Steel Valley T.E.A.C.H.(Tell Everyone All Cuts

Hurt!)

T.E.A.C.H.

“Public education is under attack. This is no time to sit on the

sidelines. If you won’t stand up for your profession and the children

you teach, who will?”

-Jill Fleming-SalopekT.E.A.C.H. co-founder

Who is T.E.A.C.H.?

• T.E.A.C.H. is a group of T.E.A.C.H. is a group of teachers working teachers working COLLABORATIVELY with the COLLABORATIVELY with the school board, administration, school board, administration, staff, and community in staff, and community in support of Public Education. support of Public Education.

How Did We Get Started?

We began as a Steel Valley only group. Our focus was to make a difference in our school district. Little did we know how far this would spread - throughout the Mon Valley and beyond!

We started as part of the settlement task force/ solidarity committee.

Our District was facing:

budget cuts.

program cuts.

1/4 staff set for furlough.

We knew our salvation could only come from community members.

Our Goals:

to assist the local association achieving a fair and equitable contract.

Educate the Steel Valley School Board and local community about the impact of cuts.

Make connections with other like-minded groups. (Family in AFT, other unions, etc.)

Signs & T-Shirts

We started with yard signs like this one:

T.E.A.C.H. Signs-

Signs & T-Shirts

And T-Shirts like this one:

T.E.A.C.H. T-shirts!-

Goals of the signs and shirts:

Keep the pressure on anti-education politicians

Spread the word

Gather support

Shirt & Sign Design

We decided on red because it symbolizes unions and in solidarity with Wisconsin’s teacher’s struggles to keep collective bargaining rights.

The messages we used followed PSEA’s guidelines that the governor’s budget cuts would be destructive.

The Governor’s policies were going to hurt everyone, and we were a prime example of that.

Funding the Initiative

The SVEA bought the first edition of signs for every association member at less than $1500.

That was the ONLY union money spent.

All additional signs and shirts were purchased by individuals out of pocket.

They were made available from the distributor on our Website.

Our Signs Started to appear everywhere:

• West MifflinWest Mifflin

• Peters TownshipPeters Township

• Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson

• Fox ChapelFox Chapel

• Duke CityDuke City

• BrownsvilleBrownsville

• CaliforniaCalifornia

Sto Rox

Clairton

Pittsburgh Public

Penn Hills

East Allegheny

Saltsburgh

Philadelphia

and More...

Media Blitz!!!

Our Signs/Rally- Daily News

T.E.A.C.H. in the Public!

• Jill Fleming-Salopek was able to question Jill Fleming-Salopek was able to question Governor Corbett at Seven Springs on Friday, Governor Corbett at Seven Springs on Friday, April 8April 8thth!!

Jill is Quoted in the Paper!

Letters to the Editor

• McKeesport Daily News, Pittsburgh Post McKeesport Daily News, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Pittsburgh Tribune Review, Valley Gazette, Pittsburgh Tribune Review, Valley Mirror, etc.! Mirror, etc.!

Legislative Support

Not all legislators were against us. Many voiced support, helped us plan rallies and even donated money for signs and expenses.

The following legislators Supported

us:State Rep. Bill Kortz

State Rep. Marc Gergely (donated $500)

State Rep. Harry Readshaw

State Rep. Joe Markosek

State Sen. Jim Brewster

State Sen. and minority leader Jay Costa

We went to visit those who didn’t support us.

Videos

Not only did the local media and television stations cover us, we took videos of EVERYTHING and posted them on our Web site

We wanted to give the illusion that we were EVERYWHERE!

Videos

We even produced our own T.E.A.C.H. commercial.

We looked at what other locals had done in crisis.

We were inspired by Moon and Seneca Valley’s Web sites.

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel!

Videos

Teach commercial

What Can You Do?

Don’t Re-invent the wheel!

Visit Our Website

•www.svteach.wikispaces.com/• This website is CONSTANTLY updated with This website is CONSTANTLY updated with

information! information!

• Created by Steve Singer, SVMS TeacherCreated by Steve Singer, SVMS Teacher

What Can You Do?

You can do the same things we did.

Most of our T.E.A.C.H. members are now laid off teachers.

Utilize the systems already in place:

Go to the PTSA

Go to the school board meetings

Go to your superintendent and administration

Contact your legislators

Don’t count anyone out! You never know who may be on your side or who may be persuaded.

We’re all in this together!

What Can You Do?

• www.psea.org/takeaction • Pre-written letters about the affects of Governor Pre-written letters about the affects of Governor

Corbett’s budget proposal and allows you to plug Corbett’s budget proposal and allows you to plug in your information and send the letters directly in your information and send the letters directly from the website!from the website!

• Spread the word! Tell everyone you know the Spread the word! Tell everyone you know the crisis with the budget! crisis with the budget!

• Call, Call, write letters, and call some more!Call, Call, write letters, and call some more!

• Keep currentKeep current

• Work TOGETHER! Help us, help each other!Work TOGETHER! Help us, help each other!

Where do we go from here?

T.E.A.C.H. - Tell Everyone All Cuts Hurt goes beyond just budget cuts!

We are not radical leftists!

We are just people trying to stand up for what’s right!

TODAY!

Two T.E.A.C.H. members - Jill Fleming-Salopek and Ryan Dunmire - are at a press event held by the Mon Valley Unemployment Committee at the federal building to demonstrate for the extension of unemployment benefits.

They both were in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday at a rally.

2012

Budget battles start up again Jan. 1

School vouchers, radical teacher evaluation schemes, etc. are all being considered by the legislature.

Hopefully we can regenerate the movement.

We’ve had plenty of inquiries.