Letter Writing Campaign, Great School Thriving Communities, and School Finance Bill
Post date: Apr 15, 2018 7:38:24 PM
Letter Writing Campaign and Safe Alternative for Student Walk Outs
This Friday, April 20th, marks the 19th Anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting. All across our nation students are planning to walkout of their classrooms on this date for the third time this year in protest of our leaders' failure to pass laws that protect all of us from gun violence.
Early this year, some Kyffin students participated in these walkouts, as well as participated along with their families in the March for Our Lives. As a safe alternative for our students, particularly our younger students, PTA is hosting a letter writing campaign on the eve of the Columbine anniversary.
Please join us for the Talent Show (also on the 19th) and stop by our table before or after the show to write and/or sign a letter. While these student organized protests are a direct response to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, your letters can be used to address any issues related to our schools and students. Help your children learn to use their voices and advocate for their future! Letter templates will be available and we can help you identify your State and National lawmakers. See you on the 19th between 3:30 and 6:30pm.
Talking about school safety and gun violence can be a difficult conversation to have with a child of any age. Please visit the National PTA website on School Safety for ideas and support.
The National Society of School Psychologists website is also a great resource for School Safety and Crisis response and prevention.
Great Schools, Thriving Communities
At our last general PTA meeting, Kyffin PTA voted to join Colorado PTA and Jeffco PTA in supporting the Great Schools, Thriving Communities ballot initiative.
Great Schools, Thriving Communities builds on the successes of Colorado’s public schools by:
Expanding educational opportunities for our students to prepare them for success in college, career and life.
Preparing a qualified workforce for decades to come
Ensuring that Colorado’s economic prosperity is shared with every community from corner-to-corner
This will be achieved by:
Creating a Quality Public Education Fund financed through higher taxes on higher incomes above $150,000 and on "C" Corporations
Providing sustainable support for schools by stabilizing property taxes Addressing the most pressing needs of our local schools
Ensuring that decisions about how to use new funds are made at the local level
In order for this ballot initiative to ever reach voters, we need to collect signatures on petitions (2% of voters from each part of the state due to Amendment 71). PTA will have petitions available for signing during our Letter Writing campaign on April 19 from 3:30-6:30pm. Please stop by before or after the Talent Show!
Click here for a presentation on Great Schools, Thriving Communities ballot initiative and here for frequently asked questions and how to get involved.
Colorado Superintendents' School Finance Bill
In March Dr. Glass e-maild our community asking us to contact State lawmakers to support this bill and in April CO PTA sent out an action alert to its members to do the same. If you have not done so, please do! CO PTA made it easy for us! Click here for a template and contact info.
Click here to learn how Jeffco Public Schools will benefit if this bill is passed!