NEA's Legislative Action Center - Letters to Congress
Letters

• Letter to Democratic Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees
  

  Letter to Democratic Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees
  

  December 13, 2007

  Dear Representative:

  On behalf of the National Education Association's (NEA) 3.2 million members, we would like to express our disappointment that the current political climate has created a situation in which the federal government cannot provide the funding levels necessary to help all schools and students succeed. NEA has stood together with Democrats in fighting for the resources to ensure great public schools for every child. Now, as you craft a new omnibus bill, we would like to offer the following suggestions:

  • Fund Title I at least to the level the President proposed. Title I services are essential to closing achievement gaps and giving every student the tools necessary for success. We urge you to provide at least the $13.9 billion proposed by the President. 
    
    
  • Fund IDEA special education at least to the percentage funded in FY 07. Over the past decade, the federal share of IDEA funding has risen, but the last two years have seen a slide in the percentage of special education funding provided by the federal government. We urge you to at least prevent any further reduction by providing at least at 17.2 percent ($10.97 billion) of the costs of educating students with disabilities.
    
    
  • Fund Perkins Career and Technical Education programs at least at FY 07 levels. We urge you to reject the President's demand to slice funding in half for this critical program and, instead, to at least retain the current $1.3 billion funding level. 
    
    
  • Eliminate funding for the Teacher Incentive Fund and Abstinence Only education programs. Particularly given the limited resources with which you are working, and the urgent needs in proven, underfunded programs, we believe directing any funds to these two unproven, unnecessary initiatives would reflect the wrong priorities. 

  We thank you for your consideration of the above suggestions, which we respectfully believe reflect the priorities of the vast majority of Democrats. 

  Sincerely,

  
  Diane Shust
  Director of Government Relations

  Randall Moody
  Manager of Federal Advocacy
  

• NEA Legislative Action Center - Letter to the House on the energy bill, which includes a critical provision on Secure Rural Schools
  

  Letter to the House of Representatives

  December 5, 2007

  Dear Representative:

  On behalf of the NEA's 3.2 million members, we urge you to support H.R. 6, which could come before the House of Representatives as early as this evening. This important legislation contains a critical provision to ensure that schools located in timber dependent rural areas have secure funding into the future.

  Among other priorities, H.R. 6 contains a provision that would reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (P.L. 106-393) through 2011. These funds are critical to the survivability of over 775 rural counties and 4,400 schools near national forests in 42 states across the country. The Secure Rural Schools and Communities program has made a real difference for schools in rural, timber dependent counties, by ensuring them a consistent funding stream. Prior to implementation of this program, schools in heavily timbered counties were in crisis, experiencing dramatic reductions in funding. The program has restored critical educational services for students in rural schools and prevented the closure of numerous isolated rural schools.

  Unfortunately, P.L. 106-393 expired at the end of 2006 and is currently operating on a one-year extension. Failure to provide a more permanent solution for these schools and counties would be devastating. A longer-term solution is included in H.R. 6 and we urge your support.

  Sincerely,

  Diane Shust, Director of Government Relations

  Randall Moody, Manager of Federal Advocacy

• NEA Legislative Action Center - Letter to Congress to craft an omnibus spending package for fiscal year 2008 that funds critical education programs at the highest possible levels
  

  Letter to the Full Congress

  December 3, 2007

  Dear Senator/Representative:

  On behalf of the National Education Association's (NEA) 3.2 million members, we urge Congress to craft an omnibus spending package for fiscal year 2008 that funds critical education programs at the highest possible levels.

  We were deeply disappointed that the House fell just two votes short of overriding the President's veto of the FY08 Labor-HHS-Education funding bill -- a bill that would have made a real difference in ensuring schools and students the resources necessary to succeed. As Congress now crafts an omnibus funding package, we urge you to keep in mind the urgent need for meaningful increases for education programs including:

  • Programs under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). NCLB was based on laudable goals of maximizing student achievement and closing achievement gaps. Yet, many schools lack the resources needed to implement proven strategies to close achievement gaps, such as smaller classes, early childhood education, after-school programs, and improved professional development for teachers and education support professionals. Providing mandates without the resources necessary to implement them simply sets up schools and students for failure. For example, if Title I were fully funded at its authorized level, an additional 4.5 million children could receive needed services. These services are essential to closing achievement gaps.
    
    
  • IDEA. For more than 30 years the federal government has mandated that local school districts be responsible for educating special education students, regardless of cost. Over the past decade, the federal share of IDEA funding has risen, but the last two years have seen a slide in the percentage of special education funding provided by the federal government. Please reverse this trend and fund IDEA at the highest possible level.
    
    
  • Career and Technical Education. The last substantial increase in funding for Career and Technical Education occurred in FY 2002. Since that time, funds have actually decreased by $17 million, although funding needs have grown dramatically. From 1999-2000 to 2002-2003, enrollment in career and technical education increased by almost 60 percent, and this trend is continuing. Enrollment increased 13 percent from the 2002-2003 school year to the 2004-2005 school year. We urge Congress to reject the President's demands to cut in half funding for this important program.

  We thank you for your consideration of our views on these important issues.

  Sincerely,

  Diane Shust, Director of Government Relations

  Randall Moody, Manager of Federal Advocacy

• NEA Legislative Action Center - Letter to all House Members who voted to override the veto of the Labor-HHS-Ed approps bill
  

  Letter to U.S. House Members

  
  November 30, 2007

  Dear Representative: 

  On behalf of the National Education Association's (NEA) 3.2 million members, I would like to thank you for your recent vote to override the President's veto of the FY08 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill -- a vote that reflected your strong support for our nation's public schools and the students they serve. 

  NEA members were deeply disappointed that the House fell just two votes short of overriding the President's veto. The FY08 Labor-HHS-Education funding bill would have provided significant increases for vital education programs, reversing the devastating trend of cuts and freezes to education funding in recent years and helping provide schools and students the resources necessary to succeed. 

  Thank you for taking a strong stand in support of children and public education. We look forward to continuing to work with you to ensure great public schools for every child. 

  Sincerely,

  Reg Weaver, President
  National Education Association
  
  

• NEA Legislative Action Center - Letter to Senator Barack Obama supporting his Success in the Middle Act
  

  Letter to Senator Barack Obama

  November 29, 2007

  Dear Senator Obama:

  On behalf of the National Education Association's (NEA) 3.2 million members, we would like to express our support for the Success in the Middle Act of 2007 (S. 2227). We thank you for your leadership in offering this legislation, which would focus needed resources on high-need middle schools.

  As you know, middle schools receive few resources in the education system, but are over-represented in the category of schools identified for improvement under No Child Left Behind. We know from research that