Saving Summer

Dear Save Tennessee Summers Supporters:

Fabulous News! Later school start date champion, Rep. Joe McCord, passed a resolution during the last legislative session creating a joint committee of the Senate and the House to study the school calendar issue. The purpose of this committee is to allow all interested parties an opportunity to present research and data relating to the issue, as well as opinions. The committee will also issue a report to the entire legislature, giving us another opportunity to educate our elected officials about the benefits of a later school start date for K-12 public school children.

The first committee meeting is Friday, November 2 and invited testimony is all that will be heard that day. During the first meeting, the second meeting time will be scheduled and the date will be published so that parents will be provided the opportunity to speak as well.

Knowing it is difficult for many to arrange child care and travel for a public meeting I'm asking all Save Tennessee Summers supporters to please write a letter to the committee at-large. Your email simply needs to state your desire for a later school start date and include any of the reasons you may have. An email as simple as "As a member of the Special Joint Committee to Study the Traditional School Calendar I hope you will consider a later school start date for our public schools. I would like to see a start date of XXXX." Don't forget to include your name and address.

Of course, adding the negative impact of early start dates on your family will only further help our cause.

I hope you will consider blind carbon copying me on the email you send, so that I can add them to our file and ensure they are received and considered by our legislators and can be used as the legislative session begins. Email addresses are listed below.

sen.jamie.woodson@legislature.state.tn.us,
sen.raymond.finney@legislature.state.tn.us,
sen.bill.ketron@legislature.state.tn.us,
sen.tommy.kilby@legislature.state.tn.us,
rep.frank.buck@legislature.state.tn.us,
rep.joe.mccord@legislature.state.tn.us,
rep.richard.montgomery@legislature.state.tn.us,
rep.leslie.winningham@legislature.state.tn.us

Sincerely,
Carol Duffin, Cathy Van Meter, Amy Olson & Tina Bruno (tbruno2 AT satx.rr.com)
Save Tennessee Summers Parent Volunteers

[Or use this link to e-mail the entire committee at once.]