,
Tom White, chair, SOS