September 13, 2005

Chuck Herring, Uniserv Director
Harriet Poch, Uniserv Field Assistant

Unless you have just returned from Pluto, everyone should be aware of the Cash for Kids campaign and petition drive going on. In some cases, both of these drives will be completed by the time this is read. I know I sound like a broken record, but…this is my story and I’m sticken’ to it!

Politicians listen to two things—polls and people with money. If this sounds crass, it’s because it is crass. Bottom line, in order for us (educational employees) to have our voice heard (clout); we need to have money to put where our mouths are. So, when the rep asks for Cash for Kids $’s, remember the $’s are spent advocating for our needs.

The petition campaign is needed because 10-12 thousand people marching on the Capitol and asking the legislature to fund education as they promised was not enough. So, a petition drive becomes necessary to force the legislature to vote in favor or against funding education (HB 4582, SB 246). Should the House and Senate not enact the demands of the petition within 40 days of its receipt, the issue automatically goes on the ballot in November of 2006. The same Election Day the legislature will be asking us to vote for them—since they have done such a wonderful job funding education in the last two/four years. GET IT? NO $’S! NO VOTE FOR YOU!

In order for the K-16 Coalition to get the issue in front of the legislature and if they do nothing on the 2006 ballot, about 300,000 signatures are needed.

If every MEA member were to bring in five signatures, there would be more than enough. However, as hard as it is to believe, we do have some members that will do nothing about this but complain. So for those getting signatures, feel free to get more than five. All signatures must be from registered

voters and all signatures must be from the same county on each petition. But all that will be explained when the petitions are handed out. On behalf of the K-16 students statewide, thanks for caring since they can’t vote!

If the PD Committee is wracking its collective brain for in-service training ideas—don’t forget Professional Development/Human Resources of MEA is more than willing and able to provide great trainings. Check with the MEA office for contact people and phone numbers.

The Wildflower Association of Michigan (WAM) with the generous support of the Harold and Jean Glassen Memorial Foundation is soliciting applications for grants that create outdoor classrooms, enhance an existing wildflower site, or other educationally directed projects. In the last funding cycle WAM awarded eight grants. These ranged from $250 to $1,000. Some of the successful applicants included Helen R. Ealy Elementary (Whitehall), Fruitport HS; Britton-Macon School; Immanuel-St. James Lutheran School of Grand Rapids, and the Missaukee and Otsego Conservation Districts. These successful awardees also received a year’s membership in WAM, recognition at the WAM annual awards banquet held at MSU during ANR week, and enrollment in a day-long educational training workshop designed to enable them to plan and maintain their project gardens.