Letter to the Editor s1

Letter to the Editor

You may tailor this Letter to the Editor to fit your district and distribute it to your local media to capitalize on the AASA survey, “Surviving Sequester, Round One: Schools Detail Impact of Sequester Cuts,” released on Aug. 14, 2013. AASA grants permission to its members to use and reproduce this material, in whole or in part and by any means, without charge or further permission.

To the Editor:

Back to school is always an exciting time. Throughout my career as an educator, nothing has pleased me more than welcoming back students to kick off a new academic year.

This year, like none other, school districts across the country, including (name of your school district), are scrambling. Operating budgets have been drastically altered as a result of the across-the-board federal budget cuts, known as sequestration. And school buildings in just about every community are feeling the unpleasant effects.

We, as a school system, understand and recognize the important work of addressing the nuances when it comes to our nation’s budget and the challenges our policy makers face in getting a handle on spending, revenues and mandatory programs. But the reality is, the cuts are harming what matters most to our students—our teaching corps.

According to a survey released this month by AASA, The School Superintendents Association, sequestration will translate into reductions in and elimination to personnel, curriculum, facilities and operations. More than half of my fellow superintendents who participated in the survey said cuts will have a direct impact on classroom instruction. Slashing professional development, increasing class size and deferring technology purchases are also unfortunate realities, the survey found.

Despite what we’re up against, (name of school district) is making a pledge to stay strong. We will honor the families of our community. We will do the very best for our students, the ones who enter our classrooms everyday seeking a quality education. Their futures depend on it. Their lives depend on us.

Name of Superintendent Title School District City, State Abbreviation Contact information