Friday, February 7, 2014: Become an Advocate for Public Education!

On behalf of the Basehor-Linwood Board of Education, as well as teachers and staff, we are asking for your help in advocating for Kansas public schools.

It is not news to any of us, I would guess, that budget cuts in Kansas public schools have taken place over the last few years. School districts across the state have made cuts to administrative and teaching staff, and with that comes increased classroom size. Districts have had to raise bus fees, raise full-day kindergarten fees and several smaller districts have even merged with nearby districts to make ends meet.

 In the Basehor-Linwood School District, our budgets have been affected, but not nearly as deeply as others. We have a strong school community and can help advocate for public education, bringing awareness to the funding situation in Kansas. There are many organizations out there advocating for Kansas public schools, too, and they are making it easy for us to do the same! Take a look at the resources below, follow them on Facebook and/or Twitter, and help spread the word that Kansas public schools are the cornerstone of great communities!

Game on for Kansas Schools – Organization of a group of parents with children attending more than 25 different Kansas public schools along with other interested community members. They help to educate parents on political processes, evaluate policy issues and work to educate legislators on issues impacting public education. They also made an awareness video that deserves your time – and even a social media share, if you’re up for it!

Link to National School Board Association – Organization of school board members who believe that adequately funded, student-centered public schools will provide a comprehensive education for children and will prepare America’s children for a lifetime of learning. Follow them on twitter {@4publicschools} and on Facebook – and “share” their messages!

 Defend the Dream KS (@defendks on Twitter) – advocates for public education by sharing factual information in support of the American dream through public education.

Kansas State Board of Education – This organization sends out weekly postcards showing how “Great Things are Happening in Kansas,” and they invite you to contact any board members to discuss how we can prepare students for success. If you see the postcards (like these, below), please feel free to share them through your social media outlets!

It is easy to “share” and “retweet” other posts, but another way to voice your concern is to call or write letters to our local legislators. Let them know how valuable a public school education is for all students.

Senator Tom Holland	Representative Willie Dove
961 East 1600 Rd.	14715 Timber Lane
Baldwin City, KS 66006	Bonner Springs, KS 66012
785.766.6862	913.422.8317

The Basehor-Linwood school community has a strong voice – we know with your help, we can address our legislators and make our voices heard!

 http://www.usd458.org/gen/blvs/Superintendents_Blog_p1316.html