10-Minute Talking Points for Simple
Majority at PTA Meetings
No matter
what the length of the talk, make sure to define what Simple Majority is, and
how the audience can help. If you have
more time, spend more time on #2, the reasons Simple Majority is important to
your community.
1.
Explain Simple Majority
a.
School
levies currently must pass with a “Super majority” 60% approval
b.
“Simple
Majority” will allow school levies to pass with 50%+1
c.
'Bonds'
= Buildings, 'Levies' = Learning
2.
Explain why Simple Majority is important in your
community
(Pick and choose what works in your
community)
a.
Because
local school levies provide fundamental needs
·
Local
levies pay for books, teachers, reduced class sizes, technology
b.
Because
schools need help
·
Education
funding is inadequate. WA ranks 47th
in the nation in class size.
Simple Majority doesn’t solve all of our problems, but it’s a first step.
c.
Because
levy failures hurt our kids
·
Levies
typically pay for 16-20% of schools' operating budgets. If a
levy fails, the district must cut its operating budget by that much.
·
When
was the last time your district failed its Levy?
·
Last
year 33 school levies received a majority vote but failed because they didn’t
get 60%
·
Some
districts don't even try to run levies, because they know they can't get 60%
·
If a
district's first levy fails, but the second passes, time is lost educating
kids, because the district has to plan two budgets, one with the levies and one
without
·
Even
if a levy passes, classrooms lose support, because classroom volunteers are out
campaigning and burn out
d.
Because
the 60% rule is unfair to our kids and schools
·
It is
easier to vote in a new park or jail then it is to pass a school levy that buys
books and more teachers.
e.
Simple
Majority is our first step towards fixing Ed funding
·
4204
tells our Legislators, the Press, and ourselves that Education is important to
us
·
SM
likely won’t happen again in our lifetime.
(¾ of House
+ ¾ of Senate needed to
send SM to the people)
·
We
can't have Simple Majority for Bonds, unless we first pass Simple Majority for
Levies
·
We're
currently funded $1,000 per kid, per year, less than the
We'll make no headway on this unless we pass 4204
·
NOW
is our chance to ACT!
f.
The
PTA is instrumental in passing this ballot issue
·
A
broad coalition of education groups in our state has been working for Simple
Majority for over 30 years
·
We
have access to parents and voters across the state
·
When the
Simple Majority Steering Committee was asked who is the most important group to
message to? The answer was Parents.
g.
We
can win this one. But we have to work, it is not a slam dunk.
·
WE
MUST persuade 240,000 new
YES voters.
We have to make sure that all the YES voters remember to vote
·
WE
MUST get out our
voters! Only 50% of registered voters
are expected to vote on November 6.
·
Voting
can not be taken for granted.
Without the YES voters we lose.
3.
How YOU can help:
a.
Endorse
the campaign www.simplemajority.org
b.
Donate
to the campaign at www.simplemajority.org
c.
Volunteer
at www.simplemajority.org
d.
Contact
your local Bond & Levy Committee. (Don’t know how?
Contact your Superintendent or School Board member)
e.
Get
your members to vote on November 6.
Does this 10-minute talk serve the needs of your unit? Did you modify it heavily, or use something
else for your Legislative Advocacy report?
Send
me an email with your comments and ideas, and feel free to attach what you
did use for your report to it, so we can use those ideas in future 10-minute
talks.
You can 'copy' and 'paste' from this webpage into a Word
document.
-pat-
______________
735-6791 anytime