The Bush administration has tried desperately to build the appearance of progress on public education. But the reality is that the White House and Congress continue to shortchange our schools -- cutting billions of dollars promised to our kids while burdening local districts with new costs and new bureaucracy.[1] And now, instead of coming to the rescue of desperate school districts, a memo leaked from the president's budget office reveals Bush plans for even deeper cuts in nearly every education program.
It is time to hold Washington's feet to the fire, time to end the pattern of broken promises and get serious about our schools.
Next week, on Wednesday September 22nd, MoveOn will join more than 40 groups in co-hosting house parties across the nation. The goal is to highlight the failures of our national leadership on public education, and to begin to build solutions. More than 2000 house parties are already planned. With your help we will build the largest national mobilization for public schools ever. To find a house party in your neighborhood, go to:
http://www.greatpublicschools.org/
Despite his lip service, President Bush is NOT taking the action our schools need. Washington is handing out tax breaks to millionaires while forcing school districts to lay off teachers. And while our tax dollars fund school construction in Iraq, Congress has slashed the budget for school construction here at home.
The facts speak for themselves:
More American children than ever are pouring into already overcrowded schools.
Many attend their first day of school without the preschool education so vital to learning.
America now faces the largest wave of teacher retirements in our history, while young teachers leave the classroom at alarming rates.
14 million children are home alone after school, but after-school programs are the first to be cut in the current budget crunch.
College costs are soaring, but loan and grant programs are not keeping up.
The only way great public schools will become a REAL priority in Washington is when teachers, parents, students and concerned citizens join together to demand that empty rhetoric be replaced with results. That's what Wednesday night's house parties are all about.
