|
As the debate regarding school
calendars begins to heat up, we must take advantage of the gaining
momentum and make our voices heard. Now is the time to let
your school board officials and superintendent know how you feel
and what solutions you propose to end the August creep.
Don't wait another day, ask questions, be heard and get involved..
Ask
Questions
The first item on our
"to do list" is to get our facts in order. Begin
by calling your school district office
and asking the following questions:
- When and where are the school
board meetings held?
- Who is in charge of setting the
school calendar?
- When will the school calendar be
set?
(Back
to Top)
Be
Heard
Now is not the time for
complacency. Changing your school start date is a time
consuming task, but the climate has never been better. Your
hard work and determination will pay off. Here's how you can make
your voice heard.
Be in charge of a petition to
submit to your school board. Feel free to make copies of the
petition available for printing here.
By gathering signatures of people in your school district who
would like a change, you can create power in numbers (more on the
power of the petition on page three).
Call your school board members and
superintendent. Explain your concerns and ask them how they
feel about the early August school start date. Ask why the
school calendar has been creeping earlier and earlier into August
(call TTSY if you have any questions regarding their reasoning).
Follow up your phone calls with
letters. Restate the need to return to a late August/early
September school start date. Include sample calendars that
would fulfill state mandates and meet the needs of students and
faculty. You may also consider sending copies of the Texas
Poll results or other articles showing strong support (call us for
help creating school calendars or for articles).
Speak at your monthly school board
meeting and present copies of your signed petition. If you
are not able to have a group of people with you, let the school
board know that you are speaking on behalf of everyone who signed
the petitions in order to save time during the meeting.
Write a letter to the editor of
your local paper, mention the number of people in your district
who are unhappy with the current calendar, your reasons, and your
proposed solutions (again, if you need help, call TTSY).
(Back
to Top)
Get
Involved
Volunteer to work on the calendar
committee. This will give you direct input in the calendar
choices that will be given to your school board to vote on.
You will also have the ability to work with other members of the
committee. We will be happy to help you create sample
calendars to meet your local needs.
Be in charge of a petition drive to
demonstrate strong support for a later school start date.
Print out our petition by clicking here
to begin forming your support base. Present signed petitions
to your school board and don't forget to update school board
members, via letters, as you add a significant number of
signatures--up until the final vote. When you present a
large number of signed petitions to the school board, let the TV
stations and newspaper know your plans. If you see any media
at the meeting, be sure to introduce yourself and thank them for
covering the calendar debate.
Keep your local media abreast of
your petition success. Don't hesitate to call the education
reporters of your local TV stations and newspapers. Let them
know the success you are having and share with them what got you
involved (if you need help, call us).
Working toward change is not an
easy feat, but you are not alone. Texans for a Traditional
School Year is here to help you with every step along the
way--from assisting you in creating calendars to fit your local
needs, to helping you contact your local media. With your
help, we can get the word out across Texas and make a change.
Please send TTSY a copy of your
petitions. We will send issue updates to the supporters on
your list. Our mailing list is confidential.
(Back
to Top)
|
