What we need our supporters to do RIGHT NOW!

Dear Supporters,

Susan met with the mayor, Bonnie Copeland and Brian Morris, the chair of the school board this morning. Their solution is working to find after school grants which would sustain the school for only 1 year. This is not the long-term sustainable we want from the school system. They have also given us permission to look at the budget and see if we can find the money on our own. That will be our next step.

We are asking that in an effort to continue momentum, you would make some phone calls to various representatives on our behalf. If you are willing, please choose about three (or more!) individuals from the list below. We would like to keep comments positive. Feel free to speak from your heart or use some of our suggestions below.

If you are generous with you time and make some calls on our behalf, please leave a comment here so we know what our supporters are doing for us!

Here is a general statement and there are some specific talking points after some of the key players.

I am a New Song supporter. Currently we are receiving only 41% of the total amount that the system gets for students while the administrative costs total 59%. We want that ratio flipped. This would allow us to receive the majority of the funds while asking the system to make do with less. If BCPSS is not willing to fund and support success than the only other option is failure.

Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Governor, Republican

State House
100 State Circle
Annapolis, MD 21401

410.974.3901
1.800.811.8336

email: www.gov.state.md.us/mail
fax: 410.974.3275

Michael S. Steele, Lt. Governor (Republican)
address same as above
410.974.3901
email: ltgovernor@gov.state.md.us


Specific talking points for Ehrlich and Steele:
a) At a time when good news from BCPSS is hard to find, New Song Academy
should be pointed to as a success and not punished by having its funding cut
over 25% over the past 2 years
b) When successful schools, in any district, are not being supported, it is time
for the state to protect these schools
c) If the state has the power to provide support for failing schools, it
must also be willing to step up and provide support for successful schools


Nancy Grasmick, State Superintendent of Schools
410.767.0462
NGrasmick@msde.state.md.us

Dr. Grasmick has been very supportive so if you call, please be sure to thank her for her support!


State Reps:

Keith E. Haynes and Ruth M. Kirk and Jeffrey A. Page

Democrat, District 44, Baltimore Cit

Lowe House Office Building, Room 315
84 College Ave.
Annapolis, MD 21401

410.841.3263
301.858.3263
1.800.492.7122, ext. 3263
Emails:

jeffrey.paige@house.state.md.us
ruth.kirk@house.state.md.us

Federal Representatives

Elijah Cummings, Democrat, Representative to Congress, 7th District

1010 Park Ave.
Suite 105
Baltimore, MD 21217

410.685.9199

Barbara Mikulski, Democrat, U.S. Senator from Maryland

Brown's Wharf
1629 Thames St. Suite 400
Baltimore, MD 21231

410.962.4510
202.224.8858

Paul Sarbanes, Democrat, U.S. Senator from Maryland

Tower 1, Suite 1710
100 South Charles St.
Baltimore, MD 21201

410.962.4436
202.224.4524
301.589.0797

City:



Bonnie Copeland, Chief Executive Officer Baltimore City Public Schools

410.396.8803


David Stone, Area Academic Officer Area 9 - New, Charter and Innovation High Schools

410.241.5115 (cell phone)

Specific talking points for Bonnie Copeland and David Stone:
a) We believe that you and the school system must start supporting success
and not simply supporting failure
b) Allow successful schools to have funding parity with schools who receive
the most, not with those who receive the least
c) Actively work for a transparent budget that allows for accountability and
for the majority of funds to go towards the schools and not to the bureaucracy

Mayor Martin O'Malley

City Hall, Room 250
100 N. Holliday St.
Baltimore, MD 21202

410.396.3835

mayor@baltimorecity.gov



Talking points for the mayor:


a) We appreciate your willingness to get involved and meet with New Song and
the school system, but what we need are results
b) When schools such as School for the Arts are getting $1.1 million on top
of their per pupil allocation, surely there are other funds for successful
schools
c) Please encourage the school system to flip their allocation of local,
state and federal funds so that the majority of these dollars goes directly
to the students instead of to central administration.

Continue to check our blog for updates and consider posting the letters you have written in the comment section so we can be encouraged through one another. www.newsongacademy.blogspot.com


Thank you for all your support. You are truly making a difference in the lives of the children of Sandtown.