Courtesy Mike Nyden.
Hi Everyone,
Well, here it is. In the words of Elliot Ness in the movie “the Untouchables”, “Let’s do some good…”Our campaign is simple: We’re asking one question and we’re asking for an answer to it. That’s all.
At the tail end of this email is a sample letter with the question; “Why are you redistricting school zones to require students from Alpharetta High School and Milton High School to attend Roswell High School, if Roswell High School is so crowded that you are moving Roswell High School students to Milton High School and Alpharetta High School?” Please post the question on the Board’s “Question and Answer” forum until the forum disappears and email each of the board members daily until an answer to the question is received.
Send what you wish, bullet points, etc., but please include the question (or your variation of it) and ask for a response in whatever you email the board.
As you read the letter, you may find that the facts sound crazy. The facts are real, and the resulting maps absurd if there is a care about a Community. The maps are here if you wish to check for yourself; you decide if they’re crazy:
http://www.fultonschools.org/redistricting/bethany/Round2_PlanA.pdf
http://www.fultonschools.org/redistricting/bethany/Round2_PlanB.pdf
http://www.fultonschools.org/redistricting/bethany/Round2_PlanC.pdf
This letter is valid and appropriate whether you’re living in Roswell, Milton, Alpharetta, or Johns Creek. We did that on purpose. Folks in those cities have promised involvement in this campaign to get an answer. It’s “us” asking for an answer from yet another Fulton County Government entity.
We’re expecting a variety of responses that we figure will be non-responsive. I’m sure some of the board’s responses will be published. If the response you receive isn’t an answer to the question, please just point that out in a return email to the board member, and ask for an answer to the question. When we get an answer that makes sense, we’ll stop asking. If we’re not getting responses at all, we’ll point that out too. These are elected people, so an answer is expected if solicited.
Here are the board email addresses for your convenience (you can probably cut and paste all of them into your email’s “To” field:
The phone number for the board is (404) 768 3600. Please call daily if you can, maybe during a morning and evening commute, and leave a message for each board member asking the same question, and ask them to get back to you. Again, once anyone gets an answer to the question, a real answer, we’ll stop calling.
That’s it… all we’re doing is asking one question. We’re not accusing or agitating. Answering should be easy and quick for the board. This information is what they provided, and the answer to our question is aside from my belief that the process is broken. They need to answer.
Please forward this email to everyone you know who might be interested, and please encourage them to take the same steps… email and call daily. I really don’t think it’s a whole lot to ask to protect our children, our schools, and our property values.
We’ll be working on keeping this issue in the news. Yes, the TV stations were there last Wednesday night, but the interview I saw was the usual spin from the board’s person, and what we “felt” about their choices. With this question, we’re hoping to either get an answer from the board, or point out the fact that we haven’t to various news outlets.
Sorry… about so much explanation.
Oh yeah, we’ll also be soliciting additional elected officials to join in defending our cities, but that remains pending. There’s a good chance we’ll be asking for your help with that too.
Here’s the sample letter:
Dear Board Member:
Why are you redistricting school zones to require students from Alpharetta High School and Milton High School to attend Roswell High School, if Roswell High School is so crowded that you are moving Roswell High School students to Milton High School and Alpharetta High School?
According to your assertions and the data you provided,
· Roswell High School is overcrowded, and,
· Alpharetta High School is overcrowded, and,
· Milton High School is overcrowded.
On The Maps provided on Wednesday night,
· Students who presently live in Roswell and attend Roswell High will go to Milton High, and,
· Students who presently live in Milton and attend Milton High will go to Roswell High, and,
· Students who live in Alpharetta and attend Alpharetta High will go to Milton High, and,
· Students who presently live in Milton and attend Milton High will go to Alpharetta High.
There are other absurdities within your proposed maps.
This scheme(s) appear to be arbitrary musical chairs, and are nonsensical. The process that provides such a result is flawed, absent strong reason to support the result.
At the core of any districting process should reside the simple principle that students who live in a city should fill the schools within that city first, and then go elsewhere outside the limits of the city, if the school in that city is overcrowded.
So, please answer via return email - Why are you redistricting school zones to require students from Alpharetta High School and Milton High School to attend Roswell High School, if Roswell High School is so crowded that you are moving Roswell High School students to Milton High School and Alpharetta High School?
Sincerely,
Your Name and contact info
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