Attention Fellow Students and Faculty:   I just received this email today, and I am asking anyone that supports the cause to help by contacting your legislators and letting them know that you support school choice. We must stop Senate Bill 767 from passing and taking away parents rights to put their children in charter schools and the childrens' rights to choose a quality school program. Anything you can do to help will be making an impact that could last a lifetime, if we can gather enough voices and support for the protection of our children's right to choose a better education.   I can't believe these people can sleep at night, doing this to the children in this state.   Why would they want to limit the choices for a quality education?   How is that going to benefit our children?   They literally want to take away the best choice we have. It definitely isn't to benefit the children. Please help us. It will only take a few minutes of your time and it will impact your children or future childrens' education.

Please check out the school website if you have any questions about their quality. YOu will be so impressed and they are improving and adding features and classes all the time, including Latin, Mandarin Chinese, and Japanese.The children have access 15 different clubs and activities, including a Robotics club, Science in the Kitchen, Student Newspaper, Advisory council, and First in Math, and many more for the kids to participate in with their peers aoround the state, and in some cases around the world. The kids participate in live lessons with qualified teachers and students, and get to participate in field trips, and science labs,and so much more. We need our kids to be able to compete globally and charter schools like Orca(Oregon Connections Academy) will help our kids do that. Check it out, I bet you will be impressed, too.     Please take a few minutes to call or email these committee members  and legislators and let them know the we want them to stop Senate Bill 767 and support our kids future, not the fear of teachers and the school districts losing their precious dollar signs. Our kids are more that seat holders with big pocketbooks to pick out of, they are human beings with rights and they have a right to an equal and fair education, and choices on where they want to educate themselves. Please help us fight to keep our kids choices, we need as many of your voices as you will lend future generations depending on us to protect them from injustices like this.   These schools could start their own charter school programs and compete as well, if they are missing the money that bad. I don't see how any of the school districts are hurting that bad right now, anyway the kids at the school are from all over the state not in just one school district, so right now the impact is minimal.  I feel that adding more charter schools would ease overcrowding that is plaguing the schools, and would help improve education for all of the children by adding an element of competition.     May 1, 2009
Dear ORCA Parents,
Legislators need to hear from YOU, their constituents, TODAY with a simple message: Oppose Senate Bill 767 and Don’t Shut Down ORCA.
Senate Bill 767 is making its way through the legislative process and if passed in its current form, will shut down ORCA on June 30, 2010. ORCA is one of the largest and most successful schools in this state, yet special interests are threatened by its existence. We know how important ORCA is to your family and we need you to stand up and fight for it TODAY. SB767 prohibits the State Board of Education from waiving the residency requirement (50/50 rule) and revokes any waivers granted on April 27, 2009 or after ORCA currently has a waiver pending before the State Board of Education; prohibits any new charter or virtual charter schools in the state until July 2011; and caps enrollment for existing virtual schools at May 1, 2009 levels.
SB767 is clearly an attempt to shut down virtual schools and specifically ORCA. The bill is sponsored by Senator DEVLIN, Representative BUCKLEY; Senators BONAMICI, DINGFELDER, Representatives DEMBROW, KAHL, WITT (at the request of Confederation of Oregon School Administrators, American Federation of Teachers-Oregon, Oregon School Employees Association, and the Oregon Education Association). It is currently in the Rules Committee (Senators DEVLIN, FERRIOLI, ATKINSON, BURDICK and METSGER).
It is VERY important to take these steps TODAY:
1. Compose your urgent message. Explain that you have student(s) attending ORCA and ask them to oppose SB767 and save ORCA. Point out if you are a constituent!
2. Click www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr/ to find out who your legislators are and send your message by phone and email to them. Please also send your message to the members of the Rules Committee – their contact information is below.
3. Meet with your legislators in your district. Ask them to meet you for coffee, go to Town Hall Meetings and have them meet your family. Share with them why you need ORCA. Tell them what would happen to your child(ren) if ORCA went away.
There is not a moment to spare. PLEASE ACT NOW!
Many of you are participating in the ORCA Parent Association (ORCAPA), which has been instrumental in keeping a human face on ORCA. Every parent is encouraged to join that organization (go to groups.yahoo.com/group/orcaparents/). ORCAPA keeps parents up to date on the pending State Board of Education waiver, legislative activity and provides a forum for discussion within the ORCA community. My webmails to you, like this one today, are sent out only when it is of the utmost importance to have every ORCA parent take action.
Be assured the ORCA Board continues to work on this very important issue every day but we need your voices heard. You are making a difference! We appreciate all of the support. We are not finished, we are making progress and we continue to need YOU!
Sincerely,
Representative Jeff Kropf (Ret) Board President Oregon Connections Academy ________________________________________________________
Please contact YOUR legislator www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr/AND the Senate Rules Committee Membership:
Senator Richard Devlin, Chair, Party:D, District:19 Capitol Phone: 503-986-1700 Email: sen.richarddevlin@state.or.us Website: www.leg.state.or.us/devlin
Senator Ted Ferrioli, Vice-Chair, Party:R, District:30 Capitol Phone: 503-986-1950 Email: sen.tedferrioli@state.or.us Website: www.leg.state.or.us/ferrioli
Senator Jason Atkinson, Party:R, District:2 Capitol Phone: 503-986-1702 Interim Phone: 541-955-0911 Email: sen.jasonatkinson@state.or.us Website: www.leg.state.or.us/atkinson
Senator Ginny Burdick, Party: D, District:18 Capitol Phone: 503-986-1718 Email: sen.ginnyburdick@state.or.us Website: www.leg.state.or.us/burdick
Senator Rick Metsger, Party:D, District:26 Capitol Phone: 503-986-1726 Email: sen.rickmetsger@state.or.us Website: www.leg.state.or.us/metsger
Staffing: Erin Seiler, Committee Assistant 900 Court Street NE, Room 453 Salem, OR 97301 (503)986-1647, erin.seiler@state.or.us Brian Worley, Committee Assistant 900 Court Street NE, Room 332 Salem, OR 97301 (503)986-1503 brian.worley@state.or.us
Thank you for any support you can provide. This is sooo important. I can't explain just how much this will affect our children, my children, and yours for years to come. If this passes we will be stuck with the public school that everyone knows is failing our children, or doing it all on our own. I can't do it alone. I need the structure, curriculum, textbooks, and resources. My child needs that but I will not put my child in the public school system the way it is now. This is one more way that teachers, administrators, and school employees can take power away from the parents. We have to do something. Parents don't have many rights right now, as is. We can not stand to lose anymore. We need to stand together and tell the congress that we are not going to support a congress that does not support our children and their right to school choice.   They are going in the opposite direction than they should be going. Please help!   Thank you for your time and help with this, we all really need it!