kitchen table math, the sequel: free GOTV for parents

Saturday, May 26, 2012

free GOTV for parents

gasstation reminded me of an issue we've just discovered in my town: free GOTV for parents, but not for anyone else.

Must fill you in on the Workshop for superintendents and BOE members on how to pass the budget.

Needless to say, it involved free GOTV for parents.

5 comments:

gasstationwithoutpumps said...

I'm not sure how I reminded you of "get out the vote" calls, but I agree that the use of emergency notification robocalls for political purposes (like encouraging voting) seems like an abuse of the system.

Catherine Johnson said...

You didn't directly remind me about GOTV --- it was a train of thought ..... !

lgm said...

I agree about misuse of robocaller, but I do think that the people without school children see enough 'Vote Yes on School Budget sponsored by Our School District Teacher's Association' signs as they go about their business the week before that they can figure out that the vote is coming up. The district also sends an informational flier on budget to every address in the district.

Catherine Johnson said...

Hey lgm -

I would love to see a study done on the effects of GOTV.

My call came in at 7:22pm the next before the election.

Nobody but parents was looking at the PTSA 'vote yes on the budget' sign at that point, and the flier on the budget is old news (I don't even remember it).

I personally don't remember dates particularly well: it something says "May 15," I don't instantly translate: "Next Tuesday."

"May 15" is an abstraction to me when I'm driving, and if it's an abstraction to me, it's an abstraction to others, I'm sure.

They need to drop the GOTV.

I would drop the PTSA endorsement, too, but that's another story.

A couple of years ago, there was an effort at reform of the PTSA vote; I think they moved it online for one election season, so everyone who knew about it could vote.

I assume the incoming presidents changed that (though I don't know).

In the past, in order for PTSA membership to vote on endorsing or not endorsing the budget, they had to attend a meeting during work hours. Whoever showed up to the meeting voted 'yes' (I don't know whether the vote was anonymous); then the PTSA endorsed.

They should put up a sign that says "10 members of the PTSA say Vote yes on the budget."

In all my years volunteering for PTSA, I never knew when the membership vote was held, and I never attended.

Not that I wasn't informed; I'm sure I was, and just didn't notice in the midst of everything I was doing.

lgm said...

We only have a PTO in each school, which does nothing re: elections. Only the Teacher's Association and the Retired Teacher's Association do...they really should do a full disclosure and say 'vote for X, Y, and Z, our fully funded candidates'.

A few people at each of the budget sessions the last few years suggested dropping the robocaller and getting a full refund since many students were able to walk home from an early snow closure before the robocaller delivered the message. We still don't have email or text notification.