Tag Archives: Education

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What’s an UNGA?

09/25/2013 Nativegrl77

President Obama delivered a speech at UNGA — the United Nations General Assembly — in New York City. The President expressed optimism at the prospects for diplomacy in solving a range of long-simmering conflicts across the globe:

“For decades, the United Nations has in fact made a difference — from helping to eradicate disease, to educating children, to brokering peace,” he said. “But like every generation of leaders, we face new and profound challenges, and this body continues to be tested. The question is whether we possess the wisdom and the courage, as nation-states and members of an international community, to squarely meet those challenges; whether the United Nations can meet the tests of our time.”

Find out more about President Obama’s UNGA trip.

President Barack Obama delivers remarks during his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, N.Y., Sept. 23, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

Speaker Boehner Has a Choice to Make

Senior Advisor Dan Pfeiffer writes about the fiscal debate and why it’s time for GOP lawmakers to pass a simple budget resolution that doesn’t defund Obamacare and focuses on keeping the goverment open and our economy moving forward.

Valerie Jarrett celebrates the anniversary of the Equal Futures Partnership, a coalition of countries who have committed to take action to remove barriers to opportunity and promote equality for women and girls in our countries.

READ MORE

Countdown to Affordable Health Care

Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius discusses another milestone on the road to affordable health care — less than 100 days until coverage.

a message from Gov.Jay Inslee

07/03/2013 Nativegrl77

I’m happy to report that Sunday I was able to sign a new operating budget for the state of Washington and avert a partial government shutdown.

It is unfortunate it took this long to reach a budget agreement, but I am pleased that we delivered on many of the key principles you and I fought for during my campaign.

We made our budget priorities clear: funding education, protecting vital services, and closing tax loopholes. We didn’t get everything we wanted — that’s the nature of negotiation. But, with your help, we stayed strong, and I am pleased that we were able to pass a budget that delivers $1 billion in education funding and protects vital programs for Washington’s kids and seniors.

Will you help spread the word about this accomplishment by clicking here to share this graphic on Facebook?

The budget I signed Sunday is a down payment on our commitment to fulfilling our legal and moral duty to fund education for our children — but it is clearly only the beginning.

What this budget is not is a vehicle for irresponsible, bad policy — like devastating cuts to essential services for our most vulnerable neighbors, or dramatic anti-labor, anti-environment, and anti-consumer policy initiatives.

I’m proud of that — and you should be, too — because if you and I hadn’t held the line, that’s exactly what it would have been.

Along with these key wins on the budget, I’m pleased that the Medicare expansion made possible by Obamacare is going to increase access for Washingtonians and create jobs.

Help spread the word by clicking here to share our graphic with your friends on Facebook now.

Unfortunately, it’s also clear we have a lot of work to do.

I am disappointed we were not able to reach an agreement with senate Republicans to close a number of unnecessary tax loopholes. This year’s improved revenue forecast helped us meet our short-term goals, and made clear that we did need to find new revenue, but I remain committed to securing a long-term education funding strategy by fixing these loopholes in upcoming sessions.

I’m also disappointed that senate Republicans refused to bring to a vote to pass a much-needed transportation package.

Our transportation infrastructure is the lifeblood of our economy, and continuing to ignore it is not an option.

But today I want to thank you again for standing by us, making your voice heard, and keeping up the fight for the working Washington we’re building together.

We’re going to need you again in the weeks and months to come, and I’m proud to have you by my side.

Let’s go get ’em.

Very truly yours,

Jay Inslee Governor

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a message from Gov.Jay Inslee

06/23/2013 Nativegrl77

As we wrap up the second week of our second special session, I want to share an update from Olympia.

While quite a bit of time has passed, my priorities remain the same. Every day, I am working to protect our commitment to funding education, while keeping our vital services to our most vulnerable intact, and every day, I’m pushing to pass a transportation package to protect our communities and grow jobs.

All over the state, Washington’s transportation infrastructure helps people get to work, moves crops from the field to the store, and carries freight to market.

Keeping that system safe and strong is mission critical to our state’s economy and it’s one of state government’s most important responsibilities. The recent Skagit Bridge collapse is a stark reminder of the critical role our transportation system plays in our communities and economy.

My team, along with a diverse coalition of stakeholders, is working day and night to get a transportation package passed that keeps Washington moving forward.

But this isn’t just about supporting the economic activity moving through our transportation system — it’s also about the jobs a transportation package would create. If we can come together in Olympia and pass a strong transportation package, it will generate well-paying, middle-class jobs in every corner of the state and help jump start Washington’s economic recovery.

My team and I are also working hard to support our long-term economic recovery by meeting our moral and constitutional duty to fully fund our kids’ education. My budget principles continue to reflect my values — making sure our kids get the best education without continuing to slash the critical services kids need to help them be successful in school.

Your support, and your commitment to the values we fought for during my campaign, helps me stand strong for our shared beliefs every day.

As the budget deadline nears and we seek to avoid a government shutdown, I will continue to insist on a budget compromise that reflects our values. Thank you for your continued engagement. I’ll keep you posted.

Very truly yours,

Jay Inslee

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Our Kids Deserve a Better Bill

06/21/2013 Nativegrl77 2 Comments

Congress is once again trying to reauthorize the federal law governing public education – but if we don’t speak up, it may not get done right. After two years of “waivers” from the No Child Left Behind Act, 37 states have agreed to the president’s plan for education in their states. But this is not a long-term solution. Congress must act in a responsible, bipartisan way to permanently fix the problems of the No Child Left Behind Act by reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).
Unfortunately, the House Education and the Workforce Committee stoked the partisan fires this week and approved a bill that is wrong in so many ways. For example, it would:

Virtually eliminate federal enforcement of narrowing the achievement gap;
Give a free pass to states and districts to define their own standards, assessment, and accountability systems;
Freeze the funding levels for K-12 education at a time when we need to invest in our children’s futures;
Ignore the urgent need for comprehensive bullying and harassment policies to protect all our children in public schools; and
Fail to provide adequate protections for civil rights of students.

To make matters worse, a few members of Congress have vowed to bring amendments to the floor which would weaken public education by diverting public funds to private or religious schools through vouchers schemes.
Now the ESEA reauthorization bill (H.R. 5) heads to the full House floor – and that’s where you come in.

TAKE ACTION: Urge your representative to vote against H.R. 5 and oppose any voucher amendments.

The reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) finally gives us a chance to update the flawed and outdated No Child Left Behind Act, but H.R. 5 is not the solution. AAUW supports an ESEA reauthorization that would introduce needed flexibility while retaining a commitment to high standards, civil rights protections, and greater accountability in our nation’s public schools.
Earlier today, the AAUW Action Fund Capitol Hill Lobby Corps visited the House of Representatives, telling lawmakers that our kids deserve a better education bill: Contact your representative today and send the same message!

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Fatima Goss Graves, National Women’s Law Center

06/15/2013 Nativegrl77

National Women's Law Center - Stop Discounting Women

The data are clear.
Women are still being paid less than men in almost every occupation. And fields dominated by women pay less than fields dominated by men. Here’s the part that really drives me crazy — women are even paid less in jobs that are dominated by women, such as nursing, teaching and waitressing.
Are you fired up?
Take a stand in support of equal pay by sharing this graphic today.

When our supporters share our graphics, it helps educate the public about the wage gap.
Here’s the problem: When women bring home smaller paychecks, families have less to pay for basic necessities. At a time when families are relying increasingly on women’s wages, addressing the wage gap is incredibly important.
But to do this, we need people to know about the wage gap. We have to reach beyond our core group of supporters — so that the broader public joins our efforts to close the wage gap once and for all. That’s why we need your help.
Please join us by sharing this graphic today. It’s one small thing you can do to help.
Thanks again!
Sincerely,

Fatima Goss Graves Vice President for Education and Employment National Women’s Law Center

P.S. Want to read more? Check out NWLC’s new report outlining the barriers to achieving fair pay and practical steps to close it. Also check out our new website at mywagegap.org.