After reading the article, take a moment to check out the multi-media photo slideshow of last month's rally and BOE meeting Darlene put together last week. The PhotoJam program takes a few moment to upload so be patient for the show to begin (and be sure to turn your computers' speakers on, too).

Combined with News 12 Connecticut's coverage that evening and the following day, and the Fairfield Citizen-News' thorough article that followed a few days later, our members' efforts garnered the most extensive coverage of our two-year statewide campaign to raise paraprofessionals' standards.

Not to mention the impact of the many community voices that have continued to speak out on behalf of our members in the month since the event. In addition to the letters to the editor by members and supporters we highlighted in an entry here at the blog last week, two more were published this week that deserve to be shared:

• The first, by a teacher in the district praising the paras she works alongside, published in the Connecticut Post (scroll down to the 2nd letter on the December 4 Letters page); and
• The second, by area parents in response to a short-sighted letter published in the Fairfield Citizen-News the week before that criticized our members for seeking economic justice (scroll down to the 4th letter on the December 5 Letters page).

Despite the overwhelming community support, the district's BOE made hardly a mention of the parents, teachers, advocates and paras who spoke during the public comment portion in the minutes for the November 12 meeting. When compared side-by-side to the unprecedented news coverage that followed the rally and speak-out, one might be forgiven for assuming that the Board members may not have gotten the message...

Which is why our members are planning another rally and speak out at the next Board meeting, on Tuesday, December 9 at Fairfield Public Schools' central office, beginning at 6:45 PM. Send email to Julie or Darlene to sign-up for visibility or, if you are a town resident, make a brief statement during the public comment portion of the meeting.

Use the same editable template for statements we put together for last month's meeting -- simply add your name and school in the first paragraph, then, fill in the reason for speaking out in the second paragraph...

Even better -- recruit parents, politicians, and business owners living in the town to speak out in support of the important jobs our members do for the children of Fairfield Public Schools!