Congress urged to take ‘Pledge to America’s Schoolchildren’ 

(Editor's note: California's representatives in Congress continue to stand up for education, with more than a dozen signing the pledge since this story just appeared. For the latest information, log on to www.pledgetoamericasschoolchildren.org/grassroots.php ).

The National School Boards Association has embarked on a nationwide grassroots campaign to promote fundamental education goals by asking members of Congress to sign a “Pledge to America’s Schoolchildren.”

Launched at October’s joint conference of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association and the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators in Hershey, Pa., the pledge calls on lawmakers to “actively support and collaborate with … local school boards to promote excellence and equity in raising student achievement.”

“Who could be against supporting school readiness programs for incoming kindergartners?” asked NSBA President E. Jane Gallucci. “Who would not want to fund programs for disabled children … or allow local school districts to more accurately measure the effectiveness of their programs? Who would not want to sign a pledge to support programs that they have already voted to create? That’s what the Pledge to America’s Schoolchildren is all about.”

Now that the campaign is off and running, both sides of the aisle are well represented. More than 40 Republican and Democratic lawmakers from 16 states have signed the pledge; NSBA’s goal is to obtain every member of Congress’ signature on this important initiative. At press time, three California representatives had signed the pledge: Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Los Angeles, Rep. Grace Napolitano, D-Norwalk, and Rep. Michael Honda, D-San Jose.

Michael A. Resnick, NSBA’s associate executive director of Advocacy and Issues Management, said that the association has contacted the offices of every member of Congress announcing the Pledge to America’s Schoolchildren and advising them that members will be asked to sign the pledge as a demonstration of their commitment to education. “We are sure that every member of Congress will agree with the fundamental principles called for in the Pledge to America’s Schoolchildren—and sign it. America’s schoolchildren deserve nothing less,” Resnick said.