Community Will Make the Difference: CHANGEGREENFIELD.COM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (This is a press release I  put out this week)

Greenfield, MA.  February 25th 2008
CHANGEGREENFIELD.COM is a newly created online resource for Greenfield parents, town officials and residents concerned with the ongoing stability of the Greenfield School System.   Michael Phillips, Greenfield resident and father of 2 daughters currently attending Federal Street School has created this website to facilitate community involvement with the School Committee and the processes that set direction for our schools.

“Regardless of which version of a financial oversight committee they agree on, I fear we are going to end up back in this same situation unless the community of Greenfield finds a way to connect with the school committee and become more involved with controlling the direction of our schools”, says Phillips.

“There’s no place or time for business as usual in the Greenfield School System or in this community” says Phillips.  “My hope is that the people of Greenfield are willing to take ownership of this problem. We have a responsibility to influence the direction of our school system and to insist that our elected representatives work together to create lasting changes.”  Phillips set up the site last week with some input from Greenfield Town Councilors, teachers, parents and School Committee Members.

To help get a handle on why families are choicing out, CHANGEGREENFIELD.COM currently features 4 school choice surveys for parents and students who have either moved on through school choice, or who may be considering it.  “We should have this information already.  We are flying blind without it.” says Phillips.

“I’m impressed with what teachers, principals and students are accomplishing in the classrooms.  But like many in this community I’m dismayed with the ongoing mismanagement of budgets.  The people of Greenfield have been terrorized for years by school budgeting issues. The program cuts in 2004 were devastating, at least in terms of perception, and we still haven’t stabilized our school system or our image in the region.  We don’t have an effective strategy to market our positives.  There are great things going on in our schools every day and we very rarely hear about them“.  Phillips plans to add a “Positive News” section to the site for this very purpose and will solicit news from teachers, principals and students.

Phillips’ message to Greenfield residents:  “We absolutely have the power, the right and the responsibility to be involved and to expect more for our children.  I hope enough of us can come together, get creative, and move ourselves beyond this mess. The community needs to come together and craft a solution or one will be forced upon us very soon.  The school system needs to reinvent itself or it is going to fail. Please be a part of the solution.  Please sign up at CHANGEGREENFIELD.COM !”

CHANGEGREENFIELD.com Contents:
•    School Choice Surveys – Surveys for parents and students who have either already used school choice as an option out of Greenfield or who are considering it.
•    Parent Power Links:  This area features “A Citizen’s Guide to Town Meetings”, guides to parent teacher relationships, resources and articles emphasizing the power of community.
•    Public Meeting Schedule: Easy to find Greenfield Town meeting and events  schedule.
•    ChangeGreenfield Signup: A form to sign up for more information and relevant event notices.
•    Coming Soon – Positive news from our schools and things you can do to make a difference

For information: http://www.changegreenfield.com or    Contact: mike@changegreenfield.com