VEA teachers union says FREEP this poll

[Gopher Broke]

February 3, 2005

Dear Education Activist,

Now is the time to contact the Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, your own Delegate, and your State Senator and ask them to keep the teacher salary increase in the state budget. Click here to find a pre-written letter to the Speaker, and to identify your Delegate and Virginia Senator and send them a pre-written letter. You can send the letters as they are, or add your own talking points and personlize your letter.

Last week in response to Delegate Plum's resolution calling on Virginia's Governor's to move teacher salaries to the national average, Speaker Howell said publicly that he would look forward to conversations with the VEA in the future on our "true priorities" of discipline and class size because he was sure "salary is not the priority of the rank and file VEA member." He said there was "no magic" in the statistics of averages and that it was "preposterous to compare VA to our Northern neighbors of Pennsylvania or Connecticut. " If moving Virginia's teacher salaries to the national average is your priority, use the above link to contact Speaker Howell and let him know where you stand on the issue. As he clearly stated, he is looking forward to a conversation with you.

Lastly, the Virginia Senate Republican Leadership Trust, the moderate/centrist Republicans who helped us gain $1.5 billion for public education last year, will be running an online poll beginning Friday, Feb. 4 on the teacher salary issue. Log onto www.vsrlt.org and register to participate in the poll. You will need to provide your nickname, email address and zip code to register.

Thank you,

Princess Moss VEA President

[Gopher Broke]

http://www.vsrlt.org/index.php