Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Open Letter to Santa Monica City Council and City Manager Expressing CEPS's Support for the City's Transaction Use Tax



July 13, 2010

Mayor Bobby Shriver
Mayor Pro Tem Pam O’Connor
Councilmember Richard Bloom
Councilmember Gleam Davis
Councilmember Bob Holbrook
Councilmember Kevin KcKeown
Councilmember Terry O’Day
City Manager Rod Gould

Greetings,

I am writing on behalf of Community for Excellent Public Schools (CEPS) regarding the proposed Transactions Use Tax item #8 – B on tonight’s agenda.

As you know, Community for Excellent Public Schools has advocated on behalf of preserving and protecting the excellence of our local public schools for more than a decade.  The impetus for CEPS’ initial advocacy was a similar State budget meltdown which threatened draconian cuts.

CEPS has always held the firm conviction that excellence in our local public schools relied on stable, predictable, ongoing local revenues that were not tied to the State of California’s fiscal health. 

Our group has operated with the knowledge that strong schools support a strong community, and that the relative health of each greatly impacts the other.  As such, the strength of our advocacy has relied on the diversity of our membership, and we have had many robust and healthy discussions around our CEPS meeting table with members from all ends of the political spectrum offering divergent points of view.  However, the focus remained stalwart, as all worked together to help protect the gem that are still our local public schools.

That background influenced our July 9th CEPS Steering Committee meeting at which we discussed, and unanimously affirmed our support for the City’s Transactions Use Tax and companion Advisory Measure. 

We feel that these paired measures are forward-thinking and represent an extremely effective method of providing greatly-needed increased revenues for all essential City services.  In addition, these measures help advance a closely-held CEPS belief that partnership and collaboration will create new resources for all. 

CEPS is delighted to support these measures.  In addition, we look forward to working with the campaign committee to help pass them.

CEPS embraces this new collaboration, and will work to carry it forward into the future.  We look forward to creating new and increasingly productive partnerships between the education community and all of our city partners – the business community, police, fire, city workers, and community groups.  Together, I know we can create new opportunities, new revenue sources and ongoing excellence.

The education community is a strong partner and a good ally.  We are eager to get to work with you on this new measure, and continue that creative work well into the future.

Thank you,






Rebecca Kennerly
Chair, Community for Excellent Public Schools (CEPS)

Saturday, July 3, 2010

COMMUNITIES RALLY TO SAVE OUR SCHOOLS

 

“OPEN DOORS: SAVE OUR SCHOOLS” VIDEO Santa Monica -Malibu parents and renowned actors, Ed Harris and Amy Madigan speak out on behalf of SMMUSD students. In the three short weeks that Save Our Schools has been in existence, a team of determined volunteers led by independent filmmaker Varda Hardy, conceived, produced and completed this film.  

“Save Our Schools”, the Santa Monica Malibu Education Foundation led emergency fundraising effort to raise as much money as possible to lower class sizes, save teacher and staff jobs, and protect music, library and counseling programs in Santa Monica and Malibu schools for the next school year announces new partnerships as it enters its third week.

“Thanks to the incredible outpouring of support and volunteer efforts for Save Our Schools, we’re nearly half-way to restoring class sizes in 1st grade district wide for next year,” says Santa Monica Malibu Education Foundation Executive Director, Linda Gross. 


SANTA MONICA FOURTH OF JULY PARADE
The Save Our Schools effort will be represented at the Santa Monica Fourth of July Parade with a Save Our Schools float and more than a hundred education activists marching.  SOS volunteers are crafting a life preserver theme for the effort and hope to pass out Save Our Schools materials and collect donations during the parade.  

SAVE OUR SCHOOLS AT THE SANTA MONICA FARMERS MARKET AND OTHER LOCAL BUSINESSES
Look for Save our Schools on Wednesdays at the Santa Monica Farmers Market, at Broadway and the 3rd Street Promenade.  In addition, Spruzzo Restaurant and Bar and the Sunset Restaurant and Beach Bar in Malibu, will contribute 10% of purchases to Save Our Schools.  Rosti Tuscan Kitchen in Santa Monica will contribute 15% of purchases made on July 6th, 20th and August 10th to Save Our Schools.

FUNDRAISING PROGRESS
Despite school being out for the summer, more than 150 volunteers are working on the Save Our Schools effort, and nearly 500 individual contributions been received to date.  Contributions are earmarked for one of three “buckets”; to lower elementary class size, lower secondary class size and hire back counselors, or to restore music and library programs.  To date, more than $400,000 has been raised, representing 45% of funds needed to reduce 1st grade class sizes from 27:1 to 23:1, 16% of funds needed to restore the elementary music program, 13% of funds needed to keep elementary libraries open, 21% to hire back middle and high school counselors, and 3% of funds needed to lower class sizes in grades 6-12.
 
 Access: http://savesantamonicamalibuschools.org/SOSevents.html for ongoing updates and details about Save Our Schools’ generous community partners, and grass-roots events, such as an upcoming multi-family yard sale on July 24th and bake sales throughout Malibu.