Policy Pulse

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December Policy Alert

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Contact your Members of Congress

to Protect Programs that Support
Community Schools for FY 2018

In October, we asked you to contact your members of Congress to protect federal programs that support community schools, and now we're asking you to take two minutes to do this again. Why? Congress has delayed a final vote on the FY 2018 budget until December 22 or later (until then we are operating under a Continuing Resolution which keeps programs level-funded until a final budget is passed.) They need to hear from you to communicate the importance of the multiple programs that support community schools.

Two programs are particularly vulnerable right now:

Full-Service Community Schools, which was funded at $10 million in the House but not funded in the Senate and has 21 current grantees; and
Title II funds that go toward educator professional development and was eliminated in the House.

In addition, we seek to protect funding for the 21^st Century Community Learning Centers program, which at $1.1 billion provides core funding for after-school programs and community schools; and Title I, which at $15.4 billion goes to low-income school districts to improve student outcomes and can pay for coordinators. Finally, we seek to increase funding for Title IV Part A, the new block grant in the Every Student Succeeds Act that can be used to fund community schools. This block grant is authorized at $1.6 billion but only received $400 million in FY 2017.

Take action here to call on Congress to protect and increase funding for these programs to ensure our young people and their families and communities can continue to learn and thrive.

We encourage you to take a step further and take other actions to reinforce the message:

1) Call your Senators and Congressperson and urge them not to cut these programs using our provided script and urge them not to cut these programs

2) Join with other advocates for youth and families in your community and state and advocate to your members of Congress together

3) Visit the district offices of your members of Congress to share this message in-person (or call them)

4) Reach out to your local members of Congress using our Twitter messaging. If you need help finding the Twitter handle to your local Congressperson use George Washington University Twitter Handle Directory of senators and representatives

Thank you in advance for taking a stand for the youth and families in your community and for community schools.

Sincerely,

The Coalition Team

Coalition for Community Schools

www.communityschools.org

October Policy Alert

Contact your Members of Congress

to Protect Programs that Support
Community Schools for FY 2018

By December 8, Congress will need to pass a final budget for FY 2018; until then we are operating under a Continuing Resolution which keeps programs level-funded until a final budget is passed. They need to hear from you to communicate the importance of the multiple programs that support community schools. Take 2 minutes to contact your members of Congress now!

Two programs are particularly vulnerable right now:

Full-Service Community Schools, which was funded at $10 million in the House but not funded in the Senate and has 21 current grantees; and
Title II funds that go toward educator professional development and was eliminated in the House.

Take action here to call on Congress to protect and increase funding for these programs to ensure our young people and their families and communities can continue to learn and thrive.

We encourage you to take a step further and take other actions to reinforce the message:

1) Call your Senators and Congressperson and urge them not to cut these programs

2) Join with other advocates for youth and families in your community and state and advocate to your members of Congress together

3) Visit the district offices of your members of Congress to share this message in-person (or call them)

Want a better understanding of federal and state policy issues? View our latest edition of Policy Pulse which delivers high-quality news in less than 3 minutes.

Thank you in advance for taking a stand for the youth and families in your community and for community schools.

Sincerely,

The Coalition Team

Coalition for Community Schools

www.communityschools.org

What is Policy Pulse?

Policy Pulse videos and written content deliver high-quality news on the latest in federal and state policy relating to community schools in four minutes or less. Featuring Mary Kingston Roche, Public Policy Director for the Coalition for Community Schools, these videos aim to keep you on top of developments in education policy that impact community schools so that you can be engaged and active in these policy developments, and ready to advocate for the community schools in your community. Thanks for watching!