Immediate calls are needed to the US Senate to forestall the proposed termination of the Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy program. To contact your Senator call 202-224-3121. To send your Senator a quick email, go to: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm.

To cut and paste a note – see the end of this alert.

Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy program is on the list to be terminated by the proposed House Appropriations Committee draft of a short-term continuing resolution (CR). This CR will keep the government open for two additional weeks while the complete measure is debated to fund the government for the balance of the fiscal year (September 30th). It is expected that a decision on this short-term measure will be made either Monday, February 28th or Tuesday March 1st.

Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy program is designed to provide states with funds to implement age 0 to grade 12 comprehensive literacy programs. It was originally funded last year and the first phase has begun with the creation and planning by the state literacy teams.

The proposed CR cuts spending by $4 billion and in addition to the Striving Readers termination, Even Start is also terminated, and school improvement grants are cut among others. To see the complete list go to:

http://appropriations.house.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=266

The following is only a suggestion. Please feel free to add something specific to your state or community.
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Dear Senator:

I am a member of the International Reading Association and I am concerned that our schools do not have the resources for professional development needed by our teachers to reach all of their students with evidence based reading instruction.

In the House Appropriations Committee (Friday, February 25) proposal for a short-term continuing resolution they list the Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy Program as one of the program that should be terminated. They propose this termination citing the President's proposal to terminate this program in his FY 2012 budget proposal. This is inaccurate. The budget proposal suggests new legislation with the Striving Readers program being a center-piece in a consolidation of several literacy programs. It is not a termination.

In addition, the Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy program has already begun with the creation of state literacy teams to plan how to implement a coordinated age 0 to grade 12 literacy program. The next step is a competitive program for states to submit plans on how they would then reach the neediest schools and their students to improve reading and writing instruction. This is critical if we are to develop a citizenry and workforce who are able to learn and work effectively.

We ask that you contact Senator Inouye (D-HI), chair of the Senate Appropriations committee and Senator Cochran (R-MS) vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and ask them not to include Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy on their list of cuts.

Thank you for your time and concern.