We just had a major victory — and we hope you’ll help us celebrate!
As you know, pregnant and parentingstudents face a lot of challenges in school. Educational barriers and discrimination often make it hard for teen moms to succeed in school.
But this week, things are looking up.
The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights just released guidance for schools on Title IX and pregnant and parenting students, for the first time in 22 years. To get the word out, the Department is sending pamphlets explaining the guidance to thousands of school districts as well as colleges and universities across the country. The pamphlets help clarify what the law says when it comes to pregnant and parenting students — and that’s great news for teen girls.
But to be effective, the guidance has to be enforced. Please thank Secretary Duncan and remind him of the next important step for pregnant and parenting students — enforcement.
This Title IX guidance was sorely needed, and NWLC fought hard for it. We’ve been getting calls for years from young women who are being pushed out of school in violation of the law.
For example, some high school students in Georgia were told that they had to come back to school within a week of giving birth, or they’d be marked unexcused for any absences and wouldn’t be allowed to make up the work they’d missed. At the same school, pregnant and parenting students were prohibited from running for homecoming court and from being included in senior superlatives.
Sounds crazy, right? It’s 2013. Forty-one years after Title IX was passed, this shouldn’t be happening anymore. Not only should schools not be discriminating, but also there is a lot schools can and should do to support the success of pregnant and parenting students.
That’s another reason the guidance released this week is so important. It not only explains what schools have to do to follow the law — it suggests school strategies and program ideas to make a difference in the lives of young parents and their children. Please join us in thanking Secretary Duncan for issuing this guidance and reminding him of the need for enforcement.
Thanks again for all of your hard work.
Sincerely,
We recently invited you to two upcoming tax credit webinars – can you make it? These webinars will give you the tools you need to spread the word about tax credits in your community. Even if you can’t attend at the webinar as it is happening, register anyway – we will send you a recording of the webinar for you to watch when it’s convenient for you. Register for both webinars today!
Hope you can join us! Amy Matsui Senior CounselNational Women’s Law Center
Help make sure families get the tax credits they deserve.
Rent, groceries, medical bills, car payments… and the list goes on. Life is expensive, but believe it or not, tax season can actually help! That’s because thousands of dollars are available as tax credits to many eligible families.
Unfortunately, millions of dollars of these federal and state tax credits go unclaimed each year. So if you work or volunteer in an organization that serves low- or moderate- income families, join us to find out just how you can help them learn about these opportunities. Register Now: Attend two free online trainings to get the tools you need to spread the word about tax credits in your community. Part I – Tax Credits: What Families Need to Know Tuesday, October 16 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern
This webinar will cover:
Basic information about valuable federal and state tax credits for families, including:
The federal EITC, which is worth up to $5,751 for low- and moderate-income families with children
The federal Child Tax Credit, which is worth up to $1,000 per child
The federal Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, which is worth up to $2,100 for families with child care expenses
Similar state credits
A few key tips for sharing information about tax credits with families
Information to help you connect with local coalitions
Ways to find free tax preparation services in your community
Some simple but successful techniques for spreading the word about tax credits
Register today! These webinars are free, but participants must register separately for each in advance. A recording of each webinar will be emailed to all registrants within a few days of its conclusion.
In addition to the webinars, you can also sign up to be one of our community partners. Community partners receive customized resources that make it easy to spread the word about tax credits to eligible families in your community, as well as technical assistance on issues relating to tax credits outreach activities.
We hope you can join us!
Sincerely,
Amy MatsuiSenior CounselNational Women’s Law Center
This January, a new Congress, including many newly elected members, will get to work. Lawmakers either can set a new, positive agenda on women’s health, or they can spend another two years trying to limit your ability to make decisions about your own reproductive health.
If women speak up now –loudly and in one voice – we can send the message that decisions about our reproductive health are not up for debate.
Sign the petition today and tell the new Congress: This Is Personal.
Decisions about women’s reproductive health are personal. As you prepare to take office in 2013, my decisions about birth control, pregnancy and reproductive health services are not up for grabs.
Be a Seed for Change 