Make a call about VOUCHERS...PFAW...still in draft omnibus bill

[Gloria]

Congress' Silence on Vouchers Means You're Being Heard - Make One More Call Today

Sometimes, we're happy when our predictions prove to be wrong. Four days ago, it seemed highly probable that Congress would vote today on an omnibus spending bill that included an unproven, unaccountable and unwanted school-voucher program. Over 11,000 letters and thousands more phone calls from People For activists seem to have changed that once certain forecast.

While all reports indicate that school vouchers are still in the draft omnibus bill, House and Senate leaders have yet to officially file the conference report, which means there is still time to sopt this train from moving forward. We all have busy weeks ahead of us, but please take three minutes today to call your members of Congress again. You are making a difference with each call.

Sen. Pete Domenici
Phone: [phone] or [phone]

Sen. Jeff Bingaman
Phone: [phone] or [phone]

Rep. Steve Pearce
Phone: [phone] or [phone]

In your calls, ask to speak with the legislative assistant for education issues. Start with the sample message below, then add one or two of the talking points.

Sample message: "I urge Sen./Rep. ______ to reject, and if necessary support a filibuster on, the omnibus spending bill if it includes private-school vouchers. I strongly oppose this bill because...

*
"There is no requirement that voucher schools hire quality teachers who, at a minimum, have a college degree."
*
"There is no requirement that voucher schools submit to the same requirements under the No Child Left Behind Act as public schools or even that voucher students be tested in the exact same manner as public school students."
*
"The legislation does not prevent voucher schools from discriminating against students based upon disability, gender, limited English proficiency and academic performance and allows religious discrimination against teachers and other staff."
*
"The legislation will not provide real choice to the vast majority of school children and their families, many of whom will be unable to obtain the additional funds to pay for tuition and other private-school costs that are not covered by the voucher, such as transportation, uniforms and books."
*
"Vouchers are opposed by many Washington, D.C. clergy, officials, public-school parent organizations and residents, with the latest poll indicating that residents oppose a voucher program by a 3-to-1 margin."
*
"Legislation with such far-reaching consequences must not be slipped through with little or no debate in an enormous spending bill."

If you've heard a newscast or read the paper recently, you know that Republican leaders Bill Frist and Tom Delay are using their whole bag of tricks to force their right-wing policies on Americans. Their plan to pass school vouchers as part of an enormous spending bill is yet another effort to privatize public education, in the process threatening our children's future.

But we can stop them. We are showing and will continue to show that outrage at the grassroots level can defeat insiders' influence at the highest levels. Please call your members of Congress once more today, and this time prove wrong those who forecast that money and power will always beat people and principle.
TAKE ACTION


The omnibus spending bill and its school voucher provisions appear to have stalled. Keep the pressure on.

Make another call urging your members of Congress to reject the final omnibus spending bill if it includes school vouchers.

Call your senators and representative.

SNIP


Tell all your pro-public schools friends and urge them to call the Capitol, too.

[deadeye]

1. sorry, I'm all for vouchers because public schools are

wasting my (and all of our) tax money. We need more choices. I am not well off but I spend almost as much on my kids private school as I do on my mortgage. Not because I am a snob but because the schools in my area suck!

[SharonAnn]

2. Hmm, the public schools where I live aren't wasting any.

They're doing an incredible job for fewer $ per student and many of these are children who need a lot of help.