Dear Child Advocates,

The Virginia Senate and House have prepared their final budgets for fiscal years 2012-2013. The recommendations will cut

·       $750 million dollars from public education

·       $33. 8 million from children’s health Insurance.

·       $ 7 million from Virginia Early Childhood Foundation

·       $9.8 million from Healthy Families.

This isn’t due to a lack of funding, but a choice made to maintaining   

·             $950 million dollar redistribution of state revenue to the wealthiest localities.

·             $500 million additional to advertise tourism when it is off by more than 25%.

·             $230 million to create tax credits for Hollywood film makers

Tell your elected officials if you do not believe these are wise choices in tough economies,

The care tax reimbursement to goes disproportionately to  the wealthiest counties  while teachers are laid off in 137 districts across the state Is this a decision you would make?

$500 million to media companies while children loose health insurance.  .  Is this a decision you would make?

$230 million giving tax credits to Hollywood filmmakers while Virginia teachers lose their jobs. Is this a decision you would make?

Contact your legislator to tell them what you think!

http://legis.virginia.gov/1_cit_guide/contacting_my.html

You may call the Constituent Viewpoint operators at (800) 889-0229 (outside Richmond) or 698-1990 (Richmond area) to express your opinion on a legislative issue.

Write your Senator to stop Delegate Massie's $20 Million Voucher Plan

Stop Voucher Bill - HB599
Cuts to Public Schools/Vouchers for Private Schools

Take Action! Visit this page:
http://capwiz.com/nea/va/issues/alert/?alertid=14716916&queueid=4712981126

Please send a message to your Senator urging opposition to HB599,
a bill which provides private school vouchers at public expense.

One Teacher tells us her concerns and asks for our help!

The Williamsburg James City County Education Association would like all to be aware of the impact the current budget crisis will have our partners in educating our children. Please assist is any way you can. One cent incease of the local tax rate can provide $1,000,000 in new revenue. Unlike poor communities WJCC funds about 80% of school costs. WJCC recieves a greater portion of the care tax refund to localities than other poorer communities. Fortunately or unfortunately, WJCC has a history of higher sales tax, restauant tax, and tourism reciepts. Those higher revneues has permitted a low real estate tax rate during the good economic times.

Now we can ask WJCC to increase the tax rate 1 cent to save our neighbors jobs! The cost to a homeowner is about $30 for the year. While times are tough and we are all reducing our expenses, the lost of jobs by teachers, aides, custodians,and bus drivers can harm this community for years. The tax increase would save jobs, provide a more stable tax base, maintain the bond rating.

 

 

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

http://www.nea.org/home/LegislativeActionCenter.html

Then

Scroll down the page below the highlights box and click in the middle where it says

 

Make your voice heard! Become a cyber-lobbyist and subscribe to our weekly e-mail newsletter

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:

Ø Senator Tommy Norment (District Office #: 757-259-7810; E-Mail Address: senatornorment@widowmaker.com)

Ø Delegate Robin Abbott (District Office #: 757-256-7722; E-Mail Address: DelRAbbott@house.virginia.gov)

Ø Delegate William Barlow (District Office #: 757-357-9720: E-Mail Address: DelWBarlow@house.virginia.gov)

Ø Delegate Brenda Pogge (District Office #: 757-223-9690; E-Mail Address: DelBPogge@house.virginia.gov)

 

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.

http://www.jccegov.com/bos/

 

If you want to express concerns to the whole board here is the email address:

Email the Board - jccboard@james-city.va.us

 

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.

Message from the Alliance for Virginia Students

Virginia's students need you. Click here to send an urgent message to your Senator and Delegate.

As a friend of Virginia's students, I know that you are concerned about how the recession is going to impact the quality of education in Virginia.

Here is the bad news. Experts are predicting that proposed cuts to state funding for education will lead to school teacher and staff layoffs in the tens of thousands. This means higher class sizes, and less individual attention from teachers. Cuts to teacher pay and benefits will make it hard for Virginia schools to hire the best teachers. Preschool classrooms serving Virginia's most vulnerable students could be forced to close their doors.


But here's some good news: there's something you can do to help! Click here to send a message to your Delegate and Senator! It takes just a moment of your time.

Your message will help minimize the impact of the recession on Virginia's students, and on the quality of education in our Commonwealth. Click here to send the message now.

Or, if you'd prefer, call your Delegate and Senator with your message to support students! Click here to access the Alliance for Virginia's Students talking points on the education budget. We have also produced talking points on the proven value of the Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI). Click here to access the "VPI Works!" talking points. Access the "Who's My Legislator?" tool to enter your address and locate your legislators' phone numbers. Be sure to call them at their Richmond Capitol office phone number. If your delegate or senator is not available, ask to speak to his or her aide.

This is a crucial week for Virginia's students, as the House and Senate make important budget decisions. Together, our voices can make a difference.

Thank you for your dedication to Virginia's students.

GOVERNOR'S DECISION TO IMPLEMENT LOCAL COMPOSITE INDEX FOR COMING FISCAL YEAR TO MEAN FURTHER 2010-11 BUDGET CUTS FOR W-JCC

Gov. Bob McDonnell's announcement Monday that he will support updating the Local Composite Index, with implementation in the upcoming fiscal year, will mean a reduction of at least another $2.3 million in W-JCC's 2010-11 operating budget, Superintendent Gary Mathews said.

"In total, and given further cuts anticipated out of the General Assembly, we're looking at about $8.6 million in budget cuts per the superintendent's proposed budget for 2010-11," Dr. Mathews said. "As echoed by many educators throughout the state, these cuts will change education and school operations for years to come."

Former Gov. Timothy Kaine, before leaving office, had proposed freezing the LCI at its current level in his proposed budget. The LCI has historically always been adjusted every two years to account for changing local economic conditions. McDonnell said the proposal to freeze the Index was unprecedented, and would have cost certain localities in Northern Virginia $128.3 million in state education funding.

"Our most conservative estimate as to the impact this decision will have on W-JCC's 2010-11 budget is that we will see reductions of at least $2.3 million, and more given the state's budget crisis," Dr. Mathews said. "Therefore, in consultation with Board Chairman Jim Nickols, the special budget retreat originally scheduled for this coming Saturday at Thomas Nelson Community College has been cancelled so that our senior leadership team can reassess the budget situation and make new recommendations to the Board."

CLICK HERE to particpate in an online survey

Helping Children Succeed: Community Conversation
February 6, 2010
Bruton Heights Education Center.
2 pm.