Western Union Elementary School PTO
4111 Western Union School Road
Waxhaw, NC 28173
ph: 704-843-2153
fax: 704-843-9019
wuespto
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April 19, 2012 PTO MEETING - Agenda & Financial Report
BUDGET CUT UPDATE -
ALL UNION COUNTY REGULAR EDUCATION TEACHER ASSISTANTS HAVE LOST THEIR JOBS for 2012-2013! In addition, 53 Teacher Positions were eliminated. Imagine your child’s classroom with 26 or 27 students in it. HERE IS HOW YOU CAN REACH OUT TO HELP … see information and sample email/letter below for each branch that can help us. Just a few words can go a long way!!!
Board Of Education:
Tell them they need to ask for full funding for UCPS from the Union County Board of Commissioners. The county DOES have money. They need to make it clear that the level of education cannot remain high in light of recent instructional support staff lay-offs. Teacher Assistants do not push paper, they educate children in small groups side-by-side the teacher. They effectively lower student to teacher ratio.
John Crowder 704-283-8810 john.crowder@ucps.k12.nc.us
Carolyn Lowder 704-233-4547 carolyn.lowder@ucps.k12.nc.us
Dean Arp 704-282-0418 dean.arp@ucps.k12.nc.us
Rick Pigg 704-753-4161 rick.pigg@ucps.k12.nc.us
John Collins 704-846-1376 john.collins@ucps.k12.nc.us
Marce Savage 704-243-6701 marce.savage@ucps.k12.nc.us
Sherry Hodges 704-293-1928 sherry.hodges@ucps.k12.nc.us
Laura Minsk 704-256-0364 laura.minsk@ucps.k12.nc.us
David Scholl 704-749-0832 david.scholl@ucps.k12.nc.us
To any Board of Education member: In light of the recent removal of 350 teacher assistant positions and an additional closing of 53 educator positions, it is more important than ever for UCPS to take their funding request to the Union County Board of Commissioners. If you don't ask, we don't get! Please be our best advocate for our children and their education. Ask our commissioners for the money necessary to close the funding gap and get our assistants back where they belong...the classroom.
Board of County Commissioners:
Some Commissioners say there is no money to give. Other Commissioners say there is plenty of money but that there is not majority agreement to fund UCPS. And other Commissioners just want the State to fund more so they don't have to. While everyone is passing the buck, no one is passing 'the bucks' to our students' education. Don't have school aged children? A local school district must be top-notch in order to attract homeowners and push up property values.
Jerry Simpson jerry.simpson@co.union.nc.us
Todd Johnson todd.johnson@co.union.nc.us
Tracy Kuehler tracy.kuehler@co.union.nc.us
Kim Rogers kim.rogers@co.union.nc.us
Jonathan Thomas jonathan.thomas@co.union.nc.us
To any County Commissioner: According to what we have read in The Union County Weekly and seen on News 14, Union County has money available to close Union County Public Schools' funding gap. This week, we have also learned that UCPS has fired 350 educators and closed another 53 positions. Shameful!
When it comes time that the Board of Education asks for funding from the Union County Commissioners, please vote “Yes”. Residents need a place to live that is enviable. The MOST important reason the majority of people move into an area is its school system. Businesses also move into an area driven by the local school system. We believe it is a county's responsibility to help itself by helping its school system.
North Carolina State Legislators (Raleigh):
These gentlemen need to be reminded to put education as their top priority for funding. We are among NC's largest school districts, have one of the highest graduation rates and, yet, among the LOWEST funded counties in the state.
Representative Craig Horn (704-844-9960) Craig.Horn@ncleg.net
Representative Frank McGuirt (704-233-4618) Frank.McGuirt@ncleg.net
Senator Tommy Tucker (919-733-7659) Tommy.Tucker@ncleg.net
To any State Legislator: Please help Union County Public Schools get its fair share of state money. We are one of the largest districts in the state. We have one of the highest graduation rates in the state. We are among the LOWEST funded counties in the state. Please take our message to your May session. We need education to be your number one priority.
BUDGET CUTS
More information on these cuts including a video from Ed Davis can be found on the UCPS website: http://www.ucps.k12.nc.us/budget_videos.php.
HERE is the alarming part … Budget cuts made to date have been made to protect the classroom, but any additional cuts will have to impact the classroom (i.e. increase class sizes, decrease or eliminate teacher assistants, reduce elective course offerings, cuts in technology and supplies).
Contact Your NC Representatives
We are facing a $9.9 million budget cut.
- Student population has risen but funds have decreased.
- How can teachers/staff maintain the high level of student achievement when less is spent per child?
- Teachers are forced to make many classroom purchases themselves, OR do without.
- UCPS has cut all Teaching Assistant positions and 53 Teacher positions for 2012 - 2013 school year.
School employees have not had a pay raise in 4 years from the State.
- Teachers are actually taking home less money than they did 4 years ago due to cuts to the local school systems which means they pay for more classroom supplies/needs out of their own pocket.
- Teachers were notified in February of a change in their pay schedule. This is not enough preparation time to save extra money to cover their living expenses for the 2 week window. For families on a budget, a 2 week “no pay” without sufficient enough notice could be detrimental.
State claims that the "Average Class Size for Elementary Grades" is "1:15 (teacher/pupil ratio)".
- Since 2008, class sizes have increased from 19 to 23/24/25.
- These cuts will force even larger class sizes … AND they want to eliminate Teacher Assistants too!
WE NEED TO ASK OUR REPRESENTATIVES TO...
- Eliminate additional cuts to public school funding.
- Restore the flexibility to local school boards to set the school calendar in the best interests of their students and community.
- Allow school districts to continue the prepayment of teachers and other 10 month employees until the fall of 2013. In addition, allow school districts to set the pay dates for teachers and other 10-month employees in the middle of the month starting on or about September 15, 2013.
- Provide a raise in pay for all school employees.
Our schools cannot sustain their achievement levels when budgets continue to be slashed and teachers are not rewarded for their merits. We will lose talented teachers and programs. Our children will suffer.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact Megan Huffman at mhuffman@wuespto.com or 704.843.1540.
WUES PTO
4111 Western Union School Road
Waxhaw, NC 28173
ph: 704-843-2153
fax: 704-843-9019
wuespto
