providingptr

PTRr11crychild.
onevoice.
"·MailingAddress:P.
O.
Box18762Huntsville,AL358042012/2013OfficersElisaFerrelll'n:sidenlChaundraJonesVzid'midentAfemberrhipPrcctiFrancisi'ice-l'nsidentI1f!
,islati1e/ljfairr;\nnKYachVzid'residentI·amityIon,~'{~ementKathieRookerv,;,.
J'resident'/echnologyDebbieTetraultSecretaryI.
aynaPayneTreaxurerl\lch·inScruggsCo11ir.
.
:1imsMana.
~erHuntsvilleCouncilofParentTeacherAssociationsApril30,2014TheHonorableMadelineHughesHaikalaUnitedStatesDistrictCourtHugoL.
BlackU.
S.
Courthouse1729FifthAvenueNorthBirmingham,AL35203DearJudgeHaikala:TheExecutiveBoardoftheHuntsvilleCouncilofPTAsiscomprisedofparentswhohavechildrenineveryschooldistrictofHuntsvilleCitySchools.
Weareadiversegroupofindividualswith.
varyingracialandeducationalbackgrounds.
Someofushaveelementary-agechildren,somehavechildreninmiddleandhighschool,andsomehavechildrenwhohavealreadygraduatedfromthesystem.
Whatwedohaveincommonisthatwehighlyvalueeducationandalwaysstrivetoadvocateforwhatisbestforchildrenthroughoutthesystem.
ManyofusareeithercurrentlyservingasPTAPresidentsorhaveservedasPTAPresidentsatourchildren'sschools.
Wevolunteerregularlyastutorsintheclassroom,assistintheschooloffice,andcoordinatevariousotherschoolactivities.
BeingCouncilBoardmemberswearefrequentlyaskedtoassistwithissuesoreventsatschoolsthroughoutthedistrict.
Consequently,wehaveanextensiveknowledgeofwhatoccursatschoolsthroughoutthedistrict.
Inaddition,mostofusattendHuntsvilleCitySchoolsBoardofEducationmeetingsonaregularbasisandhavedonesoforyears.
AssuchwehaveauniqueinsightintothestateofHuntsvilleCitySchoolsatalllevelsoftheorganization.
ThroughtheseyearsofinvolvementwithHuntsvilleCitySchoolswehaveseenevidencethatleadsustobelievethattheHuntsvilleCitySchoolsBoardofEducationandtheSuperintendent,Dr.
CaseyWardynski,arecommittedtoprovidingthesameopportunitiestoallchildrenthroughoutourlargeschoolsystemregardlessofraceorsocioeconomicstatus.
Thefollowingaresomeexamplesthatweconsiderevidenceofthiscommitment.
However,thisisnotanexhaustivelist.
First,HuntsvilleCitySchoolsundertooktheDigital1:1Initiativeinschoolyear2012-2013.
ThroughthisinitiativeeverychildenrolledinHuntsvilleCitySchoolsreceivedeitheralaptoporaniPadbasedontheirgrade.
Alltextbooksaredigitalandloadedontothecomputers,andallschoolswereequippedwithwirelessaccesssothatallchildrenhadaccesstoavastarrayoflearningmaterials.
Thishashelpedchildrenfromalloverthedistricthaveaccesstothesameeducationalmaterials.
Inaddition,theschoolsystemworkedwiththecitytoprovideinternetaccessatvariouscommunitycenterssothatthechildrenwhodidnothaveaccessathomecouldstillhaveinternetaccessafter-hours.
Theyalsomadeparentsawareofwaystosubscribetoextremelylow-costinternetaccess.
FILED2014May-06PM01:43U.
S.
DISTRICTCOURTN.
D.
OFALABAMACase5:63-cv-00109-MHHDocument315-4Filed05/06/14Page1of5HuntsvilleCouncilofParentTeacherAssociationscvavchild.
onevoice:"Further,teachersinstructchildrenaboutappropriatecomputerandinternetuse.
ThisinitiativeappearstobehelpingusnarrowthedigitaldividesothatallgraduatesofHuntsvilleCitySchoolswillbefamiliarandcomfortablewithdigitaltechnologywhentheygraduate.
Further,ithashelpedteacherspersonalizetheeducationourchildrenreceive.
Byusingthesedigitaltools,allhighschoolstudentsenrolledinHuntsvilleCitySchoolsalsohaveaccesstofreeonlineACTpreparatorymaterials.
Onceagain,thisgiveseverychildwhograduatesfromHuntsvilleCitySchoolsanopportunitytobewellpreparedforthiscollegeentranceexamregardlessofwheretheyliveandwhethertheirparentscanaffordtopayforthesepreparatoryclasses.
Second,thissummer,creditrecoveryclasseswillbeofferedatournorthernmostandsouthernmosthighschoolsfreeofcharge.
Thus,studentsthroughoutthedistrictwhoneedtoenrollinthecreditrecoveryprogramwillhaveaccesstotheseclassesregardlessofwhethertheirparentsareabletopayforthemtoattend.
Inaddition,ProjectLeadtheWay(aproject-basedmethodofteachingScience,Technology,EngineeringandMathematics)willbeimplementedineveryelementaryandmiddleschoolinHuntsvilleCitySchoolsthisfall.
Third,HuntsvilleCitySchoolspaysstipendsnotonlytoteacherswhocoachathleticteamsbutalsotothosewhocoachacademicteamsateveryschoolfromelementaryschooltohighschool.
Onceagain,thisgiveseverychildenrolledinthesystemtheopportunitytochallengehimorherselfandsupportsteacherswhoareengagedinthiseffort.
Inadditiontoourchildren'sacademicwell-being,HuntsvilleCitySchoolshasmadeeffortstoimprovetheirphysicalwell-beingaswell.
HuntsvilleCitySchoolshasundertakenvariouscapitalimprovementprojectsatschoolsacrossthecity.
Allfacilitieswereassessedandtheirneedsdetermined.
Basedonthisassessment,someschoolshavebeenrepaintedandhadflooringreplaced,someschoolshavehadextensiverenovations,andsomeothersareintheprocessofgettingentirelynewfacilities.
Further,understandingthathungrychildrenwillnotbeabletolearntheyhaveinstitutedtheBreakfastintheClassroomprograminallTitleOneschoolsinthesystem.
Allstudentsatparticipatingschoolseatbreakfastwiththeirteacherintheclassroombeforeinstructionbegins.
Recognizingthatchildrenmustbewellfedevenwhenschoolisnotinsession,HuntsvilleCitySchoolshasenrolledintheUnitedStatesDepartmentofAgriculture'sSummerFeedingProgram.
Thismakesitpossibleforallchildrenregardlessofraceorsocioeconomicstatustoeatthreehotmealsadayatnocost.
Adultswhoattendcanalsoeatataverylowcost.
BasedontheseactionsourBoardisoftheop1monthatHuntsvilleCitySchoolsBoardofEducationandSuperintendent,Dr.
CaseyWardynski,arecommittedtoensuringthatallchildrenenrolledinHuntsvilleCitySchoolshavetheopportunitytopursueanexcellenteducationthatpreparesthemfortheworkplaceofthe21stcentury,regardlessoftheirraceorsocioeconomicstatus.
OurBoardiscomprisedofsevenmembers.
Ofthese,sixhavechildrenenrolledinschoolsthatwillbesignificantlyimpactedbytheproposedrezoningplanofHuntsvilleCitySchools.
WetaketheactionsdescribedaboveasevidencethatourBoardofEducationandSuperintendenthavetakenstepstoensurethatallchildrenwillcontinuetoreceiveanexcellenteducation.
Thiswillbeadifficultbutnecessarystepaswemoveawayfromourpastandlooktowardthefuture.
Page2of3Case5:63-cv-00109-MHHDocument315-4Filed05/06/14Page2of5HuntsvilleCouncilofParentTeacherAssociationse1,crvchild.
011evoice.
"'ElisaFerrell,PresidentChaundraJones,Vice-PreetiFrancis,Vice-President,LegislationAnnKvach,Vice-President,FamilyEngagementKathieRooker,Vice-President,TechnologyLaynaPayne,TreasurerDebbieTetrault,SecretaryPage3of3Case5:63-cv-00109-MHHDocument315-4Filed05/06/14Page3of5Case5:63-cv-00109-MHHCERTIFICATEOFSERVICEIherebycertifythatonMay1,2014,ImailedtheforegoingdocumentthroughtheUnitedStatesPostOfficebyPriorityMailtocounselforthepartiesinthiscasewithnames,addresses,emailaddressesandtrackingnumberslistedbelow.
Ialsocertifythattheforegoingwasalsotransmittedelectronicallytocounselforthepartiesinthecaseatthebelowreferencedemailaddresses.
J.
R.
BrooksLanier,Ford,Shaver&Payne,PCP.
O.
Box2087Huntsville,AL35804-2087Tracking#9405903699300176881615J.
R.
Brooksjrb@lanierford.
comChristopherPapecmp(a)lanierford.
comMareeSneedHoganLovellsUSLLP55513thSt.
NWColumbiaSquareWashington,D.
C.
20004-1109Tracking#9405903699300176881561MareeSneedmaree.
sneed@hoganlovells.
comSarahHingerU.
S.
DepartmentofJusticeCivilRightsDivisionPatrickHenryBuilding,Suite43009500PennsylvaniaAve.
NWWashington,D.
C.
20530-0001Tracking#9405503699300287847762SarahHingersarah.
hinger@usdoj.
govAndreaHamiltonU.
S.
DepartmentofJusticeCivilRightsDivisionPatrickHenryBuilding,Suite43009500PennsylvaniaAve.
,NWWashington,D.
C.
20530-0001Tracking#9405503699300287847861AndreaHamiltonandrea.
hamilton@usdoj.
govCase5:63-cv-00109-MHHDocument315-4Filed05/06/14Page4of5Case5:63-cv-00109-MHHNormanJ.
ChachkinNAACPLegalDefenseFund36CedarDriveAccord,NY12404-6002Tracking#9405903699300176881608NormanChachkinnchachkin@hvc.
rr.
comElisaA.
Ferrell,PresidentHuntsvilleCouncilofPTAsP.
O.
Box18762Huntsville,AL35804Case5:63-cv-00109-MHHDocument315-4Filed05/06/14Page5of5