Posted in: Key Players
UPDATE: 185 Group Coalition to Senate: Pass an Education Jobs Fund
Tags: capitol hill, congress, Education Funding, educators, Jobs, Keep Our Educators Working Act, Layoffs, teachers
Dear Senator,
The undersigned organizations representing the broad range of stakeholders in the education community applaud the U.S. House of Representatives for including in the supplemental appropriations bill a $10 billion Education Jobs Fund to stave off massive educator layoffs and $4.95 billion to address the Pell Grant funding shortfall that threatens to cut grants to eight million college students. We urge the Senate to follow suit, by crafting a bill that can pass the Senate, address these two pending crises and be signed into law as quickly as possible.
By all accounts, hundreds of thousands of teachers, principals, and other education professionals and staff are at grave risk due to ongoing state and local fiscal crises. Without question, layoffs of this magnitude will have long-term negative consequences for our nation’s children and will no doubt impede federal efforts to emerge from the economic recession that has plagued our nation. As a united community, we urge swift Senate action to ensure that the Education Jobs Fund reaches schoolhouse doors before local communities are forced to implement massive layoffs and dramatic program cuts that will harm children and impede progress on needed education reforms.
As the economy has struggled, more and more students have become eligible for Pell Grant funding, resulting in a $5.7 billion shortfall. If we do not act, Pell Grant awards will be slashed by significant amounts, threatening the promise of college attainment for those students who have earned a place in higher education through hard-work and perseverance. Moreover, a failure to address the Pell Grant issue now will only lead to tougher choices when the Appropriations process moves forward. As a united community, we urge swift Senate action to ensure that college opportunity is not denied to worthy students on the basis of financial limitations.
While signs of economic recovery are evident at the national level, states still face a cumulative budget gap of $200 billion for fiscal year 2010 and $180 billion for fiscal year 2011. Thirty-four states cut funding for K-12 education and 37 states cut funding for higher education in 2010. Over 30 states are already planning additional cuts for both K-12 and higher education for fiscal year 2011. Budgetary shortfalls will result in larger class sizes and cut backs to core enrichment activities, even though we can now quantify the enormous positive impact that education yields on our economy. Economic recovery will certainly slow if we allow public sector unemployment to grow through increased layoffs. Cutting education funds and services will only hurt our long-term economic security as the dropout crisis magnifies unemployment over time.
The Education Jobs Fund will distribute monies in the same manner as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) which has already been credited with saving over 300,000 education jobs. This program worked as it was intended and can continue to do so, if the Senate acts quickly. We stand firmly behind the passage of an Education Jobs Fund and the Pell grant shortfall funds. Because some have concerns with the education offsets in the House-passed supplemental, we urge the Senate to work with the House and the Administration to craft a package that can garner the needed votes for swift passage. We believe that through collaboration we can move this bill forward in a timely manner, save jobs, ensure college opportunity, and improve education for all of America’s students.
We ask that you act in the interest of our nation’s students and the teachers and other dedicated employees who serve them admirably every day.
Sincerely,
(UPDATE: New signatories highlighted in red)
AFT Connecticut
AFT Massachusetts
AFT Michigan
AFT Pennsylvania
AFT Washington
AFT West Virginia
AFT Wisconsin
AFT-Oregon
Alabama Education Association
Alabama Association of School Business Officials
Alaska Public Employees Association-AFT
American Association of Classified School Employees
American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
American Association of Community Colleges
American Association of School Administrators
American Association of School Librarians
American Association of School Personnel Administrators
American Association of State Colleges and Universities
American Association of University Women
American Council for School Social Work
American Council on Education
American Counseling Association
American Dance Therapy Association
American Federation of School Administrators, AFL-CIO
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO
American Library Association
American Physical Therapy Association
American School Counselor Association
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
American Student Association of Community Colleges
Americans for Religious Liberty
APPA (Leadership in Educational Facilities)
Arizona Education Association
Arkansas Education Association
Association for Career and Technical Education
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
Association of American Universities
Association of Community College Trustees
Association of Education Service Agencies
Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities
Association of Public and Land-grant Universities
Association of Research Libraries
Association of School Business Officials International
Association of Teacher Educators
Association of Washington School Principals
Baltimore Teachers Union
California School Employees Association, AFL-CIO
California Teachers Association
Chicago Public Schools Office of Federal Legislative Relations
Coalition of Higher Education Assistance Organizations
Colorado Education Association
Columbia University
Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities in New York
Committee for Education Funding
Confederation of Oregon School Administrators
Connecticut Association of School Business Officials
Connecticut Education Association
Cornell University
Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders
Council for Christian Colleges & Universities
Council for Exceptional Children
Council for Opportunity in Education
Council of Chief State School Officers
Council of Great City Schools
Council on Social Work Education
Delaware State Education Association
Douglas County Federation
Duke University
Education Law Center
Education Minnesota
FairTest (National Center for Fair & Open Testing, Inc.)
FED ED, Northbrook, Illinois
Federal Education Association
First Focus Campaign for Children
Florida Education Association
Florida State University
Georgetown University
Georgia Association of Educators
Hawaii State Teachers Association
Health Professionals & Allied Employees
Idaho Education Association
Illinois Education Association ‘“ NEA
Illinois Federation of Teachers
Indiana State Teachers Association
International Reading Association
International Society for Technology in Education
Iowa State Education Association
Iowa State University
Kansas National Education Association
Kentucky Education Association
Latino Elected And Appointed Officials National Taskforce On Education
Learning Disabilities Association of America
Learning First Alliance
Los Angeles Unified School District
Louisiana Association of Educators
Louisiana Federation of Teachers
Magnet Schools of America
Maine Education Association
Maryland State Education Association
Massachusetts Association of School Business Officials, Inc
Massachusetts Teachers Association
MEA-MFT
MENC: The National Association for Music Education
Michigan Education Association
Michigan State University
Mississippi Association of Educators
Missouri NEA
National Alliance of Black School Educators
National Association of Elementary School Principals
National Association of Federally Impacted Schools
National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
National Association of Private Special Education Centers
National Association of School Psychologists
National Association of Secondary School Principals
National Association of State Boards of Education
National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium
National Association of State Directors of Special Education
National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs
National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators
National Council for the Social Studies
National Council of Teachers of English
National Education Association
National Middle School Association
National PTA
National Rural Education Association
National School Boards Association
National Science Teachers Association
National Staff Development Council
National Title I Association
NEA Rhode Island
NEA-Alaska
NEA-New Hampshire
NEA-New Mexico
Nebraska State Education Association
Nevada State Education Association
New Jersey Education Association
New York State Association of School Business Officials
New York State United Teachers
New York University
North Carolina Association of Educators
North Dakota Education Association
Ohio Association of School Business Officials
Ohio Education Association
Ohio Federation of Teachers
Oklahoma Education Association
Oregon Education Association
Pennsylvania State Education Association
Phi Delta Kappa International
Presidents Council, State Universities
Public Education Network
Q.E.D. Foundation
Rebuild America’s Schools
Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals
School Social Work Association of America
Service Employees International Union
South Dakota Education Association
State Educational Technology Directors Association
Stony Brook University
Syracuse University
Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc.
Tennessee Education Association
Texas AFT
Texas State Teachers Association
The College Board
The South Carolina Education Association
UNCF
United Church of Christ Justice & Witness Ministries
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin System
University of Wisconsin-Madison
University Professional and Continuing Education Association
Utah Association of Secondary School Principals
Utah Education Association
Vermont-NEA
Virginia Education Association
Washington Education Association
Washington University in St. Louis
West Virginia Education Association
Wider Opportunities for Women
Wisconsin Education Association Council
Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals
Women’s College Coalition
Wyoming Education Association
Can Educators Save the Middle Class: Reaching Policy Makers
Part three in the series, “Can Educators Save the Middle Class” focuses on educators as effective messengers to policy makers and elected officials.
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Posted July 22nd, 2010 at 4:23 pm
Everybody should read about DEMOCRATS FOR EDUCATION REFORM. That group has been recruiting, financing and bribing politicians, mayors, governors secretary of education and president. They have been working for several years and what we are experiencing today is just a nation wide effect of their work. We should not vote for any of the politicians who have received funds or openly endorse this organization. It is hard to believe that people who were educated mostly in public schools can sell themselves to the power of companies, hedge funds, who want to profit from public funds. The creation of charter schools is nothing else that becoming the middle man to pay teachers and be able to receive loans and funding from private organizations who will make money out of tax breaks of up to 35% designed for this purpose.
http://www.dfer.org/
http://www.actblue.com/partner/dfer
http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00417733
http://www.campaignmoney.com/political/committees/democrats-for-education-reform.asp?cycle=10
State employees across the nation need to get together. Not only teachers. Same day, Nationwide actions are the only way to stop all this nonsense going on against state employees.
No Child Left behind helped companies to make money for 8 years but they never attempted to leave teachers without jobs nor benefits. Today is different, most of the teachers are accomplices because they are not involved, many states have more than 100,000 full time teachers that do not get together because they are separated by school districts, what a mistake; get united and march together, only way to bring back sanity to education. Lets elect teachers to the senate and governors.
Posted July 22nd, 2010 at 8:23 am
Oh, please, please, please. Why do we have to fight and beg to keep our jobs? We have a Secretary of Education who could care less. How did he get this job? We now have a person who is running for governor in Florida who wants to make it easier for principals to fire teachers. What is going on? Is the whole world going crazy? It is frighting what is happening. I personally know teachers who have been bounced around year and year and then let go because they have changed schools too many times. What is going on? I am close to retirement and hope that I can hold on to my job till I can retire. It would also be very supportive if the Secretary of Education and the President of the United States step up and make sure the “human” thing is accomplished. These are our jobs and our passion.
Posted July 15th, 2010 at 11:49 pm
Thank you for standing up for Education. After spending many summers in a row not knowing where I will be teaching from one school year to the next, it pains me to even begin to share with anyone how it feels to be just a number in an educational system that simply hasn’t helped or even cares about keeping me employed. In a system where I have taught and nurtured children with commitment, excellence, and authenticity, I am one who falls through the cracks. Thanks again for your dedicated effort. Perhaps some day I will finally be able to teach and feel a genuine sense of belonging somewhere.
Mrs. Evans in Orlando OCPS and Kelly’s Educational Staffing since 2004!
Posted July 20th, 2010 at 9:03 pm
Windy,
You eloquently described EXACTLY what I am also going through and what I feel. I am an older person who went back to school to fulfill a life-long dream to be a teacher. I just finished my second year of teaching, and I have been pink-slipped both years. I worked in corporate banking for almost 20 years and simultaneously also had my own small business. I have never worked in a profession where You work so hard, do your very best job, are praised by management, fellow teachers, and parents only to be laid off at the end of the year. I was lucky, I was able to return to my same small rural school last year and to the students I love, but I have heard Nothing this year. I am a number on a big list, and I just have to wait and see what happens. I am so praying that this bill will pass the Senate and you and I will be able to return to the profession we love and to the students who need us.
Posted July 15th, 2010 at 4:37 pm
Thank you for creating this letter! I’m a laid off teacher and hope this Bill will bring my job back!