>> NCCWSL Award

All branches submitting highlights are asked to prepare posters depicting their successful highlights to be displayed at convention and promote discussion. Posters should be free-standing, using either a tri-fold display board or an easel.

Many branches award a Gateway to Equity Award to someone in their local community who has made a difference to equity on March 8, International Women’s Day.  Most recipients find it motivating to be recognized.  Please consider participating.  Forms are attached to this FYI.

Feb. 15, recognitions for your branch members are due.  Forms for Teal and OW are attached to this email, and also posted on the web; there is no form for Named Gift Honorees, but names should be sent to  Kathy Shaginaw at katt@verizon.net.

Outstanding Woman Award

It’s Time to think about community members for a Gateway to Equity Award

Many branches award a Gateway to Equity Award to someone in their local community who has made a difference to equity on March 8, International Women’s Day.  Most recipients find it motivating to be recognized.  Please consider participating.  Forms are attached to this FYI.

>> Gateway to Equity Award

It’s Time to share one or two branch highlights

We are most powerful when we share.  Each branch is encouraged to submit a summary of an event, process, change, or initiative to share with other branches.  This may be something old that’s still working, something borrowed or changed or brand new.  Branch highlights are limited to two paragraphs. There is no form required. Please send them (with name and contact information) to Linda Tozier at (toz31@yahoo.com) or 31 Oxford Court, Pittsburgh, PA 15237 by February 15th.

All branches submitting highlights are asked to prepare posters depicting their successful highlights to be displayed at convention and promote discussion. Posters should be free-standing, using either a tri-fold display board or an easel.

PA is offering three (3) scholarships to the National Conference of College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL) this year to college students from or studying in PA.  The conference is May 31-June 2 in Maryland.  The form is on aauwpa.org and attached to FYI. Whether or not the school is a C/U partner, women leaders are encouraged to apply.  Applicants do not have to be student members of AAUW. Applications are due March 12.  Please encourage students you know to apply

>> NCCWSL Award

Want to Foster Democracy?  Attend the free Get Out the Vote (GOTV) Training session April 13.  Learn about cocktails and convos!

As part of the PA public policy impact grant, the AAUW grassroots advocacy team will train any and all interested (including non-members), starting at 9am.  Registration is needed. See flyer for details.

>> Download Flyer

Pay Equity Event April 13 in Pittsburgh

Please come early to convention and join us in singing the equal pay song to the tune of the Caisssons Go Rolling Along.  Branches are welcome to wear Red for the pay gap, Teal for AAUW, and think of handouts, buttons, payday bars or even dance steps to make this memorable.  More details will follow.

Convention is Coming:  April 13-15 in Pittsburgh – Doubletree by Hilton

We’ve attached a schedule and a registration form.  Please share them with your branch members, because they won’t be on the website till February.  Plan to attend to network, vote on officers, bylaws, and public policy priorities, and have fun!

>> Convention Schedule
>> Convention Registration Form
>> Hotel Information

Bylaws: The board has agreed to submit changes designed to enable all members to vote on both elections as well as future bylaws changes by long-distance methods, including such things as mailing ballots and voting by proxy and electronic means as those methods become practical.  Detailed information on what language should be amended along with the rationale for the changes and the pros and cons of the changes will be in The Keystoner .

Report of Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Drilling on The Environment, Health, Communities and Economy of Pennsylvania has been completed by the York branch and will be posted on the website soon.  If you want a pdf copy sooner, please contact mcgrathaauwpa@gmail.com, or roddinia@comcast.net.

July 7, 2012: is the biennial AAUW-PA meeting at Country Cupboard, Lewisburg, PA, now renamed the AAUW-PA summer retreat. Please save the date.

The summary is limited to one or two paragraphs, and it is recommended that the branch focus on one specific item (two max) from their year…you may wish to comment on something old that’s still working, something new you’ve tried (in organization, program, policy, recruiting members), something borrowed or adapted, something teal or blue or something else you’re proud to report or think would help others.

These reports should be submitted by February 15 to Linda Tozier.  We reserve the right to edit for space.

1. email or call your legislator, or his district office, and state your position (answering machines work after hours).  All state legislator contact info can be found at:  http://www.legis.state.pa.us/ (Top right corner).  Short and sweet works fine.

1. talk up AAUW-PA position locally… feel free to substitute the name of a branch spokesperson to attach to the quotes and release your own newsrelease to the local medial (The easy way to access media was in the Fall FYI, accessible now at aauwpa.org).  If you’re interested in a postcard campaign to share with local PTOs or others, we may be able to subsidize it from our public policy impact grant.

1. consider writing a letter to the editor of your newspaper, or an op ed article.  AAUW-PA would like to switch the focus to working toward a quality education for ALL public school students.  However, if you’d like to point out some of the issues with vouchers, that’s OK too.

1. If you’re on Facebook, “like” the AAUW PA graphic of the school house with bandaid.  Even better, share it with your contacts and add a sentence on your own thoughts.

AAUW believes a strong, free public education system is the foundation of a democratic society.  Pennsylvania should demonstrate its’ strong commitment to education by focusing on delivery of a quality public school education rather than vouchers.  “AAUW members believe that taxpayer money should be invested in public schools” said Margaret McGrath, President of AAUW-PA.

1. Vouchers are a diversion of focus and funds from all public education students to enable a few to use public money to attend private and religious schools.  While a voucher to help a student in a poor school is appealing, vouchers do not benefit public school children.

1. The priority goal is for ALL PA public schools to provide a quality education. “AAUW supports improving public education to ensure that high school graduating students are able to read, write, and do enough math to succeed in society and compete for jobs internationally” said Ms. McGrath.  “Major initiatives should include implementation of common core standards, programs to reduce the dropout rate, and efforts to mitigate socio-economic disadvantages so that education can be a pathway to opportunity.”  She noted that the extent of remedial learning needed by college and university students demonstrates that quality is not just a problem for children attending failing schools.

1. Vouchers are a distraction from this priority goal, especially when there already IS choice in public education in Pennsylvania through charter and cyber charter schools. Student performance data for these schools are publicly available.  AAUW PA’s booklet “Finding Your Way” assists parents in choosing schools for their children. (download the booklet from www.aauwpa.org)

1. Education reform is needed, but vouchers are not the solution. The last PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) showed 15 year olds in the US to be average in reading and science but slightly below average in math, despite the United States’ having the second highest educational expenditures of the 30 OECD (Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development) countries. Vouchers would divert funds and focus from the reforms needed to provide a quality public education for all public school students.

AAUW-PA supports and coordinates forty five branches throughout Pennsylvania.  Programs include educational outreach, community service, public policy advocacy, and confrontation of barriers so that all women have a fair chance.