Political Action to Save the National Writing Project

Here's an opportunity for action in WHICHEVER state you live:

With apologies to the National Writing Project for taking their entire bulletin in its entirity (with some added emphasis of my own and redaction of individuals' contact information), I'm posting an opportunity to take action to save another cause dear to my heart (and my employment, for full disclosure). Thanks to Erec Toso for this heads-up. You don't have to be associated with the Southern Arizona Writing Project or the National Writing Project to have a say in this VERY important issue.

By the way, the guidelines listed below for how to communicate with your senators are valuable in any context.

The link to Tips for Writing to Your Legislators About NWP are also more broadly applicable for any attempt to influence our representatives to DO THE RIGHT THING.
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[February 19, 2007]
- NWP Site Bulletin -

Dear NWP Site Leaders:

We are asking you and your teacher-leaders to contact your senators immediately and request that they sign the 2008 Senate Dear Colleague letter. Because the administration has proposed zero funding for the National Writing Project, it is very important that all of us work closely with our congressional offices to explain the importance of the NWP.

Last week a Dear Colleague letter was sent to every member of the Senate, circulated by Senators Rockefeller (D-WV), Snowe (R-ME), and Bingaman (D-NM). Colleagues are invited to add their signatures to the letter in support of a $30 million appropriation for the National Writing Project. Senators Max Baucus (D-MT), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) have already signed the letter. (A similar letter will be forthcoming on the House side; we will alert you right away.)

HOW YOUR SENATOR CAN SIGN THE DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTER

Your senator can sign the Dear Colleague letter by contacting Barbara Pryor with Senator Rockefeller’s office at 224-2578, Matthew Hussey with Senator Snowe’s office at 224-5344, or Michael Yudin with Senator Bingaman’s office at 224-5521. ONLY SENATORS OR THEIR AIDES, NOT NWP SITE LEADERS, SHOULD CONTACT BARBARA, MATTHEW, OR MICHAEL.

GUIDE FOR MAKING CALLS AND SENDING EMAILS TO YOUR LEGISLATORS

NWP’s Web page (on NWPi), “Supporting the NWP,” includes a copy of the 2008 Senate Dear Colleague letter and supporting materials. Please note that page seven of the Advocacy Toolkit [See below for these Talking Points] provides the most up-to-date information on NWP’s impact, which can be used to guide your communications with policymakers.

1. Go to http://www.nwp.org

2. Log in to NWP Interactive (NWPi) in the right column of the page underneath NWP’s interactive map. (Note: You must have an NWPi account, which is free and open to anyone interested in joining.)

3. Click on “Supporting the NWP” in the middle of the page to find the information you need.

4. Call your legislators’ Washington, D.C. offices. You can find contact information for your senator by entering your zip code on the following website: http://www.senate.gov.

5. Ask to speak to your senator’s education aide. Ask your legislator to support the NWP by signing the Dear Colleague letter. If your senator or the aide has not seen the letter, you may fax a copy to the office.

FOLLOW UP WITH YOUR SENATOR

Don’t forget to follow up and be persistent. You are a constituent; your senator wants to hear about the issues that are important to you!

Please let us know when you make your calls and tell us what response you get. We will keep you up to date as legislators sign the letter.

We are proud that our program has bipartisan support and we want to thank you in advance for all of the great work that you do for this effort.
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In 2006 and 2007, Arizona Senators did not sign the letter of support.
In 2006, Representative Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) signed the letter of support, and in 2007, Representative Rick Renzi (R-AZ) signed the letter of support.

United States Senate: http://www.senate.gov/
United States House of Representatives: http://www.house.gov/

Tips for Writing to Your Legislators About NWP
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/2455

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Excerpt: Page 7 of Advocacy Toolkit:

Talking Points – January 2008

The following points can be used to guide your communications with policymakers.

NWP helps teachers teach writing.

-NWP develops and supports highly skilled teachers through its nationally recognized professional development programs, which take place at nearly 200 local writing project sites in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

-NWP seeks an appropriation of $30 million to continue to expand its network so that there will be a writing project site within reach of every teacher in America.

-The NWP appropriation supports new, innovative programs to help teachers use technology for high-level student learning, to advance literacy across content areas, and to serve teachers of English language learners.

NWP uses writing to improve student performance and motivation.

-NWP teachers focus on writing and reading skills that ensure student success in college and in the 21st-century workplace.

-NWP teachers come from all disciplines and grade levels, ensuring that students build their writing skills throughout the school day and over the years.

-NWP teachers use writing to help students learn and to engage and motivate them so that school is a positive, meaningful experience.

NWP serves significant numbers of teachers, with positive results for students.

-NWP teacher-consultants conducted over 7,000 local programs, serving more than 132,000 educators who worked with 7.5 million students in 2006–07. Independent evaluation shows that student writing improves in the classrooms of writing project teachers.

NWP leverages local investment.

-NWP provides the capacity—the people, skills, and knowledge—that makes local improvement efforts possible. In 2006–07, NWP sites raised $22 million in local funds.

(Source: Washington Partners, LLC, 1101 Vermont Ave., Suite 400, NW, Washington, DC 20005)