WEDS. MAY 7Rally for Fully Funded Somerville Schools //Public Budget Hearing:YOU CAN NOW MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT ON ZOOM!!!

Take Action for Fully Funded Schools TODAY!!!

Here’s How:

4:30-5:45 PM: COME TO THE RALLY in front of East Somerville Community School with the Somerville Educators Union and allies - ALL ARE WELCOME, BRING THE KIDS!

6:00 PM: ATTEND THE PUBLIC BUDGET HEARING — This could go long. There will be a detailed reading of the budget and a presentation, and then they take public comment. We should expect MANY SEU educators will sign up for public comment and we hope parents and residents will, too.

THE HEARING WILL NOW BE HYBRID!!!

1) IN PERSON at East Somerville Community School Auditorium

2) ONLINE (audio only) via Zoom - you can listen in and MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT

To make public comment remotely, you need to pre-register using the link below. Once you register, you will receive an email confirmation that contains the zoom link to open the meeting beginning at 6:00.

https://k12somerville.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_m4bgUcoUQmaQaKyfmALdpA

Or to Watch the Hearing live (but with no ability to make comment), go to: www.somervillema.gov/tv

Going in person?

BRING SIGNS (here are signs to print at home!

Can’t make it to the Rally but want to support the SEU?

MARK "INTERESTED" ON THE RALLY EVENT PAGE: this moves the algorithm and gets more eyes on the action: https://www.facebook.com/share/1ABLJFmAxf/

Making public comment?

The SEU has shared suggested talking points if you want to speak in support of their contract proposals. You can read about those here.

Here are our (PTA’s) talking points:

- Spending isn't meeting the needs of our students; our district is struggling, and the data shows that we’re not serving our most vulnerable learners with year over year of no increases and no significant improvements to service

- Requests for resources are consistent and have been unmet for years -- from parents, caregivers, educators, and students

- Every year, the PTAs and school leaders are tasked with coming up with budget requests. Each year, those requests remain consistent, the needs continue to grow in scope, and each year, we’re reminded that the City has been generous enough to not make any CUTS to services and ignores those requests

- SPS spending is a lower % of the municipal budget relative to other Boston inner core communities

- In this fraught moment when the district and City are suing the federal administration to push back on them trying to shortchange education and attack the values we hold dear, it’s time to stand up for those values and make robust education spending a Somerville priority

Below is the pared-down content of a letter a Kennedy parent is sending to the Mayor, School Committee, and City Council:

The email addresses are: mayor@somervillema.gov, citycouncil@somervillema.gov, SchoolCommittee@k12.somerville.ma.us

I am writing to ask you to remember, and to lead with, the values of the community you were elected to represent and to remind us all that that means prioritizing our students and their education.

Respect the school's collaborative budgeting process, which came up with numbers greater than would be allowed by a 5% year over year, so-called, "level service budget," as has been requested of the district by the city. Our students' needs are greater than can be solved or even begin to be addressed at level service.

That amount of funding would not cover the specialists required by state regulations to bring our schools into compliance meeting the needs of English and multi language learners, nor of our students on IEPs and 405 plans, nor of those students awaiting evaluation related to those plans. Those numbers would not meet the needs of our neediest and most vulnerable students.

Level service funding would also not cover the carefully considered and painstakingly prioritized requests that district experts — that is, our school leaders and department heads — submitted to central administration to meet their schools’ and departments’ needs for next year.

These are not unreasonable requests. They are arguably the bare bones of what our students need. Our district is struggling, as so many are. Somerville is supposed to lead the way. Somerville needs to do better by families and children.

At a time when our city and our school committee are suing the federal government for its attempts to shortchange students, let us not be guilty of the same. Instead, let’s put our money where our mouth is, and fully fund our schools. And let us respect, retain, and sustain our educators with the living wages they all require. The SEU contract currently being negotiated represents your best opportunity to invest in the retention of great educators and provide our students with the safe and healthy learning conditions they deserve. Our district cannot profess to lead the way if we leave our most vulnerable behind.