Stop Sequestration Toolkit

PTA Leaders:

Since March of 2012 you’ve been hearing about an across-the-board federal budget cut totaling $1.2 trillion expected to occur in January of 2013 known as “sequestration.”  Unless Congress acts to replace the sequester with a balanced approach to deficit reduction, this automatic cut will sharply reduce – or eliminate in some cases – programs vital to national security, economic mobility, and social infrastructure.  Sequestration will impact virtually every area of American life – from education and job training programs to public safety and law enforcement. 

Particular to public education, realization of sequestration – or a loss of nearly $5 billion education dollars – will mean larger classroom sizes and fewer teachers, loss of after-school and enrichment programming, reductions in services for special education students, loss of quality early childhood education options for low-income children, less financial assistance for postsecondary education, and more….  Cuts will hit high need school districts the hardest, as shown by recent state analysis of district-level impact.

That is, unless PTA takes action!!

National PTA encourages state, district, and local PTA units to utilize the customizable tools available on this page to demand that Congress take action to stop sequestration from decimating public education and placing our nation’s long-term economic health at risk. 

Please contact mvanlieu@pta.org with any questions.

Background Resources

• Background on Sequestration
• Estimates of Program Cuts (National and State) Analysis by National Education Association
• Sequester Transparency Act Report

Advocacy Campaign Tools

• Template: Sequestration Invoice (customizable)
• Template: Letter to Congress to accompany invoice
• Instructions for Invoice and Accompanying Letter
• Template: Letter to the Editor
• Talking Points: Communicating with Congress