Hi all, Renee here.  Susan and I wanted to kick off our blog by telling you a little bit about ourselves, our experiences, and what we hope to bring to the SoS blog.  For now, we plan on a 3-day-a-week posting schedule — look for posts by me on Mondays, Susan on Wednesdays, and on Friday come by for a roundup of education-related writing from around NC and the U.S.

So, about me.  I’m a lawyer by training, but for the last dozen years I’ve been a stay-at-home mom to my three kids (currently ages 6, 9 and 12).  I didn’t ever intend to be an education activist, but the Class Size issue came to my attention and I realized I could do something to fix it, and so Save Our Schools was born.  I believe, with all of my heart, that every child in NC deserves an excellent, well-rounded education, and I believe that the only way we will make that goal a reality is if the citizens of this state, especially the parents,  rise up and fight not just for our own children, but for every child in North Carolina.

Hello, I’m Susan Book.  I worked as a state employee at NC State before making the decision to stay home with my son.  My son is now 8.  We knew he was a bit different early on, and the autism diagnosis wasn’t a big shock.  That is how I became an advocate.  My son wasn’t much for communication, so I learned to be his voice when he needed help.  I soon realized that I could be an advocate for public schools, the same way I advocated for my own son’s needs.  When I joined Save Our Schools, I realized my voice could be used to amplify the needs of our teachers and students for better funding and a quality public school system.

We’re excited about our blog and hopefully it will be an easier method to share our message of fully funding our public school system.  The Facebook page isn’t going away.  The blog will just be another opportunity to reach more people.  So welcome and please share with your friends.