From tpeterso at mccsc.edu Thu Apr 12 10:41:03 2007 From: tpeterso at mccsc.edu (Tina Peterson) Date: Thu Apr 12 10:41:35 2007 Subject: [BloomingtonEducates] MCCSC Day at the State House -- need your support References: <42996.70750.qm@web37315.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Have you been frustrated with the large number of students in your child's classroom? Not enough computers at your school? Upset that the Summit ALPS program was discontinued? Lack of supplies? It is easy to blame the superintendent, school board or principals, but, if you live within the Monroe County Community School Corporation borders, the problem is a very complicated State of Indiana funding formula created in the mid 1970s that determines how much funding each school district receives from the state. It is time that the funding formula be revised and simplified, and we are asking the Indiana General Assembly to do just that. MCCSC is ranked 18th out of approximately 300 Indiana school districts in geographic area, 11th in population, 73rd in children living in poverty, but it is in the bottom 25 percent in funding. MCCSC receives at least $1000 less per student than all other similar school districts. Muncie Community Schools has a demographic similar to MCCSC and is a "university town" like Bloomington. It receives approximately $4.2 million more per year than MCCSC. That works out to approximately $1400 more per student. A group of MCCSC parents and supporters are going to Indianapolis to meet with our State Representatives Peggy Welch and Vi Simpson, as well as, Robert Meeks, senate chair of appropriation, and Gregory Porter, house chair of education to voice our opinions on the inequity of the current funding formula. We have an on-line petition for those who support our cause. After 4/21/07, our petition will be forwarded to Peggy Welch. Please click here to sign: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/688788962 You are invited to MCCSC Day at the State House -- April 18, 2007 10:30 a.m. in the South Portico of the Indiana State House 200 West Washington Street, Indianapolis 11:00 a.m. -- meet with representatives 12:15 p.m. -- tour of State House From tpeterso at mccsc.edu Wed Apr 25 12:09:44 2007 From: tpeterso at mccsc.edu (Tina Peterson) Date: Wed Apr 25 14:13:23 2007 Subject: [BloomingtonEducates] FMCCS Community Conversation - May 8th Message-ID: Educating Our Children In and For the 21st Century: A Critical Community Conversation High School Redesigns On May 8th at 7:00 p.m. at Bloomington High School North, the Foundation of Monroe County Community Schools will host a community forum about options for redesigning high schools. At this event, attendees will have the opportunity to talk with educational leaders from other Indiana communities who have designed new approaches to high school education and implemented various models for educational delivery. These include Early College Programs, small learning communities, career academies, expeditionary learning schools and Big Picture Schools. Come learn more about continuing efforts to redesign our schools to serve the needs of all learners in a changing 21st Century world. Breakout sessions addressing each of the approaches will allow you to engage the presenters in discussion about how the models might serve our students and to learn how they have been implemented in other Indiana communities. For more information visit www.BloomingtonEducates.org or contact Tina Peterson at tpeterso@mccsc.edu or (812)330-7700. Tina Peterson Foundation of Monroe County Community Schools Executive Director Investing in Our Children, Investing in Our Future