Final surge of support on Monday and Tuesday

The Eberhart /Whitmarsh campaign as put out the following. Will we see you there? See http://www.mdusd.net/ for more.

Dear Friends,

Its crunch time in the MDUSD School Board election and we need your help. The opportunity for fundamental change is right in front of us. It's up to each of us to help in the effort to fix our schools. I know that everyone's life is extremely busy, but what is more important than our children and their future? Many of you have done much in the effort to elect Sherry Whitmarsh and myself. I am personally asking that you put in just a little more.

The following is part of our final strategy for election victory:

· Contact everyone that you know who resides in the district and ask them to vote for Sherry Whitmarsh and Gary Eberhart on November 4th. Even if you have contacted them before, please do it one last time. You can do this easily via e-mail. Your friends who have not been following the School Board race will appreciate that you have been and that you can provide them with educated advice on who to vote for.

· Join our campaign for a rally on the corner of Treat Blvd. and Oak Grove Road from 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM on Monday November 3rd. The rallies that we've had so far have been very effective in showing the voting public that Sherry and Gary are the best choice for kids.

· Pick a friend and a corner and hold up an Eberhart/Whitmarsh sign in the morning or afternoon on Tuesday November 4th. The morning times are 6:30 AM – 7:30 AM and the afternoon times are 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM. We will try to get many of our busiest intersections covered. Just think; our signs and our enthusiastic supporters might be the last things that voters see just before they vote.

The following schools are actual poll location sites (see below). If you can organize a group of parents/teachers to stand at least 100 feet away from the polling area you may hold signs. You can do this before school or after school! It would make a HUGE impact to voters coming to vote. If they see signs that say Teachers/Parents Support Eberhart and Whitmarsh! Let us know if you need a sign or you can make your own.

These are the last opportunities to try to bring about real change in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District in the 2008 election. The race is very close and we need to make sure that we have a strong finish. No one will be happier for this race to be over than Sherry and me and our families, but we can't relax now. The last few days may be the difference between defeat and victory. Please join us as we sprint across the finish line.

Please e-mail us back and let us know what you can do to help. Two hours one on each day that is all we are asking. If you would like to do the Tuesday intersection sign holding, please let us know which time(s) that you can be there and which intersection you will be at.

Thanks for your continued support.
Gary Eberhart

List of sites:
Clayton- Dana Hills Cabana Clubhouse, Oakhurst Country Club, Clayton Endeavor Hall

Concord/PH/Walnut Creek locations: Silverwood, Sun Terrace, Wren Ave, Westwood, Ayers,. Mountain View, Woodside, Oak Grove Middle,
Fair Oaks, Crystyl Ranch Clubhouse, Willow Pass Community Center, Hope Center-Corner of Taylor/Morello, any other main intersection.

Bay Point-Rio Vista and Delta View

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Teachers "taking it to the streets" October 14

From the Mt. Diablo Teacher blog: http://www.mdusdteachers.blogspot.com/

Support our teachers and help them with YOUR show of support. Join them in holding signs, or just honk to show your support as you pass! Tell a friend and keep telling your friends until the election. We need to show our collective strength behind Gary Eberhart and Sherry Whitmarsh. You need to read the latest at www.changemdusd.com or www.mdusd.net or http://ccexm.blogspot.com
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Taking it to the Streets--Tuesday, October 14
Remember to participate in our community outreach activity

tomorrow from 3:45-5:15

Bring a homemade sign or hold one of ours.

The three intersections we’ll be at are:
Ygnacio Valley Rd and Oak Grove
Treat Blvd and Clayton Rd
Contra Costa Blvd and Monument

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A District in Crisis - What can you do?

Start by reading the open letter written by MDUSD Board Member, Paul Strange. You can find it at http://www.mdusd.net/. There are many of us working hard for change. We can't let up and we need to ramp up our efforts to tell our fellow MDUSD friends and family who we are voting for and why. For many that choice is simple: GARY EBERHART AND SHERRY WHITMARSH.

So read up:

Time for Action - Mt. Diablo in Crisis

Mt. Diablo Unified School District is at a crossroads. We have the opportunity to change the future for Mt. Diablo right now. If change does not occur in this election, the next opportunity won't occur for two years and change will be delayed further. In my circles (and probably in your circles), the need for change is obvious. We have myriad problems. Terrible employee morale, failed policies regarding compensation and benefits, incompetent leadership, a total lack of accountability, a board majority who gleefully follows the orders of the Superintendent, serious budget issues, millions of dollars spent without board approval, a district culture that promotes loyalty to the Superintendent above the needs of our students, an administration in denial of the real problems in our district - these are just some of the problems. Click to see the rest

New blog for MDUSD Teachers

A new blog has been spawned for the MDUSD teachers.

"MDEA Teachers Speaking Up" has been started by and for teachers as ". . . a forum for information, sharing our thoughts on the upcoming election, contract negotiations and other issues."

Find the blog HERE and get your voices heard by your MDEA leadership and fellow teachers around the district.

Breaking News: PETITION now online

I was just sent the link for the petition to oust Supertintendent McHenry, it is now ONLINE:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/MDUSD/

Check it out. It looks like it keeps all the personal information entered private and not on the internet, so I guess folks should feel safe to sign and pass the link around.

If you're out getting written signatures, feel free to post any stories here.

CCTimes Reports: Teachers March Against Budget Cuts and Contract

Some of our MDUSD teachers marched from Mt. Diablo High School to Todos Santos Park today to protest state budget cuts (and comment about the lack of a contract or benefits).

From the Times:

CONCORD — After the last school bell of the day rang, Mt. Diablo High School English teacher Steve McCoy walked to the front office and tied a black armband around his right bicep. With help from his fellow teachers, he hoisted a banner and marched down Grant Street toward Todos Santos Plaza.

"The governor's budget is virtually an attack on education. In our local district, we've been bargaining in good faith for a year and still have no contract or health benefits," said McCoy, his sleeves rolled up. "We're being squeezed from all sides."

He joined dozens of the school's teachers who marched in downtown Concord on Thursday afternoon to protest state budget cuts and an unsettled contract that has left 1,900 Mt. Diablo district teachers without paid medical benefits or raises.
Mt. Diablo school district spokeswoman Sue Berg said that the district shared the frustration of teachers worried about their contract and their jobs.

Read the rest of the article here: http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_9125613

Hopefully Shirley Dang from the Times is still working on a larger story about the MDUSD issues . . .