A self-sufficient (as in ZERO cost to parents!) XYZ Boutique Progessive Education Program made possible by support from Fair Dinkum Australian Sponsors.

  We all know modern education costs are escalating. Take Interactive Whiteboards (iWBs - with Internet access - Connected Classrooms). IWBs have been around for years in Britain and the U.S. Premier Iemma announced that these would finally be rolled to NSW schools in early '07 - one for each classroom. Some schools have got them, and others like XYZ , almost 2 years later are still waiting. Some P&Cs gave up waiting and used their own precious funds. IWBs are obviously expensive - $3,000 plus [??Panasonic]. This emphasizes the unquestionable importance of moving towards a whole new funding strategy - developing much more savvy relationships with sponsors.

  An 'offsite' XYZ Web is the way to go. It would have operational practical advantages - it could be more detailed and constantly updated, with content coming from the full spectrum of stakeholders - students, teachers, parents, carers, sponsors, et al.
  And it would allow us the flexibility to find and develop mutually beneficial relationships with sponsors. Thus the webpages would contain advertisements for much valued and recommended local businesses that provide wonderful financial support for our ambitious XYZ Boutique Progessive Education Program, thereby greatly reducing our need to ask for contributions from YOU, the families.
  Universities around the world are now increasingly setting up commercial divisions rather than having outside companies benefit from the talent of their students. With the constant funding shortfalls, clearly this trend is repeating right down to secondary and primary levels. And why not, especially Filmmaking considering the Zeitgeist Mantra:
  "We don't want to grow up watching DVDs, we want to produce them."
  If we don't have the vision to go this way - we are left with the status quo - constant fundraising - flicking sausages, notes home, $20 for this, contribution fees for that, higher uniform costs...
* More about the concept

Some of the key areas of the new layout are listed on the right.

  The site is still in the early design stages, so it can only get much more powerful especially as we add [ School ] Interntet TV.

Put it to the Vote
We live in a democracy every parent and caregiver in the school is entitled to have a say about this. Put the [ School ] Web idea to the Vote in your school:

Vote 1 - [ School ] Web - with the goal of:
  a) Zero Parent Costs for Wish List Equipment and Uniforms - through developing Fair Dinkum Sponsors (Recommended Supplier List);
  b) More career-oriented Boutique Progressive Education - especially Filmmaking and [ School ] Web TV;
  d) Regularly updated useful information available online;
  e) A say on important issues through periodic Voting;
  f) Higher prestige through a reputation as cutting edge school (main stream media attention even);
  g) Attract more like-minded savvy families to the school - more numbers means a higher share of Government Grants and economies of scale - e.g. uniforms (which kids grow out of quickly) are more expensive because we are a small school - we can't subcontract to a specialist supplier - they won't take us, the volumes are too small - withe higher prestige.
  h) More chance of your child making it into a selective High School - especialy Newtown High School of Performing Arts.

Vote 2 - The Status Quo:
  a) ever increasing costs;
  b) other schools going past us;
  c) important decision-making by those few parents who can make it to P&C meetings (and have public speaking / lobbying skills) less than 10% of us. [These regular P&C parents are a dedicated backbone of the school, but nonetheless not democratically representative. And it's not surprising to hear, "I don't want to be the one who runs the XYZ fundraiser next time, somebody else can have a turn (because of all the work involved)." So they have better things to do with their time, too.]
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