Write Your Legislator

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Write Your Newspaper

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Become A Learn NY Parent Volunteer

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Becoming More Involved In Your Child's Education

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The PA / PTA & CEC

The Obama Administration is holding an education reform contest called Race to the Top, where they will award hundreds of millions of dollars to states that are on the cutting edge of reform. In order to compete for the money, New York needs to pass several laws putting new reforms in place, like getting rid of the limit on the number of charter schools and tying teacher pay to student performance. If we don't pass the laws, we won't get the money - and with a budget shortfall of $7 billion, New York desperately needs it.

Your voice matters. If you would like to write your legislator about the importance of competing for the Race to the Top dollars, please use the form below.

From:	First Name Last Name Email Address Address Zip Code
Subject:
Message:	On behalf of New York City's 1.1 million school children, I am writing to urge you to pass the laws necessary to be competitive in President Obama’s Race to the Top initiative. As you know, Race to the Top is an Obama Administration contest that allows states to compete for federal education dollars. It’s an unprecedented pot of money that will only be granted to states that implement proven reforms in the classroom. During this crippling budget climate, this could mean $700 million that could go directly to New York’s classrooms. Although many states have done more, at a minimum, New York must lift or raise charter caps, join national coalitions of states to develop higher standards in reading and math, and allow principals to consider student performance in the classroom when making decisions about teach hiring, pay, and tenure. New York State has made progress in some of these areas, but we need to do much more in order to put the state in the running to win the funds. We are already missing out on Phase 1 and to be competitive for Phase 2, we must get moving. Please keep the progress going by enacting the reforms that will help us qualify for funding and improve the future for New York’s school children. Thank you.