Important action regarding NWP funding is need from each teacher consultant.  Please read below.  The window is open until end of the day Thursday, May 19.  Contact your representative via phone or email with the following message:

Please sign on to the Miller-Van Hollen Dear Colleague letter that would make 5 percent of Title II money for Teacher Quality available for a competitive grant program for effective national programs like the National Writing Project.


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Priscilla L. Griffith
Ruth G. Hardman Chair in Education
Director of the Oklahoma Writing Project
The University of Oklahoma/The Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education
338 Cate Center Drive, Room 190
Norman, Ok 73019
TEL 405-325-3534
FAX 405-325-7841
[log in to unmask]
http://education.ou.edu/hardman/
http://owp.ou.edu

________________________________________
From: NWP Directors and Co-directors Discussion - Elyse Eidman-Aadahl [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2011 11:12 AM
To: Griffith, Priscilla L.
Subject: Alert! Three day window for advocacy on 2012 budget

In last Friday's Loop, we mentioned the new proposals coming out related to ESEA and the 2012 budget and many, many of you asked what you and your T-Cs can do to influence the debate about funding for NWP.  Now we have something, but we all need to act fast.

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What's up
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Rep. George Miller (D- CA) and Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D- MD) have JUST sent out a Dear Colleague letter in the House of Representatives that asks Members to support increasing the Title II set aside for national professional development programs, like the National Writing Project, to 5 percent.

Just to clarify -- this is essentially the same 'set aside' that was built into the 2011 budget to provide competitive funding for national non-profits that support teacher quality, like NWP.  Because it provides for competitive funding, it avoids the earmark issue that prevents Congress from funding us directly. So this could be a very significant direction for our sites.

The Miller- Van Hollen letter proposes increasing the set aside amount to 5 percent. The 2011 budget puts the set aside amount at 1 percent.

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What to do
=======

WE ONLY HAVE 3 DAYS to urge our Representatives to sign the Dear Colleague letter, so please help get the word out to the Teacher Consultants and everyone on your list of supporters. Ask them to email or call their representatives AS SOON AS POSSIBLE and no later than the end of the day on Thursday, May 19.

What they should say is: Please sign on to the Miller-Van Hollen Dear Colleague that would make 5 percent of Title II money for Teacher Quality available for a competitive grant program for effective national programs like the National Writing Project.

Rapid response and volume of contacts are what matter here so we will also be getting the word out in a special site bulletin and through social media. We'll also post information in NWP Works! ning at http://nwpworks.ning.com. Apologies in advance for all the redundant communication, but with only three days to do this we need to blast.

Thank you for your help in getting the word out about this opportunity to provide support for quality professional development for teachers in the FY 2012 budget. Later on, we will be in touch with more information and the list of signees.

Elyse

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NWP Directors and Codirectors
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