[Dec-advocacy] news update

[Sarah Hadden]

Welcome to the DEC Advocacy List. The Division for Early Childhood  
(DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children is a non-profit  
membership organization advocating for individuals who work with or on  
behalf of children with special needs, birth through age eight, and  
their families. For more information about DEC, please contact the DEC  
Office at: The Division for Early Childhood, 27 Fort Missoula Road,  
Suite 2, Missoula, MT 59804. Phone: 406-543-0872, Fax: 406-543-0887,  
e-mail: dec at dec-sped.org. If you would like to either join or be  
removed from the DEC Advocacy List, email Sarah Hadden at  
dsh5gn at virginia.edu. Additional information about governmental  
relations activities can be obtained by visiting the DEC website:  
http://www.dec-sped.org/


4/24/06

Good afternoon. Congress returned to  session today after its spring  
break. The House is due to take up the vote on the FY 07 budget  
resolution that provides funding for education, health and other  
programs. You will recall that in its current form, the resolution cuts  
funding for education by $4.7 billion. If you have not yet contacted  
your representative to urge them to vote against this resolution, now  
would be a good time to do so.

As you may be aware. NCLB is up for reauthorization in 2007.  The  
Commission on No Child Left Behind, led by former Secretary Tommy  
Thompson and former Governor Roy Barnes, is  holding four nationwide  
hearings on teacher quality. The purpose of these meetings is to get  
input in the formulation of policy recommendations for Congress. The  
first meeting was held in Ponoma, California on 4/11. Meetings are  
scheduled in Hartford on May 9th, Atlanta on May 22nd, and Madison, WI.  
on June 9th. CEC members who are able to attend a meeting are urged to  
do so. I am attaching a press release that outlines additional  
information about the meetings. Individuals who cannot attend a meeting  
can provide input by gong to:  
http://www.aspeninstitute.org/site/c.huLWJeMRKpH/b.938015/k.40DA/ 
Commission_on_No_Child_Left_Behind.htm	

Along the same lines, CEC is requesting that members provide input  
about NCLB. You can complete CEC’s online survey at:  
http://www.cec.sped.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&TEMPLATE=/CM/ 
ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=6139

Sarah Hadden
DEC Governmental Relations Committee

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