John,

Extremists in the House are putting forth an appropriations bill that includes drastic cuts to Head Start, K-12 education, need-based college financial aid, and youth and adult job training.

This is one of the most egregious attacks on public education that we’ve seen in decades.

We’re on the heels of a once-in-a-century global pandemic that saw millions of children and families struggling and test scores plummet. According to the National Association of Education Progress, the average scores, from tests given last fall, declined 4 points in reading and 9 points in math, compared with tests given in the 2019-2020 school year, and are the lowest in decades.¹

Among Black students, math scores declined 13 points, while white students had a 6-point drop. Now is the time to invest in public education to reduce these gaps, not cut funding.

Join us in calling on Congress to reject House education cuts that hurt our children and deepen inequality.

Thank you for all you do,

Meredith Dodson
Senior Director of Public Policy, Coalition on Human Needs

¹ NAEP Long-Term Trend Assessment Results: Reading and Mathematics

-- DEBORAH'S EMAIL --

John,

Public education is the bedrock of our society, but―if right wing extremists in Congress have their way―it risks crumbling to pieces while exacerbating racial inequity.

The House bill covering labor and education funding for FY2024 cuts $64 billion from public education, preschool funding, and job training for young adults and working families. House extremists are intent on cutting every level of education, from preschool through college―cutting out the major engine for economic progress for families who aren’t rich.

Appropriations Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) said:¹

“When 161 House Republicans voted earlier this year to eliminate all K-12 funding at the Department of Education, I was horrified, but that was just the beginning. Now, in the midst of a teacher shortage, they have introduced a bill that would kick 224,000 teachers from classrooms. We are witnessing a widespread attack on education at all levels that should horrify all of us. From preschool to Federal Work Study to financial aid to job training programs, regardless of age or stage in life, this bill means you cannot count on the government for any help. These awful cuts will make it very hard for people and should not even be considered by the full Appropriations Committee.”

Low- and middle-income families are feeling the pain from all sides and the last thing needed are cuts to public education and job training programs. Send a direct message to your representative demanding they reject drastic cuts to education.

This extremist bill would:

• Eliminate Preschool Development grants and take away early childhood education opportunities from 51,000 students through drastic cuts to Head Start.²

• Slash K-12 funding for low-income school districts from $18.4 billion to only $3.7 billion―equal to the loss of 224,000 teachers.

• Eliminate the English Language Acquisition program, ending English training for 5 million students.

• Eliminate Federal Work Study for 659,000 students who need it to help pay for college.³

• Eliminate need-based financial aid for 1.7 million students through the elimination of the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants.⁴

• Eliminate the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Job Training, which means 126,000 youth and 294,000 adults would lose access to job training and employment services.⁵

Horace Mann called Education “the great equalizer.” Perhaps it is the House majority’s aversion to all-things-equality that explains why they cut 28% from the Department of Education―that could take at least 220,000 teachers out of low-income classrooms and eviscerate the programs that help at-risk youth build a brighter future.

Federal dollars for education help states and local communities fill in the funding gaps for primary and secondary education for low-income communities. And the learning gaps are stark now, with worsening test scores during the pandemic and a wide gap between Black and brown students and white students.⁶

Our students, teachers, and families deserve better. These young people are the future of our society and economy, and if we don’t make up for lost ground, societal, racial, and income gaps are only going to increase.

The United States is the richest country on Earth. All of our children and youth deserve to have access to quality education in safe environments. Click here to tell Congress to support, not cut, education funding.

Thank you for all you do to support public education,

Deborah Weinstein
Executive Director, Coalition on Human Needs

¹ Congresswoman DeLauro Press Conference - Cuts to Dept. of Education Programs
² FY 2024 HOUSE REPUBLICAN LABOR-HHS-EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS BILL Impact of Cuts to Head Start
³ FY 2024 HOUSE REPUBLICAN LABOR-HHS-EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS BILL Impact of Cuts to Federal Work Study
⁴ FY 2024 HOUSE REPUBLICAN LABOR-HHS-EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS BILL Impact of Cuts to Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
⁵ FY 2024 HOUSE REPUBLICAN LABOR-HHS-EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS BILL Impact of Cuts to WIOA Adult Job Training Grants
⁶ Education's long COVID: 2022-23 achievement data revealed stalled progress toward pandemic recovery