IMPORTANT ADVOCACY OPPORTUNITY — UNITED STATES CONGRESS
After 8 year’s delay, Congress is finally ready to seriously consider a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act — better known as No Child Left Behind. This is a comprehensive rewrite of the bill and contains important provisions for gifted and talented children. This is the first time that programs and services for gifted students will receive federal protection. The National Association for Gifted Children called the day the conference committee reached agreement on the bill A Good Day for Gifted Education Advocates.
We urge you to contact our two Senators and your District Representative and urge them to vote “yes” on the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2016. We do not at this time have a bill number. It will first be taken up in the House and then move to the Senate. The House is widely expected to vote on the bill as early as Thursday, with the Senate following shortly thereafter. Senator Patty Murray was chief Senate Democratic negotiator on the bill.
In your message, identify yourself as a constituent. We suggest wording similar — but not identical — to what follows:
“I urge you to vote “yes” on the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015.
“This bill contains important provisions for the educational opportunities available to gifted and talented students. Washington is the only state in the USA that has made Highly Capable Programs (gifted education) a mandatory part of basic education. But we also need the provisions for professional development for teachers and principals and the expansion of the Javits Grant found in this bill in order to better serve these students of high potential.
“We have waited long enough for this reauthorization. I strongly urge you to vote “yes” on the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 when it comes up for a vote in order to give Washington students the education they deserve to reach their potential.”
You can contact our two Senators and your district representative using the following link.
http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/cgi-bin/newseek.cgi?site=congressmerge&state=wa
Thank you for your attention to this important advocacy opportunity.