ACT!
Anne Arundel Connecting Together
an affiliate of the Industrial Areas Foundation
WE WON!
ACT compels Superintendent to take action to test lead in AACPS consumable water by December!
- PRIORITY: Priority testing for older elementary schools to protect our youngest children
- ACCELERATE TESTING: Additional company hired so that water testing completed by December 2018 (not July 2019!)
- TRANSPARENCY: Testing schedule has been published online!
Great news. The demands that ACT made of the superintendent to accelerate our testing schedule, prioritize our oldest elementary schools, and publish a transparent testing schedule have all been met!
This is our first victory in a direct action. Our children will be safer from the risk of lead exposure in their water fountains and kitchen sinks at school.
This happened because we have been building RELATIONAL POWER. 120 of us stood together at a school board meeting on Oct. 24 to make our demands and request a meeting with the superintendent. Keep building that power! Take time to meet one-to-one with each other (training opportunity below). Organize a listening session!
We got that meeting. Our Education Research Action Team leaders - Erin Snell (Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis), Yevola Peters (St. Philip's Episcopal Church), and Karen Neale (St. Philip's Episcopal Church), along with co-chairs Rev. Tim Stern (Ark & Dove Presbyterian Church) and Toni Strong Pratt (First Christian Community Church), repeated our demands, and stressed that we would work with the superintendent to make these a reality. He worked with us. And now: we have accelerated testing, transparency, and prioritization for lead testing. That is a win!
Cancelling our Nov. 14 ACTion on the School Board. At the County-Wide Steering Meeting, ACT did not have this agreement. ACT was going to launch a 200-person action at the next School Board meeting to emphasize the power behind our demands. However, as this agreement has been reached, we no longer needed to hold that action.
But we are going to keep building relational power. If you'd like to build power with us, here are some upcoming opportunities:
Training: One-to-One Meetings!
Not sure how to do a relational meeting? Don't know why we do them? Here's a chance to learn!
Thurs., Nov. 29, 7pm, St. Margaret's Episcopal Church, 1601 Pleasant Plains Rd., Annapolis
ACT Research Action Teams
MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTIONS
Leads: Toni Pratt, First Christian Community Church
Rev. Sara Yotter, Joy Reigns Lutheran Church
Contact: sarayotter@gmail.com // (608) 630-7942
Next Meeting: Mon., Nov. 26, 7pm
First Christian Community Church, 1800 Hall-Brown Rd., Annapolis
SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Leads: Rev. Dr. Karen Johnson, First Christian Community Church
Jo Ann Mattson, Light House, Annapolis
Contact: jmattson@annapolislighthouse.org // (443) 569-4207
Next Meeting: Thurs., Nov. 15, 7pm
UCC Annapolis, 8 Carvel Cir., Edgewater
FAIR AND JUST IMMIGRATION
Leads: Cynamon Butler, Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church
Rev. Dr. Heather Shortlidge, First Presbyterian Church of Annapolis
Contact: cbutler@woodschurch.org
Next Meeting: Make contact!
EFFECTIVE AND ENGAGED EDUCATION
Leads: Karen Neale, St. Philip’s Episcopal Church
Yevola Peters, St. Philip’s Episcopal Church
Erin Snell, Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis
Contact: yevola.peters@gmail.com // (410) 224-3820
Meeting: Make contact!
CONNECTED AND USEFUL TRANSPORTATION
Lead: Rev. Ryan Sirmons, The United Church of Christ of Annapolis
Contact: pastor@uccannapolis.org // (443) 569-8899
Next Meeting: Tues., Nov. 13, 7pm
UCC Annapolis, 8 Carvel Cir., Edgewater
GUN VIOLENCE REDUCTION AND SAFETY
Leads: Rev. Steve Tillett, Asbury Broadneck United Methodist Church
Linda Mundy, Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis
Contact: ltmundy@yahoo.com // (443) 995-4769
Next meeting: Tues., Nov. 13, 7pm, Asbury Broadneck UMC, 657 Broadneck Rd., Annapolis
This meeting is open to members and friends and anyone who might want to learn more about what ACT is doing. It is also where member organizations vote and ratify our next steps together.
***ANNE ARUNDEL CONNECTING TOGETHER***
an affiliate of the Industrial Areas Foundation
