How to help your local schools - PARENT LETTER TO ELECTED OFFICIALS

Dear parents, friends and readers, we always know how much our schools are hurting, there's Billions of $$$ of bailouts to financial institutions, GM, and government keeps growing and growing, but when it comes to setting aside money for our children's future...   eh, well that's not a serious issue, at least not to politicians.

Ask anybody if they want to help our schools and everyone will tell you "of course"... but most people don't have the slightest idea of HOW they can help, and they don't even try to find out because of their busy lives, and it's completely understandable.

Well let me present to you a simple and easy way in which you can help, in this case it is just by writing an e-mail or letter to your local Assembly member or Senator, all you have to do is copy the letter bellow pasting it on an e-mail, changing the text inside the parenthesis and clicking "SEND", by putting it in an envelope or if you have some extra time you might want to pick up the phone and giving them a call.

Senators
I have included the addresses to the Senators & Assembly Members for the 91304 Zip Code, if you are outside that area you can go to http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html and enter you Zip on the search box.

More than one Legislator represents the zip code 91304. The complete list is below.
* Click on the name and then find the CONTACT ME TAB to send them an e-mail

Member                 District Number and Office        Capitol Office

Pavley, Fran           23  2716 Ocean Park Blvd          State Capitol
                           Santa Monica, CA 90405        Sacramento, CA
                           (310)314-5214                 94248-0001
                                                         (916) 651-4023

Padilla, Alex          20  6150 Van Nuys Blvd            State Capitol
                           Van Nuys, CA 91401            Sacramento, CA
                           (818) 901-5588                94248-0001
                                                         (916) 651-4020

Strickland, Tony       19  2655 First Street             State Capitol
                           Simi Valley, CA 93065         Sacramento, CA
                           (805) 306-8886                94248-0001
                                                         (916) 651-4019
                           610 Anacapa 
                           Suite B4
                           Santa Barbara, CA 93101
                           (805) 965-0862 

Assembly Members
More than one Legislator represents the zip code 91304. The complete list is below.
Member                     District Number and Office     Capitol Office

Blumenfield, Bob       40  6150 Van Nuys Blvd             State Capitol
                           Suite 305                      Room 6026
                           Van Nuys, CA 91401             Sacramento, CA
                           (818) 904-3840                 94249-0040
                                                          (916) 319-2040

Gorell, Jeff           37  2659 Townsgate Road            State Capitol
                           Suite 236                      Room 4208
                           Westlake Village, CA 91361     Sacramento, CA
                           (805) 230-9167                 94249-0037
                                                          (916) 319-2037

Letter Body - Copy/Paste and change what's inside the parenthesis


(March XX, 2011)


Dear (Assembly member/Senator__________________:)


As my elected representative I am writing to notify you of the "doomsday" budget the Los Angeles Unified School District LAUSD Board of Education is facing because of state budget cuts to education. I say "doomsday" because my child's school is really feeling the impacts at our campus. We are expected to lose (INSERT PREDICATED SCHOOL LOSSES HERE ex. three teachers, one nurse, two counselors, etc.)


Over the last three budget cycles our schools have borne the brunt of statewide spending reductions. California continues to severely underfund education with an estimated $18 Billion in cuts since 2007 and LAUSD has managed to keep the cuts as far away from the classrooms through very difficult decisions:

• Delaying textbook adoptions
• Reducing leases and consolidating staff locations
• Cutting summer school for most students
• Increasing class sizes
• Shortening the school year
• Reducing 5,000 employee positions
• Negotiating with employees to take 12 furlough (unpaid) days

With all of this effort and sacrifice, the District still faces a $408 million deficit in 2011-2012 unless you and your fellow lawmakers vote to support the Governor's revenue extension proposal.

Without this extension, funding for school would fall by more than $2 Billion, or more than $335 per student. If this initiative makes it to the June ballot the LAUD could reduce its deficit by $183 million.

Please take the time now to call, e-mail or even meet with your state legislator and ask him/her to:

1. Support Governor Brown's Revenue Initiative by voting to put it on the ballot for June 2011.
2. Help inform other voters of this important measure once it's on the ballot and turn out to vote!

We need you to support our students and schools. The Governor's balanced budget proposal is one that really prioritizes education and it acknowledges the disproportionate cuts education has taken during the economic downturn. It is now time to reverse that trend, solve the deficit and reinvest in our students.

Please help your constituents by supporting our constitutional right to exercise our voice on a temporary revenue extension in the June special election. Your support will be really appreciated.

Sincerely (YOUR NAME HERE)