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*A fresh new voice!*

Investing in a Quality Public Education

August 26, 2010

As a product of Mississippi public schools, I understand the importance of investing in education to prepare our children for good-paying jobs.

Education is the best jobs program we can offer our younger generations. That’s why I was proud to vote for legislation that will create and save an estimated 2,000 education jobs in Mississippi and provide our students with the resources they need to receive a quality education.

This essential funding has helped school districts hire and retain teachers and helped prevent over-crowding in the classroom. Below please find the stories of two teachers that have been positively affected by this recent legislation.

Stephanie Norwood-Wayne

School District: Tupelo

Years Teaching: 12

I teach reading through social studies and language arts at Milam Elementary School in the Tupelo Public School District.

Teaching is important to me because it is the seed from which all fruits of life develop. If we want our students to be successful, we must teach them to read. Education is the first step toward strengthening our communities and improving our society.

The recent budget cuts caused me to lose contract days, therefore decreasing the days I spend teaching and my students spend learning. The time spent in the classroom is the greatest determining factor to the academic success of all learners.

Frankie Lauderdale

School District: Prentiss

Years Teaching: 15

I teach Family and Consumer Science at Wheeler and Thrasher and Computer Discovery at Wheeler in the Prentiss County School District.

The recent budget cuts have affected my job and my students. Due to the loss of teachers in our district, I must now travel between two schools daily to teach class. My computer classes have been enlarged and to accommodate the extra students

I must use discarded computers that run on our Windows 98 system because we cannot afford upgrades.

My son has recently completed Mississippi’s Alternate Path to Quality Teachers and has not been able to find a job because school districts are not hiring new teachers. My grandson, who is dyslexic, is not able to receive the attention and quality education he needs because there is not adequate funding to accommodate his needs.

As a member of the Mississippi Association of Educators, I have worked diligently this summer for the passage of funding for education. I want to thank Congressman Childers for his support. Hopefully these funds will provide education with some much-needed relief.

Thank You to Our Teachers.

Education is the pathway to jobs, a highly-skilled workforce, and strong communities in North Mississippi. I will continue working with Members on both sides of the aisle to ensure that our schools have the resources they need to save teacher jobs and provide our children with the quality education they need to succeed.

As always, please continue to keep me informed about your opinions and concerns by phone at (202) 225-4306 or by visiting my website at www.childers.house.gov.

North Mississippi Mailroom

Constituent Letter:

Dear Congressman Childers,

I am writing you this letter as a mother of a child starting kindergarten this coming school year and as a recent graduate from the University of Mississippi with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. I am exceedingly concerned about the future of education in the state of Mississippi.

I recently completed my student teaching at the school which my daughter is going to attend this coming up school year. They had to fire all but eight of their assistant teachers, and let several of their teachers from higher grades go because they did not have the money to pay them because of the budget.

They are afraid they are going to have an enormous cut in the budget this year, so they say they are trying to protect themselves.

First of all I am afraid for my daughter’s sake because this school is going to pack up to 32 kids per classroom with an assistant in the classroom only part of the day. My daughter is very shy and will not talk unless she has one-on-one attention.

From my experience in the classroom, I know for a fact there is no way my child will get any one-on-one time from her teacher because there is just too much going on in a kindergarten classroom, and the teacher is going to be stretched to her limit just trying to keep behavior problems with 32 kids under control.

The No Child Left Behind that President Bush put in place is going to go out the window. My child is going to be left behind, and it breaks my heart that she is not going to get the education that she deserves.

Also, as a recent graduate who is looking for a teaching job in the elementary school, I am concerned for my own sake. I heard nothing but how badly this state was in need of highly qualified teachers, so I got myself in debt with student loans to complete my education and become a highly qualified elementary teacher.

Now everyone is telling me there is no possible way I will get a job teaching because none of the schools are hiring, they are all laying off their teachers. I want you to know that whoever is responsible for setting this education budget is setting Mississippi back years in education.

Our children and teachers are suffering because there is not enough funding for our schools. It is a shame that a highly qualified teacher cannot get a job when there are so many children being packed into classrooms and not being able to be taught.

It is just a shame and a pity that the government will not give education enough money so that our children can get the education they deserve. Education should be the last thing in this world that is cut. As you well know, these children are the future of this world.

Please, I am begging you to give more money to education for the sake of my child and the sake of all of the children who are getting left behind.

Marilyn

Scobey, MS

Response:

Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns regarding education funding for the state of Mississippi. I always appreciate hearing from the people of North

Mississippi about the issues that are important to them.

Earlier this summer, I voted for vital education funding to preserve teaching jobs and prevent classroom over-crowding. The Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act, H.R. 1586, recently signed into law, will send $98 million in aid to local school districts to help save jobs and prevent layoffs during this school year and next.

This much-needed funding is estimated to help keep 2,000 school employees on the job in Mississippi next year.

Additionally, in January of 2009, at a time when the state was making massive budget cuts to education, I supported the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This essential piece of legislation provided millions of dollars to the first district to repair and modernize crumbling school buildings, prevent teacher layoffs, and keep students in the classroom. Unfortunately, funding authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will soon expire in September 2010. That's why the

Education Jobs bill is more important than ever.

Receiving a good education is the best way for North Mississippians to lift themselves up, especially during economically trying times. This legislation ensures that our children receive the education they need to secure good-paying jobs and contribute to a skilled workforce in the First District. Education is the first step toward creating and maintaining productive and successful communities in Mississippi. As such, it is of fundamental importance that today's children are provided with a quality education that will in turn attract high-paying industry jobs in our area.

If it wasn’t for my fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Tutor, I would not be where I am today.

Mrs. Tutor was the first person who had ever told me that I could do anything in life that I wanted to.

It is teachers like you and Mrs. Tutor, who make a difference in students’ lives. Your work and dedication ensure that the students in Mississippi have received, and will continue to receive, an excellent education in a positive atmosphere.

You can count on me to continue to support Mississippi’s schools and educators. Again, thank you for taking the time to contact me with your thoughts on this important matter of mutual concern. If I can be of further assistance to you, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Travis W. Childers