Dear Parents,

Our students currently get 2 semesters of credit for marching PE. This doesn't fulfill the requirement for GGUSD, but it's still in jeopardy of going away. Please take the time to contact your local representative, and forward this message to your friends and family who support our band and music programs across the state.

Support California Legislature Assembly Bill No.351
If you care about marching band, JROTC, interscholastic athletics, and drill team programs in your school and your community, we need your help now! Before Wednesday, March 18, 2009, please send messages of support for Assembly Bill 351 to:

1) Members of the State Assembly's Committee on Education

2) Your local School Board Trustees

3) Your local Superintendent

Letters that provide concrete, local, program-specific examples are the most effective. Recently these programs that do so much to enhance our children's education have come under attack. California school districts are struggling with new interpretations regarding physical education credit in public schools. For over 50 years boards of education, superintendents and school districts have enjoyed local control in such decisions. Programs like marching band, JROTC, interscholastic athletics, and drill team have long qualified as physical education because they are academically challenging, physically demanding and provide important leadership skills. Unfortunately, some districts have reasonably determined that the State Department of Education no longer allows these programs to be substituted for PE. Programs in some districts have already suffered significant drops in enrollment.

AB 351, sponsored by Assembly member Mary Salas, clarifies the local control that school districts have known for generations, once again clearly giving school districts the authority to make these decisions. Marching band, JROTC, interscholastic athletics and drill team shouldn't require a private education. We can save these important programs if you're willing to act now!

-- Joe Miller Pacifica High School Music