Letter from Congressman Hank Johnson

Read and give feedback!

Ms. Marcella Rolle

Lithonia, GA 30038

 

Dear Ms. Rolle,

 

Letter begins here.

Thank you for contacting me regarding H.R. 1, the FY2011 Continuing Resolution (CR). I welcome feedback from my constituents and appreciate you taking the time to write to me on this matter. 

 

Like you, I understand the importance of making necessary budget cuts to eliminate wasteful spending and reduce our nation's deficit. However, I do not believe it is prudent to make drastic funding cuts to programs that are essential in bolstering America's prosperity and global competitiveness, or cuts to programs Americans rely on for their health and safety. 

 

H.R. 1 would make substantial funding reductions to a number of programs and departments that would be harmful for our nation's future. I have strong concerns over proposed funding cuts to essential job training programs at a time where unemployment remains high, cuts to education that will ultimately harm our nation's long-term competitiveness, measures that will inflict harm on the environment and the natural character of our nation's wilderness, as well as cuts made to public health initiatives and biomedical research that are indispensable to the health of our nation's citizens. The proposed CR would also produce a considerable amount of job loss, and I could not support any measure that would further contribute to Americans' unemployment during these tough economic times. 

 

I agree there are many areas where we need to institute funding cuts; however, I believe it is equally important to ensure any cuts will not stifle innovation, harm our economy or the health and well-being of our nation's citizens. For this reason, I voted against H.R. 1 when it passed in the House of Representatives. 

 

Again, thank you for sharing your opinion with me, and I hope you continue to do so in the future. In addition, I encourage you to visit my website at http://hankjohnson.house.gov, where you can find the latest news and obtain information on legislation and issues that are important to you. You may also sign up for my electronic newsletter, and receive periodic updates on my activities as your representative in Washington. I thank you again for contacting me, and I look forward to continuing to serve you.  

 

 

Sincerely,Hank Johnson

Email from Saxby Chambliss: H.R. 1

Below is the response i received from Saxby Chambliss concerning the H.R. 1 bill cutting funding in education. Tell me what you think!!


Dear Ms. Rolle:

Thank you for contacting me regarding funding for education.  It is good to hear from you.

The hope and future of our nation is reliant upon maintaining an exceptional education system.  As the husband of a career educator, my goals are to see increased accountability for students and teachers, improved results for students with disabilities, increased safety in schools and classrooms, and more parental involvement.  Another priority of mine is to provide real financial commitments to public schools. I have consistently supported federally funded education programs such as Communities in Schools, The National Writing Project, and Reach Out and Read. I will also continue to advocate for higher standards and more local control in public school systems.

On March 9, 2011, I voted for H.R. 1, the "Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011," which, as you know, contains cuts for several education and school counseling programs.  I supported this legislation because Congress must begin to seriously address the out of control spending that has driven our nation into a state of fiscal peril.  Because H.R. 1 did not pass the Senate, both Chambers will continue to consider a fiscal year 2011 funding bill.

Recently, I have joined a bipartisan group of senators in an effort to make the tough decisions necessary to resolve this crippling problem facing our nation.  I appreciate the difficult decisions the House of Representatives has faced, and look forward to further discussions on these matters. 

The national debt now exceeds $14 trillion and many of us in Congress are determined to do everything we can to end the reckless, out-of-control spending that is bankrupting our nation and putting us on the brink of fiscal ruin.  This means carefully examining every corner of the federal budget and making difficult choices.  To be sure, as the Senate considers future education and school counseling funding levels, I will keep your comments in mind.

Letter to Congress

For those of you that read my last post and would like to contact your congressman but do not know what to say my letter is below. Please feel free to use it as a template!

Greetings Senator/Representative _____________________

As a constituent of yours I am writing because I strongly oppose H. R. 1. I would like to request you, as my elected official, refuse to pass further cuts to education. Programs such as the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program are vital for our students, especially in time of economic hardship. These cuts will have a negative impact on our students. In a time where we are trying to focus on students first it is imperative that we show them how important they are. Allowing the education budget to be cut does exactly the opposite.

I am currently enrolled in the school counseling program at the University of West Georgia. During my matriculation I have learned the importance of the school counseling program in public schools. The school counselors are the only staff members whose only advocate is the student. If students lose their main advocate where will that leave them and what message will it send? I am urging you to do what it takes not allow this bill to take away one of the major departments in the public school system that advocates for the student. I am asking that if you are not already aware, you research the importance of funding for education specifically in the school counseling department and reconsider this bill. I am asking you to put the students first!

Sincerely,

Marcella Rolle

H.R. 1 is eliminating school counselors!

Within Metro Atlanta you could walk into any school at any time and find a school counselor. Counselors are vital parts of the school system. In elementary schools counselors guide students on a journey of self-discovery learning about how to treat others, bullying, emotions, death & dying and developing a great self-esteem. In middle school counselors are working with students who are beginning to experience some of the things mentioned previously and in high school they provide counseling to develop career and collegiate opportunities among other things.

Teachers rely on counselors to provide guidance and advice when they can’t give individual attention to students in their classroom. Administrations rely on counselors to be abreast of the most recent research concerning testing and counseling strategies. Students rely on counselors to be their number one advocate in the school and parents rely on counselors to make them aware of any issues they may have overlooked in the home and in school.

So why has a bill been passed that will eliminate school counselors in the elementary and secondary schools?! H.R. 1 is doing just that. It is a bill that will cut $10.6 billion (15.3%) of the budget. This bill will eliminate the one advocate in the school that is strictly for the student. As we are trying to increase our awareness of the importance of the student this bill creates a barrier.

There are many other things affected by this bill including decreased funding for IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). I urge you to contact your congressman. You can find out who your representative is here. Email them and let them know you are an educator and you oppose of H.R. 1!

Some Thoughts

So, I've been sitting here for the past two months, well, not literally sitting here, but every now and then, I sit and think about my unemployment status. I think to myself, "Marcella, you have been unemployed for two months and really have no desire to go back in to the field you were in. Actually you are content being a full-time Master's student and holding out until the perfect job in education comes your way." Is this normal?" Should I be so happy in this state? Have you ever asked yourself that? Actually, those of you that are currently unemployed, have you ever found yourself perfectly content in the state you are in? I mean seriously. Now don't get me wrong. I am not referring to those lazy people who have never had a job, are not looking for a job, are not in school and just enjoy doing nothing. I am really talking to those people who are making career changes and won't stop until they find that job that enhances not only their life but another person's life as well; those people who have worked in corporate America for years but finally got a break to reflect on what they really want to do. Doesn't it feel good to be able to take time to make a decision about your next move and not feel pressured to just take anything? Let me help you out, IT FEELS AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was talking to some friends yesterday and I could not hide my excitement about not needing to get up on Monday morning to clock-in to a job I hate and does nothing to benefit society. I remember saying to someone that I would work at a grocery store before I go back into the corporate world. It's ugly out there and can be very depressing. I feel blessed to be where I am. Everyday I am searching for new work and I get excited when I see things like Career Advisor ($29K/yr) or tutor ($9/hr) because I know just working in that environment I would be able to impact another person's life everyday. So to all of you out there trying to get back into the corporate world just for a check I would ask, "Is it really worth it?"

Teach for America in Atlanta

Teach for America is an organization that was set up to bring educated and motivated teachers into low-income areas. They have established precedence all across the country by equipping schools with educators ready to take students to another level with a passion for changing the educational state of the United States.

Georgia has been in the news a few times for failing to meet certain graduation rates among other things. So, Teach for America is certainly welcome in this part of the country. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Beverly L. Hall agrees in saying “In many of my school visits, I go into classrooms where there are Teach for America teachers, and I’m always impressed with them. I think Teach for America is having an impact in more ways than we probably even realize right now.”

This past year metro Atlanta had 195 teachers from the program and they hope to have more. It is imperative that attention is given to these areas where funding is low. What better way to do so than to bring in teachers coming from all walks of life with one common goal…Educating children.

Teacher for America searches for the brightest and the best. They look for passion and the drive to pull through for the students even in the worst case scenarios. Many of the teachers have had previous careers and can teach based on real-life experiences. Some are right out of undergrad and can relate to the students on their level. Whatever walk of life they are coming from Teach for America is ensuring that they will bring the best.

Atlanta has gone through major transformations as a result of the economy and has seen many of their schools not survive. The schools are looking for miracles to stay above the water and continue to provide the best for their students. Teach for America just may be that miracle!

Cobb County soars in standardized tests

This past school year Cobb County seniors outranked the state and national average scores on the SAT. Their county had an average score of 1523 on the test which was 70 points over the state average and 14 points over the national average. That is an amazing feat! The school system also saw an amazing victory with 91% of their schools meeting AYP standards. What is in the water in Cobb County Schools and can we all drink it?!

Earlier reports have shown that many Georgia counties struggled with meeting AYP this year but Cobb County has shown that not all of Georgia is the same. Only three schools of 110 are listed as “needs improvement”.

There are many factors that come into play when evaluating how they came to receive these high test scores. In 2006 only 8% of Cobb County’s classes were taught by “non-highly qualified teachers”. So with over 90% of your classes being taught by highly qualified teachers your school system is bound to improve and your students should be able to count on their teachers to understand and properly deliver the information. In researching information for the current year the numbers show 98.2% of teachers in Title 1 schools were considered highly qualified and 99.1% of teachers in non-Title 1 schools were considered high qualified.

The success of this county in education is something to speak of and also something to look into. For readers with students in school systems who are currently struggling to meet AYP or are currently on the “needs improvement” list check out the school improvement plan here and see what new suggestions you can locate and take to your school district.

All school districts are different and the demographics range significantly but it always helpful to learn from neighboring successful school districts. The ultimate goal is to see all of Georgia school districts succeed.