Today is Dick Durbin Day on Public Schools Action Tuesday (PSAT)!

Let's work on getting Illinois Senator Richard Durbin to rethink his support for Race to the Top. Specifically, we want him to support the House version of the education jobs bill, HB 4899, which would save up to 140,000 teaching jobs in part by using some funds previously set aside for Race to the Top.  

Sen. Durbin is one of thirteen senators who recently wrote a letter to Senate Appropriations Committee chair Sen. Daniel Inouye opposing this bill, which was formulated by the chair of the House Education committee, Rep. David Obey.  

Now that Arne Duncan has moved to Virginia, Senator Durbin does not represent him anymore, and does not have to support Duncan's harmful, wasteful RTTT polices. Let's remind Senator Durbin that he does represent us, and that we want him to do the right thing for the children, schools, teachers, parents and communities of Illinois:

Call and urge the Senator to vote for HB 4899, the House version of the Education Jobs bill in the Supplemental Appropriations package, to prevent devastating class size increases, and cut wasteful funding for reckless federal grant programs like "Race to the Top," charter school expansion and teacher performance pay.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D): http://durbin.senate.gov/contact.cfm DC Phone: (202) 224-2152; Fax: (202) 228-0400

Chicago phone:  (312) 353-4952 -fax: (312) 353-0150

Here are some other folks to contact if you have a few extra moments today:

Sen. Roland Burris (D): http://burris.senate.gov/contact.cfm

DC Phone: 202-224-2854 Fax: 202-228-3333

Chicago Phone: 312-886-3506

Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Dan Inouye (D): http://inouye.senate.gov/Contact/Email-Form.cfm Phone: 202-224-3934 Fax: 202-224-6747

President Obama: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact Comments: 202-456-1111, Switchboard: 202-456-1414 FAX: 202-456-2461 

(Thanks to Leonie Haimson of Class Size Matters and the CTU web site for the quick cut-and-paste!)

And thank you for supporting public schools!