"I am only one, but I am one. I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do. What I can do, I should do. And what I should do, by the grace of God, I will do." -- Edward Everett Hale
What You Can Do to Save Pacific Oaks
We need everyone’s help. Together we can save Pacific Oaks College.
12/21/08 - A new crisis emerged with a letter from WASC on December 1 stating the college must meet certain criteria or it would lose its accreditation - PO has until Spring 2010 to comply. We are developing strategies to deal with this new crisis. If you are not registered with this website, please register so you can receive emails from us. And if you are an alum you can join the Friends of PO Alumni Association. Please check this site for updates and strategies.
Together, we can help turn crisis into growth. We can forge stronger connections and foster the growth of our extended family. But, right now, our school is in jeopardy. The President is talking of closing the College before engaging in any problem-solving efforts. The Board needs to hear about how important Pacific Oaks is to us and about how much we are willing to do to insure its survival.
It is important that the Board learn how many of us care. It is important that the Board understand the value of this small school and why allowing the closure of Pacific Oaks at a time when it is extremely healthy and financially sound would be an irresponsible travesty. The Board also needs to understand why PO is so valuable during these times of jeopardy for all of progressive education.
Please take action now!!!
We have proposed some actions for you to consider below and provided models of a few approaches.
Or invent your own action if none of our suggestions fits you! We believe in individualization.
Please read the material on the website to take well-informed action.
Actions:
- Write a letter of concern to the Board of Trustees about why Pacific Oaks must continue to live and thrive. (See the Board of Trustees page for address information.) Send it to at least the officers of the Board or to the entire Board. Please send us a copy of your letter: friendsofpo@pacificoakssos.com.
- Write a Call to Action letter and send to the Board executive committee or to the entire Board.
- SIGN OUR PETITION!
- Consider the list of Questions for the President and Board. Select any of these questions which you find particularly important and include these questions in your letters to the Board. Alternatively, select questions and write them on as many postcards as you have time to write and send. We hope that Board members will receive many questions from many people on postcards over the next two months before the Board meeting. Write a postcard or two every day!
- If you are an alumna, call or email five sister/fellow alumnae and ask them to look at our website for information about what is happening to PO. Or, tell them yourself and ask them to take action. Website address: http://www.pacificoakssos.com.
- Join a group of alumnae who are organizing to request a hearing at the Fall Board Meeting on October 27. Send an email titled “Joining Alumnae Group” to us at friendsofpo@pacificoakssos.com. We will help you all to connect with each other.
- Speak to and email early childhood education leaders whom you know and ask them to write testimonials and letters of concern. Send them to: friendsofpo@pacificoakssos.com
- Send an email or letter of support to current core faculty. They are threatened with job loss and need to know they are not alone. (get contact information from Pacific Oaks website-www.pacificoaks.edu)
- Write a testimonial about why PO has been important to you and to the field of early childhood care and education. We will post it on this website and use it in information sheets and press releases. Send it to: friendsofpo@pacificoakssos.com
- Check this website regularly for updates about what is happening at PO.
ACT NOW! DO ALL THAT YOU CAN DO. THANK YOU.
Yours in community,
Friends of Pacific Oaks