2009 NCTE Annual Business Meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Background

Whereas insufficient funding now threatens the ability of schools to provide basic literacy skills for all students;

Whereas education is the foundation for any civil society;

Whereas reading and writing skills can determine the extent to which a citizen can earn a living and participate in a democratic society;

Whereas current drop-out rates already result in the loss of 1.2 million students from public schools annually;

Whereas years of budget cuts have resulted in larger class sizes, fewer materials, and fewer classroom teachers;

Whereas literacy skills support growth in all curriculum areas; and

Whereas years of cuts have placed a growing number of fragile students at risk for leaving school, be it therefore,

Resolution

RESOLVED, that the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) urge its members to contact policy makers at the local, state, and national levels to oppose budget cuts that adversely impact students, especially those most at risk for dropping out of school, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that NCTE continue to press at every opportunity for the inclusion of educators in decisions about budget cuts affecting students’ literacy.

This position statement may be printed, copied, and disseminated without permission from NCTE.