“I regret to inform you that Dr. Judith York has been reassigned from her
duties as Director of NESA. Judith’s last day was today.
I don’t know Judith’s new assignment. And, I don’t know want to try to
guess why the district makes some of the decisions it does.

I have the upmost respect for Dr. York and am grateful to her for her
dedication and passion for our arts students. I am not eloquent enough
to convey how much I think we will miss her contributions and
leadership. Let’s wish her God’s blessings and the very best in her new
endeavors.

I have been repeatedly assured that NEISD is supportive of NESA
continuing.

I personally feel NESA is the best arts high school in the region. I
hope we can continue to make it so. Partners will strive to keep the
student’s interest at heart as we proceed in preparation for the new
school year. As I find out more information, I will let you know.

On a much lighter note: Kathleen Lestrange has re-found love and will
move to New York with her husband. Let’s wish her blessings,thanks and
the very best as well.”

Henry Espinoza
President, NESA Partners

Hello Friends Of NESA!

This week (5-25-2010) in a meeting that was held with Dr. Middleton and other district representatives we received the great news that North East School of the Arts will continue.   I would like to thank the parents that worked diligently, the district personnel, Dr. Middleton, and the friends of partners!

Here’s the Status as of 5/25/2010:

1) NESA will remain open for the foreseeable future.

2) Tuition is now set for approximately $5200 a year.  This is down from $6000.  This is the equivalent of about $80, 000.   The District will allow up to 25% out of district students before the tuition is activated.  Currently the out of district students population is around 50%.  Tuition is in effect.

3) After a review of in-district charter schools , the district has concluded that the benefits to all stakeholders do not outweigh the detrimental effects.    NEISD will not support creating a charter school from NESA.

4) The Staff of NESA has affirmed their dedication to staying on the LEE high School campus and will not participate in a charter school.

5) The Senior Class of 2011 will be exempt from tuition.

6) Partners will continue to raise funds.   We received a $7500 commitment from HEB!  Thanks to HEB.

7) We need everyone help with our June 17th , Event at the Empire Theatre.   See

http://www.techqanda.com/NESAFUND/nesafund-events/

for more information.  If you know a business or corporation that would like to be a sponsor please print out the sponsor packet and have them take a look.  We need about 30 or more business sponsors!

Sponsor Packet:

http://www.techqanda.com/NESAFUND/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Empire-sponsor-packet.pdf

Thanks Everyone. 

Henry Espinoza

All NESA parents  and interested parties are urged to attend a meeting scheduled for March 9th in the Lee Cafeteria at 7:00pm. Normally  a partners meeting, we are inviting everyone, even if your not a nesa partner.  We will be discussing upcoming fundraising events, progess so far and making decisions that will influence the future of NESA. We hope all NESA parents can attend.  We need everyone’s help.  

We strongly encourage  every NESA parent to join a committee or sign up to help in the remaining NESA events this year. 

We have also launched www.NESAfund.org.  I urge everyone to take a look video on the landing page.   Please share it with everyone you know.  

Thanks

Henry

“Start by doing what is necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible!”     -St. Francis of Assisi

To show their support, NESA parents are called to attend the NEISD Board meeting on February 1, 2010 @ 6:15pm at the NEISD Central Office, 8961 Tesoro Drive (North of Loop 410 off Broadway)

We know there is a freshman MT showcase and some parents are out with seniors at United Auditions – but we really need to know who and how many to expect.  We are hearing way to many “maybes” or “I’ll try to be there” to make us feel comfortable.

Where your NESA wear (shirts, etc) and we will all sit together.  If you are coming, please email me at cfocht@sbcglobal.net so I can stop worrying.

Thanks,
Cheryl Focht
NESA pARTners President
210-273-6064

OK – - – call to action.

The NEISD School Board is having a special called meeting this next Monday, February 1st.  The agenda is attached.  Dr Middleton will present his recommendations to the School Board.  It will basically be the same that he presented on January 21st at Lee and there will not be board action as they have already given him the authority to act.

Now is the time to roll up our sleeves and get busy.

pARTners will have a meeting Sunday (tomorrow) afternoon at the Performing Arts San Antonio site at 5:00 pm.  PASA address is: 15717 San Pedro, San Antonio 78232 – phone 210-557-1187.

We will have sign-ups for our new committees; discuss the strategy for the Board meeting; and if time allows, break into committee groups.  We will also be accepting pARTner memberships.

Monday night’s Board meeting is NOT a regularly scheduled meeting where they have “citizens to be heard”, but because it is an agenda item they will hear from citizens.  HOWEVER, it has been made very clear to me that repeating the same message WILL NOT HELP US!

This is ours to lose – - – we need to show up in support of NESA, but be seen more than heard.  NEISD is committed to making NESA work for next year and the years following!

Get the word out to all interested parents and friends of NESA to come to the pARTners meeting tomorrow and hear what we need to do.

Thank you – Cheryl Focht

NESA pARTners President

cfocht@sbcglobal. net
210-273-6064

NESA pARTners and Friends:

First, we want to say thank you to the overwhelming turnout of support and offers of help over the past few weeks.

Secondly, we have moved into a new era and we need to re-align our efforts to more effectively meet the challenges.  One of the biggest challenges we will face is how to sustain the program in the best form in order to “sell NESA”  for fundraising purposes.  The committees established during the Save NESA campaign are not all necessary for the new campaign we face.

The new committees will be:

Finance – work with the District and others to understand School Funding

Fundraising – fundraising; looking for any and all available grants and grant writing, local to national funding sources

Strategic Planning – long range planning for future of NESA and NESA Foundation

- Communications with Local, State and Federal lawmakers

- Communications with other Fine Arts Schools (HS and Universities)

Public Relations and Promotions – promoting NESA to the schools, City, County to help with increasing auditions as well as visibility

Because these new committees will need to interface with one another, one of the pARTners executive board officers will be on each committee – - although they will not necessarily be the chairman.  We believe this is critical to maintaining consistency between the committees.  At this point, we do not have the money to hire accountants, lawyers, strategic planners or fund raisers.   But we do have plenty of people with these skills among us (or we have access to help through many of our parents) and we need to utilize them where they will be most effective.

pARTners is already an established 501(c)3 and has been functioning as the support group for NESA for nearly 10 years.  In order to keep our non-profit status, we need to make sure the committee chairs, voting committee members and anyone who is representing pARTners is a current member of pARTners.  Our non-profit status puts us in the ‘ready’ position to raise funds and move them through the appropriate channels to best help NESA.

In reviewing the sign-in sheets and committee lists, it appears that not all of the newly active or involved people are members of NESA pARTners.  It is a violation of our bylaws to have committee chairs who are not members of pARTners.  Individuals who are not members of pARTners cannot vote on pARTners’ issues.  It is critical to our credibility as a group to make sure everything is absolutely squeaky clean.

There is an easy solution to this – join pARTners.  It is not necessary to be parent of a NESA student (current or otherwise) to join.  It is only $5.00 – - application is attached. Partners Membership Form

We are currently updating our database to include pARTners members, committee lists and sign-in sheets from the meeting with Dr Middleton to make sure we have included everyone that wishes to be included in this process.  Once new committees have been established, we will need to start emailing communications.

Our Yahoo group has been our primary means for “all hands on deck” calls to our parents for help sewing, meals, concessions, box office, etc.   Unfortunately, with all the Save NESA correspondence, our calls – particularly for sewing – are going unnoticed or perhaps ignored.  If you can help now – there is plenty of sewing, hot gluing and ironing that needs to be done for Grease.

We have plenty of work to do and will be staying in contact as we have the new committee sign-ups available.  The School Board meetings coming up on February 1^st and 8^th are right around the corner.  We are inquiring as to whether or not the meeting on the 1^st will allow for us to address the Board or whether we will have to wait for the regularly scheduled meeting on the 8^th.  More information will follow as we have it.

Thanks again for everyone’s help and support – - – we need to keep on keeping on.

NESA pARTners Executive Board

Cheryl Focht, President

Henry Espinoza, 1^st Vice President

Paul Tinder, 2^nd Vice President

Ana Gutierrez, Secretary

Erin Prentice, Treasurer

Pam Kittrell, Parliamentarian

NESA parents and supporters:

Thank you for your turn-out last night at our meeting with Dr Middleton.   One of the NEISD Board trustees wanted me to pass on that 5 of the current 7 School Board members were present and VERY impressed with the turn-out and behavior of both parents and students.   In fact, two of the Trustees drove in from Austin to attend the meeting and then immediately left to return to Austin for a conference they were attending. 

We have joined together in a singular voice and are being heard.  I am cautiously optimistic and urge all to continue in the respectful manner that we have thus far.  We need to capitalize on the momentum and continue our work in committees. 

We won’t accomplish anything by pointing fingers at any of our other high schools and compare programs or “who” got “what” from prior bond monies.  I have served on all 5 bond committees over the last 15 years along with many other parent and community leaders from across the District.  I can assure you that equity among the campuses (whether old or new) has always been the utmost concern.  Lee has received an equitable share of the bond monies in updating the campus and facilities. 

Let’s stay focused on the issue at hand and funnel our energies into efforts that will make NESA an even better program than it is now. 

Cheryl Focht

NESA pARTners President

Dr.  Middleton will recommend NESA remain open for next year. 

 NESA is guaranteed more year.   Although Dr. York with the help of Lee Principal, Mr. Cardona, had to make some very painful cuts, NESA will have another year.  NESA PARTNERS will lead the NESA Community fundraising initiative to fill the gaps in funding for future years.   

During our meeting with Dr. Middleton, we answered many of the questions we had.  Here’s a quick list of the some:

• Due to economic circumstances, it is Dr. Middleton’s decision.
• We will look at tuition as a partial funding option.
• We will look for advertising, arts partnerships, endowments and grants for additional funding.
• NESA partners will continue committees with at least one addition.  There will be a finance committee made up of the executive committee and some additional members.
• NESA Partner will go into immediate fund raising mode.

We have been granted another gift.  NESA has been a gift to all of us.  We now have the gift and responsibility that its destiny has been placed in our hands.  I hope the community will continue its support until we have an endowment of sufficient funds that it is self-sustaining.

 Thank you to Dr. Middleton helping start NESA and its continuation.  Thank you to Dr. York and Mr. Cardona for doing some very personally painful and difficult work in cuts and reallocating to save the instructors you could.  Thank you to the NESA children and parents for some incredible talent and motivation.  And thanks to the community, former parents and Alumni for all the support, we need your still.  Please bear with me if you are not of faith, but I am a man of faith and must thank God for his many blessings.

 VIVA NESA!

 Henry Espinoza, VP/President Elect, NESA pARTners

The good news:  The District is NOT looking to close NESA, but instead looking for ways to keep it open beyond 2010-2011.  NESA is expected to stay open next year, albeit looking somewhat different while we explore other funding options.