The APPLE Coalition  
  AZ Parents for PubLic Education

MISSION: APPLE is a coalition of parents from school districts throughout the state, who advocate for high quality public                                                                      education so that all Arizona children in kindergarten through twelfth grade can reach their full potential.     We promote                                                                communication between parents & legislators, and collaborate to create an organized voice of parents throughout Arizona.                                                                                

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Here is a page for APPLE AZ Members:

Parents around our State are Joining Hands for Public Education.  In an effort to continue to remind our                             Governor of the real need to prioritize the funding of our public schools, we are beginning a campaign to                                 send cut out hands prints to the Governor.  The bulk have been scheduled to arrive on April 15- not just                                 tax day, but the day when thousands of teachers around our State will receive pink slips from districts that                             are planning for the worst while continuing to wait for a State budget.
We encourage anyone reading this to join hands with us and participate in this campaign on behalf                                         of all Arizona children.  Below are the simple directions.  For more information about this campaign                                         and to download printable materials including car signs and buttons, please go to http://www.joinhandsforeducation.info/

*  Trace you and your child's hand and cut them out

*  Write notes to the Governor on your hands. Kids can write something like, "Don't leave me empty handed.                            " Adults write, "Give me a chance to raise my hand." Identify yourself as a parent, business owner, or whatever                 describes you. If you are a Republican, please include that information so the Governor knows this is a bi-partisan                 effort by concerned parents.

*  Mail your hands to:
Governor Brewer
1700 West Washington Ave
Phoenix, AZ 85007.  Please try to schedule                         the letter to arrive on April 15. 

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Attached are a few pictures of  our "Join Hands for Education" Project.  It will be on display this weekend during the art walk at the Ice House.  

We're then going to have a group of kids deliver it to the Governor next week.  Details to follow. 

     

All,

In case you missed it, there were thousands of people at the capitol today advocating for education!  It was amazing! 

There are a few people in our very own group, though, who really deserve special recognition for the JOIN HANDS FOR EDUCATION PROJECT, which was a phenomenal success.  If you were there today, you may have noticed the 100 foot long banner that was covered from top to bottom, side to side with thousands of cut out hand prints from parents and kids accross the state signifying our request that the Governor do everything she can to protect public education, including placing a measure on the ballot if need be that would allow voters to approve some kind of revenue enhancing measure to protect education. 

Shannon Beveridge and Beth Jordan were the architects of this project, which has truly taken off and spread like wildfire accross the state.  Shannon and Beth -- your idea was brilliant!  

Illeana Herrera also deserves a tremendous THANK YOU for mobilizing Western Sky Middle School to start us off with hundreds of hand cut outs.  Illeana and her family were all there for most of the day today assembling the banner and did an incredible job.

Finally, Angela Cotera also deserves huge kudos for her work in orchestrating all of our activities today.  She was there from the early hours of the morning setting everything up, and talking to folks about the project.  Thank you Angela for your leadership today!!

All I can say, is that if you weren't there, I'm sorry you missed it.  It was COOL.  Thank you ALL for your continued commitment to public education and to our terrific school districts.