Good evening all:
As some of you might now or not, I am the WJCEA building representative for D J Montague along with Heather Cline. If you do not know what the WJCEA is or what it does please let me and Heather know so we can tell you want it does. I am a very passive person by nature but when I am passionate about something I have to make my voice heard. And I am passionate about teaching and having a school environment that is conducive to learning. To have this we need to have support from our government, which requires us to provide high quality education but then says that it is going to take away the funding to accomplish this goal. I am urging everyone to read this email and do what you can. To me the prospects of less pay, overcrowding of rooms, reduced support staff to provide the needed resources to our neediest children, along with the reduction of essential school personnel is heartbreaking.
The news that is being passed along about the state government and federal government cuts are staggering. It does not appear to be over. When you consider that estimates are at this moment that 30,000 teachers across Virginia, are going to lose their jobs this year along with thousands more aides, support staff, custodial workers, and the list could keep going, it is enough to make you have a panic attack.
Time is now for action. The call was given to the representatives to take back to their buildings to ask everyone to do something. You can not be silent anymore. This is not a VEA or WJCEA issue. This is an EVERYBODY issue. The people in charge take silence as acceptance. The general assembly is not kind when it comes to cutting education. We have seen this time and time again. Anytime they can cut education funding THEY DO!!!! Teachers are not known for taking a stand and do not show up to be heard. At the end of this email I will provide you ways you can be heard and it will only take a moment to do. Please do not really on someone else to do what you should do to fight for high quality education for all WJCC students. Doing nothing is not the answer. These cuts are going to change everything about what you will face in your day to day job and for some the loss of a job. The forecast for next year’s budget cuts is going to be even more severe. Please do not wait until you feel you livelihood or colleague’s livelihood and the education of the children here in WJCC are threaten. Trust me it already is.
So now the action part:
I have been a cyber lobbyist. I get emails anytime there is a bill for or against education. I get told to send an email to my delegate. I just click on the link provided in the email, enter my vote district information and click send. The email is already generated for you by the VEA. You can add to it if you want to or make changes but it can not get any simpler than that. A very notable politician in Richmond said that they are counting how many emails they get for or against a bill. They’re not asking directly what each person said- just the count so many for versus so many against. So just by sending an email to them your voice is being heard. This is a numbers game. If 20 do send an email when 200 could have-- this is telling them that only 20 people here are concerned.
Here is the link to sign up. You sign up at the NEA website but you do not have to be a member to be a cyber lobbyist!!!! It asks if you are but you do not have to check the box that you are.
*(Some of you ask what your WJCEA dues go for and this is what it goes to. This is the only teacher organization that lobbies for education. They have a whole section of their website set aside to make you aware of these legislative issues.)
TO sign up to be a cyber lobbyist:
First click on the link below
Then
Scroll down the page below the highlights box and click in the middle where it says
Fill in your information- it is necessary to ensure that you are contacting the appropriate delegate- and click sign up. It should take less than 30 seconds.
Once you sign up there is a take action call with a letter already generated to be sent to the governor asking him to try to minimize the cuts to education. I believe our governor deserves emails for his unfreezing of the local composite index this year when it will drastically affect more localities then it will benefit. We are facing 1.5 billion dollars in tax cuts in education and to take more away to benefit the few is absurd.
Also below are the delegates as provided by Dr. Matthews the other day:
Along with contacting our representatives in government we also need to be in contact with the School board members, show up at school board meetings, and to those who are brave -speaking at those meetings.
If you only need to contact a select board member you can find their contact information under the school board tab on the Williamsburg James City County Website. I am providing the email address if your issue is for the whole school board to respond to : SchoolboardMembers@wjcc.k12.va.us
This too is a numbers game. I went to a school board meeting two years ago when they were arguing over giving us a 4.5 or 4.25 raise ( I know who can remember that now). Well guess what we got a 4.25 raise because besides myself there was maybe only 20 other teachers and staff that showed up to be heard that night. Might I add, most of them had come directly from the WJCEA meeting and the WJCEA president spoke up for us. Ask yourself where were you?
Imagine if there had been standing room only in there, we might have gotten our raise. It’s a lot harder to make those decisions when you’re staring at a flood of people that you will be directly affecting versus a puddle. We are not talking about raises this time this is much more serious. We are talking about fighting for jobs and high quality education that is fully funded. What are you willing to fight for? They are going to have tough decisions this budget and next year’s budget. Make sure your voice gets heard this time.
The board of supervisors contact information is also being provided. They could have a say in what effect the local composite index is going to have on that 3.3 projected additional budget cut. Let them know that they should be helping to fund the education of this county.
Here is the link to see all of the school board members’ information and emails.
If you want to express concerns to the whole board here is the email address:
Please pass this on to anyone that you know that wants to stand up for education and all those who are involved.
Sincerely,
Melissa Sessoms
Kindergarten Teacher
DJ Montague WJCEA Building Rep.
