Holy Bible Vs. Cell Phone

Did you ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like our cell phone?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we flipped through it several times a day?

What if we turned back to go and get it if we forgot it?

What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?

What if we gave it to our kids as gifts?

What if we used it when we traveled?

What if we used it in case of emergency?

Do these things make you go, “Hmmm… Where’s my Bible?” Oh, and one more thing…

Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill!

Does this make you stop and think? And, guess what else?

No dropped calls!

Always remember… When Jesus died on the cross, He was thinking of you. Are you willing to stand for Him?

Sign The Petition! *

Restore free transportation for all school-aged students! *

Every day, tens of thousands of Philadelphia students ride yellow school buses or receive free transpasses to ensure that they get to school safely and without cost. In an effort to save $38.5 million, the School District of Philadelphia has announced it will eliminate free transportation for all public, private, and parochial students beginning in September 2011. Here's what that costs hardworking families in a city where one out of three children lives below poverty level:

1. One child roundtrip without transfers = $558 per year
2. One child with a transfer = $918 per year
3. A family with three children and one transfer = over $2,700 a year
4. Families without cars and with children too young to ride the transit system alone would see their costs multiply even more

New York City and Portland, OR provide their students with free transportation. If we're committed to quality education, we must maintain a free and accessible transportation system for all school-aged children.

Why should the city pay?

1. Because the city contribution to the public schools hasn't significantly changed since 2007
2. Because communities fought to improve the District's share of property tax revenue in 2007, and last year City Hall reduced that share from 60% to 55%, a difference of almost $60 million
3. Because a targeted use of increased city funds makes sense for parents and fiscal watchdogs
4. Because we can't fight for more funding in Harrisburg without the city showing its investment in its own schools
5. Because if anyone deserves a free ride, it's thousands of school aged children in Philadelphia who need a free and safe ride to school

Please sign the petition using this link:
http://citizenspeak.org/campaign/parentsunited/city-hall-ensure-free-transportation-all-philadelphias-school-age-students

Lobby Day in City Hall:
Monday, May 23rd, 12:00-2:00pm
Meet near the northeast elevators on the 3rd floor
RSVP if you plan to attend using this email address: parentsunitedphila@gmail.com

City Council Hearings on School Budget:
Wednesday, May 25th, 1:00-3:00pm
Public Testimony: Call 215-686-3407 to register and testify

ALSO, CALL YOUR COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE TODAY!

Education Committee:

Chair Jannie Blackwell: 215-686-3418
Vice-Chair Blondell Reynolds Brown: 215-686-3438
Councilwoman Maria Quinones Sanchez: 215-686-3448
Councilman Wilson Goode Jr.: 215-686-3414
Councilman Frank DiCicco: 215-686-3458
Councilman Frank Rizzo: 215-686-3440
Councilman William Greenlee: 215-686-3446
Councilman Brian O'Neill: 215-686-3422
Councilwoman Anna Verna: 215-686-3412
Councilman Bill Green: 215-686-3420
Councilman Curtis Jones Jr.: 215-686-3416
Councilwoman Marian Tasco: 215-686-3454
Councilman Darrell Clarke: 215-686-3442
Councilman James Kenney: 215-686-3450
Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller: 215-686-3424
Councilwoman Joan Krajewski: 215-686-3444
Councilman Jack Kelly: 215-686-3452

* This action and request for your signature is from Parents United For Public Education.

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FYI: If you have children in public school and in particular, starting kindergarten this year, please read the following information I recently received in an email regarding an important meeting you might want to attend. Feel free to pass this information on to other concerned parents who have children in public school...


As most of you probably know, in less than 3 weeks, The Philadelphia School District (PSD) is about to slash its budget. Full-day kindergarten will be reduced to half-day and self-contained Learning Support Kindergarten will only be offered at only one school. Loesche Elementary is losing its Self-Contained Learning Support Kindergarten class after this year. All of this is because the School District of Philadelphia is cutting its budget on the backs of teachers and students.

How much learning and teaching can get done in half-day kindergarten when they are trying to squeeze in breakfast, snack, teach all the subjects, and possibly squeeze in more kids? The answer to the budget problems is NOT to cut education for children! Also, they can't take children from intensive Early Intervention and Autistic Support and dump them into Regular Ed kindergarten classes of 30 to 35 kids because they get lost! This is short-sighted and flawed thinking. Early Childhood Education is so important, yet this is the area they keep cutting!

Arlene Ackerman is complaining that she doubts they will ever agree on what should be cut from the budget to make it work. Cutting kindergarten and Learning Support is NOT the answer! We need to give them solutions and solid ideas on what areas to cut. Corbett and the PSD are not listening to the teachers, the unions, and others who have been protesting. If they're going to listen at all, it will take "angry parents" to get the job done!

Please join Parents United For Public Education for an independent, parent-led, school-centered, strategic plan to address the PSD budget crisis on:

Tuesday, May 17th, 6:00-8:00 pm
West Philadelphia Seventh Day Adventist Church
4527 Haverford Avenue (46th & Haverford Avenue)

The District’s $600+ million budget crisis is falling on the backs of children and families. The loses will include teachers, librarians, nurses, programs, safety personnel, transpasses, and yellow school buses. Meanwhile, consider the actions of City and District leaders:

1. It is business as usual at the District. They hold on to pet programs like an 18-day summer school program for $24 million that would pay for full-day kindergarten for an entire year.
2. The District plans to spend an additional $ 4.7 million on textbooks for this 18-day summer program.
3. The District spends $ 100 million on contracts that they have failed to make public.
4. Executive salaries are at an all-time high, but teachers and staff making a fraction of these salaries are asked to re-negotiate their contracts.
5. Even though property taxes have gone up, none of that increase has gone to the schools. The City of Philadelphia has not significantly increased its contribution to the schools since 2007-2008.

DON’T LET THESE VOICES SPEAK FOR YOU!
Parents need a real voice for schools that put kids ahead of contracts.

PUFPE GOALS:

1. Ensure full-day kindergarten.
2. Ensure free transportation for all public school students.
3. Restore school discretionary funds.
4. Stop funding for extraneous testing, summer school excess, executive salaries, and discretionary contracts.

Parents United for Public Education is an all-volunteer group of parents in the public schools working for accountability and a student-first approach to school budgets. For more information, please email parentsunitedphila@gmail.com

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