These handouts have been prepared by the CMC for advocacy use; please feel free to distribute them widely whenever appropriate (but without changes, please). We hope you find them useful, and comments are welcome.

* The "Operating millage ballot question in plain language" comes from the Ann Arbor Parents for Schools site, reproduced with permission. This 2-page document gives a plain-language explanation of the legalese that appears on the ballot. It also helps clear up some of the confusion caused by the ballot language, which might lead people to think that this is a new tax or that taxes are being increased.

* The "Parents' guide to school funding" handout is a 2-page flier suitable for handing out at meetings. It covers the basics of how school funding works in Michigan, explains why that can make things difficult for our schools, and gives more detailed information on the foundation allowance (on the back page). Features a very useful information graphic that is regularly included in the AAPS budget documents but is not widely seen.

* The "CMC flier" is a four-page newsletter-style flier which we are mailing to likely school election voters and others. We will also be distributing this piece in our door-to-door canvassing effort close to the election. The flier gives an overview of the issues on the front page, and summaries of the two proposals on the inside. It also shows the list of CMC members and honorary chairs.