Overview: This document describes the Education Funding Mobilization Group (EFMG) and its use its website, Yahoo Group, and other media resources.
Purpose: EFMG supports the Washington State PTA Legislative #1 Priority Issue:
"The Washington State PTA shall initiate and/or support legislation or policies that establish an updated definition of basic education and a basic education funding formula that reflects current education practices and requirements. The redefinition and funding formula must fulfill the State’s obligation to fully fund education as its paramount duty by providing ample opportunities for all students to achieve higher learning levels consistent with standards-based education reform. The funding system must ensure accountability by generating consistent and transparent accounting processes."
EFMG supports this top Priority Issue in three ways:
We document
We inform EFMG members, Washington State PTA members, and the public of these inequalities and inadequacies.
We mobilize
Washington State PTA members interested in advancing this #1 Priority.
Background: One of the challenges of effective grassroots mobilization is always communication. There are many messages, some very complex, which need to reliably reach a widespread audience. Communication methods must therefore be robust and flexible. In addition to the standard modes of meetings and phone conversations, technology lets us choose some additional communication channels through the internet.
Description: EFMG uses Yahoo Groups and its website as communications tools. Yahoo Groups are web based tools letting large groups share emailed conversation (as a listserver), and to share files, photographs, tables, a calendar, and other facilities. Sent messages and membership information are available through online archives. Yahoo offers various settings to customize the Group.
Advantages: Yahoo Groups offer a no cost electronic communication center. Groups rely on standard listserver tools, with the addition of shared electronic resources. Overall, Yahoo Groups have a large established user base with good support and adequate reliability. For more detailed and current information, please see our Yahoo Groups website, especially the help section.
Disadvantages: EFMG participants who do not have convenient computer access will not benefit from Yahoo Groups Care must be taken to offer alternatives to include them. Yahoo, as an independent agency, may change its service or place restrictions that are unacceptable to the group. Currently, group messages include advertisements. Yahoo owns the group membership information, but has to date maintained strict confidentiality with respect to the privacy of that information.
Protocols:
There are standard guidelines which apply to all email groups, as well as
issues specific to the EMFG. The EFMG is currently an
open-membership, unmoderated group. Anyone
may currently join. Individual messages are not currently reviewed
prior to broadcast. See Norms below.
EMFG will send out once-a-month reminders to all members of these guidelines
relating to the task and relationship. EFMG forms these norms by
consensus within its group leadership.
Washington State PTA and the EFMG clearly share a working relationship.
The terms of that relationship should be negotiated.
All work within the EFMG Group
must be based on achieving the goals of the issue. While the group
welcomes and encourages critical thought and commentary, personal denigration
is not allowed. We can and will limit group discussion to promoting
our above Purpose:
Group members perceived by group leadership as deviating from that issue will
be asked to conform to that limit. Continued deviation from the
group's goals, in the subjective judgment of group leadership, will result in
that member being "moderated". Moderation means that
emails to the group from moderated individuals will be reviewed by group
leadership, before being released to the entire group.
In extreme cases, group leadership may revoke members' membership.
Such revocation shall be at the sole discretion of group leaders, by consensus.
Relationships: The EFMG is not an official PTA resource. Washington State PTA exercises no control or responsibility for this website's content. Materials and perspectives made available through EFMG facilities may or may not reflect those of WSPTA and its Councils and local Units. WSPTA provides facilitator(s) who monitor discussion, provide guidance, and liaison to WSPTA's Legislative Director and Legislation Committee.
6/8/'07
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