Get involved with reform efforts by spreading the word to friends, colleagues and organizations about the problems with the current school funding and tax system and solutions to address the problems. Here are a few suggestions for how to get the message out and let state policymakers know of your concerns:
Sign Up to Take Action! Sign up to get action alerts to receive news and legislative updates and easily communicate with legislators and the governor on the issues. Sign up for these free action alerts at the A+ Illinois Web site at www.aplusillinois.org.
Pass a Resolution Supporting Reform. Get local groups in your community aware of the issues and pass a resolution in support of A+ Illinois principles and legislation that meets those principles. (A sample resolution is available in the “Toolbox” on the A+ Illinois Web site.) Get your school board, local union, PTO/PTA, local chamber of commerce, village/city council, and religious groups to pass resolutions for reform.
Organize a Community Forum or Town Hall Meeting. Help educate your community about the issues and legislation that will address and resolve the problems. A+ Illinois can help make your event a success with suggestions on speakers, sample speaker talking points, handouts, and a sample news release.
Contact your Legislators. Contact your legislators through letters, phone calls, and in-person meetings to communicate your concerns. Identify information about your local situation and ask them for their support of a solution that fixes the broken school funding and tax system. Continue to follow up with legislators to see how they are responding to your concerns.
Write Letters to the Editor. Help increase awareness about the problems and solutions by writing letters to the editor. You can find sample letters to the editor under the “Take Action” section of the A+ Illinois Web site, and send a letter to the editor of your newspaper through the Web site.
Share stories of what's happening in Illinois schools! There are many examples of schools that are extremely successful and those that face extraordinary challenges. A+ Illinois is collecting profiles of various schools across the state to help illustrate what is and is not working in Illinois. If you know of a school you think would be good to profile, share your story at the A+ Illinois Web site, www.aplusillinois.org.
Encourage others to join our effort. Become a part of A+ Illinois and become more involved in communications and outreach activities. Click here to sign on today!
Place an A+ Illinois logo and link on your Web site. Copy and save this image and have it link to http://www.aplusillinois.org .
For more information, please contact Mary Ellen Guest, A+ Illinois Campaign Manager, at info@aplusillinois.org or (312) 516-5575. This document is also available on the A+ Illinois Web site at www.aplusillinois.org in the “Toolbox.”