Important - Parents Take Action Item

Act Now to Save PIRCs

The Obama Administration's current Fiscal Year 2011 Budget Request calls for the consolidation and proposed elimination of Parent Information Resource Centers. PIRCs improve parental and family engagement in children's education, which is a cornerstone of what PTA supports. PIRCs serve more than 16 million parents, helping them connect with schools and improve their child's education. With the PTA Takes Action Center, PTA provides a quick, easy way for you to contact the Administration and your Congressmen to urge them to restore funding for PIRCs.

Why PIRCs matter:

They provide schools and districts with tools to effectively partner with parents.
They empower parents to advocate for their children and school reform.
They provide training and professional development on effective family engagement to districts and school staff.
They collaborate with state PTAs to engage all public school parents in their children's education.
They train family engagement coordinators in schools.
They convene parent leadership academies to equip parents with skills needed to help their children to succeed.
Under this proposed consolidation in the FY2011 Budget Request, the sole funding stream for family engagement would be redirected to charter schools. Placing PIRCs under this fund means that there is no longer a dedicated funding stream for family engagement and PIRCs will not be able reach all families with children in public schools.

Please urge both of your Senators and Representative to reauthorize ESEA now and to safeguard PIRCs under ESEA. PTA's Take Action Center makes it easy to send an automated alert to your members of Congress telling them you want them to act right away on this important law.

(text from March 2010 PTA Newsletter; PTA www.pta.org)