Mary Cecconi, Executive Director of Parents United for Public Schools, will be speaking to the EMID Community on Monday October 20th at Harambee!

As parents we understand the need for sustainable, dependable, and adequate dollars to support public education. House File 4178, the “New Minnesota Miracle Bill,” calls for a significant increase in spending for our schools. This bill will not pass by luck, but by the work we in the community are willing to do on its behalf.

On Monday October 20th Parents United for Public Schools, the League of Women Voters and the Minnesota PTA will be joining together to present information about HF 4178 to the EMID Community. Come to listen and learn what the passage of this bill can do to enhance student achievement in the state of Minnesota.

We need to understand what challenges our schools face and how investing in them will benefit our state. We also need to understand the cost of disinvesting. Finally, we need to understand this well enough to explain the need to our friends and neighbors AND ask those who are seeking election this fall where they stand on it.

Please join us on Monday October 20th from 6:30-8 pm at Harambee to learn more about HF 4178. Democracy works best when we are all a part of it! Hope to see you there. Childcare will be provided. Light refreshments will be served following the presentation.

Shari Thompson of the EMID district office just sent this survey (PDF) to us. If you are a 622 family, please print it out, answer it, and return it by 10/20. Shari says:

We know that many of the EMID 622 families are rightfully concerned about transportation options beginning with the 2009-10 school year. EMID 6067 has been exploring the transportation alternatives for next year. We have been meeting with other member districts transportation personnel as well as other school transportation consultants to determine what options we may be able to provide. Part of this process includes conducting an updated transportation survey for our 622 families. The survey will be mailed out tomorrow and we are hoping to turn it around in fairly short order requesting that the completed form be returned to us no later than October 20, 2008. We are enclosing self-addressed stamped envelopes and will also have a drop off box located in each of the school offices during conferences. We will be sending a Parentlink call out to these families tomorrow notifying them that the survey is coming. A copy of the survey will also be under the current news section of each of the EMID Schools website. It will also be posted on the EMID website under “For ISD 622 families which is located under the “About EMID” tab.

EMID 6067will provide information to our families regarding the ISD 622 transition as quickly as it becomes available.

Parents attending a small group meeting of EMID Families at Crosswinds last week had a chance to meet Lisa Zufall of Oakdale, who is running for a seat on the District 622 School Board next month.

Zufall is a web manager in the private sector, a 622 parent (whose child attended Crosswinds School three years ago), a former PTA president at Hayden Heights Elementary School in St. Paul and – most of all – is a dedicated citizen who wants to improve the education of all students in 622 schools.

In response to our request for a self-introduction to EMIDfamilies.org, Lisa sent the following statement. You can learn more about Lisa at her website, www.zoofs.net.

Thank you for asking me to introduce myself. To be brief, I am a mother and a taxpaying member of the community who wants to work toward improving our school district through establishing a partnership with the community and making education a Number One priority by aligning spending with education.

I do not profess to know it all. But I do know and I believe that the 622 School Board has strayed from the foundation for which it was created. From the $10 million dollar budget cuts a couple of years ago, to the decision to pull out of the EMID 6067 School District, I have been inspired to get involved and work toward making a real difference in our schools.

I have set up a website (www.zoofs.net) to further introduce myself to you, and to explain why I’m running for District 622 School Board. Please take a look. If you are ready for a positive change in District 622, I ask for your vote on November 4.

Together, we will be heard! And we will make a difference! Thank you.

Following up on our EMID Families group meeting last Wednesday, Jeff Syme traded email with Dr. Carl Wahlstrom this week to learn more about the status of transportation (for Dist. 622 families) and about open enrollment. As Eric reported last week, 622 families will have full transportation service through the 2008-2009 school year. For 2009-2010, Dr. Wahlstrom said several options are being studied, and more information will be released in a few weeks about transportation and about open enrollment. A second parent survey for 622 families will be handed out during conferences next week, which will help frame the decisions moving forward. At this time, it seems the best we can do is to be patient for a few more weeks.

Here are the essential parts of Dr. Wahlstrom’s email to Jeff:

“We are working on many of the matters mentioned in your message and hope to have information available soon. I know that we plan to have another survey ready for 622 families during conference time next week. We have also visited with several transportation providers from our member Districts to explore options. In addition, we have a meeting set with St. Paul transportation personnel to explore, among others, the option you suggested. [That is, accessing St. Paul bus routes.] We will do our best to keep 622 families informed as the transportation issues for next year are resolved. We are happy to meet with you at any time, but it might be best to wait a couple of weeks until we have the updated survey information and transportation alternatives identified. Thanks again for your continued interest and your willingness to be of service to our families. We promise to stay in touch on these matters.”

Let’s all plan to keep one another informed if and when we hear more information about all these things.

To make things a little easier on everyone, we decided at our meeting last night to set out a regular meeting date for the whole school year. So, mark your calendars!

EMID Families will meet on the first Tuesday of every other month. The change from Wednesday and to bimonthly takes into account the feedback we got from our survey last month. We also decided to alternate between Harambee and Crosswinds. The dates are:

Tuesdays at 7pm…

• December 2 at Harambee
• February 3 at Crosswinds
• April 7 at Harmabee
• June 2 at Crosswinds
• August 4 at Harambee

More details about each meeting, including what room to look for, will be sent out prior to each meeting.

Please join us for our first EMID Families group meeting of the new year. We will start at 7pm on Wednesday 10/1. We will probably meet at Crosswinds in the health/cooking room (first floor, straight back, under the stairs), that is being confirmed. If you need child care in order to attend, please contact Eric.

Get an update on the 622 timeline (including 2009/2010 transportation plans), the Mahtomedi plans, and EMID board actions! Help us set our schedule for the year, with feedback from our survey. Hear about a 10/20 Parents United meeting with Mary Cecconi and upcoming school board elections. We have a busy year coming up, be a part of it!

A new year is underway and we’d like your input on how to conduct our business this year. Please take a minute to complete our quick four-question survey about meeting times.

The EMID Families group has arranged to meet with EMID Superintendent Carl Wahlstrom this month, on Tuesday, 7/22, at 11am. We will be meeting in the “Annex” at the Harambee school to discuss the progress with district 622 plans, EMID plans for new participants in the collaborative, and the ways families can be helpful to the district.

If you would like to join us for this meeting, send a note to Eric saying you will be there. We need a count so that the EMID staff can prepare a properly sized room. This meeting is open to all, just RSVP so we can get the count. Thanks!

Please join us for our next EMID Families group meeting. We will meet at Crosswinds in the health/cooking room (first floor, straight back, under the stairs). We will start at 7pm. Amy’s older kids can provide childcare, but Amy asks that you let her know if you will need this service.

Get an update on the 622 timeline, the Mahtomedi plans, EMID board actions and more!

The EMID Board meets on Wednesday, 6/18, at Harambee Elementary School, 7pm. The board packet includes the agenda and supporting documents. The working session at 6pm, ahead of the board meeting, will include a presentation about Harambee School by Principal Black.