Body HPAE, AFT, and 92 other organizations recently signed on to the below letter to the Senate urging inclusion in the supplemental of both the $10 billion education jobs fund and the $4.95 billion Pell grant funding shortfall. Take a look at what we said:
Enable JavaScript in your browser to view this document as it was initially formatted. July 15, 2010 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, American Association of Classified School Employees American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education American Association of Community Colleges American Association of School Administrators American Association of School Librarians 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 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 Association for Career and Technical Education Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Association of American Universities 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 California School Employees Association, AFL-CIO Chicago Public Schools Office of Federal Legislative Relations Coalition of Higher Education Assistance Organizations Columbia University Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities in New York Committee for Education Funding
Connecticut Association of School Business Officials Cornell University 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 Duke University Education Law Center First Focus Campaign for Children Florida State University International Reading Association International Society for Technology in Education Iowa State University Learning Disabilities Association of America Massachusetts Association of School Business Officials, Inc MENC: The National Association for Music Education Michigan State University 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 PTA National School Boards Association National Science Teachers Association National Staff Development Council National Title I Association New York State Association of School Business Officials New York University Ohio Association of School Business Officials Phi Delta Kappa International Presidents Council, State Universities Q.E.D. Foundation School Social Work Association of America Service Employees International Union State Educational Technology Directors Association Stony Brook University Syracuse University
Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. The College Board United Church of Christ Justice & Witness Ministries University of Washington University of Wisconsin System University of Wisconsin-Madison Washington University in St. Louis Wider Opportunities for Women Women’s College Coalition