Membership

5/17/2012

Today and yesterday, Barb Thompson and I met with congressional staff for Representatives Slaughter, Hochul, Reed and Senators Schumer and Gillibrand. We shared the TRIO community's outrage over the severe losses suffered in the recent Upward Bound competition as well as the Department of Education's decision to cut $10 million from the McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement program. The staff response was encouraging, in that both Slaughter and Hochul had already sent letters to Secretary Duncan (which have been ignored) and Representative Reed lost the only UB program in his district. Both Senators are working on a response. But it is not enough for the congressional offices to hear only from Barb and I. They MUST hear from you, and those in your networks.

Congress and the Administration have the power and the opportunity to restore funding for both of these programs and help reverse the overall student losses in TRIO. With the Upward Bound competition, we have lost approximately 85,000 students since 2006; 44,000 of those losses occurred under the Obama Administration. However, these losses are not just to students, but also to the parents, siblings, educators, and communities that have come to rely on these programs.

Something must be done.

We must demand that Congress take action to fix the situation with Upward Bound and McNair. You don't have to worry about "how" they will do it (that's their job) – just demand that they do it. Therefore, over the next two days, I urge you, your students, family members, co-workers, neighbors and others who care about TRIO to call the offices of your members of congress and demand that they work with House and Senate leaders to reverse the losses in Upward Bound and prevent losses in McNair. You can reach all congressional offices by calling the Capitol Hill switchboard at 202-224-3121.

Together we can save our students and programs. We have in the past. Working as a united group, we will do so again!

We need you to take the 15 minutes today or tomorrow to do this; I cannot overstate the importance.This is not something that can be ignored, dismissed, or set aside to do later or left for someone else to do. Everyone's voices matter here. Those who have been funded in UB MUST speak out on behalf of those who were not funded. Everyone in TRIO needs to take an action: send an email, call your congressperson and both senators, post on facebook and twitter, and get your community involved.

In terms of UB, many states lost over 40% of their programs; rural communities, tribal colleges, HBCUs and programs serving Hispanic students all suffered greatly. New Jersey lost 31% of our UB program, NY lost 28%.

Yours in advocacy-

Beth Olivares

 

Dear Education Colleagues,

It is my joy to welcome you to the Association for Equality and Excellence in Education. I am excited about our endeavors to support you in your effort to deliver the most professional, effective, and nurturing services that you can to the students that you serve.  Since its establishment in 1977, successive TRIO professionals from across New York and New Jersey have built on a tradition of capable and compassionate leadership. We know from experience that we are stronger when we work together to reach our shared goal of providing hope and educational support to students who are the first in their families to reach higher academically.  Strengthening you in this important work is my goal for our Association this year. To that end we will be providing a variety of Professional Development opportunities designed to uplift you personally, increase your leadership and support skills, and enlighten you on the political climate that TRIO operates in. My intention is to help you become more astute and joyful in your work as I believe that we, as TRIO professionals, have the best possible career- one that lets us impact the future one student at a time- and reap the great reward of seeing them reach their full potential.  AEEE is committed to helping you grow more effective in accomplishing that goal. Please participate fully in our Professional Development Seminars, District Meetings, Peer Review Trainings, Regional TRIO Days, and the Annual Conference which will be held in San Juan, Puerto Rico in May 2012.  I encourage you to contribute your expertise and energy as a participant in COE’s Policy Seminar and Leadership Summit convened each March, and by taking advantage of the many training seminars funded by the Department of Education. We will provide you with information on these development opportunities as they are announced throughout the year.  I look forward to a dynamic year of growth as we strengthen ourselves to empower our students.

 

Respectfully,