From Education Voters of Pennsylvania (http://www.educationvoterspa.org/):
This year we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to take a huge step toward closing Pennsylvania’s $4.6 billion adequacy gap that harms children and puts at risk the future prosperity of the commonwealth.
The trial for Pennsylvania’s historic school funding lawsuit is coming to a close and all eyes are on school funding in Harrisburg and in every corner of the commonwealth.
Governor Wolf has proposed a historic $1.75 billion increase in funding for public education.
The state is sitting on a $6 billion surplus and billions more in unspent cash.
We need your help to get the budget students deserve across the finish line in Harrisburg.
Below, find a menu of different advocacy actions that you can take between now and June. Please sign up to learn more about taking one or more of these actions. Our team at Ed Voters is ready to support you every step of the way.
House Party
Learn about hosting a virtual house party for Education Voters of PA to engage a new generation of advocates in this work. In a nutshell, you pick a time and invite a group of 10 or more people who care about public education to join a Zoom meeting. Susan, Katja or Sandra will set up the meeting registration and then show up to talk about PA school funding, what is at stake for students, and how people can join the movement and support funding for their local schools.
Letter to the Editor
State lawmakers pay very close attention to letters to the editor in their local papers. Help show them that their constituents support public education and share with people in your community how much funding your districts would receive with Governor Wolf’s budget proposal. If you tell us your school district, we will craft a letter to the editor for you to submit to your local papers.
Spotlight on Justice: A Vigil for Fair Funding on March 15th
It took a trial, but all eyes are finally on public education funding in PA. As the trial comes to an end, advocates will be marking this moment together. Host a vigil on Tuesday, March 15th–it can be a small one in your living room, on Zoom, or something bigger. You choose the time and the format and we will support your efforts with a toolkit of materials including a mailing you signs, creating a customized graphic for social media, providing a statement to read and more.
Harrisburg rally on Wednesday, April 13th
Come to Harrisburg for a big, raucous rally on the Capitol steps with advocates from all over the commonwealth. Plan to stop by your state senator and representatives’ offices while you are in town.
In-district meetings with your state senator and/or representative (now through June)
Meeting with your lawmakers to talk about school funding issues is probably the highest-impact action that you can take. We can help you schedule the meeting and get you and others who will join you in the meeting prepped.
Ask your school board or another local organization to pass a resolution in support of the school funding lawsuit.
This is very helpful in focusing the conversation at your school board on what matters most–ensuring students in your community have the resources they need to succeed in their schools. We will mail you materials and help you through every step of the process.
Click HERE to see who has already passed a resolution.
Every dollar will go toward increasing our capacity to reach more people in more communities to build a movement to support the funding our students deserve that is too powerful for state lawmakers to ignore.
Click HERE to tell our team what you are interested in learning more about and we will send you more information!
Thank you for your support of public education.
PS: We will be continuing to ask you to take actions that are quick and easy and that have a real impact, including signing letters to Governor Wolf and to your state lawmakers. Please sign and share these when we send them out. We get consistent feedback from office holders that they know when Ed Voters advocates are sending in letters and pay much closer attention to the issue.
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