Porter County Community Leaders OPPOSED To The SSCA Charter School

One of the most impolitic parts of the SSCA application is the so-called "Evidence of Support from Community Partners" page, which you can find on the Grace College website under the section designated for SSCA in the 'attachments' located here. It reads as though the charter organizers combed through a list of prospective politicos that ALEC may want to buy and added those names to their application as community partners. In another post, we will feature these politicians along with highlights from their voting record: the link to that article will be posted here.

Through this process what we have found is that there are many local leaders, elected officials, and candidates for office that stand OPPOSED to this charter school. So, we decided to put together this "Evidence of Opposition from Community Partners" page to feature community leaders who are also advocates and supporters of public education. If you do not see your name on this list and would like to include your statement, please email Hoosier Voices at hoosiervoices@gmail.com. Please join us in sending a resounding 'thank  you' to these community leaders for their bold leadership and strong voice in support of public education.


We will continue to update this page as we collect more statement's of opposition to the SSCA charter.

Duneland School Corporation Superintendent, Dr. David Pruis

Valparaiso Community Schools Superintendent, Dr Ric Frataccia

To read Dr. Frataccia's statement of opposition available on the district website, click here.

Portage Township Schools 

The School Board passed a resolution of opposition on September 14, 2016 and Board Vice President Cheryl Oprisko attended the public hearing to read the resolution.

Valparaiso Community Schools

All 5 members of the Valparaiso School Board have expressed opposition to the SSCA charter school. At the September 15, 2016 Board meeting, the board unanimously agreed to draft a resolution of opposition.

Porter County Councilor, Sylvia Graham

"Porter County is blessed with 4 star schools that prepare our children for their futures. Three referendums have been passed by the people wanting to keep their school districts financed to maintain their quality standards.
Charter schools were to be used in areas where public schools were failing.
Again, no one has shown a need for this in Porter County. I believe those proposing this Charter school wants this charter to happen strictly because they want it. There is no proof that it is needed."

Porter County Councilor, Dan Whitten

To read Dan Whitten's statement of opposition on Facebook, click here.

Valparaiso City Councilor, Diana Reed

To read Diana Reed's statement of opposition on Facebook, click here.

Valparaiso City Councilor, Robert Cotton

To read Robert Cotton's statement of opposition on Facebook, click here. 

Valparaiso City Councilor, Deb Porter

To read Deb Porter's statement of opposition on Facebook, click here.

4th District State Representative Candidate, Pamela Fish

To read Pamela Fish's statement of opposition on Facebook, click here.

5th District State Senator Candidate, Jim Harper

To read Jim Harper's statement of opposition and watch the accompanying video on Facebook, click here.

Portage City Councilor, Collin Czilli

To read Collin Czilli's statement of opposition on Facebook, click here.

CALL TO ACTION! STOP SB334!

SB334, this session's version of Voucher Expansion, was amended in the House and has returned to the senate for a vote to concur, vote down, or let it die. This session has proven interesting, to say the least.  Not only are votes looking more partisan when final votes are taken on Education measures, they also appear to be quite contentious between the GOP members of the House and Senate.  This could be positive for PUBLIC school advocates, as we were already able to STOP HB1004 and SB10 by speaking out, tweeting, emailing, calling, and posting concerns to our elected officials.  They have heard our outcry.  They know our displeasure.  They are aware of our concerns.  Now they must choose to ignore our voices during an election year or follow our urging and recognize our concerns by voting down any remaining bills destructive to PUBLIC education.  

This post asks you to once again contact your legislators, especially in the Senate, and urge them to VOTE NO on SB334.  It is time to shout out one more time to urge support for our PUBLIC schools by stopping destructive measures and financial fiasco.  SB334 (Voucher Expansion) once again straps the education budget to the favor of charter and private schools while draining our PUBLIC schools of much needed funds provided by Indiana's taxpayers.

Below is a graphic from Northeast Indiana Friends of Public Education detailing the immense sums of money being doled out for the "Choice Scholarships". Expanding these scholarships will further siphon money from PUBLIC schools in the already tight education budget.

Another graphic from Northeast Indiana Friends of Public Education shows the difference between voucher funded schools and our PUBLIC schools.  Taking funding from our PUBLIC schools does not seem fair when those schools receiving voucher money do not have to play by the same rules of providing for students.  If they are not expected to serve under the same requirements and standards, then they should not be receiving our PUBLIC tax dollars to fund their own agenda and pad the wallets of their corporate leaders.

Please take time to contact members of the Senate and ask them to stop draining our PUBLIC schools for corporate benefit and fund our PUBLIC schools without expanding vouchers and putting the money where it belongs.

Click here for twitter handles of legislators.

LEAP DAY "TWITTER STORM"

This is another "Twitter Storm", maybe the most vital of this legislative session, to support Indiana's PUBLIC schools, teachers, and students.  Throughout this event, we ask participants to post urging legislators to vote NO on SB10 and SB334.  Both bills are currently in the Indiana House of Representatives.  Contact House Education Committee members and ALL House members urging them to VOTE "no" on both of these volatile and damaging bills.  Follow the event page, and this blog, for post, tweet, and hashtag suggestions.

Join and share the event by going to the event's page on Facebook by clicking the link below the big blue Twitter bird.

Click HERE to go to Facebook event

Here are the most recently updated committee times for February 29

Ways & Means is at 8:30 - SB334 (Voucher Expansion)
House Education is at 10:30 - SB10 (Teacher Salaries)

SUGGESTED TWEETS 

No misunderstanding, No more harm VOTE #NoSB10  VOTE #NoSB334  

No more sneaky tactics or misleading language VOTE #NoSB10 #NoSB334

KILL THE BILLS Save our schools and teachers #RespectOurVoice 

GOP tell ALEC no more bad bills VOTE #NoSB10 #NoSB334

Time to #BootBehning and his ALEC agenda #INpublicED #RespectOurVoice

1.3M Elected @Ritz4Ed same will #BootBehning VOTE #NoSB10 #NoSB334 #Vote2016

POSSIBLE TWEET TARGETS

Along with your specific legislators here are most notable for these bills
@INSenateGOP 

@INHouseGOP 

@rbehning

@Brian_Bosma

@INGOP

@sendavidlong

@GovPenceIN
@davidlongsenate

POSSIBLE HASHTAGS

#RespectOurVoice 

#NoSB10 

#NoSB334

#INpublicED

#Vote2016

#byebyebob

#NoMoreINVouchers

#NoMoreINCharters
#BootBehning

#underfundedmandate
#spendthriftsenators
#badfiscalpolicy

ANOTHER SUNDAY TWITTER STORM

Twitter Storm

Join us on Twitter Sunday, Feb. 21 4 – 5 p.m. Indy time/3 -4 p.m. Chicago time

It was evident early that many legislators on the Senate Pension and Labor Committee had no interest in hearing from teachers on HB 1004, a teacher bill. The committee offered and voted on two amendments to the bill before anyone could testify and offer context, therefore it appears that the disposition of this bill was predetermined.

So this weekend, join the Twitter Storm and let your voice be heard. Twitter Storms work best when a large group of people tweet messages around a specific topic using the same hashtag. Our goal is to generate as many tweets possible from members, leaders, partners, parents and activists.

Hashtag: #RespectOurVoice #RespectTeachers

Sample tweets:

You can use the sample tweets below or create your own. Because we’re asking for our voices to be heard and respected, ensure that your messages are respectful, but clear.

HB 1004 will cut the pay for the majority of teachers, worsening the teacher shortage, and hurting students. #RespectOurVoice

HB 1004: a backdoor around bargaining with local teachers. #RespectOurVoice

Silencing our voices before the vote is unacceptable. Vote NO on HB 1004. #RespectOurVoice

HB 1004 isn’t local control, it is individual control. Vote no on HB 1004. #RespectOurVoice

Indiana opens the door to discriminatory supplements. Vote NO on HB 1004. #RespectOurVoice

Tag Legislators and Media:

Find your legislators and local journalists (such as @ChalkbeatIN @ShainaRC @nkellyatJC @IndyStarChelsea @kfrancisco) on Twitter and tag them in your tweets.