Did our Purim spiel energize you to join the fight for education justice? Marni Falk (DPS teacher/activist & DJJ education justice liaison) invites you to take action against H.R. Bill 610! Read on for info from Marni about the bill and instructions for contacting Michigan reps.
Stop H.R. Bill 610
- This bill will effectively start the school voucher system to be used by children ages 5 to 17, and effectively instigate the de-funding of public schools.
- The bill will eliminate the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESSA) of 1965 which is the nation's educational law and provides equal opportunity in education. It is a comprehensive program that covers programs for struggling learners, AP classes, ESL classes, classes for minorities such as Native Americans, Rural Education, Education for the Homeless, School Safety (Gun-Free schools), Monitoring and Compliance and Federal Accountability Programs.
- The bill has no wording whatsoever protecting special needs kids, no mention of IDEA and FAPE. It could effectively eliminate things the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESSA) of 1965 does for Children with Disabilities, such as access to the general education curriculum, accommodations on assessments, and other protections.
- The bill also abolishes the Nutritional Act of 2012 (No Hungry Kids Act) which provides nutritional standards in school breakfast and lunch. For our most vulnerable, this may be the ONLY nutritious food they have in a day.
Call your Representative (and any other Michigan Representative) and ask him/her to vote NO. We have seen firsthand how schools of choice and the DeVos plan can negatively impact our cities. Also, call your Senators to ensure they will not support similar resolutions.
Representatives (by district):
- Jack Bergman (202) 225-4735
- Bill Huizenga (202) 225-4401
- Justin Amash (202) 225-3831
- John Moolenaar (202) 225-3561
- Daniel Kildee (202) 225-3611
- Fred Upton (202) 225-3761
- Tim Walberg (202) 225-6276
- Mike Bishop (202) 225-4872
- Sander Levin (202) 225-4961
- Paul Mitchell (202) 225-2106
- Dave Trott (202) 225-8171
- Debbie Dingell (202) 225-4071
- John Conyers Jr. (202) 225-5126
- Brenda Lawrence (202) 225-5802
Senators: Gary Peters (202)-224-6221, Debbie Stabenow (202) 224-4822
Sample script:
My name is______________ and I am calling as a concerned constituent from________. I believe that it is essential for us to preserve public education and resources for our most vulnerable students. I urge ____________ to vote NO on HR 610 and help save our public schools, ESSA of 1965, and the Nutritional Act of 2012. In Detroit, we have seen firsthand what dismantling public school funding can do to our children. We can’t afford to lose more.
