Start --
Megan Allen is a fifth-grade teacher in Tampa, Florida. At her
elementary school, 90 percent of the students qualify for free or
reduced lunch.
Many live in poverty, with unstable home lives -- some have parents in
prison, others go hungry over the weekends. But at school, they're
winning science fairs, challenging themselves, and eating two hot meals a
day.
For Megan's 36 fifth graders, school is a safe place. The budget cuts known as the sequester could change that.
In the county where Megan teaches, 142 schools stand to lose $3 million
in funding. The sequester could also slash as much as $2 million in
federal funding for special education.
When those cuts kick in, Megan's students could lose teachers that help
them every day -- for example, the folks who coach them through tricky
arithmetic, or give those who are having reading trouble the special
attention they need. The Head Start programs that got these students
ready for kindergarten will be dramatically cut down. Their class sizes
could go up, leaving less time for individual attention.
The sequester isn't a list of numbers made up to scare you. It's a very
real thing that will negatively impact real people -- like Megan's 36
students and their families.
Congress needs to hear those stories. They need to know that their
inaction has consequences -- that's the only way we'll put an end to
these cuts.
Share your story right now on how the sequester is affecting your community:
http://my.barackobama.com/Share-Your-Sequester-Story
Thanks for speaking up.
Lindsay
Lindsay Siler
National Director of Issue Campaigns
Organizing for Action
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