As I write this, the Illinois State Legislature is putting the final touches on next year’s budget and spending plan. Everything that is being passed is woefully inadequate to safeguard the needs of Illinois citizens. Continue a deficit of at least $7 billion? No problem. Continue to hold off paying bills for six or more months, putting schools and clients of social service agencies in jeopardy? No problem. Needing to fight to get one vote to make the pension payments now even though the decision would save the state $20 billion later? Standard practice. It doesn’t look much like the state will do anything to save up to 20,000 educator jobs and do the right thing for our children and our most at-risk citizens.
But 20,000 is less than 7% of all the education jobs currently at risk around the U.S. Nationwide, state budget problems are expected to generate over 300,000 educator pink slips this spring. That represents a major challenge building a quality education program AND to the fragile economic recovery in this country. That is why the NEA has opened its “Speak Up For Education and Kids” campaign.
The campaign started on Wednesday, May 26 when over 12,000 calls were made to members of Congress. This national call-in urged our representatives to support adding education jobs to an emergency funding bill. A press conference featuring NEA President Dennis Van Roekel, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, and Congressional Committee Chair Congressman Dave Obey (D-Wisconsin) and Congressman George Miller (D-California) highlighted these efforts.
NEA is also running television ads and radio spots in critical media markets. A campaign has also started on Facebook and other social network services.
It is not too late to participate. You can help save 300,000 teaching jobs – maybe even your own. So while you are working hard lobbying your state legislators to do the right thing in Illinois, take a moment to e-mail or call your member of Congress at 866-608-6355 and the Representative to protect the future of our children by supporting funding to save education jobs in the emergency funding bill.
When you are done, don’t forget to tell your family and friends to also stand up for the future, and contact their representatives as well.