TAG SUMMER UPDATES
Friday, May 16, 2008
UVM STAND MONTHLY
SUMMER TAG UPDATE (1)
ATTENTION: UVM STAND MEMBERS
As I reflect on the past couple of years, both as a student and as a member of this organization, I have come to accept one overarching truth… anything worthwhile takes time. The biggest mistake we can make as a group is to rush head on into a world that none of us fully understand. The world I speak of is the world of politics.
Vermont legislation can be particularly demanding, especially in the area of mandated curricula. Vermont Social Studies Coordinator Sigrid Lumbra, who met with Alyssa and I yesterday in Montpelier, said, “Since I was appointed this position in 2005, I cannot remember any legislation being passed which mandated curricula in Vermont public schools.” While she was supportive of our goal, and willing to assist in any way, she helped to put things into perspective.
The road to accomplishing our objective will not be easy….or fast
Over the next couple of months, with the help of anybody willing and able, I will be gathering extensive resources, information and the wherewithal necessary to create a legitimate foundation for UVM STAND to begin with in the Fall of ’08. So far this has included:
CONTACTING/INFORMING PUBLIC SCHOOLS
CONTACTING/INFORMING STUDENT GROUPS
CONTACTING/INFORMING VT LEGISLATORS
CONTACTING/INFORMING BOARD OF EDUCATION
RELAYING INFORMATION TO TAG NATIONAL
RESEARCHING/COMPILING AVAILABLE RESOURCES
STUDYING VERMONT POLICY AND ACADEMIC STANDARDS
CREATING SAMPLE LEGISLATION
CREATING TAG MISSION STATEMENT
CIRCULATING TAG PETITION THROUGH SCHOOLS
CIRCULATION GENOCIDE EDUCATION SURVEY
ACCUMULATING RELATIVE LESSON PLANS
CREATING MEDIA/INFO FOLDERS TO DISTRIBUTE
MEETING WITH MEMBERS OF BOARD OF EDUCATION
MEETING WITH LEGISLATORS
TABLING
Over the course of the summer, I will continue to do what I have already begun. This means meeting with several members of our legislature, staying in touch with Board of Education members, utilizing human rights/STAND groups in High Schools across the state, obtaining 5,000 petition signatures, tabling downtown, meeting with UVM STAND members in Burlington, learning the legislative process, and targeting my 10 primary schools for contacts and information gathering. These 10 schools are: 1) Colchester 2) Brattleboro 3) Burlington 4) Spaulding 5) Rutland 6) South Burlington 7) Essex 8) Mount Mansfield 9) Fair Haven 10) Champlain Valley Union.
As of right now, I plan on having Lindsey Rorden, Alyssa Quinlan, Lauren Migliaccio, and Libby Landis working with me this summer (with no time commitments). Along with visiting many Vermont High Schools, I am also tentatively planning trips to Connecticut, New Jersey, Boston and New York (for meetings, seminars, information gathering etc). I will keep you all posted when I figure out dates for these trips in case you want to come along or meet up with us.
In closing, I am attaching a couple other documents you all should look over for next semester. In the meantime, have an awesome summer, tell people about TAG, and stay informed on the current situation in Darfur. Knowledge is power.
Respectfully Yours,
Christopher J. Fries
