Federal Education Funding Under Attack

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a call to arms.

I was alerted by Supt. Rabinowitz's office, via the National School Boards Association, to call or email Sen. Lieberman's legislative assitant, Rachel, ASAP regarding educational funding in the stimulus package legislation currently before the Senate.

ACTION ON THIS AMENDMENT MAY BE TAKEN TODAY!

I urge you to call his office at 202-224-4815 or to email Rachel_Sotsky@Lieberman.Senate.Gov and ask the Senator not to support any reduction to the House's stimulus bill on education funding. Please forward with abandon and ask people to personalize.

Here's what I wrote:

Dear Rachel,

I’d really like to understand how Sen. Lieberman can, in good conscience, support the Collins/Nelson amendment, which would drastically reduce funding for education in the economic recovery package. It would eliminate the $15 billion Performance Incentive
Grants from the State Stabilization Fund, an additional $24.8 billion from the State Stabilization Fund, $6.75 billion from IDEA, $6.5 billion from Title I, and $50 million from the Teacher Quality State Grant program.

Title I and IDEA do create jobs in schools, as well as prevent people from losing jobs.

• The impact to Hamden would be devastating, as the majority of our schools receive Title 1 and IDEA funding. His support for the amendment will take important funding away from key K-12 education programs. Now is the time for increased federal investment to ensure that our schools can maintain the level of services needed for student achievement. The State is trying to close a billion dollar shortfall and local revenues for education are in a serious decline because of the recession (e.g. falling property values and assessments, declining sales tax receipts, etc.). We are counting on the Federal government to help the nation’s educational system weather this storm.

• Cutting funding in the stimulus is not the answer, especially when many school systems are trying to mitigate thousands of teacher/personnel lay-offs. The stimulus legislation is key to both job creation and to job retention, especially for the nation's school districts.

• The investments to education programs in the stimulus are critical and will help school districts continue the level of services for key education programs and federal mandates, such as special education, that are already underfunded.

Please ask the Senator, on behalf of myself, my family, and all of the children, families and businesses in Hamden, to OPPOSE the Collins/Nelson Amendment.

Thank you for your attention.
Sincerely,
Marjorie Clark

And thank you for your attention and action.

A recap of our council meeting on 2/4/09 coming soon...

Marjorie