This letter was sent to the CPPS mailing list on January 24, 2010.

Dear CPPS Supporter,

Only two days remain before polls close here in Oregon and the energy is high. We know we’re winning. But opposition turnout is high, and we are going to need every vote and every helping hand if we are going to claim victory on January 26th.
 
All across the state, Vote Yes for Oregon coalition volunteers are canvassing and making phone calls to help pass Measures 66 & 67, protecting healthcare, education, and public safety for all Oregonians.

The determination and persistence of our volunteers is truly inspiring. This last weekend, over 700 people packed into the Vote Yes for Oregon Campaign offices for our MLK day on the Move event.
 
Join us! In Portland and across the state, we’re knocking on doors and making calls to let voters know about Tuesday’s special election. Vote Yes supporters are working alongside teachers, nurses and elected officials to make sure that everyone who can vote knows where and how to get their ballot counted.

And that’s the sense on the ground today: that every vote truly does count. In a special election, voter turnout is key. These final two days are the last mile in this race. The energy and activism that we put into this race in the final push will send a clear message that Oregonians no longer will sit by and let corporations continue to pay just the $10 a year corporate minimum while our children lose school days and tuitions rise.

Arm Yourself with the Facts

Will Measures 66 & 67 affect you?
 
Know where you can turn in your ballot.
 
Get out the vote & volunteer for upcoming events.

Please Support Our Work

CPPS remains fully committed to building a sustainable network of diverse parent, family and community voices to ensure a high-quality education for all children in Portland Public Schools. Please become a member or make a donation today, and join us in voting YES on Measures 66 & 67.
 
As always, thank you for all that you do for Portland’s children and public education! 
 
Best wishes,
 
Kathy Couch & Linda Olson
CPPS Co-Presidents
kathy@cppsportland.org, linda@cppsportland.org

This letter was sent to the CPPS mailing list on December 30, 2009.

Dear CPPS Supporter,

As the January 26 elections approach, once again we want to encourage you to vote YES on Measures 66 & 67!
 
If you’re still undecided, or if you want to help us spread the word, please take a moment to read the letter below from the Vote Yes for Oregon Campaign Director, Kevin Looper. We hope you find it informative and inspiring.

A Letter from the Vote Yes For Oregon Campaign Director, Kevin Looper 

Really, you don’t want to be that person.
 
In twenty years of politics, I’ve talked to that person hundreds of times. After a close election, that person always comes up and says the same thing: “Oh my, I had NO IDEA it was going to be such a tight election, or I’d have done more to help.”
 
That person usually speaks without meeting my eyes. I do the same. It’s an awkward conversation to have, what with both of us looking at each other’s shoes. So let me please just tell you now:
 
The vote on Measures 66 & 67 is gonna be close.
 
When we took up this fight, the Oregonian headline said, “Proponents bet against history on tax votes.” No one thought we had a chance. Now the polls say we are ahead, but this is no time to relax. Polls measure opinions, but our job is to chase votes.
 
A lot of motivated, early voters are against us. No one really loves taxes. But some people really, really hate them, and those people are guaranteed to vote. Tobacco lobbyists and bank executives don’t have to go door to door to get out right-wing voters.
 
It’s a different story with our base. I hope my Mom will forgive me for saying this, but the good people of Portland and Eugene could use a little kick in the pants. Especially the young ones — and in this election, a young voter is under 60 (congratulations to all of you who qualify!).
 
It’s amazing to see hundreds of people on the phone every night, and the power of more than 900 people canvassing last weekend alone. But we need more. We need you.
 
So please, before it is too late, volunteer. Don’t worry about the rain. This is a once-in-a-lifetime political moment. We have the chance to make history, change the balance of power in Salem between school funding and social service advocates and the big corporate lobbyists, while preserving about a billion dollars worth of funding for schools, seniors, health care and public safety. This will only happen with your help.
 
If, for some reason, you really can’t make it in, go to our website and donate $100 so we can run another radio spot, or $500 for a cable ad. 
 
Don’t read this and think, “I’ll do it later.” Sign up right now, before you forget or someone asks you to do something else.

Oregon is a great place because great people like you care about it. Don’t miss your chance to shape its future. The stakes couldn’t be higher, and we need every free moment you have dedicated to helping secure this vote. ‘Cause, as I hope you heard me say, it’s gonna be close.
 
And come January 26th, I want to be able to look all of you in the eyes, smile, and say, “We did it.”
 
Sincerely,
 
Kevin Looper
Campaign Director, Vote Yes for Oregon
 
P.S. Seriously: right now. Click here: http://voteyesfororegon.org/volunteer/ 

Please Support Our Work

CPPS remains fully committed to building a sustainable network of diverse parent, family and community voices to ensure a high-quality education for all children in Portland Public Schools. Please become a member or make a donation today, and join us in voting YES on Measures 66 & 67.
 
As always, thank you for all that you do for Portland’s children and public education! 
 
Best wishes,
 
Kathy Couch & Linda Olson
CPPS Co-Presidents
kathy@cppsportland.org, linda@cppsportland.org

This letter was sent to the CPPS mailing list on December 30, 2009.

Dear CPPS Supporter,

Happy New Year! As we all recover from the holiday celebrations, it’s time to turn to the topic of education funding once again. On January 26, 2010, we all have an opportunity to vote to protect Portland’s public schools from devastating budget cuts. Please join CPPS in voting Yes on Measures 66 and 67!

January 26 Ballot Measures

On January 26, Oregonians will choose how to respond to this recession. Voting Yes on Measures 66 and 67 will protect our schools and critical services when we need them most by asking corporations and households that make more than $250,000 to pay a little more.  The passage of these measures will protect almost $23 million in funding for the next two years in PPS, or around $430 per student.

The CPPS Board of Directors has strongly endorsed both Measures and we will be contacting voters this January to ensure that likely YES voters will turn in their ballots.

Help Us Spread the Word

Please help us as we contact voters through education-focused phone banks. You can join us on Wednesday, January 6 and/or Monday, January 11, 5-8 p.m. at the Portland Association of Teachers, 325 NE 8th Street. State School Superintendent Susan Castillo will be joining us on January 6.  Please RSVP.
 
Would you rather go door-to-door?  Please join us on Saturday, January 9, beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the same location. Again, please RSVP so we can know how many people to expect.

Nonpartisan Voters’ Guide

Our friends at the League of Women Voters have created a Nonpartisan Voters’ Guide. Please read it and share it with other voters.
 
CPPS has fully endorsed Measures 66 & 67 and urges a YES vote.  Please let us know if you have any questions about the measures or their implications for Portland’s public schools. We’d be happy to share what we’ve learned.

Measures 66 & 67 on Facebook

Learn more on Facebook! Vote yes on 66 & 67 for Portland Public Schools.

Please Support Our Work

CPPS remains fully committed to building a sustainable network of diverse parent, family and community voices to ensure a high-quality education for all children in Portland Public Schools. Please become a member or make a donation today.
 
As always, thank you for all that you do for Portland’s children and public education!
 
Happy New Year!
 
Kathy Couch & Linda Olson
CPPS Co-Presidents
kathy@cppsportland.org, linda@cppsportland.org

This letter was sent to the CPPS mailing list on December 21, 2009.

Dear CPPS Supporter,

From all of us at CPPS, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! We appreciate all you do throughout the year for the children in Portland Public Schools, and we look forward to continuing to work with you throughout 2010 and beyond.

Please Take a Short Survey

We want to develop a closer connection with our members!  Each month, we will try to create a very simple survey exploring your thoughts and experiences regarding your children’s schools.  Our desire is to tie that information more closely to our work.
 
This month, we’d like to know more about which topics interest you most.  Please take a few minutes to complete this short, four-question survey.

SCRAP Field Trips

From art to zippers, SCRAP is a wonderland of thousands of creative reuse materials. Located in Northeast Portland, the organization inspires environmentally sustainable behavior by offering educational programs and materials needed to spark creativity while learning about waste reduction and reuse.  If you know any schools and teachers who might be interested in SCRAP’s fun-filled, educational field trips, please direct them to the SCRAP website or contact the organization’s field trip coordinator, Jon Toorock.

Marysville Auction

In the aftermath of the November 11 fire that consumed the Marysville School in SE Portland, many businesses and community organizations donated clothing, backpacks, and school supplies to help the community make a smooth transition to a temporary new home in the Rose City Park school building. However, the need is still great.
 
On January 7, group of local school fundraising professionals will host a benefit auction and dinner at the Ambridge Events Center (1333 NE MLK Blvd.) to raise money for the Marysville School PTA. Tickets can be purchased for $30 each. For more information, read the full announcement. To make a donation, contact Laura Davis.

Thank You for Your Support

As 2009 draws to a close, please remember that CPPS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and your donation is tax-deductible. Take advantage of the tax savings by making a donation by December 31. You may donate through our website or through the donation page for our parent organization, Parents for Public Schools – just select “OR-Portland” as the chapter designation.

Please Support Our Work

CPPS remains fully committed to building a sustainable network of diverse parent, family and community voices to ensure a high-quality education for all children in Portland Public Schools. Please become a member or make a donation today.
 
As always, thank you for all that you do for Portland’s children and public education!
 

Happy Holidays,

Kathy Couch & Linda Olson
CPPS Co-Presidents
kathy@cppsportland.org, linda@cppsportland.org