Metro Week of Action Day 4: Move Those Committee Chairs

Friends, don’t wait on justice. Don’t wait for the right timing, or the perfect thing to say. We’ve reached Day 4 in our #Enough4AllPA Week of Action, and whether you’ve participated every day for Full and Fair Education Funding or today is your first day, we challenge you to act NOW for Pennsylvania children. Let’s ground ourselves, and then make some phone calls!

A FAITH REFLECTION

Pentecost comes from a Jewish harvest festival called Shavuot and represents the beginning of the Christian Church. It reminds faith journeyers how Jesus’ promise that God would send the Holy Spirit was fulfilled. God knew that Christians would need more than the written Word of God to live and spread the Gospel, the good news. They would need access to the same power that Jesus used when He was doing miracles amongst the people. (“Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these.” John 14:12). Pentecost leads to an understanding that all are made of God rather than simply by God. It is a time that allows for the recognition that within each human is this unspeakably beautiful beat of the sacred, the Spirit of God. That people have the capacity to honor the sacredness in one another. Pentecost is a celebration of God’s hand guiding the community through the trials and decisions that are presented to it.

Each Pentecost gives the opportunity to awaken and activate the spirit of God, to believe and be open to the Spirit within. It is a time of rebirth, a new vision, new dream, a fresh springing forth. (“Your young will see visions and your old shall dream dreams” Acts 2:17). A time to awaken to our response-ability! To live into the ability to love God and to love and serve others. What is required of us at this moment in our lives? To awaken to our responsibility! To not be silent and to act. Modern Christian martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) said, “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”

“Today is an opportunity to get better, don’t waste it!” (Anonymous). Carry out an action that will make a difference to all the children in Pennsylvania. There is enough for all! (Thank you, Mark Fifer, for this faith reflection!)

ACTION #4:

OUR ACTION FOR TODAY: Make two phone calls (or emails) to the following committee chairs:

Senator Scott Martin (R-13), Chair of PA Senate Education Committee
Representative Curtis G. Sonney (R-4), Chair of PA House Education Committee

TIPS

Use your credentials. As you introduce yourself (direct phone call, leaving a verbal message, email, etc.) include your affiliations such as “I am a member of XX congregation (or other group) that represents xx voters.” SHOW YOUR POWER.
Be polite but direct.
Include something personal, such as how the current racially inequitable, inadequate and unfair funding of PA’s schools affects you and your family.
Record your action on this survey so that we can measure this week of action.
Use this script or example below for inspiration if you desire.

SCRIPTS AND EXAMPLES

Hello this is _______(your name and credentials – constituent, tax payer in school district ____). I am calling to urge Rep/Sen_________ to support proposals for Full Use of the Basic Education Funding Fair Funding Formula in the EDUCATION COMMITTEE that they chair.

{For your call to Sen. Martin, remind him of SB 123 2021 (Boscola). Remind Sen. Martin that he is a cosponsor of this bill. Demand that he move it forward in his committee!}

{For Rep. Sonney, remind him that his committee saw multiple bipartisan proposals.}

Also support passage of Governor Wolf’s 2021 budget. This budget provides a twofold opportunity for you to put all of Pennsylvania’s students first, especially at a time where the pandemic has created a need for our students to make up for lost time. It also provides an opportunity to level the playing field by putting ALL state education money through the fair funding formula, correcting the current unfair and immoral current system. This is our chance to stand with POWER Interfaith in demanding equity now. I’d like to hear back from Rep. ________, he/she can reach me at ___________(email or phone number). Thank you.