Phone Banking With Flair!

May 5, 2011

Tonight was the last night of phone banking this week to raise money for LVUSD’s Save Our Schools campaign. Every dollar that is raised, since the campaign began nearly 6 weeks ago, will be used to rescind the 51 layoff notices given to teachers and counselors in our district.

As of this writing, the SOS Campaign has raised about $320,000. After tonight, that number might be closer to $330,000. Each night that parents have manned the phones has brought in around $10,000. That is really impressive when you realize that all of us are volunteers, not professional telemarketers.

At tonight’s Westside phone bank, held at Farmer’s Insurance on Agoura Rd., there were about a dozen Agoura High School parents who spent 2.5 hours making calls to AHS families.

Overall, parents made generous donations, even if that meant they could donate only $25. Their generosity came not only in the form of significant dollar amounts, but was also reflected in their contribution despite their personal circumstances.

I spoke with a number of people who lost their jobs some time ago, who were about to pay college tuitions, who were waiting for pay day – everyone had a reason not to give, but so many people came through anyway. Why? Priorities. Despite our shared frustration about the way many of our governing institutions have failed us, they realize their children still need to be educated to the highest degree possible.

There were some naysayers on my list, to be sure. Certainly everyone is entitled to an opinion, and I got an earful from some! While I don’t like to focus on people who would rather complain than try to change what they don’t like, I can’t help but wonder what they feel will be accomplished by being “against” things and not “for” something. We live in a democratic system that affords each of us the opportunity to enact change. Whether it is through elections, direct lobbying, campaign contributions, letters to elected officials and the media, organized protests, etc., there are mechanisms that can be leveraged to bring about the change we say we want. But you have to be “for” something to create that reality.

Those who convince themselves that they won’t donate until the state gets its house in order, until the unions aren’t so powerful, until bad teachers are fired, until the district learns to spend its money wisely, and on and on and on, may have a point, but they are missing the biggest point: our children have only 10 months to go through each  grade and only 13 years to get the education that will set them up for life. If we wait for everyone else to get it right, we will sacrifice an entire generation and compromise the one chance our children have to achieve success in life.

This is why it’s essential to approach the situation on several fronts. First, we have the immediate urgency of ensuring that our children have the educational experience they need each day. At present, that can be accomplished with direct donations to the school district’s SOS Campaign (and eventually to T.H.E. Foundation), to ensure that our schools are adequately staffed with teachers, administrators, clerks, supervisors, etc. Secondly, we must support our school-based booster clubs, such as our PFC/A’s, so that our children have the materials and tangibles they need.

Finally, we should be informed and involved citizens for the long haul. We play a dangerous game when we blindly elect people for office without seeking out good information, or, when we don’t vote at all. In this electronic age, it has never been easier to find elected leaders and to communicate with them via email or through their websites.

But let’s get back to those who really make a difference. While the success of the phone banks this week has been a most pleasant surprise, the district got a huge boost from the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District.

At a special meeting this past Wednesday, well attended by parents, children, teachers, principals, district administrators and school board members, the LVMWD board agreed to increase their financial support to LVUSD to a maximum amount of $107,000 to support the 4th /5th grade Science program. The fate of this beloved and essential program has been the concern of many elementary parents and principals. When I announced the LVMWD board’s decision at Wednesday night’s phone bank to the Yerba Buena parents who were there, after receiving a text confirming the news, there were hugs and high fives all around. Christina Desiderio, YB’s principal, was so overwhelmed, she couldn’t stop crying. It was a touching moment. It showed me that so many of our educators are personally and emotionally committed to the profession they’ve chosen. There are so many easier ways to make a living, and so many other ways to make money, why would anyone choose to do this work unless they truly loved teaching?

This is why I volunteer for phone bank nights, why I am active in our school’s PFC, why I accepted the leadership of an education foundation. If our state and federal governments can’t figure out how to support the people who give my children so much, then I’m going to do everything I can to support them. I choose to be “for” my children, my community and our future. Anyone want to join me? It’ll be an exciting journey!

Note: There are 4 phone bank nights left: May 9, 10, 11, 12, from 5:30 to 8:30 each night. The more volunteers we get, the more money we can raise, the less phone calls each of us has to make. The Westside location is at Farmer's Insurance, 30801 Agoura Rd. The Eastside location is Sotheby's in the Calabasas Courtyard shopping center, across from the Commons. You will receive training, you'll have a script, you'll enjoy snacks, comerarderie and the satisfaction of knowing that you are making a big difference. Show up, turn on the charm, and make wonderful things happen for our children.