Keep Public Money in Public Schools

It's your time to shine. HB 562 to establish and fund private charter schools in Montana has passed three committees and the full Montana House of Representatives. It will go to the Senate Finance and Claims committee for a vote next. HB 562:

• exempts charter school teachers from all MT licensure standards (requires no license to teach)

• grows government by creating a school choice commission

• does not allow all taxpayers to vote in governing board elections--only parents and employees

• does not allow employees of charter schools to be in TRS or PERS

• allows public tax dollars to go to private, unaccountable, and virtual corporations

• defunds our public schools by siphoning tax dollars to a separate, parallel system of PRIVATE schools

• allows private charter schools to opt out of accountability if it's too expensive

• places the governance of charter schools into private hands

• exempts these private charter schools from ALL building codes, safety regulations, etc.

I have two asks:

1. PRIORITY #1: Please call the targeted list below before Monday and leave them a voicemail asking them to vote NO on HB 562.

2. PRIORITY #2: Please email the full committee before Monday and ask them to vote NO on HB 562.

I've suggested a voicemail script below. THANK YOU for standing up for our kids' right to a free, quality public education. In solidarity, Amanda Curtis

PRIORITY #1: PLEASE CALL and leave a voicemail for the following key members. If their voicemail is full, you can try a text. Some will be landlines. John Esp (R) Chair 406-932-5662

Mike Cuffe (R) (406) 293-1247

Daniel Salomon (R) (406) 253-9724

Shelley Vance (R) 406-587-8608

Jeffrey Welborn (R) (406) 949-6070

PRIORITY #2: contact the full committee.

1. Go here to send the entire Senate Finance committee the same message with one click.

2. Call the Capitol switchboard at 406-444-4800 and leave a message for up to ten members at a time.

3. Use the email addresses below in your personal email account.

Here's an email list for Senate Finance that you can copy and paste into your address bar: johnesp2001@yahoo.com; carl.glimm@legmt.gov; Janet.Ellis@legmt.gov; danbartel2@gmail.com; kenneth.bogner@legmt.gov; EllieMarieBoldman@gmail.com; mcuffe@interbel.net; pat.flowers@legmt.gov; John.Fuller@legmt.gov; mike.lang@legmt.gov; lenz4legislature@outlook.com; Ryan.Lynch@legmt.gov; forrestmandeville@gmail.com; tvmcgillvray@gmail.com; Shane@shaneformt.com; christopher.pope@legmt.gov; dan.salomon@legmt.gov; shelleyvanceforsenate@gmail.com; Jeff.welborn@legmt.gov

Suggested scripts (pick one or use your own): "Hi, this message is for Senator xx. My name is (name) and I am a (job title) at (place) in (town). I don't want my tax dollars to go to charters schools that are run by a board that I can't even vote for, so I'm calling to ask you to please vote NO on HB 562." "Hi, this message is for Senator xx. My name is (name) and I am a (job title) at (place) in (town). I want ALL kids in Montana to have access to an adequately funded public education, so I'm calling to ask you to please vote NO on HB 562 because it will defund our public schools." "Hi, this message is for Senator xx. My name is (name) and I am a (job title) at (place) in (town). I'm calling to ask you to please vote NO on HB 562 because all kids should have licensed teachers and all schools, public or private, should have to follow the same safety guidelines in Title 20."