2007 Budget Advocacy Mark Peters CHCCS PTA Council Legislative Chair

Agenda Budget Process Advocacy Tips Hearing Dates Next Steps Discussion

PTA Mission To support and speak on behalf of children and youth in the schools, in the community, and before governmental bodies and other organizations that make decisions affecting children To assist parents in developing the skills they need to raise and protect their children; To encourage parent and public involvement in the public schools of this nation.

Adopted PTA Council Position Support Full Funding of CHCCS Board of Education Request – We support fully funding the budget request of the CHCCS Board of Education. [CHCCS-PTA ] (Was approved by every PTA in CHCCS)

Budget Process CHCCS Board of Education (BOE) – Submits Budget Request Orange Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) – Manager Proposes a Budget THURSDAY 7:30PM – Battle Courtroom, Hillsborough WHO CAN ATTEND??? WOULD LIKE IT TAPED – Public Hearings – Commissioners Decide on Budget & Amount of School Funding CHCCS BOE – Decides on how to spend allocated funding & possibly cuts NC Legislature – Could provide $10M relief with Real Estate Transfer Tax & $4M Medicaid Relief

Advocacy Tips Parents and Teachers are Crucial! – The most important people are those who are new faces to the commissioners Numbers Matter – Letters to editor – s to commissioners – Public hearing speakers

Speaking/Writing Tips Be Positive! (No decision has been made yet) Be Brief! Don’t advocate for specific line items to the commissioners (that’s the school board’s job) See the handout for Topic Ideas, Public Hearing Logistics, Taxation Primer, etc.

Ptacouncil.com Your source for up to date information Form to commissioners Links to submit Letters To Editor Links to hearing locations Links to important CHCCS documents Links to past hearing minutes Hosts lists

Orange County Budget Public Hearings Thursday, May 31st 7:30 pm (arrive early to sign up) Superior Courtroom, 106 East Margaret Lane in Hillsborough (new location) 106 East Margaret Lane in Hillsborough Monday, June 4 th 7:30 pm (arrive early to sign up) Sonya Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History, 150 South Road on the UNC campus in Chapel Hill (new location) Sonya Haynes Stone Center

Next Steps: What you can do It is now up to each school to make sure that you have participation – Folks who have already communicated extensively to the commissioners and public have to step back and act as consultants (we’ve already been heard) Leaders from each school should communicate amongst themselves – We have an list set up and will add folks

School Budget Leader Signup Sheet I will: Be a contact point for my school (perhaps teaming with others at my school) Communicate with other people who sign up (ie – share this info) Recruit at least 3 people to write letters to the editor (may include myself) Recruit at least 5 people to speak (may include myself) Ask school to record custom Connect Ed message for hearings Work with others to create and distribute flyers to my school

Basic Pledge Signup Sheet I pledge to – Write a letter to the editor (don’t forget to read the tip sheet) – Speak at one hearing – Talk to 5 friends and neighbors, especially those who aren’t active in PTA or SGC

Easel Signup Sheet Bring an easel and posterboard so that attendees can sign a petition for school funding and be counted even if they don’t get to speak.

Volunteer for Signs/Stickers/Balloons/Etc Be Creative!! Volunteer to put up a sign outside the hearing or bring balloons or make stickers that people can wear or think up something else – we probably don’t want balloons or signs inside as they are distracting

Teachers Teachers are allowed to speak on their own time & using their own resources ( acct) Many teachers are not comfortable speaking because they are employees (which I respect) Teachers who spoke in past hearings were very compelling and were able to put likely cuts into very concrete, first-hand terms

Discussion