Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Fiscal Cliff Ignites Education Activism As Poorest School Districts Stand To Lose The Most

Fiscal Cliff Ignites Education Activism As Poorest School Districts Stand To Lose The Most:


Fiscal Cliff Ignites Education Activism As Poorest School Districts Stand To Lose The Most

Juandiego Wade is worried.

As vice chair of the Charlottesville City School Board in Virginia, he's responsible for the well-being of its 4,000 students. And if Congress doesn't come up with a solution to upcoming automatic budget cuts soon, his students may feel the loss. "We've already been cut to the bone," Wade said. So with the estimated reduction of $350,000 to his district's budget, it's hard to see what else can go before cutting teachers. Charlottesville may have to fire four teachers, special education programs, and help for delinquent students.

As the federal government faces what's become known as the fiscal cliff, education advocates are lobbying, organizing and campaigning to protect their programs. On Wednesday, the National School Boards Association trotted out school board members, including Wade, on a conference call to make their case.

"Our state got a lot of attention during the last election. we got a lot of visits from all the politicians, a lot of