Tribal Education Departments National Assembly, Co.
Serving education departments in Indian Country
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National TED Appropriations and Funding Plan
Appropriations and Funding Plan
Part One:
Part Two:
Part Three:
Draft Letter for Tribes requesting TED funding
Part One: History and Current Status
History
The history of efforts to secure appropriations for direct federal funding for TEDs is set forth in a publication by the Native American Rights Fund (NARF), known as "the Maroon Book." "The Maroon Book" can be ordered in hard copy from the National Indian Law Library; for information on this please click here.
Current Status
In March 2003, the National Indian Education Association (NIEA), through its arrangement with the lobbying firm of Johnston & Associates, LLP, agreed to take the lead on efforts to seek congressional appropriations for direct federal funding for TEDs. This, of course, does not prevent any tribe or other Indian organization from pursuing its own course of action on this matter.
NIEA is focusing on seeking congressional appropriations for TED funding through the U.S. Department of Education. The authorization for TED funding through the U.S. Department of Education was retained in Title VII, Section 7135 of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
In seeking congressional appropriations for TED funding, NIEA is working in close coordination with NARF, TEDNA, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), and tribes and other organizations.
NIEA has developed the following plan for a lobbying campaign to secure appropriations for TED funding for Fiscal Year 2005. This plan was presented at the National TED Forum in Albuquerque, New Mexico on November 16, 2003, which was held in conjunction with NCAI's Annual Session.
Part Two: Timelines: Overview of Annual Congressional Appropriations Process and Suggested TED Funding Lobbying Action
Overview of Annual Congressional Appropriations Process
1st Monday in February - President submits budget to Congress
February/March - Members of Congress and their staff review the proposed budget
March - House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees begin hearings
March - Deadline for submitting funding requests to Members of Congress
April 15 - Completion of Congressional Budget Resolution
May - Appropriations Subcommittees mark-ups begin
October 1, 2004 - Fiscal Year 2005 begins
Suggested TED Funding Lobbying Actions
- January - March 2004. Tribes and TEDs begin letter-writing campaign to Members of Congress.
- February 2004. Tribal leaders, TEDs, and NIEA meet with the Senate and House Labor, HHS, Education Appropriations Subcommittee majority and minority staff.
- February - March 2004. Tribal leaders, TEDs and NIEA meet with targeted Members of Congress who serve on the Senate and House Labor, HHS & Education Appropriations Subcommittees.
- March - April 2004. Tribal Leaders, TEDs, and NIEA develop support for appropriations for TED funding from the House Native American Caucus and from key Senators and ask them to submit a request for TEDs funding to the Appropriations Subcommittees.
- March 2004. Tribes, NIEA, NCAI, NARF, and other organizations submit testimony in support of appropriations for TED funding to the House and Senate Labor, HHS & Education Appropriations Subcommittees and to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and the Senate HELP Committee.
- March 2004. Tribes and NIEA assist supportive members of the Appropriations Subcommittees by drafting questions in support of TED funding for their use during budget oversight hearings.
- March - September 2004. Tribes and NIEA maintain contact with Appropriations Subcommittee staff as the budget process proceeds.
House Labor, HHS & Education Appropriations Subcommittee
Ralph Regula (R-16th OH), Chairman David Obey (D-7th WI) Ranking Member Ernest Istook (R-5th OK) Steny Hoyer (D-5th MD) Roger Wicker (R-1st MS) Nita Lowey (D-18th NY) Anne Northrup (R-3rd KY) Rosa DeLauro (D-3rd CT) Randy Cunningham (R-50th CA) Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-2nd IL) Kay Granger (R-12th TX) Patrick Kennedy (D-1st RI) John Peterson (R-5th PA) Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-34th CA) Don Sherwood (R-10thPA) Dave Weldon (R-15th FL) Mike Simpson (R-2nd ID) Senate Labor, HHS & Education Appropriations Subcommittee
Arlen Specter (R-PA), Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-MS) Ernest Hollings (D-SC) Judd Gregg (R-NH) Daniel Inouye (D-HI) Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) Harry Reid (D-NV) Larry Craig (R-ID) Herbert Kohl (D-WI) Ted Stevens (R-AK) Patty Murray (D-WA) Mike DeWine (R-OH) Mary Landrieu (D-LA) Richard Shelby (R-AL)
Part Three: Draft Letter for Tribes requesting TED funding
From January through March, 2004, send this letter to:
Sample letter (cut and paste into your word processing program):
Dear :
On behalf of ____________, I am writing to request your assistance in providing a federal appropriation of funds to support the work of tribal departments of education (TEDs).
Congress has authorized federal funding for TEDs repeatedly since 1988 and most recently reauthorized these funds in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Despite these authorizations, no federal appropriations ever have been made to aid this important support structure for some of our nation's most underserved students.
Tribal students typically are served by a number of different types of schools including those operated through the Bureau of Indian Affairs, local public school districts, and private and religious institutions. The nature of this diffused service provision does not lend itself to the communication or the collaboration necessary to serve fully the needs of tribal students and their communities. As Congress has already recognized, TEDs can fill this gap, offer increased services and resources to tribal students and teachers, and have a real impact on the performance of schools throughout the country.
[INSERT SPECIFIC INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR TED OR TRIBE HERE]
In recognition of the federal authorizations for TED funding and in order to help schools serving tribal students meet the challenges set forth in the No Child Left Behind Act we are requesting that $3,000,000 be provided in the "Special Programs for Indian Children" line of the Office of Indian Education's account in the Labor, HHS and Education appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2005.
Thank you for your assistance in this important matter.