John,

On Election Day, voters across the country made clear that they want pro-public school candidates, not dividers. This didn’t surprise me. As I visit schools and talk with families, I routinely hear what’s on parents’ minds—access to safe and welcoming public schools where their kids can recover and thrive; praise for our Real Solutions for Kids and Communities campaign, which addresses loneliness and learning loss; and implementing well-rounded education that starts with literacy and hands-on, experiential learning. This requires us to invest in and strengthen our public schools.

This week, the extremist forces in the House of Representatives are about to do the opposite of all that, as they consider an education funding bill with massive cuts to the critical education programs students and educators depend on.

And many are, yet again, threatening a government shutdown if they don’t get these cuts.

It’s up to us to stop them. Write to your lawmakers and tell them to oppose the extreme House Republican funding bill. We need real solutions, not cuts.

If these Republicans get their way, this spending bill will:

• Cut Title I funding by 80 percent, which could gut all programs for poor kids in America, including forcing a nationwide reduction of 220,000 teachers from classrooms serving low-income students;
• Eliminate programs for English language learners (Title III), supports for teachers (Title II-A), social and emotional learning grants, Promise Neighborhoods and magnet schools;
• Cut funding for community schools—schools that serve not just students but their families;  
• Decimate funding for job training, cancer research, mental health initiatives, addressing the opioid crisis, eliminating HIV/AIDS, and more; and
• Cut programs to support maternal health, eliminating programs that provide contraception and health services.

These extremist lawmakers should listen to their constituents. We cannot make deep cuts to Title I, public education and healthcare when kids and communities need these resources the most.

Tell Republicans in Congress to stop trying to pass an awful appropriations bill aimed at cutting funding for public education for our most vulnerable students.

In unity,
Randi Weingarten
AFT President