[UAGCNews] Call for Action!!

[Michelle Fish]

Good evening, I hope you're well.

We have great news to share, but it will require speedy action on your
part if we're to succeed.

Senator Charles Grassley (Iowa) is offering an amendment on the Senate
floor to S.761, the America COMPETES Act, that would create a dedicated
funding stream for the Javits program.  If we're successful, the Javits
program will not have to fight annually for funding, which of course
will allow us to turn our attention to quality programs and services.

THE SENATE IS VOTING ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY (4/24 & 25) ON AMENDMENTS;
THERE IS NO WAY TO TELL WHEN THE GRASSLEY AMENDMENT WILL COME UP. 
THEREFORE, WE NEED YOU TO EMAIL OR CALL BOTH YOUR SENATORS AS EARLY AS
POSSIBLE ON TUESDAY IN SUPPORT OF THE AMENDMENT (See below for more info
on the message).

S.761 is a bill similar to several from last year that focuses on math &
science education and teacher training as part of the solution to the
competitiveness concern.  Resources from the Department of Energy would
be used to help states pay for math/science high schools.  Internships
would be available at the Energy laboratories for middle & high school
students.


Senator Grassley's amendment would support advanced U.S. students by
increasing the fees charged for H-1B visas and dedicate that funding
stream to the Javits program.  The H-1B visas are visas for highly
skilled foreign workers to come to the U.S. to fill high-tech,
engineering & medical jobs, among others.  

In essence, we're taking the funds that companies invest in highly
skilled international talent and reinvesting that money in U.S. talent.

Below is a draft "form" letter that you may copy & paste into emails to
your Senators or use as talking points if you choose to call.  If your
Senator(s) has been supportive of gifted children in the past (e.g.,
he/she has co-signed Javits "Dear Colleague" letters, co-signed other
legislation), please be sure to add that in your emails.  ("thank you
for your previous support for the nation's gifted students, I ask you to
continue that support")

Senate email addresses and phone numbers are available at
www.senate.gov.  PLEASE SEND EMAILS TO YOUR TWO SENATORS ON TUESDAY. 
Please share this email with your listserves, too.

Note that NAGC and CEC are working on this amendment together; you can
use the CEC legislative action center  to send the same message (or use
the link to the action center in emails you send to your friends and
other gifted ed supporters).  That link is http://capwiz.com/cek/home/

Thank you for your assistance!

Jane

Jane Clarenbach, J.D.
Director, Public Education & Affiliate Relations
National Association for Gifted Children
202-785-4268
www.nagc.org

* * * * * *

Dear Senator


As your constituent, I urge you to support an amendment offered by
Senator Grassley that will ensure that the America COMPETES Act (S. 761)
fulfills its mission by making additional funding available for the
Javits Gifted and Talented Act. The most effective way for the United
States to compete globally is to invest in America’s most advanced
learners. However, throughout our country, the educational needs of
approximately three million studunmet; reports indicate that up to 20%
of these students drop out of
school.  Unfortunately, most of our nation’s schools remain
under-prepared to meet the needs of the highly able students in their
classrooms.  By neglecting them, we put our country at a disadvantage to
effectively compete in the global marketplace.



The Grassley H-1B visa amendment supports the ambitious and critical
goals of the America COMPETES Act – to invest in innovation and
education to ensure that America remains competitive in the global
marketplace – by generating new funding to support the Javits Act. The
Javits Act is the only federal program dedicated to identifying and
educating students with gifts and talents. Specifically, the Grassley
amendment would generate new i
ncome for the Javits program by increasing
the H-1B visa fee,skilled international workers typically working in specialty occupations
such as engineering, computer programming, medicine and architecture. By
allocating this income to the Javits program, Congress is investing in
and nurturing America’s most advanced learners.  



Since 1989 the Javits program -- a small program by federal standards --
has been providing essential resources for the education of our nation’s
most advanced learners. Countless numbers of students and educators have
benefited from the practical resources that the Javits program has
provided, including the development of high-level curricula, training
teachers in research-based classroom strategies that includes
acceleration and differentiation; supporting research, and initiating
projects that reach out to children from disadvantaged backgrounds who
have been plagued by low expectations.  Programs funded under the Javits
program seek to match the abilities of a student with a curriculum that
is based on their educational needs rather than their age.  



Despite the nationwide gains that have been made by the Javits Act, the
program received less than $10 million in FY 2007. Fostering the
education of America’s most advanced learners must become a national
priority that is supported by Congress.  Therefore, I urge you to
support the Grassley H-1B amendment to S.761.



Thank you for your consideration of my request. I look forward to your
response.