We Need You To Contact State and Local Leaders

We need you to take action today and write your state representatives!

This current state legislative session closes Sunday, April 23, and our representatives must hear from you about school funding before it closes. This is how we save the music!

Budget cuts are actually caused by the state legislature consistently underfunding our public schools and creating these budget deficits in the first place.

When legislators cap special education funding at 13.5% or 15%, when they fund less than half of student transportation needs, when they underfund teacher salaries, when they underfund art and music classes, budget deficits are the result.

Declining enrollment shouldn’t lead to program cuts. You don’t eliminate band just because the district has a few less kids. If anything you need to ensure those programs remain in order to stem further flight from the public schools.

How to contact your state representatives and support funding education?

You can do so on the Action Network. It’s easy to use. Enter your address, customize the template email, and your email goes to your state representatives.

Or….find your state representative below and let them know how you feel about public school funding.

1. Letter Templates. Feel free to use these templates to contact individuals below.
   • Letter to State Representative – this template can used to contact your state representatives. Contact them by Sunday, April 23.
   • Letter to the Board – this is template can be used as is or edit to meet your needs.
   • Student Letter to the Board – these are questions to help your child write a letter to individuals below.
2. Email your State Representative. A large portion of our budget issues comes from the state not appropriately funding special eduction. As a result of the state’s poor decision, school districts have to divert funds from other programs to special eduction. The state fully funding special education, as mandated, does help our situation. Find your state representative or select below.
   • 1st District
     • Senator Derek Stanford: [email protected], 360-786-7600
     • Representative Davina Duerr: [email protected], 360-786-7928
     • Representative Shelley Kloba: [email protected], 360-786-7900
   • 21st District
     • Senator Marko Liias: [email protected], 360-786-7640
     • Representative Strom Peterson: [email protected], 360-786-7950
     • Representative Lillian Ortiz-Self: [email protected], 360-786-7972
   • 32nd District
     • Senator Jesse Salomon: [email protected], 360-786-7662
     • Representative Cindy Ryu: [email protected], 360-786-7880
     • Representative Lauren Davis: [email protected], 360-786-7910
3. Email the Mountlake Terrace High School Principal and Vice Principals. The official decision on what stays and goes is right here. Show your support for Darin Faul, Gintare Seiger, and the Mountlake Terrace High School Music Program. Communicate positively what the program means to you and impacts it’s had on your life. Be kind but passionate.
   • Principal Greg Schellenberg: [email protected]
   • Vice Principal Dan Falk: [email protected]
   • Vice Principal Kathleen Daspit: [email protected]
4. Email the Edmonds School District Board and Superintendent to show your support for Mountlake Terrace High School Music, the impact music has had on your life, and that the budget cuts proposed are unacceptable.  Encourage the Board to look more closely at district administrative positions and departments for savings. They need to stay out of the classroom.
   • Edmonds School District Board
     • Nancy Katims: [email protected]
     • Gary Noble: [email protected]
     • Carin Chase: [email protected]
     • Keith Smith: [email protected]
     • Deborah Kilgore: [email protected]
   • Edmonds School District Superintendent
     • Rebecca Miner: [email protected]
5. Write a letter to the editor at MLTNews.com, My Edmonds News, and Lynnwood Today. Contact Teresa Wippel, [email protected], with your letter of support for music.