Advocacy for Iowa's Public Schools

The Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB) and School Administrators of Iowa (SAI) have arranged tomorrow as a day to lobby for schools from home.  It would be great to have Central parents/stakeholders getting involved with this.  The key issues for Central are as follows:
1) Inequity in school funding for rural school district (I have spoke a lot about this on my Blog).
2) Budgets have already been approved and the legislature has broken their own law by not setting school funding.  What this means, property owners have taken on extra burden through property taxes to cover the State's shortfall.
3) Adequate funding so we do not have to continue to cut programs and people.  Central's expenditures raise an average of 3-4% a year.  1.25% and even 2.6% funding will not equal our raise in expenses.  Worst, if the two parties can't agree, the funding will default to 0%.

No matter where you lie politically, my guess is that you follow my Blog because you support our local school district.  Both sides need to work together to be financially responsible with our tax dollars, but also provide for the future of our state, our children!

Here is the information provided to me from IASB, please get involved anyway you can.

Advocacy in Action
Find a Path to Yes on April 22

The legislature is still in a holding pattern when it comes to school funding. School districts across the state had to certify their budgets on April 15, without knowing the funding rate. Several districts will have to cut programs and staff to balance their budgets while waiting for some type of direction from the legislature. Now is the time to let tell legislators that they must "Find a Path to Yes!"

School board members across the state have made phone calls, sent emails, and submitted letters to the editor encouraging their legislators to come to an agreement on adequate school funding. We are encouraging all school boards to recognize April 22 as "Lobby for School Funding from Home Day." 

What can you do? Here are some ideas:

• Have each board member make a personal contact with legislators through phone or email.
• Reach out to your communities to engage businesses, city organizations, PTA's to make a phone call or send an email.
• Have students make signs with the slogan "Find a Path to Yes," and take pictures of them holding those signs. Share the pictures with legislators, and on social media. 
• Call your local radio station and ask that they interview you about what the failure of action means for Iowa's school children. Use your district as an example. 
• Send a press release to your local newspaper detailing what actions you will likely have to take if we do not "Find a Path to Yes." Include information about the budget you certified.
• Find a creative way to use social media such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Here are a few keys points you can make when speaking with your legislator:

• Ask legislators to quickly decide on an adequate funding level.
• Remind legislators that no action means the rate is 0%. Detail what that means for your school district.
• Highlight innovative projects or students that have been recognized for accomplishments in your district and how a low funding rate could jeopardize programs. 
• Talk about the long term negative effects of low Supplemental State Aid

We encourage you to contact your legislators on all media platforms, whether it be email or social media - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram - use hashtag #iaschoolfunding and#ialegis. If you send an email, "CC" IASB by using the email address advocacy@ia-sb.org. Lets do all we can so legislators "Find a way to Yes" on behalf of Iowa's school children!