Last Thursday night the City Council voted to put an override of Proposition 2 1/2 on the ballot, with only Councillor Ray LaBarge voting "no". The campaign to pass the override is in full swing and you can visit the Vote Yes! Northampton website to read the details.
Please join the Vote Yes! Northampton Google group to stay informed about the campaign and learn what you can do to help.
Northampton's public schools need your vote of Yes, as does the entire city!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
City Council Vote this Thursday - Let them know you support the override
The Northampton City Council will vote this Thursday, 16 April on whether to put an override of Proposition 2 1/2 on the ballot. The School Committee meets at the same time (7 pm) in the JFK Community Room. Regardless of which meeting you attend, please let your city councillor know that you support the override. I have written to my City Councillor and said I will support it but I think the Mayor should request a larger amount. The $2 million proposed won't go very far and it probably won't save the music programs at JFK and NHS.
For details about the override please visit the Northampton Education Action Team website. For your city councillor's contact information, see the Northampton City Government website.
For details about the override please visit the Northampton Education Action Team website. For your city councillor's contact information, see the Northampton City Government website.
Write to Governor Patrick to ask for stimulus funds for Northampton!
by guest blogger David Starr
Northampton finds itself in the unenviable position of underfunded schools. This has been our plight for many years. I am new to Northampton but Proposition 2 1/2 is often mentioned as the reason for our underfunded schools. For 26 years, Northampton has found the problem compounded as each year passes and our expenses exceed our revenues.
For fiscal year 2010, the Northampton schools face a budget deficit of $3MM. With little else left to cut from our schools' operations, the downsizing of our schools may finally damage the most critical of all channels in our children's learning, size of the faculty. 48 teachers may be absent at the beginning of the next school year. This would increase our student teacher ratios, crowd our classrooms and leave our children's ability to learn if not an impossibility an improbability for almost all.
As parents we have a responsibility to provide an education for our children that is compelling, that will teach them well.
We must do all we can to repair the schools in Northampton and return them to their stature as places of learning. Here is what we can do:
Press the government immediately to release stimulus funds for the general education budget in Northampton
Advocate for a Proposition 2 1/2 override and rally friends to support the override when the vote comes up in June
To speak out for stimulus funds, contact (see sample letter below):
Dr. Saeyun Lee in the Department of Education
617-979-8351
Saeyun.Lee@state.ma.us
AND the Governor's office:
go to http://www.mass.gov/ & click on the governor's photo to send a message to him and on TIm Cahill's photo to send a message to Tim.
Office of the Governor Governor Deval Patrick
Office of the Lt. Governor Lt. Governor TIm Cahill
617.725.4005
888.870.7770 (in state)
State Representative Peter Kocot
Local: 413 582-6111
StateHouse: 617-722-2210
Rep.PeterKocot@hou.state.ma.us
State Senator Stan Rosenberg
Local:413 584-1649
State House: 617-722-1532
Sen.StanRosenberg@senate.state.ma.us
If you want something, you've got to ask for it. The politicians in Boston have shown little willingness to distribute dollars for our kids' education. We've got to be more proactive and demand it. Please telephone, write a letter or write an email. Each person that contacts a legislator is heard a little more clearly than the person that called before them.
Here's a sample letter or email:
Dear Governor Patrick,
I am a Northampton resident and a parent of two children in the public school system here in Northampton.
For many years, the City of Northampton has been struggling to keep up the quality of education that gained the City's school system recognition in 2000 as one of the top 100 school districts in the US. Proposition 2 1/2 and its explicit revenue constraints have deteriorated the City's means with which to educate our children. Our revenues go up by 2 1/2% every year but our costs go up much more. Every year more and more teaching positions, support positions
and curricular and extracurricular activities get permanently cut from our programs. It's daunting. We aren't certain how our teachers continue to teach in classes with so many students.
Now we have an economic crisis. Tax revenues are projected to decline significantly. This could cause classroom sizes of up to 55 children in a classroom. It sounds like a joke...but it's no joke.
Ah, but the federal government decided to be proactive and distribute stimulus funds to provide stabilization to our shaky economy. Stimulus money would be distributed to school systems in
Massachusetts that need it. We received no funds in the 1st round of subsidies to our general education fund. As a result we are seeing projections of doubling of class sizes. DOUBLE! because so many teachers will be laid off in the City of Northampton, dozens (48) because of budget cuts necessitated by deteriorating revenues.
What do we have to do to show that Northampton's schools desparately need stabilization funds to help our school system operate functionally rather than as a holding pen for children. I urge you to send significant help to us in Northampton.
Thank you.
David Starr
Northampton finds itself in the unenviable position of underfunded schools. This has been our plight for many years. I am new to Northampton but Proposition 2 1/2 is often mentioned as the reason for our underfunded schools. For 26 years, Northampton has found the problem compounded as each year passes and our expenses exceed our revenues.
For fiscal year 2010, the Northampton schools face a budget deficit of $3MM. With little else left to cut from our schools' operations, the downsizing of our schools may finally damage the most critical of all channels in our children's learning, size of the faculty. 48 teachers may be absent at the beginning of the next school year. This would increase our student teacher ratios, crowd our classrooms and leave our children's ability to learn if not an impossibility an improbability for almost all.
As parents we have a responsibility to provide an education for our children that is compelling, that will teach them well.
We must do all we can to repair the schools in Northampton and return them to their stature as places of learning. Here is what we can do:
Press the government immediately to release stimulus funds for the general education budget in Northampton
Advocate for a Proposition 2 1/2 override and rally friends to support the override when the vote comes up in June
To speak out for stimulus funds, contact (see sample letter below):
Dr. Saeyun Lee in the Department of Education
617-979-8351
Saeyun.Lee@state.ma.us
AND the Governor's office:
go to http://www.mass.gov/ & click on the governor's photo to send a message to him and on TIm Cahill's photo to send a message to Tim.
Office of the Governor Governor Deval Patrick
Office of the Lt. Governor Lt. Governor TIm Cahill
617.725.4005
888.870.7770 (in state)
State Representative Peter Kocot
Local: 413 582-6111
StateHouse: 617-722-2210
Rep.PeterKocot@hou.state.ma.us
State Senator Stan Rosenberg
Local:413 584-1649
State House: 617-722-1532
Sen.StanRosenberg@senate.state.ma.us
If you want something, you've got to ask for it. The politicians in Boston have shown little willingness to distribute dollars for our kids' education. We've got to be more proactive and demand it. Please telephone, write a letter or write an email. Each person that contacts a legislator is heard a little more clearly than the person that called before them.
Here's a sample letter or email:
Dear Governor Patrick,
I am a Northampton resident and a parent of two children in the public school system here in Northampton.
For many years, the City of Northampton has been struggling to keep up the quality of education that gained the City's school system recognition in 2000 as one of the top 100 school districts in the US. Proposition 2 1/2 and its explicit revenue constraints have deteriorated the City's means with which to educate our children. Our revenues go up by 2 1/2% every year but our costs go up much more. Every year more and more teaching positions, support positions
and curricular and extracurricular activities get permanently cut from our programs. It's daunting. We aren't certain how our teachers continue to teach in classes with so many students.
Now we have an economic crisis. Tax revenues are projected to decline significantly. This could cause classroom sizes of up to 55 children in a classroom. It sounds like a joke...but it's no joke.
Ah, but the federal government decided to be proactive and distribute stimulus funds to provide stabilization to our shaky economy. Stimulus money would be distributed to school systems in
Massachusetts that need it. We received no funds in the 1st round of subsidies to our general education fund. As a result we are seeing projections of doubling of class sizes. DOUBLE! because so many teachers will be laid off in the City of Northampton, dozens (48) because of budget cuts necessitated by deteriorating revenues.
What do we have to do to show that Northampton's schools desparately need stabilization funds to help our school system operate functionally rather than as a holding pen for children. I urge you to send significant help to us in Northampton.
Thank you.
David Starr
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Recent Letters to Gazette on School Budget
Class size a concern - 9 April 2009
In Our Opinion: School closings need facts - 7 April 2009
Closing Ryan Road School is more harmful than helpful - 7 April 2009
Event, talks bring hope for single-payer health care - 6 April 2009 This is related to the school budget in that the spiraling cost of health insurance is costing the city a lot of money that could otherwise be allocated to schools.
Budgetary issues could have long-term effects on students - 4 April 2009
Feels her views on school closing misstated in article - 4 April 2009 - Northampton School Committee Vice Chair Stephanie Pick clarifies the statement she made at the last School Committee meeting.
City override a civic responsibility - 31 March 2009 - Hear, hear!
High school music program is the heart of Northampton - 31 March 2009 - Hear, hear again!!
In Our Opinion: School closings need facts - 7 April 2009
Closing Ryan Road School is more harmful than helpful - 7 April 2009
Event, talks bring hope for single-payer health care - 6 April 2009 This is related to the school budget in that the spiraling cost of health insurance is costing the city a lot of money that could otherwise be allocated to schools.
Budgetary issues could have long-term effects on students - 4 April 2009
Feels her views on school closing misstated in article - 4 April 2009 - Northampton School Committee Vice Chair Stephanie Pick clarifies the statement she made at the last School Committee meeting.
City override a civic responsibility - 31 March 2009 - Hear, hear!
High school music program is the heart of Northampton - 31 March 2009 - Hear, hear again!!
Monday, April 6, 2009
Eat for Education
Tomorrow - Tuesday April 7th, is Eat for Education day, sponsored by the Northampton High School PTO. Twenty restaurants in Florence and downtown Northampton will donate 10% of their take ALL DAY to Northampton High School. Let them know you're from NHS. Here is a list of participating restaurants:
Florence Center: Café Evolution, Cooper's Corner, Cup and Top Café, Florentina's Pizza, Jericho's Kitchen, Side Street Café
Downtown Northampton: Bistro 186, Bueno y Sano, Green Street Café, Haymarket Café, Joe's Café & Pizza House, La Veracruzana, Lhasa Café, Local Burger, Osaka, Pinocchio's Pizza by the Slice, Spaghetti Freddy's, State Street Deli, Thai Garden, Zen.
See you there! Stay hungry my friends!
Florence Center: Café Evolution, Cooper's Corner, Cup and Top Café, Florentina's Pizza, Jericho's Kitchen, Side Street Café
Downtown Northampton: Bistro 186, Bueno y Sano, Green Street Café, Haymarket Café, Joe's Café & Pizza House, La Veracruzana, Lhasa Café, Local Burger, Osaka, Pinocchio's Pizza by the Slice, Spaghetti Freddy's, State Street Deli, Thai Garden, Zen.
See you there! Stay hungry my friends!
From NEAT: email Governor Patrick today
This email came this morning from the Northampton Education Action Team. I will also be posting in the next day or two about another opportunity to let Governor Patrick know how the cuts are affecting your family and to urge him to allocate funds for Northampton's teachers. In the meantime please take action today and email Governor Patrick as outlined in the email from NEAT, below.
Tonight, Channel 22 is hosting a live town meeting with Governor Patrick from 8 to 9 pm in WWLP's Chicopee studios. Viewers can send questions for Governor Patrick to questions@wwlp.com. Here's a chance to email the governor with your questions regarding why Northampton isn't receiving any federal stimulus money for our general education fund. We are receiving funds for special education and Title 1(math and reading assistance for income eligible children), but these cannot be used to pay for regular classroom teachers and any other educational needs.To learn more about how the stimulus funds have been allocated, click here. To see which communities have been allocated funds thus far, click here. One of the main reasons Northampton has not received funds is because it is not considered a "growing" district. While our enrollment is technically down, the decline is so marginal right now it should be treated as stable. And obviously our need is dire.We will continue to provide suggested action steps on this issue when we hear back from our state legislators, Representative Kocot and Senator Rosenberg, regarding the current status of this allocation and where our energies would be most effective. As we prepare for an override campaign, we must also advocate for every other possible source of revenue. Let's try to get ourselves heard tonight.
Tonight, Channel 22 is hosting a live town meeting with Governor Patrick from 8 to 9 pm in WWLP's Chicopee studios. Viewers can send questions for Governor Patrick to questions@wwlp.com. Here's a chance to email the governor with your questions regarding why Northampton isn't receiving any federal stimulus money for our general education fund. We are receiving funds for special education and Title 1(math and reading assistance for income eligible children), but these cannot be used to pay for regular classroom teachers and any other educational needs.To learn more about how the stimulus funds have been allocated, click here. To see which communities have been allocated funds thus far, click here. One of the main reasons Northampton has not received funds is because it is not considered a "growing" district. While our enrollment is technically down, the decline is so marginal right now it should be treated as stable. And obviously our need is dire.We will continue to provide suggested action steps on this issue when we hear back from our state legislators, Representative Kocot and Senator Rosenberg, regarding the current status of this allocation and where our energies would be most effective. As we prepare for an override campaign, we must also advocate for every other possible source of revenue. Let's try to get ourselves heard tonight.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Health insurance may cover some school athletic fees
One of the proposals for the coming fiscal year school budget is to support all athletics programs through fees.
Check your health insurance benefits to see if such fees might be covered at least in part. The Fallon Community Health Plan states that members receive $400 per family contract or $200 per individual contract for "local town and school sports programs". Call Fallon for clarification at 800-868-5200 Monday through Friday 8 am to 6 pm, or call your own insurer to find out if coverage is available.
Check your health insurance benefits to see if such fees might be covered at least in part. The Fallon Community Health Plan states that members receive $400 per family contract or $200 per individual contract for "local town and school sports programs". Call Fallon for clarification at 800-868-5200 Monday through Friday 8 am to 6 pm, or call your own insurer to find out if coverage is available.
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