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ACTION ALERT: Support Federal Education Funding
Please contact your representative who serves on the House Appropriations Committee by FRIDAY, JULY 17 and urge strong support for a progressive federal investment in K-12 education programs for Fiscal Year 2010. This investment will help ensure that school districts can continue the progress underway with the investments made in key programs through the economic stimulus, the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
President Obama’s FY2010 budget request to Congress includes proposals to facilitate greater innovation and accountability for schools, from teacher quality to school-community partnerships. However, the budget request includes proposals to cut funding for key programs and/or provide level funding for others. Urge Congress to:
1) Support the subcommittee’s recommendation to reject any erosion of the Title I funding base;
2) Increase funding for special education;
3) Oppose any cuts to Education Technology grants (which are currently funded at $273 million – FY09);
4) Support the recommendations for new programs that are targeted towards greater student achievement and school performance, including the teacher incentive program, high school graduation initiative and Promise Neighborhoods.
5) Support the increases proposed for English Language Acquisition, Career & Technical Education, and Impact Aid.
Thank you,
Erika Hoffman, Pr. Legislative Advocate (ehoffman@csba.org)
Marites Ares, Legislative Analyst (mares@csba.org)
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject: Please Support Federal Education Funding!
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
As your constituent and a school board member representing schoolchildren in your congressional district, I am writing to urge you to support a progressive federal investment in K-12 education programs for Fiscal Year 2010. I urge you to please:
*Support the subcommittee's recommendation to reject any erosion of the Title I funding base;
*Support an increase in special education (IDEA -- The increased funding level will enable districts to continue fulfilling this mandate after the two-year ARRA funding allocation ends without compromising services and experiencing budget cuts due to a "funding cliff" at the federal level. The budget request would provide level funding of $11.5 billion for IDEA, which is below the amount Congress promised ($23.8 billion) for FY2010 in the IDEA reauthorization of 2004.
*Oppose any cuts to Education Technology grants (which are currently funded at $273 million FY09).
*Support innovative programs targeted towards specific needs to ensure greater student achievement including proposals for a Teacher Incentive Fund, a High School Graduation Initiative, and Promise Neighborhoods that would provide resources for school-community partnerships and integrated services.
*Support the increases proposed for English Language Acquisition, Career & Technical Education, and Impact Aid.
Such an investment will help ensure that school districts can continue the progress underway with the investments made in key programs through the economic stimulus, the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Thank you for your attention to my concerns.
Sincerely,
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