No More Bake Sales for Boston Public Schools

BPS recently submitted a budget for the 2014/2015 school year with massive budget cuts that will negatively affect 90 schools across the BPS system.

If this budget passes, at the Ellis Mendell Elementary School:

*2 full time paraprofessionals will be cut
*4 Northeastern University interns will be cut
*1 year Music program for K1-1st grade will be cut
*1 partial year Music program for 2nd-5th will be cut
*2/3 of our Playworks funds will be cut
*50% of our Teachers' Supply Budget will be cut.

The Mendell School is moving towards becoming a Full Inclusion school next fall. Without these necessary funds, our ability to support all of of our learners with support staff, multiple forms of engagement, and proper resources, our students' ability to succeed will be deeply affected.

However, with the achievement gap widening, these cuts create a system-wide crisis that increase economic and racial inequities and affect the future of Boston’s work force and citizen engagement.

We will be sending your signatures to Boston City Council to make our collective impact visible. However, we cannot stop there! We need your help to flood lawmakers’ offices with the message that these cuts are unacceptable. Here are other ways you can take action:

- SIGN THE PETITION!
- Organize members of your community to craft your story, or tell your own.
- Make a video and share your story along with ours: http://youtu.be/sGpB7ZPgO4E
- Call, email and/or visit your local politicians:
Click to find your city councilor: http://www.cityofboston.gov/myneighborhood/
Click to find your state representative:
http://www.wheredoivotema.com/bal/MyElectionInfo.aspx
- Speak at School Committee Meetings at 26 Court Street.
Call 617-635-9014 the day before to sign-up.
- Join the Boston Parents Union to stay connected and informed: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BosParentUnion/?fref=ts

We need YOUR help to create a critical mass that forces our lawmakers to affect positive change for Boston!

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Sample email to send to your representatives!

Dear _________,

I am a member of the _____ School community in ____, a thriving, diverse, and successful Boston public school.

I write to you today to express my profound sense of concern, dismay, and anger over the devastating budget cuts facing the _____ School in _____, as well the deep and untenable cuts facing the vast majority of other schools in the BPS family.

Despite the Mayor’s 4% increase for next year, the _____ is one of 90 schools who face cuts on paper.

Our community has heard from the 14 other schools we are working with (so far) about the devastating cuts they also face. You must work to increase the pie for all schools.

This is a system-wide crisis that requires immediate and decisive action.

To make matters worse, we are skeptical of BPS’ enrollment projections, and believe they will cause more harm than good. We now fear BPS has reached a dangerous tipping point.

Sincerely,
___________________
A resident of the _________________ neighborhood of Boston