: PTA Takes Action Alert — July 28, 2009

Call Senate Appropriators Today! Help Increase Funding for Parental Involvement

This Thursday, July 30, the Senate Appropriations Committee is expected to finalize its Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 funding bill for important programs housed under the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education.  Now is the time to ask Senate Appropriators to increase funding for Parental Information and Resource Centers (PIRCs). Last week, the House voted to provide level funding for PIRCs at $39.25 million. This is far short of the $86 million PIRCs need annually to effectively provide statewide leadership, capacity-building, technical assistance, training and support in the implementation of parent involvement programs, policies, and activities that support student achievement.

PIRC funding is currently the only source of federal funding intended exclusively to help schools and communities meet the parental involvement requirements mandated in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act – No Child Left Behind (ESEA-NCLB). PIRCs provide parents, organizations, schools, districts, and state educational agencies with comprehensive training, information, and support for parent involvement from early childhood through adolescence. State PIRCs and PTAs have also leveraged their resources and capacity to increase statewide family engagement efforts through training parent liaisons, participating and leading education summits, and working with state and local education agencies to support parental involvement in schools.

If your Senator(s) currently sits on the Appropriations Committee, call TODAY and ask your Senator(s) to increase PIRC funding to $86 million within the FY 2010 appropriations bill.

For information to help you make this phone call, please visit  PTA Takes Action Center: Call-in Alert.

To e-mail your Members of Congress, please visit  PTA Takes Action Center: E-mail Alert.