Public Notice

On April 25, please join 29 of your fellow concerned Norfolk supporters of public education.

We urgently ask you to hold our legislators accountable now by clicking here to Get on the Bus for the 2nd annual Stand for Children Rally in Boston. The free bus leaves Norfolk at 10:30 and will return by 3:30. This is Norfolk's first year. Many of us will also visit Sen. Brown and Rep. Ross in their Boston offices, in followup to our meeting with them on April 1 & 2 in Norfolk. Help send our legislators this message: make public education a priority in Massachusetts. If you can't attend, but want us to represent your concerns, please email us at box51@norfolknet.com.

In an unusual pre-budget collaboration, the House and Senate resolved last week to allocate $220 million for public school funding (Chapter 70 aid) in 2008. The good news is that this is $20 million more than the Governor's budget proposed, and represents a step in the right direction for every district. The Governor and Legislature heard Stand's demand for financial relief and responded by prioritizing Chapter 70 over many competing budget demands.

But the $220 million allocation falls woefully short of solving the financial crisis in education, and leaves us at least $250 million below 2002 levels of funding, adjusted for inflation. Communities across the state still face teacher lay-offs, larger class sizes, and shrinking academic programs. Some 50 towns and cities are forced to consider override initiatives to fund schools and other municipal services.

What this means for Stand for Children is simple.

The time to act is now!

There are literally thousands of causes competing for funding on Beacon Hill, especially the week of our rally, in the midst of House budget debates. If you agree that a good education for our kids really is the key to Massachusetts' future, the single most important step you can take is to join with Stand for Children at our April 25 Rally.

The truth is, numbers count. Lawmakers need to see and hear you demand that they take action to solve the financial crisis in education. Again, it's best to have you there in person, but being able to tell Sen. Brown and Rep. Ross that "we are representing x number of voters who could not make it" will help as well.

We are asking lawmakers to provide additional, immediate financial relief to cities and towns. We are also asking lawmakers to commit to long-term education reform so that all children in Massachusetts receive an excellent education and the state is able to develop stable and adequate funding sources for that education. For a copy of our specific legislative goals, click here.

For further details on the House resolution, click here.

See you at the Rally!

Please join Stand for Children www.stand.org/joinus