Cover letter to the Auburn PTA Voters Guide:

Dear Auburn PTA Presidents and Advocacy Chairs,

The Auburn Council of PTAs is pleased to provide you . . .

• An Auburn PTA Voters Guide

• A Fair and Equal Funding Resolution

1) Voters Guide:
click ==> Auburn PTA Voters Guide '08
Absentee Ballots started arriving in voters' mailboxes last Friday, but most voters have not yet
returned their mail-in ballots, or voted at the polls.

The Auburn PTA Voters Guide provides candidate positions on education issues of importance to
your members, particularly on our five Legislative Assembly top priorities:
• Basic Education Funding
• Strengthening Math and Science Curriculum & Education
• Washington State Assessment System Improvements
• The State Board of Education's Core 24 Framework
• Teacher Compensation

We ask you to forward the Sample Email below to your Unit's PTA voters, and others interested
in education issues.

Distribute this email using this year's unit email list, last year's email list, the list you entered and
state provides through their membership system, or any list of potential voters you believe are
interested in education-related issues.

You can edit and send the Sample Email below to your members.

We hope is useful to your members and other community members. Please email or call me
(735-6791) if you've any questions.
(The Voters Guide was to have come out last Friday. Confusion over Auburn's
501(c)(3) / 501(c)(4) status delayed distribution. We are very sorry for this delay.)

The Auburn Council of PTAs is a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization

 Sample Email we hope you will email to your members:

Dear { your school name } PTA members,

With the huge budget deficit Washington State faces this year, the quality of your children's education
has never been more important.

Auburn PTA has created an Auburn PTA Voters Guide. We asked candidates for State Legislature to
give us their view on Education issues, particularly WSPTA's five top priorities for the 2009
Legislative Session:
• Basic Education Funding
• Strengthening Math and Science Curriculum & Education
• Washington State Assessment System Improvements
• The State Board of Education's Core 24 Framework
• Teacher Compensation

Click ==> Auburn PTA Voters Guide '08

Would you like to work with us on any or all of the above five priorities? click here
Comments? click here
The Voters Guide was to have come out last Friday. Confusion over Auburn's 501(c)(3) / 501(c)(4) status delayed distribution. We are
very sorry for this delay. The Auburn Council of PTAs is a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization
1) A Fair and Equal Funding Resolution
Latest OSPI reports indicate that Auburn students and parents are funded at $533 per student,
per year less than Washington's State average. This costs Auburn District more than $7 million,
per year. We could buy a lot of education with $7 million.

On Tuesday, Oct.14th, Auburn PTA Council passed a Resolution calling on the State Legislature
to pass laws supporting Fair and Equal Funding for School.

We sent copies to:

• The Governor
• House and Senate Education Committee Chairs
• All Representatives and Senators representing Auburn School District.

The resolution tells our representatives that we understand the Fair Funding problem, that want
them to correct the problem, and that we're watching them.

Auburn Council would like as many Units as possible to pass similar resolutions.

When and only when Legislators understand that grassroots PTA members want the Fair Funding
problem fixed, the Legislature will include Fair Funding in the legislation they are crafting for
Education Finance Reform.

In other words, our Legislators need to know that . . .

- We know about the unequal funding problem
- We're following what happens
- We hold you accountable

We want as many Units as possible to send Resolutions calling on legislators to pass to your
Legislators. How do we do it? ==>

1. Discuss and Pass a similar resolution at your local unit

Pass it at either a Board or General Membership meeting.
(Or both. If your board meeting comes first, pass it there, then send it to your General Membership
meeting for ratification )

2. Send copies to the Governor, the House/Senate Ed committee chairs, and your own
Legislators

3. Email a copy to Auburn PTA and State PTA.

We'll track Auburn Resolutions, and forward copies to Federal Way District. (31 school boards
and 2 PTAs have passed Resolutions so far.)

Can you imagine the impact that a bunch of Auburn PTAs (or PTAs all across the state!) can make,
when we demonstrate to our Legislators:
We are aware of the problem.
 We're following what happens.
We hold them accountable.

For a copy of Auburn's Resolution . . .

click ==> Auburn Fair Funding Resolution

For an editable example of a Unit Funding Resolution . . .

attachment ==> PTA Unit - Fair Funding Resolution - Template

Pat Montgomery
Auburn Council of PTAs Advocacy Chair
patmontg@comcast.net 253/735-6791