Funding took center stage this week in Congress and the Administration, with debates on resources for the current and next fiscal years:

FY 2011 Continuing Resolution: This week, the House and Senate passed a continuing resolution (CR) for the rest of the current fiscal year.  The NEA-opposed CR cuts or eliminates funding for a number of education programs, including the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, and includes an across the board cut that will impact programs like Title I and IDEA.  It also expands the District of Columbia private school voucher program.  See how your Representative and Senators voted.  Read NEA's letter opposing the CR. 

FY 2012 Budget: As of this writing, the House of Representative is expected to pass very shortly a budget proposal for fiscal year 2012 (which begins October 1) that will result in more joblessness for the middle class and more tax breaks for the wealthiest in our country.  The middle class continues to struggle to find work, pay more for health care, and worry about their children's education and future.  Seniors continue to worry about their retirement security.  Yet, the House budget provides rhetoric rather than solutions. 

It is unconscionable to expect children, the elderly, the poor, and the disabled to bear the brunt of the pain while sparing the wealthy corporations and greedy CEOs.  The single largest contributing factor to the deficit is the tax cuts enacted under the last administration and renewed in 2010.  It cost our nation $700 billion to extend the tax cuts for single filers earning over $200,000 a year and joint filers earning over $250,000. 

• See NEA's charts comparing the cost of the tax cuts to the cost of providing needed resources for Title I, IDEA, Pell Grants, and Head Start.   

• Read NEA's letter to the full House opposing the budget.

The House is also expected to reject a Democratic alternative budget that would allow for growth in funding for education, research, and innovation; sustain the maximum Pell grant award at $5,550; and protect Medicaid and Medicare.

This week, President Obama also gave a budget speech in which he:

• Said that he "will not sacrifice the core investments that we need to grow and create jobs....We will invest in education.  We will invest in job training.  We will do what we need to do to compete, and we will win the future." 
  
  
• Promised, "I will not allow Medicare to become a voucher program that leaves seniors at the mercy of the insurance industry, with a shrinking benefit to pay for rising costs....We will reform these programs, but we will not abandon the fundamental commitment this country has kept for generations."
  
  
• Said "both parties should work together now to strengthen Social Security for future generations.  But we have to do it without putting at risk current retirees, or the most vulnerable, or people with disabilities; without slashing benefits for future generations; and without subjecting Americans' guaranteed retirement income to the whims of the stock market."

Read the President's full speech and NEA's response to the President's speech.

Congress is in recess until May 2.  When they return, action on funding will shift to the Senate.  

Take Action TODAY:  Tell your Senators to support children, the middle class, and those in greatest need. 

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ESEA Reauthorization On The Horizon: Tell Policymakers To Listen To The Experts - Educators!

Congress could take up reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in the next few months.  In fact, Senate Education Committee Chair Tom Harkin (D-IA) has indicated that he would like to move a bill through the Senate by this summer.  With so many new Members serving in the 112th Congress, it is essential that the experts - educators working every day in public schools across the nation - are front and center in the debate.  Members of Congress need to be educated about the flaws in the No Child Left Behind Act and what is really needed to ensure great public schools for every student. 

Take Action Today: Tell Congress that every child deserves a great public school, and that legislators need listen to educators if they want to learn how to make that happen.

Take Action in the Next Few Weeks:  Congress returns home for recess April 18-29.  Educators should take advantage of this opportunity to talk with Members of Congress back in their districts about ESEA reauthorization.  Share your story and tell policymakers what works best in your school or classroom.  Call your Member's district office to set up an appointment, or visit the Member's website to find out about town hall meetings in your area.

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The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a hearing April 14 on "State and Municipal Debt: Tough Choices Ahead."  The hearing featured Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker whose appearance was advertised by the Committee as "To understand impediments to reform and what it takes to climb out of a deep fiscal hole, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker will testify about how he successfully championed sweeping reforms that will keep his state solvent."  Governor Walker took the opportunity to defend his actions in ramming through the state legislature anti-union, anti-public worker legislation.  Walker stated, "

Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin provided an alternative point of view, explaining how he has been able to work collaboratively with unions in Vermont to address fiscal challenges.  Governor Shumlin stated, "Vermont is an excellent illustration of what states can do when we put aside partisan differences, tone down heated rhetoric between labor and management, and work together for the best interests of our citizens." 

• Read NEA's statement submitted to the Committee.
• Read a blog post by Republican NEA member Pat Schmidt, responding to Governor Walker's anti-union attacks.  The blog post was also shared with the Oversight Committee as they conducted their hearing.  
• Watch the full hearing or read the full transcript.  

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Cheers to:

Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin (D), who during his eloquent testimony before the House Oversight Committee said, "I do not believe that those to blame for our current financial troubles are our law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other state employees whose services we take for granted.  The notion that a state trooper making a middle class living with health care benefits for her family, or a snow plow driver who works long hours in dangerous conditions and makes a decent but modest wage, is responsible for this problem is simply false."

 Members of the House Oversight Committee who stood up for public employees during the April 14 hearing, including:

Representatives Elijah Cummings (D-MD), who said, "I strongly oppose efforts to falsely blame middle-class American workers for these current economic problems.  This recession was not caused by them.  Working America - fire fighters, teachers and nurses - are not responsible for the reckless actions of Wall Street, which led to this crisis in the first place.  I also strongly object to efforts by politicians who try to use the current economic downturn to strip American workers of their rights - the right to negotiate working conditions that are safe, the right to negotiate due process protections against being fired arbitrarily, and the right to negotiate fair pay for an honest day's work."



Representative Gwen Moore (D-WI), who, although not even on the Oversight Committee attended the April 14 hearing and challenged Governor Walker, asking why he gave $117 million in tax breaks  while balancing the budget on the backs of the poor and cutting education. 

Representative Mike Ross (D-AR), who spoke on the House floor in support of education funding during debate on the continuing resolution, stating "Proven programs like Title I, IDEA, and education technology should be maintained and prioritized because they provide essential services to the students with the greatest needs throughout our nation.  In addition, I am concerned that we are moving away from basic education aid to all states and increasingly relying on competitive grants, which often disadvantage rural school districts like many in my state."

 Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) , who said during debate on the FY 2012 budget, "The size of our deficit, the level of our taxes, those are important, but they are not the sole lens through which the strength of America should be viewed.  We want an America where the young have educational opportunity, where the not so young have the dignity of their old age, and a bigger middle class shares in the success of our country.  To secure our long-term future, every American can give a little.  But this unfair proposal asks little from those with much, and so much from those who have so little. "
 Senators  Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Representative Sam Graves (R-MO), who announced this week their introduction of resolutions commemorating American Teacher Week.  The resolutions thank teachers for their service; promote the profession of teaching; and encourage students, parents, school administrators, and public officials to participate in teacher appreciation events during ''National Teacher Appreciation Week.

 Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), who advocated on the Senate floor this week, "a balanced [budget] approach that includes spending cuts and necessary revenue increases while continuing to make crucial investments in education, infrastructure, and research, the investments that are absolutely essential if we are going to stay competitive in a global economy."

Jeers to:

House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA), who convened the April 14 hearing as a platform to allow Governor Walker to defend his attacks on public employees. 

 Representative Dennis Ross (R-FL), who, at the April 14 hearing argued against collective bargaining, claimed that union activities cost millions to taxpayers, and stated that he was "offended" by the actions of the 14 Wisconsin Senators who left the state to block a vote on the anti-union bill.
 Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA), who at the April 14 hearing stated that defined benefit pension plans are "an illusion."

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ESEA Reauthorization On The Horizon: Tell Policymakers To Listen To The Experts - Educators!