Stand Up for Students

A d v o c a c y

$ 157 Million. STAND UP It’s the magic number… for Students the estimate of how much more funding Maine schools will receive if a new ballot initiative called Stand Up for Students becomes a reality.

Outside of the comforts of her school, and in an unfamiliar setting, 18-year classroom teacher Caitlin LeClair stood behind a podium and spoke to the media from her heart during a press conference to launch the Stand Up for Students campaign.

“Our schools have done a remarkable job with limited resources, but we as a state must do more to ensure every child has the opportunity to receive an education that sets them up for success in the future. It's time for the State to support its promise to our schools so that every child can get a great education at a great public school in Maine,” said LeClair, who teaches at King Middle School in Portland. The Teaching Strategist joined other educators, students, some who she’d taught years ago, and parents to announce their support for the Stand Up for Students ballot initiative.

“If we are serious about “If we are serious about every child’s future, and the every child’s future, and the economic future of the state economic future of the state of Maine then we need to of Maine then we need to be serious about doing be serious about doing what works. We need to what works. We need to provide proper resources provide proper resources to our schools,” said to our schools,” said Portland EA member Portland EA member LeClair whose sentiments were sentiments were echoed by several echoed by several other speakers other speakers at the press conference. LeClair always stands up for her students, but LeClair hopes this time the advocacy time the advocacy has greater reach. has greater reach.

So what is Stand Up for Students?

Stand Up for Students is a ballot initiative campaign to increase funding for public schools by $157 million in the fi rst year with additional increases every year thereafter. MEA, along with a coalition of parents and other organizations came together to launch the campaign with the goal of giving all students opportunities and resources to learn. The ballot initiative creates a surcharge on the richest two percent of households in the state with the monies generated from that going directly to K-12 student services.

In order to make the increased funding a reality, the MEA and Stand Up for Students must collect 80,000 signatures to put the funding question on the ballot.

The Stand Up for Students ballot initiative: • Generates $157 million more dollars for public schools statewide, according to the Secretary of State by • Creating a 3% surcharge on household income earned over $200,000-i.e. $30 on $1,000 earned over $200K • Requires funding from the surcharge be used for direct classroom instruction, including teachers, school nurses and other critical public school personnel • • Provides property tax relief because the state will be increasing its share of education costs

Why Now?

In 2004, through a separate ballot initiative, voters required the State to fund 55% of the cost of the total allocation for kindergarten to grade 12 education.

To this day, that funding requirement has never been met. Instead, according to fi gures from the Department of Education, for the last six years funding for public schools has not kept up with the costs of running those schools. In 2015-16, the state is only paying 47.5% of the total cost of education.

The cost of education increased by 2.6% in the current school year, according to the Maine Department of Education; funding did not keep up with that increase. Also in the current school year, the State fell $154 million short of reaching the 55% funding level.

The lack of funding at 55% equates to a cumulative loss in state funding for public schools of $1.2 billion since 2008.

The MEA is determined to create great public schools for every Maine student and this initiative will go a long way in achieving that mission. To learn more and sign up to volunteer, log on to www.standupforstudentsmaine.org