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NCTE’s Statement on the President’s Proposed Budget for FY18

May 24, 2017

(Washington, DC) – Emily Kirkpatrick, Executive Director of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), issued the following statement today in response to the President’s fiscal year 2018 (FY 2018) budget submitted to Congress:

“NCTE is concerned about the impact that the White House’s proposed cuts and diversion of Title I funds will have on public schools. The budget eliminates two programs central to NCTE’s members:

1. Title II funding that supports teacher recruitment and professional learning
2. The Literacy Education for All, Results for the Nation (LEARN) program, which is the only literacy funding available to states that focuses on support for the reading and writing instruction of children from birth to grade 12

In addition, the White House is proposing cuts that will impact students seeking higher education. These cuts, along with the proposed investment of $1 billion for school choice, are of grave concern to NCTE, given our commitment to equity in education. They are in direct contradiction to our policy recommendations.

As Congress continues to work on the FY18 budget, we urge our leaders to protect funding for public education so that all citizens are prepared to participate in a competitive economy and a strong democracy.”

The National Council of Teachers of English promotes the development of literacy for all people so they may achieve full participation in society. We do this by learning from and providing support to teachers of English and the related arts and sciences of language. NCTE is the nation’s most comprehensive literacy organization, supporting teachers across the preK–college spectrum. Through the expertise of its members, NCTE has served at the forefront of every major improvement in the teaching and learning of English and the language arts since 1911. For more information, please visit http://www.ncte.org.