URGENT ACTION ALERT on Highly Qualified Teachers

ACTION ALERT
"Highly Qualified Teacher" Provision
Call your Senators TODAY!

Background:

In the dead of night last December Congress passed a bill to fund the federal government for Fiscal Year 2013.  They attached a provision to the bill that allows people who enter an alternate route teacher preparation program to be considered "highly qualified" on the first day they are enrolled in the program.   In other words, your child’s teacher could be called highly qualified while he or she is, at the same time,learning to become a teacher!  Many of these "teachers" are placed as special education teachers and may be teaching your child.

This provision is set to expire at the end of Fiscal Year 2012, or when Congress finally finishes legislation to fund programs for Fiscal Year 2013. Congress is working on funding for Fiscal Year 2013 now!

On Tuesday June 12 the Senate can change this bad policy!   The Labor-Health and Human Services-Education Appropriations Subcommittee will vote on a bill to fund programs for Fiscal Year 2013 and can let this provision expire or vote to continue it.

Let the Senate know our neediest students deserve better!  LDA is part of a coalition of  87 disability, civil rights, parent, principal, rural and education advocacy groups who have banded together to get rid of this provision.  If Congress votes to continue this bad policy, we at least want the federal government to start collecting information from school, districts and states that will let parents know if their child's teacher is credentialed and fully prepared to support their child in the classroom.

Take Action Now:

Call the members of the Senate Appropriations Committee: The list with phone numbers can be found at the bottom of this message.  It is important that you make these calls BEFORE Tuesday June 12. 

Communicate this Message:

§         Identify yourself as a member of the Learning Disabilities Association of America and give your role (parent/teacher/person with a learning disability, etc.).

Then say:

§  "On Tuesday, June 12 at 2 PM, the Senate appropriations subcommittee that funds education is scheduled to consider an important issue to me."  

§  "I ask that your office oppose any effort that will extend a bad federal policy to allow teachers in training to be called “highly qualified.” This is not fair to parents or to students with learning disabilities!"

§  "If the provision must be extended, I request the federal government start collecting information from schools, districts and states that will let parents know if their child’s teacher is credentialed and fully prepared to support their child in the classroom.:" 

§ " Can I count on you to stand up for children with learning disabilities?"

Thanks!!

Each entry, below lists subcommittee members by Senator, State, Education Legislative Aide, and Phone #:

Daniel K. Inouye
HI
D
Anthony Ching
(202) 224-3934

Patrick J. Leahy
VT
D
Kathryn Toomajian
(202) 224-4242

Tom Harkin
IA
D
(202) 224-3254

Barbara A. Mikulski
MD
D
Mario Cardona
(202) 224-4654

Herb Kohl
WI
D
Jessah Foulk
(202) 224-5653

Patty Murray
WA
D
Sarah Bolton
(202) 224-2621

Dianne Feinstein
CA
D
Ashley Eden
(202) 224-3841

Richard J. Durbin
IL
D
Joanna Serra
(202) 224-2152

Tim Johnson
SD
D
Carrie Johnson
(202) 224-5842

Mary L. Landrieu
LA
D
Tasha Hensley
(202) 224-5824

Jack Reed
RI
D
Moira Lenehan
(202) 224-4642

Frank R. Lautenberg
NJ
D
Kyle Brown
(202) 224-3224

Ben Nelson
NE
D
Charlie Ellsworth
(202) 224-5274

Mark Pryor
AR
D
Sarah Holland
(202) 224-2353

Jon Tester
MT
D
Alpha Lillstrom
(202) 224-2644

Sherrod Brown
OH
D
Marjorie Glick
(202) 224-2315

Thad Cochran
MS
R
Will Todd
(202) 224-5054

Mitch McConnell
KY
R
Sarah Arbes
(202) 224-2541

Richard C. Shelby
AL
R
Andrew Newton
(202) 224-5744

Kay Bailey Hutchison
TX
R
Dana Barbieri
(202) 224-5922

Lamar Alexander
TN
R
Peter Oppenheim
(202) 224-4944

Susan Collins
ME
R
Kenneth Altman
(202) 224-2523

Lisa Murkowski
AK
R
Karen McCarthy
(202) 224-6665

Lindsey Graham
SC
R
Courtney Titus
(202) 224-5972

Mark Kirk
IL
R
Jeannette Windon
(202) 224-2854

Dan Coats
IN
R
Casey Murphy
(202) 224-5623

Roy Blunt
MO
R
Kristina Weger
(202) 224-5721

Jerry Moran
KS
R
Brian Perkins
(202) 224-6521

John Hoeven
ND
R
Emily Tryon
(202) 224-2551

Ron Johnson
WI
R
Elizabeth Schwartz
(202) 224-5323 

SENT BY:
Sharon Tanner
Director of Membership & Development
LDA National Headquarters
4156 Library Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15234
412-341-1515 x209
stanner@ldaamerica.org

LDA...Empowering Individuals and Creating Opportunities

Link to the letter from the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities