NEA Ed-Insider May 9, 2003

NEA Ed-Insider May 9, 2003

Education Insider

A weekly review of progress on the Quality Public Schools Agenda and other legislation that impacts our students, classrooms, and public education.

May 9, 2003

ACTION ALERT!

May 14 -- National Call In Day
Call Congress! 202-224-3121

-- THE EDUCATION MESSAGE --

Do the right thing.

Support state fiscal relief.

Don't put tax cuts ahead of our states and our schools.

Oppose D.C. vouchers.

Voters reject 'cheaper by the half loaf' --
According to a nonpartisan poll released last month -- and confirmed by almost every other poll on American's attitudes toward tax cuts -- 80 percent of respondents preferred to have resources dedicated to such programs as education, health care and Social Security over tax cuts.

Congress, nevertheless, continues to march blithely forward putting tax cuts ahead of state and local needs.

I'm sorry that the states are in deficit…" - President George Bush: The Senate bill would provide $20 billion in state fiscal relief. The House proposal for direct aid to states is $0. The cheapest tax cut proposed: $350 billion.

Education - doing more with less: Congress continues to underfund the federal share of special education mandates. The 'No Child Left Behind Act' imposes new unfunded mandates.

http://capwiz.com/nea/issues/alert/?alertid=1932796

'Just say NO' to D.C. Vouchers.
Discussions between Administration officials and Mayor Anthony Williams would turn Washington D.C. into a laboratory for school vouchers. Vouchers are not the solution to improving educational opportunity in the District's schools.

There is no solid evidence that vouchers improve student achievement.

Vouchers would not expand the options available to parents in the District.

Vouchers lack accountability.

Vouchers do nothing to improve opportunities for children in D.C. public schools.

Education reform must focus on improving public schools where the vast majority of children will continue to be educated.

http://capwiz.com/nea/issues/alert/?alertid=2169846

IDEA Update:
Further action awaits a Senate bill now expected in late May.

GPO/WEP Repeal Bills -- Cosponsor News = MORE! (www.nea.org/lac/socsec/)

H.R. 594 (McKeon (R-CA)-Berman (D-CA) now has 206 cosponsors plus one nonvoting.

S. 349 (Feinstein (D-CA)-Collins (R-ME) has 18 cosponsors.


Government Relations 202-822-7300 http://www.nea.org/lac		1201 16th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036

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