rich 1.0 Action Network https://actionnetwork.org <link href='https://actionnetwork.org/css/style-embed-v3.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' /><script src='https://actionnetwork.org/widgets/v6/letter/demand-congress-stop-the-crisis-in-public-schools?format=js&source=widget'></script><div id='can-letter-area-demand-congress-stop-the-crisis-in-public-schools' style='width: 100%'><!-- this div is the target for our HTML insertion --></div> CHN Action https://actionnetwork.org/groups/coalition-on-human-needs https://actionnetwork.org//images/generic_facebook.jpg With public schools across the country opening for the fall, these recent headlines are jarring: In 2021, kindergarten enrollment was 162,028 lower than projected and 127,028 lower than three years prior. This low enrollment coincides with lower student performance―even lower than after other massive disruptions such as Hurricane Katrina―signaling the pandemic has had a devastating impact on learning. At the same time, low student enrollment is being met with a teacher shortage―partially due to the pandemic and partially due to the teacher wage penalty, which has resulted in teachers earning 23.5% less than other college-educated professionals in 2021, a significant rise from the 6.1% teacher wage penalty in 1996. As schools seek to expand staffing to meet the needs of children and families in what is being coined a “recovery year” from the pandemic, they are contending with less funding and fewer qualified teachers. In the Chicago Public Schools, “many of the more than 500 new interventionist positions — one for every school — haven’t been filled.” President Biden and Democrats in the House of Representatives have called for approximately $40 billion in public school funding to strengthen children’s mental health care, invest in low-income, rural and urban communities, increase special education funding, teacher training, integrated supports, and free school meals. Click “START WRITING” to send a message directly to your senators and representative and demand Congress fully invest in public education, our children, and our future. We’ve provided a suggested message, but feel free to edit to have an even greater impact. If you have children, grandchildren, or dependents in public schools, let them know. If you’re an educator, let them know. And remember, the message is: Fully invest in public education, our children, and our future! https://actionnetwork.org/letters/demand-congress-stop-the-crisis-in-public-schools