SAVE TEXAS SCHOOLS @ the Capitol this Saturday, May 21

We need all hands on deck at the Capitol this Saturday! Please share with your lists - and please be there! To the left and below is a jpg poster you can download and send around. Spanish version coming shortly. Thanks!

SAVE TEXAS SCHOOLS
The Eyes of Texas Are Upon You:
We're Watching, We'll Remember & We Vote!
Saturday, May 21
10am-4pm
Inside the Texas Capitol
www.savetxschools.org

With the legislative session nearing its final days, state legislators continue their unconscionable assault on public education. As currently drafted, funding bills would inflict crippling cuts on schools statewide, putting Texas in or near last place nationally in funding for education. Unbelievably, state leaders still refuse to use the state's Rainy Day Fund to provide even modest relief for Texas students - and time is running out!

Based on past schedules, the Texas Legislature will be in session this Saturday to work on funding bills. Our goal is to have 1,000 or more Save Texas Schools supporters flood the Capitol throughout the day with a clear message: We're Watching, We'll Remember and We VOTE!

Texas can and must do better by its kids. Stand with us this Saturday in the halls of the Texas Capitol - our future depends on it!

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

Volunteers may choose the morning shift (10 am-1 pm), the afternoon shift (1pm-4 pm) or both.

1. E-mail us at info@savetxschools.org to let us know you're coming. If you're bringing a group, give us the approximate number. Also, please include which shift you prefer (10am-1pm or 1pm-4pm) or whether you will come for the full day. We'll be ready for folks who haven't RSVP'd, but it helps our planning.

2. When you arrive, go to the Family Life Center of First United Methodist Church, 1201 Lavaca St., on the west side of the Capitol. We'll have t-shirts, printed materials and group assignments. If you have Save Texas Schools shirts already, please bring them! We'll also have STS volunteers stationed at the Rotunda to work with volunteers who may arrive there.

3. Volunteers will go in groups to approximately 6 offices for 20 minute visits with staff. Our goal is to have each office visited by 8-10 groups. All volunteers will also have the chance to sit in the House or Senate galleries and be a silent witness (though your t-shirt will speak loud and clear). We will be able to be more vocal in the lobby by the entrance to the House Chamber.

4. We'll have snacks and drinks at 1201 Lavaca (FUMC Family Life Center). The Capitol Grille (cafeteria) will also be open. Parking is plentiful at the State Capitol Visitors parking garage or in nearby commercial garages.

5. More questions? Call us at 512-653-4935 or e-mail info@savetxschools.org

Ortega at UT Volleyball Clinic

CIMG0043.jpg a photo by ortegaelementary on Flickr.

Ortega playing Volleyball games and learning skills at the UT Volleyball Clinic, Saturday, March 5th, 2011. Click on the image for more pictures.

Lloyd Doggett Speaking to Schools Proposed to Close - Community Meeting at Space 12

Hello Everyone,

In order to quickly and efficiently get the word out about the Lloyd Doggett meeting this Wednesday SAUS created a facebook invite. Even if you are not on facebook you can still use the link to view the invite. If you are on facebook please send out the link and invite school and community members. I tried to send it to each school's Facebook page, but it's only letting me invite individual friends, so we really need all of you to invite people from your respective schools! Thank you! :)

We're capping this at the first 180 people which is the maximum capacity at Space 12. That means you must RSVP on the Facebook invite or come early to get a seat.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=160213914035786&index=1

Lloyd Doggett 

Meeting This Wednesday

6-8 pm
Space 12
3121 E. 12th Street
Austin, TX 78702

Congressman Doggett wants to talk through the $830M issue at the Federal level and then will answer any questions we have. Many schools up for closure are in his district, so he especially wants to speak to schools that are on the proposed school closure list, but all are welcome!

Thanks!
Jacquie Benestante

Ortega on Local News KXAN

Schools prepare for rally at Capitol: kxan.com

Ortega's neighborhood came out to support the school by tying ribbons onto the fence surrounding Ortega. This Art Project was put together by neighborhood artists in the community and we appreciate all our neighbors who were able to come out to support Ortega! Students and parents were interviewed shared how Ortega is important to our community and why we cannot let it to close.

This Artwork welcomed Dr. Meria Carstarphen on Thursday morning when she came to Ortega for a meeting to talk with parents about solutions to the projected budget deficit for this year. Dr. Carstarphen spoke very positively about Ortega and our efforts to be an outstanding school and talked about ways we can continue to strive for the best for our students.

Celebrate Ortega

Come Support Ortega!
& come to the Community Art Project, all are welcome!

March 9th at Ortega Elementary
2:45pm until dusk

We will be tying colorful fabric to the fence as a Mosaic

Showing how our Neighborhood is supporting Ortega!
Organized by Neighborhood Artists

Fund Texas’ Future Day

 Texas PTA has deemed Wednesday, March 2 “Fund Texas’ Future Day.” To participate, email your state representative about the budget crisis (find your state representative at this link).
Some important points to include in your email:

• Texas PTA’s legislative position is that funding public education is a priority.
• Regardless of what your campaign promises might have been, there are nearly five million reasons for you to look at all sources of funding to protect public education.
• Cutting funding to public education is not acceptable.
• The Rainy Day Fund and all revenue sources should be considered to fund Texas’s future.
• Texas children are our future.
• Texas businesses cannot thrive without an educated workforce.  The economic viability of our state is directly related to the education of our children.

They are also asking that schools include “Fund Texas’ Future” on their marquees starting March 2.
Visit the Texas PTA’s “Fund Texas’ Future Day” page here.


This information was reposted from: http://saveaustinschools.com/2011/02/fund-texas-future-day/ 

13 More Kids!

Talking with Dr. Meria Carstarphen, Dr. Fry and Dr. Paul Cruz,  at the last SAUS meeting, she mentioned AISD would like each school to be at 85-105% capacity. Ortega is at 81% capacity with 305 students, out of the 374 seats that we have available.

85% would be 318 students, that means we only need 13 more kids at Ortega!

13 more kids is very possible! Please be asking family, friends, and neighbors, if they are looking for an Exemplary school to send their kids to. Ortega accepts transfers in, too.

Considerations concerning closing schools, in list of importance:

1. Capacity - % of how many classrooms vs. kids

2. Structure - Ideas on how Ortega might make changes - ie K-6 or K-8

3. Minor Boundary Adjustments - Ortega's school boundaries are very small

4. Programs - What kinds of programs does Ortega offer to students, What kinds of future programs can Ortega offer?

PTA Meeting Today - Task Force

This weeks PTA meeting:

Task Force Presentation
Paul Turner, Executive Director of Facilities, and 
Richard Frazier, Task Force Chair,  
will be explaining their data collected concerning potential school closures.

Please plan to attend this important PTA meeting 

Thursday, Feb 17, 6:30pm

This is the only chance we will have to speak to Paul Turner and Richard Frazier and ask our questions.

Thanks for being present and supporting Ortega.

Ortega Rally March - Please Join Us!

February 11, 2011 - This Friday Ortega Students, Parents and Community are invited to March down Ledesma to Springdale all the way down to Airport, where we will meet Govalle. Then we will walk back to Ortega.

Please meet us at Ortega Elementary at 3pm - 3:30 leaving Ortega

Govalle Elementary will be Marching up Springdale to meet us at Airport.

These marches will help Save Our Neighborhood Schools and bring awareness to our community!

How To Save Ortega Elementary

Please Click on this link to see the names of people we can write our letters to:

http://saveaustinschools.com/how-you-can-help/

Ortega is an Exemplary school! We are a school that is doing well in this area, and we everyone's support - Our Community, Churches, friends all to help us keep Ortega Open!

Please Read Information on our school's performance:

http://www.greatschools.org/modperl/achievement/tx/569#from..HeaderLink

Copy and paste this information to write letters and speak to the newspapers & television to help us keep Ortega Open:

http://karensturtle.blogspot.com/2011/01/closing-exemplary-schools-in-austin.html

Facebook Page with Daily Updates!

Please click on this link for the most recent news on School Closings:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Ortega-Elementary-School/178270435541072
Click on the button that says "Ortega Elementary School + Others" to see everyone's posts. 

There are suggestions there of more things we can do to get the word out! Please tell as many people as you can about our school closing - our Community depends on you.

If Ortega closes, crime will increase in this area. Studies have shown that having kids in the area lowers crime!! If crime goes up, houses will continue to lose value as people move away. Businesses will suffer - tell your local Businesses and your neighbors. Good schools give people reasons to stay in the neighborhood, and draws more people. Please tell this information to our Representatives, the School Board, the Task Force and our Governor, we need more voices to plead our case!!

We need to post signs up to make our neighborhood aware of what is going to happen if Ortega closes down! Please let us know if you can help us distribute signs, flyers or letters!

Sample Letters to the Editor:

A great way to thank your legislator for help on one of Texas PTA’s legislative priorities is to submit a letter to the editor to your local newspaper. 

Letters to the editor should be no longer than 150 words, can usually be emailed or faxed, and are often only accepted if you live within the distribution area of the newspaper. Check with your newspaper for their policies as they may differ slightly. 

In general, a good letter to the editor begins with the message – in our case thanking your legislator for his/her leadership/hard work on behalf of __________ our bill.  It should have a statement about why the bill matters to you and to Texas PTA. It should close with a thank you.
Below is a sample for your use.

Kudos to Sen./Rep. _______ for his leadership on behalf of HB _____, the ______ _______ bill. I am a member of Texas PTA, the largest child advocacy organization in Texas, and this bill was one of our top priorities this session. The bill was important to us because (include a couple of statistics or talking points from PTA fact sheets or your personal reason for wanting the bill to pass) _________________________. Sen./Rep. ___________ worked tirelessly to pass this bill. Thank you Sen./Rep. ____________. You’ve made a difference for Texas families.


Visit the http://www.txpta.org/documents/Legislative/2009/august/Sample%20LTEs%20June%202009.doc Legislative page of the Texas PTA Web site to view sample thank-you letter to the legislators.  These samples are for legislators who worked on health care related issues for another client, but they are good examples of a standard letter.
For a list of priority legislation and the legislators who sponsored the bills, please review the http://www.txpta.org/documents/Legislative/2009/june/TEXAS%20PTA%20END%20OF%20SESSION%20SUMMARY%206%20%2015%2009.pdf “End of Session” alert on the Texas PTA legislative page.
 
http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/ Find Your Representative

MLK Day at Sanchez Elementary

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter." - Martin Luther King Jr.

Students holding signs at the Rally held at Sanchez Elementary to Save Our Schools. 300 people from neighboring Austin schools and community members attended this Rally holding flags, signs, and banners to raise awareness.

Ortega's Philanthropists

Ortega makes Philanthropy part of our education and makes it look fun, too! 

 Philanthropy - "the love of what it is to be human."

Volunteers lending a hand and sorting cans at the Legacy of Giving event at the Capitol Metro Food Bank in the fall of 2010. They did a great job emptying this POD container and filled two large boxes of cans to be donated to families in need.

See more pictures here >>