Getting RESULTS for Education

If you are a newcomer to the RESULTSAustin website, what follows is a great introduction to the kind of thing we do. RESULTS nationwide is asking our congressional reps to participate in a "sign-on" letter to Secretary Clinton that asks the Administration to support The Global Partnership for Education (formerly known as Education For All - The Fast Track Initiative). "Sign-on" letters are originated by one or more members and then offered to other members as a way to signal their support of the subject of the letter. In this case, Congresswoman Schakowsky is the originator of the letter and is inviting colleague to join.

One of our tasks is to contact our Representatives to focus their attention on the letter and ask for their support. Today RESULTS does not have personal relationships with all U.S. Congressional Reps or Senators. We work with many of them, but more advocates are needed. Plus we need advocates to write letters to editors, talk to friends and neighbors, Tweet, post Facebook items and do anything else to increase public awareness and support for basic education for the poorest of the poor...which makes it easier for our elected officials to do the right thing.

So, give this a read. Then check out the web links on the left side of the page, including the Meet-up link that shows when and where we will meet next. This work may be exactly what your soul needs. Come see for yourself.

The Congressional GPE Sign-On Letter

Introduction Letter to Potential Supporters:

From: The Honorable Janice D. Schakowsky
Date: 10/7/2011

Dear Colleague:

Please join me in writing to Secretary Clinton to ask her to make a robust, three-year commitment to the Global Partnership for Education.

Formerly the Education for All Fast Track Initiative, the Global Partnership for Education is the only multilateral initiative dedicated to ensuring that all children have access to a quality education.  Globally, 67 million primary-school age children are not in school, and millions more drop out due to economic hardship or under-resourced schools.  This number will continue to rise, unless the global community takes definitive action now.

Every additional $1 million invested in the Global Partnership for Education would mean that 74 new classrooms will be constructed, 8,000 more children will enter primary school, 500,000 textbooks will be distributed, or 1,000 teachers will receive a year of training.  A $375 million commitment by the United States would provide 15% of the $2.5 billion that the Global Partnership needs to meet urgent funding needs by poor countries but would help leverage commitments from other donors and from developing countries, ensuring our aid dollars go farther.

Please join me in asking Secretary Clinton to make a three year, $375 million commitment at the upcoming Global Partnership for Education replenishment conference.   Please contact Nina Besser (nina.besser (at) mail.house.gov, x52111) with any questions or to sign onto the letter.  The deadline for signing is October 21, 2011.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Jan Schakowsky

The Letter to Secretary Clinton:

Dear Secretary Clinton:

Knowing of your commitment to promoting educational opportunities for all children, we are writing to urge the United States to make a three-year, $375 million commitment to the Global Partnership for Education at the November 7-8 replenishment conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The Global Partnership for Education (formerly the Education for All- Fast Track Initiative) is the only multilateral initiative dedicated to ensuring that all children have access to a quality education.  Despite efforts by the U.S. and the international community, there are still 67 million primary-school age children not in school and millions more who drop out because of under-resourced schools and economic burdens.  Unless we take new action, more children will be out of school in 2015 than today. 

Every additional $1 million invested in the Global Partnership for Education would mean that 74 new classrooms will be constructed, 8,000 more children will enter primary school, 500,000 textbooks will be distributed, or 1,000 teachers will receive a year of training.  A $375 million commitment by the United States would provide just 15% of the $2.5 billion that the Global Partnership needs to meet urgent funding needs by poor countries.

To date, the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) has allocated over $2.2 billion in support of 46 low-income countries.  GPE has funded the construction of more than 30,000 classrooms; training for more than 337,000 teachers; and the enrollment of 19 million additional children in school in partner countries. Between 2002 and 2009, the number of children enrolled in school in GPE countries went up 48 percent. Further, 68 percent of girls completed primary school in GPE countries in 2008, compared with only 56 percent in the same countries in 2002.

The new Global Partnership for Education charter underscores the sense of “partnership” as one of mutual accountability that links increased donor support for education to recipient countries’ policy performance and accountability for results.  This initiative encourages greater investment in education from partner country governments.  GPE countries increased their own domestic expenditures for primary education by 6 to 9 percent per year between 2000 and 2005, higher on average than their economic growth in the same period.

The Global Partnership for Education now has a critical opportunity to mobilize global commitments to meet some of the greatest challenges to universal education: (1) At least 42 percent of the world’s out-of-school children live in fragile or conflict-affected poor countries; (2) Of the 67 million out-of-schoolchildren, 36 million are girls; and (3) The quality of education in developing countries is unacceptably low — about half of children in the lowest-income countries cannot read anything at all at the end of grade 2.  As a result, the replenishment will focus on a three-pillared policy agenda focusing on fragile and conflict-affected states, girls’ education, and learning outcomes.

Education is the foundation of all other development goals, including the Obama Administration’s commitments on maternal and child health and food security.  The Global Partnership supports programs and policies that are complementary to our bilateral education efforts. Funding through the Global Partnership leverages commitments from other donors and from developing countries, thus ensuring our aid dollars go farther. Financing through Global Partnership also directly supports development and implementation of stronger national education plans — strengthening the national response— as well ensuring donor coordination. The Global Partnership also reduces overhead expenses, allowing the U.S. to scale up education efforts, especially in fragile countries, so that more children can benefit.

As you are aware, education, particularly education of girls, is critical for economic development.  Economic opportunity is, in turn, a key factor in short- and long-term stability and peace.  You have been a steadfast champion for girls’ education, and now is the moment for the United States to mobilize donors and developing countries by pledging $375 million over three years to the Global Partnership for Education.  We urge you to demonstrate U.S. commitment to ensuring that all children have access to quality basic education at the upcoming replenishment conference, and we look forward to working with you to ensure funding for this important initiative.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Members of Congress