CT Summer Funding Legislation Needs Your Support

HELP SUPPORT NEW FUNDING FOR SUMMER PROGRAMS

TESTIMONY NEEDED FOR PUBLIC HEARING MONDAY, MARCH 17

The Education Committee has scheduled its last public hearing for Monday, March 17th, 11 am in Room 2B of the Legislative Office Building. This may be our last chance this year to expand funding for summer programs.
We need people to testify urging the committee to add language that creates a new Summer Learning Grant to S. B. 476, An Act Concerning the Academic Achievement Gap.
POINTS TO INCLUDE:
At the top, include:

Testimony to the Education Committee
In Support of Summer Learning Grants to Close the Achievement Gap (S.B. 476)
March 17, 2014

Be sure to include your name, title, organization, and address if it's not on your letterhead.
Explain why these programs are needed, and what types of great activities would take place if your agency or your children were able to participate. You can include the following four points - be sure to add your own reasons and language to this:

• There is a huge need for additional programs for children and youth in your community.
  
• Summer learning loss is a major contributor to the state’s achievement gap.
  
• These new grants, based upon the successful After School Grant program, would blend rigorous small-group academic instruction in reading and math with hands-on enrichment courses in science, technology, creative arts, and fitness and health.
• Summer learning programs keep young people safe, help working families, and help students succeed in school and in life.

DETAILS:
If you can testify in person,
1) Please email Michelle Doucette Cunningahm at mdc@ctafterschoolnetwork.org. Let her know if you want her to sign you up to speak by choosing a number for you in the lottery that morning. There are 17 bills being heard, so it will likely go all day and maybe later, and she can email or call you and let you know roughly what time you would need to be there.
2) Email a PDF copy of your written testimony to EDTestimony@cga.ct.gov by 2:00 P.M. on Friday, March 14, 2014 and include the word "Testimony" in the subject line. If you can't make that deadline, you can email it to Michelle by the end of Sunday, so she can make copies and submit the hard copies when she signs you up. The first hour of the hearing is reserved for Elected Officials.  Speakers will be limited to three minutes of testimony. All testimony will be available at http://cga.ct.gov/ed.
If you can send written testimony,
1) Please email a PDF copy of your written testimony to EDTestimony@cga.ct.gov by 2:00 P.M. on Friday, March 14, 2014 and include the word "Testimony" in the subject line.  If you send it later, it will still be added to the on-line testimony archive to which legislators refer. Please cc Michelle at mdc@ctafterschoolnetwork.org if you think of it.
Need more info: Check out our website here.
Questions? Call Michelle at 860-794-4978 (mobile)
We'll likely do a call-in email out to everyone early next week to keep the pressure on the Education Committee if needed. Thanks!

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