Posted on 10/29/2004 9:09:32 AM PDT by LouD
Horlick voter drive will proceed By Phyllis Sides
RACINE - Horlick High School students will still help get out the vote next week, despite the decision to pull the plug on a similar program in Milwaukee.
Jose Martinez, Racine Unified's assistant superintendent for secondary education, said students' efforts are part of a service learning project that is nonpartisan.
The participating students are part of social studies classes that have been studying presidential elections and the democratic process.
Students will spend the entire school day Tuesday going door-to-door, in all of the city's 35 wards, providing information on how people can register to vote at the polls and how they can contact organizations that provide rides to the polls.
Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent William Andrekopoulos ordered district principals to suspend student participation in a get-out-the vote effort.
The MPS program was administered at 33 schools in conjunction with Wisconsin Citizen Action Fund, a group whose parent organization has endorsed Sen. John Kerry for president.
Horlick's project is not affiliated with Citizen Action's project. About 300 students from the school will participate in an effort sponsored by the high school, the Racine branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Voces de la Frontera and Students United for Immigrant Rights on Election Day.
On Thursday, Martinez received a call from a member of the Republican Party who was concerned about the project.
"He was concerned about our actions," Martinez said. "He also offered to be a part of it. In part to make sure it's nonpartisan. And of course, we said, yeah, we certainly would welcome them as participants in this project."
Members of the Republican Party will help sponsor the event and chaperone students Tuesday.
Martinez hopes the volunteers will help calm fears of some community members "who feel the project is a partisan approach to getting people to favor one political candidate. We've said all along this is nonpartisan."
The teacher running this effort is a Kerry supporter. The plan is to give 300 students the day off to get out the vote in a heavily democratic area.
Horlick High School has announced that they will be conducting a get out the vote drive on election day, sponsored by three liberal organizations: the NAACP, Voces de la Frontera, and Students United for Immigrant Rights. 300 students are scheduled to take the entire day off to walk through the city and turn out the vote.
Given the location of Horlick High School, and the political composition of the Racine Unified School District, this election drive can only be construed as a partisan event. Of the 35 wards where the effort is scheduled to take place, 33 of them lean heavily towards the Democrats. It is blatantly unfair to use RUSD resources, including teacher time, for a partisan political purpose.
However, it is even more troubling that student learning time is being sacrificed, particularly in a school like Horlick, which according to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has failed to meet the standards of the No Child Left Behind Act.
Please call School Superintendent Dr. Hicks at the offices of Racine Unified School District at 262.631.7064
Fax them at 262-631-7121.
You can also call Horlick High School at (262) 619-4300.
You can also call the members of the Racine Unified School District individually, at the following numbers:
Russell O. Carlsen Home Phone: 262-884-0848
Armin L. Clobes Home Phone: 262-639-0510
Janet R. Days Home Phone: 262-554-4573 E-Mail: JDAYS@racine.k12.wi.us
Keith R. Heck Home Phone: 262-886-1686
David S. Issacson Home Phone: 262-681-0118
Bridgette M. Johnson Home Phone: 262-884-4660 E-Mail: johnson@uwp.edu
Susan F. Kutz Home Phone: 262-554-9616 E-mail: s_kutz@sbcglobal.net
Julie L. McKenna Home Phone: 262-638-9512 E-Mail: juliemckenna@netzero.net
William H. Schalk, President Home Phone: 262-681-0225 E-mail: wschalk@racine.k12.wi.us
And yes, I know I changed the title - But I wanted something to rally some help here.
Hey Diva - Can you ping the list?
Thanks
Non-partisan, my butt.
Ya know...it's this kind of crap that just infuriates me! We need some major overhauling of our election laws after this election...the call for reform needs to come from the citizens like us who must demand the reform
i just called and left message for all bard members except one to whom i spoke and she said they do not meet until after election. she suggested i call dr. hicks, supt of schools, at 262-619-4300. i spoke to his asst and she indicated they were going ahead with the program. hicks' tel number of 262-619-4300.
i just called and left message for all bard members except one to whom i spoke and she said they do not meet until after election. she suggested i call dr. hicks, supt of schools, at 262-619-4300. i spoke to his asst and she indicated they were going ahead with the program. hicks' tel number of 262-619-4300.
We just haven't made ourselves heard sufficiently yet.
FReep away - Call them all, including the board.
Pinging WI FReepers - We need some help. Let's turn up the pressure on these people.
Make up leaflets that say, Using young minds for the communist cause is anti-american.
George W Bush is busy fighting for Better Education, while Kerry's commies use them as future workers of the world commies.
Ops4 God Bless America
Rush talked about this yesterday.
Ping
I just got a breakdown of costs incurred for this GOTV Drive. Not sure who's paying
$800 School Cost
$1500 Food
$1750 Bus
$1800 T-shirts
$700 Printing of Flyer
BuMp!
So are they going to Republican-dominated areas and Democrat-dominated areas in equal numbers?????????????
No - The wards in Racine are almost all Democrats - 33 out of 35. They plan to do 15 of them - and I'll bet they're all the Dem ones.
bttt
Thanks Lou. I called each one and emailed many as well.
Why the leftist RATs fear the 2nd; WWII Vets clean up vote fraud in Athens TN. 1946
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1261101/posts
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.