We're back and the homework this week is: Save Our Schools

We're back on line with NEAT! And the homework this week is to save our schools. Over 25 people met in Pam Schwartz and Joel Feldman's living room on 3/11 to discuss the imminent budget crisis facing Northampton public schools. A number of exciting ideas came up and the group took responsibilities to do action-oriented homework assignments for the next meeting doing research on the local, state and national level. And we are trying to use the media to keep our message out there. Within two days of our meeting, over 50 people showed up to the School Committee meeting on 3/13 to voice our message: Save Our Schools, Save Our Future. Thanks to the quick turnaround or great folks, we had stickers and flyers and got more people involved in NEAT. The parents and staff who spoke to the School Committee were eloquent and unanimous in their support of keeping the schools open and working together to fill the budget gap. There was great exposure in the local papers and Channel 40. The next School Committee Budget and Property Subcommittee is on 3/19 at 5 PM at JFK.

The next planning meeting for NEAT will be held on 3/24 at 7 pm in the Jackson Street School Library (we have outgrown our living rooms), so please mark your calendar and invite others to attend this important meeting.

Here's what we are doing:

Local Perspective

• Attend School Committee meetings (schedule at http://www.nps.northampton.ma.us/agendas.html)
• Meeting with the Mayor (Katie: kgerstle@verizon.net, Linda: Linda_C_Davis-Delano@SPFLDCOL.EDU, and Pam: pschwartz@nationalpriorities.org)
• Meeting with City Council and School Committee Members
• Find local tax scofflaws (Jane: jane@janefleishman.com)
• Get the timeline for budget process down (Joel: jfeldman@crocker.com)
• Get a historical look at budget cuts over past 10 years
• Proposition 2 ½ Timeline (Julie: Julie.starr@comcast.net and Alden: acbourne@gmail.com)
• Research PILOT (Payments in lieu of taxes) from other colleges similar to Smith (Kristin: edmonds.k@comcast.net, Deborah: Deborah_Christakos@yahoo.com and Joel: jfeldman@crocker.com)
• Meet with Smith College Trustees, President, Alumni

State Perspective

• Research corporate tax loophole and meals tax legislation (Pam: pschwartz@nationalpriorities.org)
• Meet with State Legislators Kocot and Rosenberg (Pam: pschwartz@nationalpriorities.org and Michael: michaelholroyde@verizon.net)
• Research local aid to cities and towns in MA and Chapter 70 formula
• Connect with other similar groups across the state
• Proposition 2 ½ repeal (Stephanie: Osiecki@crocker.com)

National Perspective

• Find out how other comparable states are funding their education budgets

Using the Media and Getting the Message Out

• Create a message: Save Our Schools, Save Our Future (Linda: Linda_C_Davis-Delano@SPFLDCOL.EDU, Lynn: lshelley@wsc.ma.edu, Pam: pschwartz@nationalpriorities.org, Darla: joedargorm@verizon.net)
• Create flyers (Steve: sireci@acad.umass.edu and Rebecca: Rebecca@twentysixletters.com)
• Make phone calls to other interested parents

If you are interested in one of these areas, please contact the person or people who've already signed up to do research. If no one has volunteered or you are interested in something else, please post a comment so we can keep track of who's volunteering.

We will use this blog to keep you informed. Please pass this along to others who might be interested. And keep up the great work!