At pancake breakfasts, meetings with PTAs and through thousands of personalized phone calls home to parents, educators in Nassau County delivered a heartfelt message through a weeklong community relations blitz organized by their local unions: Thank you for supporting public education during these difficult economic times.
The event — Take Action Long Island (TALI) — was spearheaded by dozens of local unions wishing to take a positive leadership role in their communities, in part by building stronger connections with parents, community groups and other "natural allies" who support strong public schools.
As part of the effort, several thousand teachers and School-Related Professionals also wore special "Support Our Schools" buttons, visited local senior centers to teach residents computer skills, supported sporting and family fun events, and handed out leaflets celebrating the accomplishments of local schools at commuter rail stations, Little League fields and community events.
"Teachers wanted to show appreciation for the consistent backing we receive from our local communities during school budget voting," said Daphna Arm, a teacher in Merrick and a TALI organizer.