Dear Mr. President from Foundations' CEO Rhonda H. Lauer

The following letter was recently sent to President Barack Obama from Foundations´ CEO Rhonda H. Lauer.

Dear President Obama,

On behalf of Foundations and the Foundations family of supporters, I would like to thank you and Congress for passing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Signed into law on February 18th, the act provides a total of $787 billion in spending and tax cuts. Fifteen percent of that amount - or $115 billion - is aid to public education, with extra support for low-income, special education, and disabled children.

With the federal education budget now twice that of previous administrations, we are, as you have noted, "making the largest investment in education in our nation´s history."

It´s about time. Many of our nation´s students - particularly those from low-income households and urban neighborhoods - continue to struggle with basic reading and math. And early academic difficulties can lead to tragic results: children who do not read at grade level by third grade are less likely to graduate from high school, pursue further education, and find sustainable employment.

Providing assistance to such students is essential to the success of our nation, in both the short-term and in the decades ahead. As Secretary of Education Arne Duncan points out, "we have to educate our way to a better workforce - this is really the only long-term way to fix the economy."

We agree. For the United States to thrive once again, our young people must be equipped with the skills needed to compete nationally and internationally for jobs; this means not only basic academic skills, but also 21st century skills such as critical-thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork.

Through our Center for Afterschool Education, Neighborhood School Network, and Center for Coaching, Foundations works diligently to provide disadvantaged students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in school and in the global economy.

The Foundations Family is particularly grateful for a national leader whose own life - from humble beginnings to the pinnacle of success - exemplifies the accomplishments possible when children receive quality educational opportunities and support from caring adults.

"Never before has being smart and doing well in school been so hip and so cool," notes Secretary Duncan. "This is a historic opportunity to take a huge step forward."

Thank you, President Obama, for your inspiration, your commitment to education, and your dedication to improving the lives of our nation´s children.

And thank you too for making school cool again.

Sincerely,

Rhonda H. Lauer
Chief Executive Officer
Foundations, Inc.
2 Executive Drive, Suite 1
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Toll free: (888) 977-KIDS (5437)
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Fax: (800) 230-2578
www.foundationsinc.org
Blog: http://rhondahlauer.wordpress.com/

Foundations´ mission is to build the capacity of organizations and individuals to transform the world of learning for children and youth.