Annapolis Capital Punishment

This just in from Jeff Macris,

Dear Supporters of the IB Middle Years Program:

Eighteen months ago a group of dedicated parents embarked on a
grass-roots campaign to bring the world-class International Baccalaureate
Middle Years Program (IB MYP) to Anne Arundel County. We knew then it would
be a long struggle. We're coming to the end of that struggle, however, but
we urgently need your help to get this program funded. Right now the
program DOES NOT HAVE THE FUNDS TO START IN SEPTEMBER, but with your help
we're confident that we can get the money and start in the fall as hoped!

1. UPDATE. The IB MYP program has passed a number of hurdles this year.
It made it onto the Superintendent's draft budget in January, and it
survived the Board of Education's scrutiny. The full costs, however, did
not make it onto County Executive Leopold's budget. The County's Exec's
draft budget only provided for HALF OF THE NEEDED MONEY TO MAKE THIS
PROGRAM A REALITY. He funded the the transportation expenses and other
program costs, but not the 6 extra staff members needed: 1 coordinator in
each of the three middle school sites (mandated by IB International office)
+ 1 extra instructor in each of the three sites for extra language
instruction. To repeat, without these positions, the program will not
launch in the fall as hoped!!!

As you might have heard, the School Board requested tens of
millions of dollars of initiatives that were not funded by the County
Executive. What that means is this: ADVOCATES OF DOZENS OF OTHER PROGRAMS
WILL BE CLAMORING FOR FUNDS. THOSE THAT SPEAK OUT IN THE GREATEST NUMBERS,
WITH THE LOUDEST VOICE, AND WITH THE MOST CONVINCING CASE WILL WALK AWAY
WITH THEIR PROGRAMS FUNDED. Those who do not, will get nothing.

2. CAN IB MYP BE SAVED? YES! But we need an outpouring of public
support over the next few weeks. Here's what you can do right now!

3. ATTEND AND SPEAK AT UPCOMING COUNTY COUNCIL BUDGET HEARINGS:

-Monday, May 14th 7:00 Arundel Center

Arrive a few minutes early, sign-up to speak, and make our case to the
county council members!

4. WRITE AN E-MAIL TODAY! Write an e-mail to the Anne Arundel County
Councilmen, with a cc to County Exec John Leopold, members of the County
School Board, and the AACPS Superintendent. Express in your own words your
support for the IB MYP program. You can cut and past the following
addresses:

TO:
daryl.jones@aacounty.org, emiddlebrooks@aacounty.org, rdillon@aacounty.org,
jamie.benoit@aacounty.org, cvitale@aacounty.org, joshua.cohen@aacounty.org,
ereilly@aacounty.org, jholmes@aacounty.org

CC:
countyexecutiveleopold@aacounty.org, dcallahan.aacounty.org,
tricia.johnson@aacps.org, eugene.peterson@aacps.org,
konrad.wayson@aacps.org,
edward.carey@aacps.org, michael.leahy@aacps.org,
Enrique.Melendez@aacps.org,
Victor.Bernson@aacps.org, Brittany.Walker@aacps.org
kmaxwell@aacps.org

Please, we've come this far over the past year and a half... let's
not give-up over the next few weeks. PLEASE SPEAK AT THE COUNTY COUNCIL
BUDGET HEARINGS, AND PLEASE WRITE THOSE E-MAILS! Working together we can
raise the bar for our county's middle school students! PLEASE ACT RIGHT
NOW!!!

Best regards,
Jeff Macris
Pround parent of 5 present/future Anne Arundel County Public School
Students
Proud Supporter of IB Middle Years Program