Dear Politician...

[Submitted to Senator Kyl via webform on February 20, 2008]
[Submitted to Senator McCain via webform on February 20, 2008]
[Submitted to Representative Giffords on February 21, 2008]

February 20, 2008

Dear Senator McCain/Kyl or Representative Giffords,

I am writing to request that you sign the 2008 Senate Dear Colleague letter encouraging the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies to continue to increase its support for the National Writing Project in Fiscal Year 2009.

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). You are invited to add your signature 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. In 2006 and 2007, the senators from Arizona did not sign this letter of support. I urge you to add your name to the list of senators who support this essential program.

You 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.

Support for the National Writing Project is crucial for the improvement of writing education from kindergarten through 12th grade. The National Writing Project is the only national program that works to improve the teaching of writing in the nation's schools. The National Writing Project has been proven effective by outside evaluators and has become a model for improving classroom instruction in other academic fields. Ninety-seven percent of teachers surveyed by Inverness Research Associates (http://www.inverness-research.org/nwp_ppt.html) in 2005 said that what they learn in the NWP core program translates into improved teaching and improved writing skills for their students.

If you would like to see teacher development in action, I would like to invite you to attend a session of the 2008 Southern Arizona Writing Project Summer Institute. This professional development course takes place Monday – Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., June 9- July 3, 2008 at the University of Arizona. There you will see the tremendous impact the National Writing Project has on local teachers. Their enthusiasm is palpable. By steeping themselves in their own writing and creating teaching demonstrations for their colleagues, these teachers take many tools and much motivation back to their classrooms.

Thank you for your support of the National Writing Project. If I can provide you with any more information about the National Writing Project and its role in Arizona, please contact me at the address below.

Sincerely,

Moi.