Legislation

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Did you know that the National PTA/PTSA is the nation's largest volunteer child advocacy group?  According to the National PTA website, "Parent/Teacher Association (PTA) reminds our country of its obligations to children and provides parents and families with a powerful voice to speak on behalf of every child while providing the best tools for parents to help their children be successful students."

And the Florida PTA's mission statement means it strives to be a powerful voice for all children, a relevant source for families and communities, and a strong advocate for the education and well-being of every child.

Unfortunately, Florida is currently ranked 50th in the nation in funding education and child services.  Worse, this was before recent budget cuts passed our State Legislature in Special Session in January, and school districts are bracing for even larger cuts as the current legislative session attempts to grapple with the continuing economic downturn.  A strong movement is needed to ensure that a stable source of funding flows into the state's coffers to meet the budget needs of Florida's children.

Below is some information on how to stay updated as to the budget and issues relevant to children and public education and how to take action by joining your voice with PTA/PTSA and with other related child and education advocacy groups that strive to invest in the future by investing in our children and their education:

• Sign up for updates and alerts from Florida PTA at www.floridapta.org/CapWiz.html -- click on Action E-List and then on PTA Take Action Network -- and respond to these alerts.
• Visit the Duval County Council of PTAs/PTSAs website at http://dccpta.org/ to find out what actions are being taken locally and join in whenever possible. 
  
• Visit the Duval County Public Schools website at www.duvalschools.org/static/aboutdcps/superintendent/supermessage_budget_update_2009.asp to find out our district's situation and needs.
• Visit the Save Duval Schools website, sponsored by People for Jacksonville's Future, Inc., at www.saveduvalschools.org.  The site has links to reach out to State Legislators and an opportunity to share your thoughts with other Duval County residents on its message boards.
• UPDATE: In 2009, as the Duval County Public Schools faced a more than $100 million budget deficit due to falling state revenues, a local politico and a prominent school board member had an “aha” moment together. Michael
  Munz and WC Gentry had met with Duval Schools Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals, who reported, incredulously, that the district was required to spend millions on music books even as music teachers were being “surplussed” due to
  budget cuts! Munz and Gentry, together with nonprofit and business leaders in the community, agreed that when it came to cuts in education, they’d had enough. Munz’s business, The Dalton agency, and other community leaders pulled in Deborah Gianoulis Heald to say it out loud in front of local media: “Enough!” And Save Duval Schools was born. Save Duval Schools is a political issues organization with a simple goal: To give voice to Floridians who want the Legislature to follow Article IX, Section 1 of our constitution, i.e. to fulfill the state’s “paramount duty” to provide public school students with a “high quality” education. It is Save Duval Schools’ position that our lawmakers need to make two things happen in order to fulfill their “paramount duty.” First, we
  as a state must find or create a steady, reliable income source for public K-12 education. Second, we must invest our local school boards with discretion on how to spend state education funds, without the nonsensical mandates like
  the “mandatory music books,” cited above. Save Duval Schools founders
  created a website (www.saveduvalschools.org) through which voters in Florida
  may directly contact their lawmakers with their thoughts on education funding. Last legislative session, lawmakers let us know that they were definitely hearing from Save Duval Schools—thanks to involved parents like YOU! But in order for Save Duval Schools to continue its impact on the Florida Legislature, we need for involved parents like you to spread the word! If you haven’t already signed up to receive email alerts from Save Duval Schools,
  please go to www.saveduvalschools.org today and sign on! And please spread
  the word ... the viability of Save Duval Schools mission DEPENDS on its grassroots—that’s us, PTA people—you and me. Won’t you please help us spread the word about Save Duval Schools? (from the October 2009 DCCPTA News newsletter)
  
• Visit the 50th No More website, "a non-partisan, grassroots organization designed to fight back against budget cuts to our great public schools," at www.50thnomore.org to find out more ways to "help Florida's kids get the education they deserve."
  
• Contact your legislators!  Legislators are quick to note that they hear more frequently from tax cut advocates than those who support adequate public education funding. Please make your priorities known to your elected state representatives.  For complete contact information for members of the Duval County Legislative
  Delegation, visit www.duvalschools.org/static/aboutdcps/superintendent/downloads/Legislative_contacts.pdf.  Keep in touch with your legislators through emails, letters, faxes, and phone calls and by responding to Florida PTA alerts. Provide a picture of the impact on your school through real examples. 
• Write a letter to the editor.  Share examples and facts about what the impact of these cuts are on your school and community. Click here for a sample letter to the editor and here for a list of possible talking points from the Florida PTA website.

Please continue to contact your state and national leaders to support the education of our children!

Thank you for your advocacy efforts.