While state budget deficits could lead to drastic funding cuts for public education, a grassroots organization with affiliates in several states is pressuring legislators and local school boards to preserve programs – with some positive results.
Stand for Children, a national nonprofit with chapters in Massachusetts, Colorado, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington, has rallied thousands of supporters through petition drives and lobbying efforts in an attempt to keep governors and town councils from slashing school budgets.
In many cases, the Stand for Children activists are teachers or school board members as well as parents. In Massachusetts, Arlington School Committee member and Stand for Children member Cindy Starks recently testified at a hearing at the state house in Boston, voicing the organization’s proposals to make up budget shortfalls.
"Communities like Arlington are in crisis. We are trying to close a $2.5 million shortfall in our schools," Starks told legislators, according to the Arlington Advocate. "We are forced to consider reductions of close to 15 teachers and yet we are a district whose enrollment numbers have been growing. It’s time to take action to support cities and towns."
Among Stand for Children’s proposals are abolishing property tax breaks for telecom companies, allowing municipalities to levy local hotel and meals taxes and implementing health insurance reforms that can save towns millions on benefits for employees.
Stand for Children’s legislative agenda in Massachusetts also calls for advocating long-term reforms to prevent funding shortfalls in the future.
With local chapters led by citizens in individual communities, the group is truly a grassroots and member-led organization.
Last week in Medford, Oregon, local members of Stand for Children presented a petition with 250 signatures to the school committee urging them to drop a proposal to cut elementary school music classes.
The committee heard them. In its budget recommendation to the Medford school administration, the committee asked administrators to make other cuts in order to save the music program.