The Governor Needs to Hear from You!
Sun, May 9 2010 09:44 PM
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Dear SOPG Parents,
Susitna has four proposals for legislative appropriations in the State budget waiting to be signed by Governor Parnell. There is a possibility that these proposals could be vetoed and cut from the budget unless the Governor hears from YOU!
Please take a few minutes and write to Governor Parnell and let him know these proposals are important to the students and school community at Susitna. Listed below are the email addresses of the Governor and the two legislators who added the proposals to the budget. Please include each of them in your letter.
Governor Sean Parnell - sean.parnell@alaska.gov
Senator Bill Wielechowski - senator_bill_wielechowski@legis.state.ak.us
Representative Pete Petersen - representative_pete_petersen@legis.state.ak.us
Below, is a letter of support for the proposals that you can use to model your own letter. Please modify yours a little because template/form letters don't carry the same weight that individually written ones do.
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Dear Governor Parnell,
We are writing you today as parents of two school-aged children attending Susitna Elementary School. Specifically, we’re writing in support of the legislative appropriations for Susitna Elementary School (Anchorage) that are included in the proposed 2010-11 state budget.
I’m sure there are many projects and proposals worthy of funding but without context of why they’re important, it might be difficult to know which ones are more worthy of the limited funding available. The goal of this letter is to provide you with the context for our requests so that you can see how they will positively impact instruction and, ultimately, student learning at Susitna.
Proposal #1: $15,000 for Computer Tables – While our school computer lab has tables appropriate for student computer use, most of our classrooms do not. Currently, teachers place student computers on student desks barely larger than the computer itself and others have to put student computers on the floor. This doesn’t provide for an ergonomic work setting, nor is it as safe for students to use the computers in this way. With the ability to sit comfortably at the computer, students will be able to work more effectively with more time on task and with fewer potential health issues. The funding request would provide two basic computer tables for each classroom.
Proposal #2: $8000 for Interactive Whiteboards – These computer peripherals have become standard equipment at many schools in Alaska and around the nation. They are designed to assist teachers in presenting engaging and interactive, activity-based lessons. Coupled with a multimedia projector and a digital document camera (which Susitna has worked collaboratively with the school PTA to provide to teachers), these modern teaching tools provide teachers with another means by which students acquire the skills and concepts to be successful in life. Funding this project would provide an initial implementation of five interactive whiteboards to be housed in the library and computer lab, as well having three dedicated for classroom use.
Proposal #3: $14,000 for Mobile Computer Lab – Susitna Elementary is a very full school and lucky to have a dedicated computer lab. However, the computer lab is heavily scheduled for specific teachers’ classes throughout the week, precluding teachers from engaging in whole-group computer-based activities during any time other than their 1 hour per week computer lab time. These funds would be used to purchase student laptop computers to be added to the existing mobile computer lab cart providing a much-needed “infusion” of technology tools into their classroom for specific projects during the week. Funds would also be used to improve the school’s wireless network so that the laptops would be able to used in more classrooms.
Proposal #4: $10,000 for Wireless Clickers – These handheld devices designed for education interact with the teacher’s computer to allow on-the-spot assessment of students. Student classroom response devices— commonly called “clickers” -- allow students to answer multiple choice questions from the teacher and be able to see the survey results of the question asked through the teacher’s computer and a multimedia projector. The benefit of teachers providing on-going assessment of student understanding, while giving the student immediate feedback on their own understanding is difficult to overstate. Funding of this project would provide sets of these devices to five classrooms.
These proposals are aligned with our school and district instructional goals for technology and, if funded, will help our students be better prepared for the global workforce upon graduation.
The community of Susitna Elementary School and we thank you for considering these proposals.
Sincerely,
===========
Thanks for your help, and please share this with other Susitna parents-- Optional or Neighborhood-- so all of Susitna's students can benefit from these proposals.
Susitna has four proposals for legislative appropriations in the State budget waiting to be signed by Governor Parnell. There is a possibility that these proposals could be vetoed and cut from the budget unless the Governor hears from YOU!
Please take a few minutes and write to Governor Parnell and let him know these proposals are important to the students and school community at Susitna. Listed below are the email addresses of the Governor and the two legislators who added the proposals to the budget. Please include each of them in your letter.
Governor Sean Parnell - sean.parnell@alaska.gov
Senator Bill Wielechowski - senator_bill_wielechowski@legis.state.ak.us
Representative Pete Petersen - representative_pete_petersen@legis.state.ak.us
Below, is a letter of support for the proposals that you can use to model your own letter. Please modify yours a little because template/form letters don't carry the same weight that individually written ones do.
========
Dear Governor Parnell,
We are writing you today as parents of two school-aged children attending Susitna Elementary School. Specifically, we’re writing in support of the legislative appropriations for Susitna Elementary School (Anchorage) that are included in the proposed 2010-11 state budget.
I’m sure there are many projects and proposals worthy of funding but without context of why they’re important, it might be difficult to know which ones are more worthy of the limited funding available. The goal of this letter is to provide you with the context for our requests so that you can see how they will positively impact instruction and, ultimately, student learning at Susitna.
Proposal #1: $15,000 for Computer Tables – While our school computer lab has tables appropriate for student computer use, most of our classrooms do not. Currently, teachers place student computers on student desks barely larger than the computer itself and others have to put student computers on the floor. This doesn’t provide for an ergonomic work setting, nor is it as safe for students to use the computers in this way. With the ability to sit comfortably at the computer, students will be able to work more effectively with more time on task and with fewer potential health issues. The funding request would provide two basic computer tables for each classroom.
Proposal #2: $8000 for Interactive Whiteboards – These computer peripherals have become standard equipment at many schools in Alaska and around the nation. They are designed to assist teachers in presenting engaging and interactive, activity-based lessons. Coupled with a multimedia projector and a digital document camera (which Susitna has worked collaboratively with the school PTA to provide to teachers), these modern teaching tools provide teachers with another means by which students acquire the skills and concepts to be successful in life. Funding this project would provide an initial implementation of five interactive whiteboards to be housed in the library and computer lab, as well having three dedicated for classroom use.
Proposal #3: $14,000 for Mobile Computer Lab – Susitna Elementary is a very full school and lucky to have a dedicated computer lab. However, the computer lab is heavily scheduled for specific teachers’ classes throughout the week, precluding teachers from engaging in whole-group computer-based activities during any time other than their 1 hour per week computer lab time. These funds would be used to purchase student laptop computers to be added to the existing mobile computer lab cart providing a much-needed “infusion” of technology tools into their classroom for specific projects during the week. Funds would also be used to improve the school’s wireless network so that the laptops would be able to used in more classrooms.
Proposal #4: $10,000 for Wireless Clickers – These handheld devices designed for education interact with the teacher’s computer to allow on-the-spot assessment of students. Student classroom response devices— commonly called “clickers” -- allow students to answer multiple choice questions from the teacher and be able to see the survey results of the question asked through the teacher’s computer and a multimedia projector. The benefit of teachers providing on-going assessment of student understanding, while giving the student immediate feedback on their own understanding is difficult to overstate. Funding of this project would provide sets of these devices to five classrooms.
These proposals are aligned with our school and district instructional goals for technology and, if funded, will help our students be better prepared for the global workforce upon graduation.
The community of Susitna Elementary School and we thank you for considering these proposals.
Sincerely,
===========
Thanks for your help, and please share this with other Susitna parents-- Optional or Neighborhood-- so all of Susitna's students can benefit from these proposals.
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