YOU ARE INVITED...

The Winter 2008 Meeting

of the

Maine Small Schools Coalition

Friday, March 7, 2008

8:30 AM - 2:30 PM

Room 202, Shibles Hall- University of Maine, Orono

Open to all educators, board members, legislators, town officials and citizens committed to sustaining

Maine’s small schools (PK-12) and communities.

Your involvement is needed to help maintain local community schools and local control.  Come join with colleagues and friends from across the State ---

1. Understand the issues and help shape solutions to support small, community schools.

2.   Preserve your right to local control.

      3.   Build support for your community and schools.  Participate - Be part of the solution.

Maintaining rural schools in our communities is important for the well-being of our children and families, for the promotion of strong community life, and for the maintenance of a vibrant local economy.  Research tells us that local schools in small communities are critical factors in producing these results.  When community schools close, kids lose.  When community schools close, communities lose.  When communities lose, the State loses.

Today we face State officials, policies, and actions that seek to financially strangle and to close rural schools and to disenfranchise local citizens by eliminating local school boards and superintendents, while telling people it’s in their best interest. In actuality, this moves the control of our schools farther and farther from local people.  Local control is the most important right we have.  Let us work together to preserve that right!

Program of the Day

8:30 - 9:00      - Registration:  Room 202, Shibles Hall

9:00 - 9:30      - Welcome & Legislative Update: Brian Hubbell (MDI) & Dick Gould (Union 60)

9:30- 9:50       - Update on Repeal effort:  Skip Greenlaw

9:50 -10:20     - EPS Funding:  Paul Stearns, Superintendent of Schools MSAD 4

10:20 - 10:30 - Break                         

10:40 – 12:00  - RPC Panel Presentation and discussion: RSU 1 which includes Van Buren, Fort Kent, St. Agatha etc.;RSU 6 which includes Machias, Jonesport, etc.; RSU 10-Castine, Deer Isle, Stonington, etc.; We are working on have a couple more Units present.  Please bring anyone from your RPC that would like to come and discuss what is happening in your area.  We will be breaking into small groups to discuss issues facing RPC to develop a synopsis for us to have.

12:00- 12:30     -Lunch

12:30- 1:30     - Summing Up, and Closing.