2 parts: Who we are and MPS Budget Hearings

Part 1: Who we are

The MTEA SpeakOut! committee is a committee of the local teachers' union. Here's what we try to do:

1. Provide tools and information to help educators speak with knowledge and confidence about their experiences in public education.
2. Promote more balanced media coverage of public education in Milwaukee by participating in message training, writing letters to the editor, and being interviewed by reporters.
3. Attend and network at public events like rallies, school board meetings, and political forums to share positive stories about public schools and educators.
4. Host activities where MTEA members have an opportunity to learn more about effective communication and socialize with one another

Our committee membership is modest, but energetic!

This blog is one of the ways we're trying to accomplish our goals. We're going to be posting MPS School Board meeting dates and agendas, and commenting on items that we think warrant some additional attention or concern. We're also going to try to go to some of the meetings, so let us know if you plan to attend - we'll go together!

We're looking forward to hearing from you!

Part 2: MPS Budget Hearings

MTEA Executive Director Tom Morgan sent a letter to Building Representatives (the union's elected leaders at the school building level) about advocating for their school during the MPS budget process. Below are sections from the letter, interspersed with comments from yours truly:

At the April BR meeting, BRs adopted the 3 points below as the core of our union's position on the proposed MPS budget for 2008-09:

• Cuts should be made as far away from the classroom as possible.
• The School Board should work to change the current funding formula - to an adequacy model.
• The School Board must put children first - no politics (as it did when it failed to tax to the legal limit last October).

The letter goes on to explain the process a bit.

Tentative Schedule of School Board Meetings

Meetings start at 6:30 p.m. and take place in the Central Services Auditorium, 5225 W. Vliet St. I guess these are still not set in stone - the schedule is tentative. Go to the MPS Portal for updates.

• Tuesday, May 6 - Committee public hearing
• Thursday, May 15 - Committee public hearing
• Thursday, May 22 - public hearing required by law
• Thursday, May 29 - School board's regular monthly meeting, action on budget, no public testimony taken

You want to talk? Attend the hearings on 5/6, 5/15 or 5/22. Don't bother showing up on 5/29 if you're feeling chatty -- they won't let you speak. You're better off calling your school board member in that case if you have missed the aforementioned public hearings where you can speak. However, being there on 5/29 with signs supporting your schools is cool. Could make for a great photo op.

Back to the letter . . .

Organizing Support for Your School's Budget Needs

Here are a few suggestions on organizing visible and vocal support for your school's budget at one of the public hearings.

Who Should Attend?

Students, parents, teachers, EAs, the principal(s), local business owners, residents, business partners, community groups, clergy, your district's alderperson and county supervisor.

- Bring/wear school identification - shirts, hand-held signs (no sticks!), buttons, etc.

- Numbers are important - the more parents, educators, students, etc. in the audience, the better.

A personal invitation is the best way to get someone to attend!

Who Should Speak?

A student, a parent, the principal, a teacher or 2, a business person, community/group leader, resident, minister, etc.

Speaking "Do's"

• Focus on students, their needs, their potential
• Provide details - examples, easy-to-grasp statistics
• Organize for cohesive and coordinated presentations
• Stick to the time limits (usually 2 minutes/speaker)
• Prepare your remarks and practice

Speaking "Don'ts"

• Don't repeat the same points over and over or repeat points another speaker has made (Author's Note: the meetings can get long, and there may be a lot of people waiting to speak. Be respectful of their time even if they haven't been respectful of yours)
• Don't criticize the budget allocations for other schools and programs.
• Don't engage in personal attacks

So this is pretty basic stuff. I've heard lots of teachers and educational assistants speak at public forums and public hearings, both around here and at the Capitol. I can't say I have ever heard any educator being inappropriate. In fact, I would say educators have a natural talent for public speaking, and my guess is it comes from the passion they have for the profession. But, reminders never hurt, I suppose.

Related Suggestions

Have in-depth discussions with your school's Governance Council.

Invite the School Board member of your school's district to visit - observe classrooms and talk with students and staff.

Invite other elected officials - Mayor Barrett, Common Council, and County Board members - to visit your school as well.

And actually, don't forget your state representatives. After all, they're the people we have to rely on to fix our state's school funding formula. I mean, how crazy is it that because the MPS Board didn't levy the maximum amount last year, that this year they get almost $6 million LESS in aid from the state? Stupid.

BTW, if you're not sure who the state representatives are in your school's neighborhood, all you have to do is punch in the address at this Web site: http://waml.legis.state.wi.us/. Their photos and contact info will pop up for you. They actually like visiting schools in their districts, so get on it!

Finally, if you're a teacher or another school employee in MPS, and you want to contribute to this project, you can do so in 2 ways:

1. Comment on these posts.

2. Become an author (it means you can post original messages like this one - woo hoo!). Call Kris at the MTEA headquarters and let 'er know.