Federal Legislative Update from NEA: Urge Congress to craft a "Budget Resolution" that reflects the importance of education to strengthening the economy

Congress is beginning work on the Congressional Budget Resolution for fiscal year 2010 (which begins October 1, 2009). The Budget Resolution is a broad blueprint for how federal dollars will be spent. 

Later this year, Congress will work on a spending bill that uses this blueprint to give funding to specific programs.President Obama released an outline of his budget proposal last month.  He is expected to provide more specific details on his proposal in late April or early May Congress will likely use the President's outline as a guideline in putting together the Congressional Budget Resolution.
NEA believes the budget should:

• Build on the historic increases for education included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), particularly for Title I and IDEA/special education;
  
• Support the Administration's plan to create more opportunities for students to attend college;
  
• Reflect support for education needs that have been neglected in past years, such as Perkins Career and Technical Education, education technology, and after school programs.
  
• Support the Administration's commitment to reform health care that provides access to quality, affordable and comprehensive health care coverage for all residents of the United States.

• Teachers be paid at their daily rate of pay for required professional development training in excess of the 190 contract days, and
  
• School districts adopt the next year's professional development calendar and make it available to teachers by May 1 of each school year, or the date that the school calendar is adopted, whichever is earlier.This bill will go before the Senate Education Committee next week.

Together we can, and together we will build a great public school for every child.