Newsletter Sept 25, 2007

Instrumental Music – AEU members take industrial action to support AEU colleagues

Just prior to the successful 1000+ gathering at the Capri Cinema, Goodwood on 12 August 2007, DECS CEO sent the AEU a letter that backed away from the proposed model with a range of concessions. These are:

• No changes to Instrumental music in 2008 for primary or secondary schools or students.
  
• Instrumental music teachers to remain part of the Instrumental Music service, north, south and country and will not be forced into schools.
  
• Trials to commence in 2008 of a range of different instrumental music delivery styles, including the original Year 5 whole class approach.
  
• Trials will be paid for by DECS and from outside the Instrumental Music Service budget.
  
• Trials will be voluntary for both school and Instrumental music teachers. That is; no school or teacher can be compelled to participate.

AEU members have always supported quality teaching and excellence in the Public Education system. AEU members support the critical evaluation of teaching methodology and pedagogy. On this basis the AEU also supports the trials where the following preconditions are met:
All staff involved, including Instrumental Music Teachers, are provided with appropriate Professional Development that meet identified needs.

• All staff participation is on a voluntary basis.
  
• Trials will not contribute an additional workload impost upon those who volunteer, that is; trials will be fully resourced; e.g. to allow for any release time required for planning and evaluation.
  
• Trials are conducted within an action research framework and outcomes are critically evaluated by a centrally established “Trial Review Committee’ consisting of representatives from Instrumental Music Service, primary and secondary classroom teachers and the AEU.
  

However, since then, the situation for the Instrumental Music sub branch has become much more complex. 2 staff members have been informed that they are under investigation by DECS for alleged complaints of bullying. These members have been outspoken activists in the IMS campaign and have the support of their sub branch. In question is the process used by DECS for the investigation. The DECS Special Investigation Unit has been instructed to conduct a “preliminary investigation”. This process is in breach of DECS policy which specifies that the DECS Grievance Procedures be used to investigate bullying allegations.

The IMS sub branch has voted unanimously to engage in a further campaign in support of their colleagues. Last Tuesday and Wednesday, members gathered at 31 Flinders St for a rally. This was followed by the withdrawal of goodwill and the refusal to use private vehicles to travel to schools.

On Wednesday 26th September, IMS AEU members will take a one hour stop work from 2pm – 3pm.

Members are calling for:
· an immediate reinstatement of the employees to their positions; and
· a commitment by DECS to act within agreed procedures and specifically the DECS Grievance Procedures.

The Progressive Educator team supports the IMS sub branch in taking strong action to resolve this matter.

AEU elections - make your vote count!

AEU ballot papers will be sent out to you on Friday 5th October, 2007. The ballot will remain open until Friday 26th, October, 2007.

Please talk to members at your worksite about the importance of voting.

Make sure you vote as soon as you receive your election papers in the post. Less than a third of AEU members voted in the last election.

We are very pleased to announce that 2 members of our team have been elected unopposed. Anne Crawford will be AEU Female Vice President and Jack Major continues in his role as AEU Branch Secretary. Congratulations to both Anne and Jack.

To complete the AEU leadership team, we ask that you vote 1 Correna Haythorpe, Branch President and vote 1 Marcus Knill, Male Vice President.

"I believe that this team has the experience and ability to deliver strong outcomes for all members and for public education".
Andrew Gohl, current Branch President


Please vote for the following Branch Executive candidates:

Andrew Gohl, David Smith, Lesley Lindsay Taylor, Peter Trethewey

Correna Haythorpe, Lara Kelly, Daniel Pereira, Mick Braham

Marcus Knill, Jackie Bone-George, Lyn Waller, Chris Champion

Anne Crawford, Kelvin Jeanes, Carmen Kowalski

Film Screening:

Sunday: 30 September
Time: To Be Advised
Palace Cinema, Rundle St., City
Tickets: $15 full, $11 concession
BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL
Bookings Call: 0412 231 011, 0423 213 690, 0418 894 366

Howard Haters Art Exhibition

This is an invitation to attend the opening of Matt Walker's brand new art exhibition, featuring commentary on the Howard regime. Matt’s art is very popular with Howard haters and he also puts it onto T-Shirts on request.

This exhibition opening is a timely artistic contribution on the eve of a watershed election.

Free entry.

The exhibition opening is 7.30 pm Thursday October 4th at the Wheatsheaf Hotel (a striking piece of his work is on the invitation above).

Music teachers fight back

On Thursday 20 September Instrumental Music Services members are withdrawing their goodwill and are refusing to use their private vehicles to travel to schools.

The Commissioner for Public Employment has advised that public sector employees cannot be compelled to use private vehicles for work purposes. The Acting Chief Executive at her meeting with AEU President Andrew Gohl and Organisers Group Coordinator Bill Hignett on 18 September 2007 confirmed that employees could not be compelled to use their private vehicles.

Gohl and Hignett today attended the two IMS branch offices at Dover Gardens and Klemzig to ensure that there were no high jinks by DECS Officers to undermine this action.

In an attempt to scuttle action by IMS teachers, an email was sent after 4pm yesterday telling the teachers to report to the school they will be teaching at tomorrow.

The advice the AEU have given to the teachers is that they are to report to their base which in the metropolitan area is either the Dover Gardens or Klemzig Office and to ask for a government car or taxi chits to travel to their schools.

This withdrawal of IMS teacher goodwill follows two successful rallies outside the offices of DECS in Flinders Street (photos above and below).



Yesterday’s rally began with an instrumental version of the Simon and Garfunkel classic Mrs Robinson (DECS CEO’s surname is Robinson), ended with a sing-along to a rewrite of Paul Kelly’s Special Treatment.

Notice: Pilger Film "The War on Democracy"

Sunday 30 September

Time: To Be Advised

Palace Cinema, Rundle St., City

Tickets: $15 full, $11 concession

BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL

Bookings Call: 0412 231 011, 0423 213 690, 0418 894 366

The impact of the Howard years on Public Education

by Correna Haythorpe

Since the Howard Government was elected to office in 1996, it has reduced federal funding for public education from 42% of the total school’s education budget to 35% despite the fact that 70% of students are educated in public schools. If this trend continues, federal funding will be down to 31% by 2010.

In a recent Australia Rising address, John Howard made his views very clear about public education when he responded to a question about school vouchers. He expressed opposition to a wholesale voucher approach to education funding because that “undermined the fundamental value and strength of public education as the safety net and guarantor of a reasonable quality education in this country.” Note the word “reasonable” which sets a low bench mark for Howard Government policies on public education.

There has been a massive shifting of funds from public education to private schooling and this comes with the government rhetoric of “choice”, otherwise known as shifting the cost of education to parents by convincing the populace that public education is failing our students. It reflects the Howard/Bishop view that quality education should be located in the private system, with the public school providing a “safety net” for the poor and the dysfunctional – those whom private schools would not accept.

In the run up to the 2007 federal election, the Howard Government has engaged with the insincerity of pork barrelling. In education, there has been an injection of $489 million of additional public funds into private schools which are located in marginally held electorates. The 2007/8 federal budget delivered a $1.7 billion increase to private schools over the next five years, a total of $7.5 billion. Public schools received a $300 million increase taking their total to $3.4 billion. This same budget also ignored preschools and TAFE.

Further analysis of the funding issue must focus on corporate sponsorship and tied funding. Federal Education Minister, Julie Bishop, has stated that schools should explore corporate sponsorship because it is beyond the capacity of governments to give them the resources they deserve.

She also argues that “increasing links between business and schools would enhance student learning, their employability and skills”. Under a corporate sponsorship arrangement, the question can be asked about how schools would maintain their independence in curriculum delivery and professional matters. In what capacity would business be involved in the daily management of the school, the students and staff? How long before we see a “MacDonald’s syllabus” in the Vocational Education sector? Corporate sponsorship is just another strategy employed by the federal government in their refusal to face their responsibility and duty to appropriately fund public education.

In recent years, public schools have faced the issue of tied funding used to enforce implementation of Federal government imperatives. Grants for flagpoles in schools came with the proviso that a Liberal or National Party politician must “unveil” the flagpole. The A-E grade directive that all schools must produce a report that had a common grade was tied to the threat to withdraw federal education funding for each state. This federal attempt to undermine the professional judgement of educators to assess their students, placed enormous pressure on teachers to engage in a grading process, which was seen by many to be psychologically damaging to students.

From 2009 the Federal Government(if re-elected) will use tied funding to require state education authorities to introduce “initiatives” such as performance-based pay for teachers, reporting against national benchmarks with school and state comparisons (otherwise known as league tables) and greater principal autonomy in hiring and firing of staff. State ministers are likely to accept this funding blackmail in order to have the $$$$ for education. Effectively, this will be a move away from hard won employee rights and entitlements, wage security and the concept of equal pay for equal work. It also has the potential to create a staffing crisis in socio economically disadvantaged schools as performance pay will be based on meeting benchmarks set by the federal government and not about delivering a curriculum that enables each student to achieve optimal learning outcomes.

Tied funding has been used recently in the TAFE sector to blackmail state governments into offering all employees Australian Workplace Agreements or face the loss of federal funding. Combine this with a serious national skills shortage, chronic under funding of TAFE, the duplication of services via the Australian Technical Colleges (which are yet to produce graduates despite millions of dollars of public funding) and you have more than 300,000 people being turned away from TAFE since 1998.

The inability of the Howard Government to engage in genuine consultation and partnership with Aboriginal communities about the educational well being of Indigenous students is a national disgrace. It is estimated that in the Northern Territory alone, there are as many as 5 000 Indigenous students who miss out on access to basic secondary education and many thousands of Indigenous children who miss out on preschool and early childhood education programs. The Howard government has shown its lack of commitment to the appropriate resourcing and implementation of long – term strategies needed to provide quality schooling and to address the educational disadvantage faced by Aboriginal communities. Instead the federal government has opted for a quick fix based on political opportunism in the face of an election it looks likely to lose.

For migrant and refugee students (non English speaking background) John Howard expects “[new Australians] to master the common language of English” yet his government is responsible for the scandalous under-funding of essential English language programs for NESB migrant and refugee students. For the provision of required English language services, it is estimated that the current federal funding shortfall is $85 million per annum.

The 2007 Benchmarks - Work and Family Policies in Election 2007 state “A high quality early childhood education and care system is a public good and so requires significant public investment”. As previously mentioned, the Howard government continues to ignore the early childhood sector by refusing to accept responsibility for funding and supporting quality early childhood learning. Research shows that by the time children begin the compulsory years of schooling many of the factors contributing to future inequality are evident. Disparities in access to early childhood learning and the corporate takeover of childcare facilities by profit driven companies further exacerbate those inequalities.

In the past 11 years, the Howard government has continually undermined the professional and public face of the teaching workforce. The recent attacks on history teachers - "a fragmented stew of themes and issues.... dominated by Marxist, feminist or green interpretations of history"; and women - "ageing female primary school teachers are contributing to the nation's obesity epidemic" contribute to the undermining of public schools and educators, values, cultural tolerance and understanding.

The Howard Government education policies have damaged public schools, educators, students, families and the community. However, educators and school communities will continue to fight for a vibrant, strong system where all students can be part of a quality, secular and equitably resourced public education.

We owe it to the children of Australia- our future- to ensure that this happens.

Principal Association slanders public education and teachers

What are the principal associations up to?

This morning's front pager in the Advertiser is a real wake-up call as to what we can expect if the principal associations-backed ticket of AEU Presidential candidate Jan Webber is successful in the forthcoming AEU elections.

Essentially, the principals have gone on strike, refusing to advertise Round One vacancies in the 2008 placement process.

This is the round in which teachers in the Priority Placement Pool are matched first against vacancies.

The impression given by the Primary Principals Association, and splashed as a sub-heading across the Advertiser, is that this results in schools being forced to accept substandard staff.

This is an outrageous slander of the public education system and a despicable attack on teachers by a crew that wants to run the union!

It is worth restating the composition of the Priority Placement Pool from the current Enterprise Agreement:

2.2.1 The Priority Placement Pool would be centrally managed and contain:

2.2.1.1 Teachers with an approved Work Cover claim who need to be placed would be given a priority.
2.2.1.2 Permanent teachers who have an approved priority compassionate placement request….
2.2.1.3 Teachers who still hold a guaranteed right of return to the metropolitan area from the country….
2.2.1.4 Country teachers seeking transfers to metropolitan locations who are eligible…
2.2.1.5 Teachers who are eligible to transfer and are in at least their 4th year of continuous service in an Index of Educational Disadvantage Category 1 school
2.2.1.6 Teachers who are eligible to transfer and are in at least their 5th year of continuous service in an Index of Educational Disadvantage Category 2 school
2.2.1.7 Teachers who have been placed as involuntary PATS for a period of at least 4 years.

These seven categories of teachers together comprise a group of 350, only a few of whom are involved in underperformance issues.

But all teachers and all schools in the public system are now in doubt in relation to their quality because of this contemptuous action of the Primary Principals Association.

Principals who advertised some 700 vacancies for Round One in 2007 are deliberately withholding vacancies this year. Only 230 vacancies have been advertised, fewer than the number of teachers in the PPP.

Let us be clear about what the principal associations want.

Principal associations want to jettison the rights of permanent teachers to a placement.
They are happy to leave teachers forever in remote and difficult schools.

They made this clear in the latest edition of SAPPA News, where Glyn O'Brien, SAPPA President writes: “Currently there is an emphasis still on placement of permanent staff at the expense of true local selection.”

She adds, “SAPPA will continue to expect merit selection.”

This view was also expressed by secondary principals last year in a paper produced by their association's Human Resources sub-committee.

It is a view that means the abolition of the rights of permanent teachers and the opportunity for transfer dependent on the whim of a principal!

We know there is an entrenched culture of bullying both within DECS itself, and out in the schools.

This same group of principals, who aspire to lead the Australian Education Union in SA, are set to further entrench the capacity of principals to bully and intimidate staff by their opposition to the current selection process.

And they have no scruples in fostering a public perception of a “Second Class” public education system, to quote today's main Advertiser heading, in order to get their way.

Principals ticket firms up

Two incidents over the past 24 hours have confirmed that the AEU faces an organised “takeover” bid from the DECS-funded Principal Associations, with the support of 31 Flinders Street.

Firstly, Glynn O’Brien (SAPPA President) has confirmed that the Primary Principals Association is endorsing Jan Webber and her predominantly principal member ticket in the AEU elections. It is likely that SAPPA talk and SASPA chat lines will be used (again) to lobby for support amongst principal level members.

Secondly, DECS sent an email to the AEU declaring that “This is just a courtesy e-mail to advise you that election material for Jan Weber (sic) and Richard Baxter et al will be distributed through the DECS Distribution Centre. This service may be “extended” to other candidates on the proviso that: a service fee was payed(their spelling!) and the material presented is not inimical to DECS’ interests”.

"Inimical", of course, means "contrary, opposed, unfavourable". It's a sad reflection of where this principal-led ticket wants to take us with DECS that DECS is so comfortable with their election material!

So obvious was this DECS-Webber arrangement that wiser heads prevailed over in Flinders Street, and the deal was withdrawn a few hours later “after further consideration of the issues”.

This, combined with the recent attitude of a DECS officer in declaring” that things will be very different at the AEU after the elections, we won’t have to deal with things like we have to now” paints a grim picture of a future for the AEU that none of us wish to see. It also emphasizes how important your work over the next few weeks , and classroom teacher votes during the balloting period, will be.

We know there will be a bloc vote by DECS-funded principal associations in support of a conservative, principal-led faction.

Classroom teachers, other education workers, and progressive school leaders concerned about the quality of public education must encourage a huge participation rate to counter the principal push.

Talk the issues up as widely as possible.

Support the Unity. Action. Strength team led by classroom teacher and Women's Officer Correna Haythorpe (below, centre).

Californian teachers oppose Democrats reauthorising of NCLB

South Australian teachers may like to read the statement below from the Californian Teachers Association.

Under the Bush regime, education in the US has been gutted by the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Bill. This Bill has provided Howard and his succession of Education Ministers with the ideological framework for the imposition of so-called national standards testing.

Regrettably, Labor is playing much the same role as the Democrats in the US, pandering to populist misconceptions fostered by the Government of the day.

As progressive US educator and commentator Susan Ohanian notes in introducing the California Teachers Association statement on her website: “You asked for it, George. And Nancy. For a long time these corporato politicos have figured we were so fed up with Republicans that we would take anything they dish out. There a lot of teachers willing to show them that they are wrong.”

Whilst we rush to rid ourselves of the Howard mob, we need to prepare ourselves to show Steven Smith and Kevin Rudd that they are also wrong for promising to continue to link Commonwealth funding to A-E grades (currently the subject of legal proceedings and ongoing industrial bans in SA) and for their pledge to tie funding to the publication of schools league tables.

The California Teachers Association (and links) follows:

Don’t Let Congress Punish Our Students, Teachers and Schools - AGAIN
by California Teachers Association

Don’t Let Congress Punish Our Students, Teachers and Schools - AGAIN

Vote NO on the Miller/Pelosi NCLB Reauthorization Proposal

California educators have supported the Elementary and Secondary Act since its inception in 1965 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed it as part of the War on Poverty. CTA supports improving student achievement, closing achievement gaps and accountability, but when the law was reauthorized in 2002 and was named the No Child Left Behind Act by President Bush, it became a system of sanctions rather than assistance to public schools, students and teachers.

NCLB is again now up for reauthorization. And the proposal by California Congressman George Miller and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi does nothing to improve the law. California teachers are calling on Congress to vote NO on the Miller/Pelosi NCLB reauthorization plan.

The No Child Left Behind Act is Not Working. It is Hurting our Students, Teachers and Schools -- read more.

The NCLB reauthorization proposal by Representative George Miller and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi does nothing to improve the current law and actually makes it worse -- read more.

The Miller/Pelosi NCLB reauthorization bill will make it harder to attract and retain quality teachers in California classrooms -- read more.

The Miller/Pelosi NCLB reauthorization bill imposes new federal mandates that undermine local control and employee rights -- read more.

Rather than punishing students and teachers, NCLB should provide proven reforms that improve student learning -- read more.

We can’t let the past repeat itself. This law is too important for the future of our public schools.

Take Action NOW!
Tell Your Member of Congress to VOTE NO on Miller/Pelosi NCLB Proposal

California Teachers Association

Congratulations Anne and Jack!

Congratulations to Anne Crawford (right) and Jack Major!

Anne and Jack, members of the Progressive Educators team, have been elected unopposed to the positions of Female Vice-President and Branch Secretary respectively.

It is important now that the Progressive Educator ticket, as a broadly representative grouping of active and committed teacher unionists, receives support in the forthcoming elections.

In the previous election, the South Australian Primary Principals Association endorsed a ticket led by the current Female Vice-President, Jan Webber. The SASPA chatline was used by the SASPA Executive to organise a bloc vote of principals who were told to "follow exactly the numbering shown".

This organised vote saw then Executive member Jan Webber elected Female Vice-President, and three other primary principals won Executive positions.

Now, Jan is running for Branch President, and will be looking to boost her support base on Executive.

Particularly if her ticket wins the endorsement of either, or both, of the primary and secondary principal associations, members who want a more representative AEU leadership must vote.

AEU elections are conducted by the Australian Electoral Commission and ballot paper are sent to homes rather than to the workplace.

They are sent during the school holidays, and not during term time.

It is easy to put the ballot papers to one side and foget about them.

Please talk up the issue with your workmates and AEU colleagues in other sites, and encourage a huge turnout of progressive votes for Progressive Educator candidates.

Andrew Gohl - Speech to Governors Leadership Foundation

The following is the text of a speech by Andrew Gohl, President of the SA Branch of the Australian Education Union, at the Governors Leadership Foundation on Tuesday September 4, 2007.

It is indeed a pleasure to be talking to the future leaders of South Australia. I could talk about the allegation of Maoists in control of the History/English/Geography curriculum or outcomes based learning, phonics, literacy, numeracy or I could talk to you about A-E grades for 6 year olds, the skills shortage; even performance pay for teachers would be an interesting topic.

However, I want to talk to you about public education and public education funding and choice. The Australian Education Union is an unashamed supporter of public education. Oftentimes the AEU is the lone voice of support and advocacy for Public Education. I have no need to defend the excellence in public schools and I don’t need to cite the untold successes of students from public schools.

However, the AEU wants Governments, State and federal, to fund public education in vastly greater proportions than they do currently. The AEU believes that access to quality public education system is a right of all students regardless of their socioeconomic status, where they live, their religion or country of origin.

The government mantra for education has been ‘choice’. That parents should be able to choose what school their child attends. It’s hard to argue with this. Choice is the right of an individual in a democratic society. Choice is exercising the power of a consumer in a market driven society. Choice is good.

Actually, choice for many in our society is a myth. Choice is the luxury of those who can afford it. The more one earns the greater choice one has. I hasten to add that greater choice does not necessarily translate to the best decisions. Just ask Paris.

So, choice in education. The Federal Government and State Government support it. Opposition at State and federal levels support it. Who wouldn’t? The question most significant is how does the federal and state governments' funding of public schools compared to private schools impact upon choice and fundamentally who has a choice, who has no choice and what does it mean for children who have no choice. Social justice, equity and equal opportunity are terms out of fashion it sometimes seems, but are central to the deliberations of the AEU and others fair minded in our community. For that which creates injustice and social inequity also breeds resentment, hostility, and anger or disengagement and apathy and self abuse.

A 2003 analysis of Federal Budget paper 1 indicates that Public schools received 12% ($2262m) of Federal Government funding, while private schools received 40% ($4373m). State and Territory Governments contributed 88% ($16588m) to public schools, while private schools received 17% ($1859m). Some additional 43% of private school funding was from private sources.

In percentage terms public schools receive 63% and private schools 37% of all school funding. Public schools look to be doing pretty well.

But factor in the national student enrolment data sourced from the ABS. In February 2004 the number of students attending government schools is 53% of the total number of students in the nation and so the amount per student in the public sector is $8361 compared to $10275 per student in the private sector.

The last time federally public and private schools received an equal share of funding was 1982. To the period 1993 funding to the public sector remained pretty stable at around 45% of total federal government funding. In the period 1996 – 2007 the public education share of federal government funding has declined from 43% to 34%.

The Federal Government asserts that this is because there are more students now enrolled in private schools, but in 1996 for every $1 spent on public school students the federal government spent $4.40 on private school students. By 2005 that amount increased to $5.63 for every $1 spent on public school students.

And these figures will improve for private schools. The very formula by which the federal government funds private schools is based upon the average cost of educating a student in the public sector. Public schools can be found right across rural and isolated Australia. The costs of country education are higher. Public education has by the far the greatest number of students with special needs. Education costs for special needs students are greater. All this goes to the average cost per student in the public sector which is allocated on a per student basis to private schools.

Almost all social justice payments to public schools raise the per capita cost and flow on to private schools.

Private schools, generally speaking aren’t as frequent in the country, and can be selective in the students accepted into the school. The net result is lower costs for a more homogeneous group of privately educated students. Those funds left over contribute to more facilities.

And if you doubt these figures take a drive past your local public and compare it with your local private. New buildings and facilities equals new funding. That’s a simple equation.

Well, so what? Back to the rhetoric of choice. While the costs of private education, especially the huge growth in low fee religious schools have decreased making private education more accessible to middle Austrlia it is clear that for many, many Australians the only choice is Public Education. This includes parents who indeed have a choice and choose public.

There is an obligation on state and federal governments to ensure that public education for those with no choice is not some residualised system but a well funded, vibrant challenging public education system that outwardly and inwardly demonstrates excellence and quality teaching with rejuvenated building, facilities and resources - the external features upon which many parents make their choice.

A recent announcement by the Federal treasurer indicated that Australia managed a budget surplus of some $17b! That is $17b budget surplus per annum!

A 2003 report commissioned by MCEETYA (Ministers Council for Education Employment Training and Youth Affairs) indicated that in order for the 95% of public schools in the nation to reach the national benchmark described in the Adelaide Declaration of Schooling was $2.6b per annum. Clearly the funds are available, but the political will is lacking.

You know, Keating and Costello duel over which treasurer put Australia in a stronger financial position. I assert that in fact it has been the provision of a universally free, secular and compulsory public education since federation which has enabled the majority of Australians to meet their educational aspirations which in turn has contributed to Australia’s social and economic prosperity. Public education has been a foundation stone of a civil Australian society and the pathway for millions to participate fruitfully in building a nation. Public education has provided opportunities for all students regardless of religion or race or creed to learn together be successful and value each other’ s potential and respect each other’s limitations.

A residualised public education system amidst well funded private schools cloistered by religion or ideology I believe presents a threat to the long term social stability of Australian society. Good leaders recognise threats and neutralize them. I hope that in my brief time today I have been able to convey to you the threat to public education and its important role in Australian society and I urge you, leaders all, to support public education and lend your voice from time to time for a fairer funding deal from state and in particular federal governments.