Call To Action: Call your legislator before Tuesday on SB 334

Call to Action! Call to Action! Call to Action!

The attack on public education continues with SB334 and our Hoosier kids need your help to STOP this elitist 'choice' bill in it's tracks!

Hoosier students need your help and it only takes a few minutes to make a difference.

What Can You Do?

1) Call the representatives on the House Education Committee - in addition to emailing your local representative and tell them that Hoosier kids deserve better! 

All Hoosier kids deserve a high-quality education, not just a 'choice' few that are granted a so-called 'scholarship'. Tell them this bill only serves the interest of a few while taking away much-needed resources from all Hoosier students. Who are the House Education Committee Members? click HERE. Need to find legislator's contact info? Click HERE. For the Senate, Click HERE.

2) Email the representatives on the House Education Committee - in addition to emailing your local representative and tell them that Hoosier kids deserve better!

All Hoosier kids deserve a high-quality education, not just a 'choice' few that are granted a so-called 'scholarship'. Tell them this bill only serves the interest of a few while taking away much-needed resources from all Hoosier students. Who are the House Education Committee Members? click HERE. Need to find legislator's contact info? Click HERE. For the Senate, Click HERE.

3) Encourage others you know to call or email TODAY! You know the saying "It takes a Whole Village to Raise a Child"? Well it takes every mom, dad, grandparent, teacher, bus driver, principal, superintendent, friend, family member, next door neighbor - EVERYONE working together to get our voices heard!

These legislators have the backing of a handful of VERY well-funded and influential PACs. And that is just not right! That is NOT that American Way, it never was supposed to be the American Way and it is up to us to ensure that Democracy rings true in the Hoosier State! Our Founding Fathers never intended for elections or policy to be bought and sold in the marketplace by a well-funded and self-serving minority: our kid's education isn't a Mocha-Frappacino, a TV, or the latest fashion craze. 

Democracy is the real deal! Public Education is the real deal! It is our duty and our obligation to hold these elected officials accountable for pandering to the interest of a select few!

The only way to make a difference is for all of us work together for positive change and if we share the truth about what these well-funded PACs are really trying to do to our Hoosier kids. Tell the truth about how they are trying to shift money around on paper to pay for the education of a small 'choice' few at the expense of the future of our Hoosier children.

Our kids are not commodities or widgets to be played with just to line one's own pocket book. They are kids - they are OUR kids - and all of them deserve to receive a high-quality public education.

What Can you Say?

Introduce yourself and where you are from. Give this script a try or make up your own:

"Hi. I am ________________ and I live in _____________, IN. I am calling in regards to the hearing on SB334 to let you know that I and other Hoosiers do not support this bill. I am calling to say that you should vote 'NO' to this bill and talk with other Representatives about why they should vote 'NO', too.

This bill is a 'BAD DEAL' for Hoosier kids! All this bill does is provide additional funds for a select few 'choice' kids through a so-called 'scholarship' program. In reality this bill only serves to give more money to people that already have plenty. We have GREAT public schools in Indiana and the future of our state is too important for this kind of ideological bill that only supports a false notion of economic and academic elitism.  ALL our Hoosier kids deserve a great education, the future of our state depends on it! Give this money to public schools so that ALL Hoosier children can benefit! Vote NO to SB 334".

Still Need More Info?

Click here for our "Letter Writing Made Simple" guide to contacting your representative. Or,

Click here for our "Simple Way to Call Your Legislators" guide to phone calls with your senator or representative.

Communicating with your Senator or Representative really is easy and makes a huge difference! It may seem scary at first, but our Hoosier kids are WORTH it!

Make Your Voice HEARD! Call or Email Today!

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. 

"TWITTER STORM" SUPPORTING PUBLIC EDUCATION

Its time for a PUBLIC ED support "Twitter Storm" in light of the Institute for Quality Education's upcoming Quality Education Celebration, celebrating National School Choice Week by celebrating school choice options in Indiana, being held in the Indiana Statehouse Atrium on Monday, January 25.

The "Storm" will run from 4:00pm Sunday, January 24 until 5:00pm Monday, January 25.  During this storm we ask that PUBLIC ED advocates post tweets that include links to great public schools data, the effects of vouchers on public schools, and any highlights of positives of Indiana's PUBLIC schools.

Recently The Institute for Quality Education took a quote from a Chalkbeat article and published it on their twitter account claiming that ISTA President Teresa Meredith "supports" vouchers.  

Here is the actual full quote from the article.

"Clearly the public is unhappy with direction our state has gone and wants to get back to common sense support for students and public schools,” said Indiana State Teachers Association President Teresa Meredith in a statement. “Students’ chances for success should not depend on winning a charter lottery or living in the right zip code.”

Hoosier Voices For Public Education founder, Philip D. Arnold, states that he believes the intention of the quote was to say Public Schools are being robbed by the use of vouchers and "scholarships" being handed out based on geography or affluent status. 

When asked about the quote, President Meredith told Mr. Arnold, "Our government is selling off Public schools with vouchers and 'scholarships'.  No kid should have to have a voucher to get a good education"

Philip Arnold points out information from reviews critical of the Friedman research cited in the Chalkbeat article. An article posted by The National Education Policy Center states, " A recent report from the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice purports .... But a new review of that report finds it is based on weak underlying research and that it misrepresents findings."  Read full article.

To show our continued support and advocacy for our PUBLIC SCHOOLS, let's flood twitter feeds with our PRO-PUBLIC ED information leading up to, and during, the big I4QED "choice" celebration.  When you tweet or post pro-public education please use #INpublicED along with any other of your "hashtags" and please tweet @i4qed @h4qed and @HoosierVoices along with others you wish to tweet to.  

In recent days Indiana's Public Education Advocates have pushed for positive moves in the current legislative session.  We need to continue our push of support and continue to show that our PUBLIC schools are worth the fight as we take on the volatile and poisonous "reform" minded legislators and the benefactors of their legislative agenda (benefactors like Institute for Quality Education, The Mind Trust, Hoosiers for Quality Education, Charter school operators , Private School financial officers, ALEC, Koch brothers, Friedman Foundation)

Does Gregg have PUBLIC school interests at heart?

Has Christel DeHann's $50,000 bought her Christel
House Academy another passing A-F grade? 

John Gregg looks to be the Democratic nominee for Governor, barring any last minute challengers entering the Democratic race.  This will set up a re-match of the 2012 Governor's race and call many campaign details into question.  The one hot detail for Indiana's education arena is just how much does/will a Governor Gregg support Indiana Superintendent Glenda Ritz (if she earns re-election) and Indiana's PUBLIC schools.

John Gregg(a supposed FORMER member of ALEC) has received campaign contributions from DFER (Democrats for Education Reform, a group that supports many bogus and destructive reforms similar to those of the Indiana GOP) in the past, and has recently gained the support and a $50,000 contribution from Christel DeHann (Noted Indiana Philanthropist, Freedom Indiana Supporter, and namesake of the Christel House Academy at the center of the Tony Bennett "Grade Changing Scandal". (See Open Letter from Doug Martin to John Gregg)

Bennett changed grades for Dehann's Christel House

Tony Bennett received hefty contributions from DeHann during his campaigns and these contributions have always been rumored to come with strings.  Bennett was defeated by Glenda Ritz in 2012 in Indiana and then left the same post in Florida after the grade changing scandal came to light.

 

Indiana needs a clear cut candidate, openly supportive of PUBLIC schools, clean of campaign contributions from Private and Charter school leaders who give freely with strings attached.  Rumors are that DeHann has contributed to the Gregg campaign to show her support for the LGBT community and the repeal of RFRA.  However, there needs to be a definitive statement from John Gregg as such and a strong statement that he FULLY supports Glenda Ritz, PUBLIC schools, and the end of destructive policies and vouchers.  It is time for a candidate to stand up to the contributors who seek favor from their donations and stand up for the middle class tax payers who pay to fund PUBLIC schools and not continually supplement the voucher seekers and private or charter schools.

 

John Gregg, stand up.  Stop using Glenda Ritz and public schools as photo ops and campaign props.  Say what you truly intend to pursue as Governor for Indiana's school children and stop touting false support in sound bites for the evening news. 

 

Mike Pence MUST GO, but at what further expense to our PUBLIC schools.