What's more important than our children and their education?
Nothing, so let's join forces and fight for our children's education, their teachers, their administrators and our school board!! Be their VOICE OF HOPE!!!!!
Flagler County Parents: "Call to Action" is a grassroots effort to mobilize concerned parents, lead by Colleen Conklin (Parent & School Board Member) & Rachel Sheffield (Parent & Old Kings Elementary School-School Advisory Committee President). Please join them if you are interested in getting involved in sending the message to state leaders that public schools should be a priority.
Come join the Call To Action and be informed. If you don't fight now, you don't get to complain later!
Call To Action Meeting Info
Check back frequently for more information on the next meeting date, location and time.
Call To Action Contact
For more information, contact Rachel Sheffield at rsheff0219@aol.com
"CALL TO ACTION" Acquiring Signed "Adequate Funding" Petitions
March 3, 2009 -- Call To Action (CTA) has acquired thousands of petition signatures to date. On March 3rd, CTA volunteers were scattered around the county and completed a very successful petition drive. These petitions will be personally handed to our legislators so that they can see first hand that Flagler County means business.
The petition states: "We respectfully demand Governor Charlie Crist and the State Legislature to recognize and take responsibility to adequately fund public education per the Constitution of the State of Florida. We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge our leaders to act now and find a solution to Florida's funding crisis".
The petition also includes Article IX, Section 1 of the State Constitution that defines the state's responsibility to provide free, public education. It reads:
"The education of children is a fundamental value of the people of the State of Florida. It is, therefore, a paramount duty of the state to make adequate provision for the education of all children residing within its borders. Adequate provision shall be made by law for a uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and high quality system of free public schools that allows students to obtain a high quality education..."
Click the "Print" button to download and print your own copy of the "Fund Education" petition. Pass it around at work, church, your neighborhood or anywhere you can find a citizen who values high quality education for our children a high quality future for our state!
Call To Action volunteers getting petition signatures at Palm Coast Little League Opening Day, March 3, 2009.
We need YOU to communicate to Florida’s legislators and state policy makers your expectation to resolve this funding crisis! 
BOTTOM LINE: The State of Florida doesn’t have the money!
It is time for SOLUTIONS – there is nothing left to CUT!!
Possible solutions:
• Maximize flexibility and increase local control
• Enact no new unfunded K-12 mandates
• Delay for the 2009-2010 school year:
• Class size amendment requirements by continuing school wide average
• Implementation of new high school grading and graduation requirements
• Implementation of K-8 virtual education
• Expansion of middle school physical education requirements
Potential sources of increased revenue discussed by various state leaders include:
• Elimination of certain sales tax exemptions
• Expanded collection of Internet/mail order sales tax revenue
• Raising general sales tax by 1 penny
• Repeal reductions to intangible taxes
• Increase in tobacco and alcohol sales tax designated for education
ACT NOW!
Here is a list of Flagler County Legislative Delegation and State Policy Makers. Draft your letters and emails and send them out as soon as possible!
Governor Charlie Crist
Office of Governor Charlie Crist, State of Florida
The Capitol, 400 S. Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32399
Charlie.Crist@MyFlorida.com
Senator Tony Hill, Sr., District 1
5600 New Kings Road, Suite 5, Jacksonville, FL 32209
904-924-1646, Senate Office Building, Room 213, S
Phone:850-487-5024; hill.anthony.web@flsenate.gov
Senator Jim King, Jr., District 8
9485 Regency Square Blvd., Suite 108, Jacksonville,
FL 32225 Phone: 904-727-3603 Senate Office
Building, Room 400, S Phone: 850-487-5030;
king.james.web@flsenate.gov
The Honorable William Proctor
Florida House of Representatives
900 SR 16, Suite 2 St. Augustine, FL 32084
bill.proctor@myfloridahouse.gov
The Honorable Pat Patterson
Florida House of Representatives
230 N. Woodland Blvd., Ste 222, Deland, FL 32720-4257
pat.patterson@myfloridahouse.gov
Dr. Eric J. Smith, Commissioner of Education
Turlington Bldg. 325 West Gains Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400
850-245-0505, fax 850-245-9667
House Education & Economic Appropriations
Representative David Rivera, Chair 2450 SW 13th Ave., Suite 205, Miami, FL 33175 305-227-7630 The Capitol, Room 223 Phone:850- 488-7897 david.rivera@myfloridahouse.gov
House PreK-12 Appropriations Committee
Representative Anitere Flores, Chair 1405 SW 107th Ave., Suite 205 C, Miami, FL 33174 305-227-7626 The Capitol, Room 212; Phone 850- 488-2831 anitere.flores@myfloridahouse.gov
House Education Policy Council Representative Faye Culp, Chair House Office Building, Room 204, Phone: 850-488- 2770 faye.culp@myfloridahouse.gov
Senate PreK-12 Appropriations Committee
Senator Stephen R. Wise, Chair
1460 Cassat Ave., Suite B, Jacksonville, FL 32205
904-381-6000, FAX: 904-381-6040, Senate Office
Building, Room 410 Phone: 850-487-5027;
wise.stephen.web@flsenate.gov
Senate Education PreK-12 Policy Committee
Senator Nancy C. Detert, Chair
417 Commercial Ct., Suite D, Venice, FL 34292
Senate Office Building, Room 318 Phone: 850-487-5081 detert.nancy.web@flsenate.gov