Advance Illinois opposes recent efforts in the U.S. House of Representatives to strip $500 million from the Race to the Top, along with other cuts to reform initiatives.  Executive Director Robin Steans urged lawmakers to reject these efforts.

“While we appreciate federal efforts to prevent further painful cuts in schools across the country, we can’t let today’s crisis thwart tomorrow’s reforms,” said Steans.  “Illinois leaders, and those in other states, made difficult choices, hammered out tough compromises and came together as an education community around necessary, transformational change for our students. That process was spurred, in large part, by the promise of a federal investment in those reforms. If that promise is broken, then those reforms could be endangered.  That kind of thinking — putting long-term reforms at risk in favor of a short-term bailout — is how we got into this mess in the first place.”

We urge you to oppose this bill, and call your local congressperson via the Congressional Switchboard at 202-225-3121.

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