We all begin our careers with foundational knowledge and quickly see how essential it is to keep growing and learning. In the education field, we fundamentally believe learning should have no end. The growth mindset is part of our path forward. We are committed to staying current with the constantly evolving needs of our students in a world that is forever changing.
This is SO true for the field of literacy.
Each year we discover new ways of understanding how our brains learn to read and write and new mediums for accessing and producing information. We live and work in an ever-changing landscape when it comes to means of communication, and unlimited access to content has changed the way we must teach our students to become critical consumers. There is so much to learn and only so many hours and resources available to us in a day.
That is why it’s particularly worrisome that an appropriations bill might make it through Congress with no funding for Title II* of the Every Student Succeeds Act, which is the part of the law that allocates federal funds to states to pay for professional development. Title II also helps districts pay for things like class size reduction, professional learning of all types, and principal and teacher recruitment and training.
Imagine if doctors had no more funding to learn the latest medical advances.
Access to the best thinking and resources in our field shouldn’t be a luxury or a “nice to have.” It should be a given in a profession tasked with preparing all the children in our country to grow into fully literate adults. In the words of our members:
“To deny teachers this funding is to further denigrate a profession that has historically always struggled with issues of legitimacy and professionalism.” Peter A., Virginia
“Title II funds pay for instructional coaches and intervention resources. Cutting them would cut positions, and often these are the leaders in our schools with the most advanced training.” Franki S., Ohio
“Cutting the funding will decrease my students’ access to the most current, creative, and engaging teaching practices and materials available.” Holly S., New York
Please join me in telling our elected officials that Title II funding must be included in the 2018 appropriations bill. There is so much in education that gets short shrift, but to date this particular part of the law has been funded. Now is not the time to stop.
Click here to learn what you can do.
* Funding for Title II is one of the priorities outlined in our Policy Recommendations for the 115th Congress.