Citizens for Equity

Meeting Minutes 2/15/06

Horizon Books, Traverse City 6:00 p.m.

 

Present

Kirt Kilborne , Paul Soma, Dan Rice, Megan Lewis, Rep. Howard Walker, Rep. Kevin Elsenheimer, Mike Hill, James Feil, Mike Murray, Roger Merriman, Chris Esper,
Lynn Gullekson , Fred Tank, Margaret Goeman
 

Committee Reports

 

Financial Report

 

o       $ 100.00 in deposits for January

o       A total balance of $358.56 total in our Account

o       CFE needs to pay IRS filing fee of $300.00

 

Publicity Committee

 

·        Met two weeks ago to brainstorm ideas for publicity

·        Barb Mort supervised to collection of a database of information with local school district contacts including principals phone and/or email, and a parent or PTO contact

·        We decided having a resource on the website that offers the a presentation service to come you schools or organizations that would like information on issue and CFE

·        We are putting together an “Equity Kit” that would include resources for groups to use immediately after a presentation.  The kit could include contact information, membership form, a worksheet for brainstorming ideas to spread awareness, power point, and include a CD with copies of each.

·        Hoping for some feedback from Executive Board

 

Web Site

·        Lots of hits from areas where schools have put a link to our website on their homepage

·        Possible additions:

            - Link to resolution proposed by Rep. Elsenheimer?

            - New action letters – possibly to Andy Dillon?

            - Contact person for Presentations

 

Discussion Items

 

State Aid Report – Paul Soma

o       The funding situation is in “limbo”, Granholm removed the equity section of the school aid proposal.

o       This will be under debate for as long as two months starting in March.

o       CFE needs to push to get that language back into the budget proposal

o       CFE awareness at the state level seems to be high

o       Paul Soma met with Matt Gillard to discuss issue, Howard Walker is making efforts to help get out message to the state.

 

The Executive Board needs to meet next week to finalize structure of our organization and finalize by-laws.

 

Speakers

Representative Howard Walker

·        Testifying at State and House Appropriation Committees will be very important

·        A broad representation from around the state would be best. 

·        He will be in touch with us as soon as soon as the schedule is published, that can happen fast and as little as five days notice might be given. 

·        He will also be trying to notify the committee chair that we are coming so as to give the committee a chance to make sure we are able to testify. 

·        The committee’s agenda can preclude the topic of equity, so Howard will make sure to let us know so people aren’t driving all that way for nothing. 

·        The committee is addressing the law for the budget for only one year.  We need to make equity a “foothold” issue in the budgets so that it becomes addressed every year until the problem is solved. 

·        Reporters will be there and will ask the committee member questions if they feel the issue is noteworthy.

·        The meetings should begin in a couple of weeks and they will hear testimony for 6 to 8 weeks.

 

Representative Kevin Elsenheimer

·        North of Clare there are10 legislators, most of whom are in support.  There is a need to widen the support for equity further statewide.  Much of the leadership in our state right now has the more highly funded schools in their political districts which make it difficult get a broad range of support.

·        Rep, Elsenheimer is proposing a resolution to the constitution that would replace proposal A.  It would ensure that within 10 years all children would receive an equal foundation grant.   To get this to voters it would take getting it past the house and senate or a 600,000-signature petition. 

·        Letters to Andy Dillon would help get this issue on the table. 

·        We requested he email us links to more information on the resolution so we can work with this new information. 

 

Mike Hill

o       Mike met with five legislators: J. Allen, D. Palsrock, H. Walker, K. Elsenheimer, and M. McManus and other area superintendents to discuss reform in many areas.  They brainstormed some ideas to solve the problems.

o       Helpful ways to increase the pressure would be to encourage parents to testify at hearings, the Superintendents would be sending Mike names to contact.

o       He stressed that among the 16 districts combined they have cut 22 million in their budgets, and cut 160 staff members.  
 

Meeting Adjourned 7:30 p.m.