<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>National Association for Gifted Children</TITLE>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><!--template created by Alex Robinson | 01/23/09 --><!--AHR upload 01/23/09 account: #6986 -->
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16825" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY text=#231f20 bottomMargin=0 vLink=#284a8d aLink=#949494 link=#284a8d 
leftMargin=0 topMargin=0 rightMargin=0>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff 
size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV><!-- Converted from text/rtf format -->
<P><FONT face=Tahoma><FONT size=2><SPAN class=476563514-08052009><FONT 
face=Arial color=#0000ff>  </FONT></SPAN><STRONG>om:</STRONG> NAGC 
Advocacy [mailto:giftedsupporter@nagc.org] <BR><B>Sent:</B> Friday, May 08, 2009 
6:38 AM<BR><B>To:</B> FIGGINS Stacey<BR><B>Subject:</B> Legislative 
Update<BR></FONT></FONT><BR></P>
<DIV></DIV>
<STYLE type=text/css>
a:link {color: #284a8d; text-decoration: none;}
a:active {color: #949494; text-decoration: none;}
a:visited {color: #284a8d; text-decoration: none;}
a:hover {color: #949494; text-decoration: underline;}
</STYLE>

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0>
  <TBODY>
  <TR>
    <TD 
    style="PADDING-RIGHT: 20px; PADDING-LEFT: 20px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 20px; PADDING-TOP: 20px; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #505050" 
    align=middle>
      <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=649 border=0>
        <TBODY>
        <TR>
          <TD colSpan=3>
            <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0>
              <TBODY>
              <TR>
                <TD 
                style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 9px; BACKGROUND: url(http://templates.commpartners.com/NAGC/MM/leg_update/images/header_bg.gif) no-repeat 0px 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 4px"><IMG 
                  height=155 alt="National Association for Gifted Children" 
                  src="http://templates.commpartners.com/NAGC/MM/leg_update/images/header.jpg" 
                  width=631 NOSEND="1"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR>
        <TR>
          <TD width=9 
          background=http://templates.commpartners.com/NAGC/MM/leg_update/images/shad_left.gif><IMG 
            height=1 
            src="http://templates.commpartners.com/NAGC/MM/leg_update/images/spacer.gif" 
            width=9 NOSEND="1"></TD>
          <TD 
          style="BORDER-RIGHT: #b0a4a4 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #b0a4a4 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #b0a4a4 1px solid" 
          width=631 bgColor=#ffffff>
            <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0>
              <TBODY>
              <TR>
                <TD width=229><IMG height=1 
                  src="http://templates.commpartners.com/NAGC/MM/leg_update/images/spacer.gif" 
                  width=229 NOSEND="1"></TD>
                <TD width=400><IMG height=1 
                  src="http://templates.commpartners.com/NAGC/MM/leg_update/images/spacer.gif" 
                  width=400 NOSEND="1"></TD></TR>
              <TR>
                <TD 
                style="PADDING-RIGHT: 24px; PADDING-LEFT: 34px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 24px; COLOR: #505050; PADDING-TOP: 24px; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" 
                vAlign=top align=left width=229><!--ONE Start -->
                  <P><SPAN style="COLOR: #000080"><B><SPAN 
                  style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><SPAN 
                  style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri">What You Should Do Before May 
                  12</SPAN></SPAN></B></SPAN><B><SPAN 
                  style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"></B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"></P>
                  <P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt">Contact your Senators 
                  ** and ask them to co-sign the Dodd-Grassley 
                  appropriations letter requesting funds for the Javits Gifted 
                  and Talented Students Education Act.</SPAN></P>
                  <UL>
                    <LI><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt">Access your Senators' email 
                    address or online form at </SPAN><A 
                    href="http://www.magnetmail1.net/ls.cfm?r=171622841&sid=6509094&m=728008&u=NAGC&s=http://www.senate.org"><SPAN 
                    style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt">www.senate.org</SPAN></A> 
                    <LI><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt">Use <I>education 
                    appropriations </I>as the subject line, where possible 
                    </SPAN>
                    <LI><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt"> Include a message 
                    such as, "The Javits program is the only federal initiative 
                    that focuses on ways to identify and serve the needs of 
                    gifted and talented students, including those from 
                    disadvantaged backgrounds.  For more than 20 years the 
                    results of the research and demonstration grants funded 
                    through the Javits program have provided best practices for 
                    classrooms across the country." </SPAN>
                    <LI><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt">Where possible, include 
                    examples of how students have benefitted from the research 
                    and grants funded by the Javits prog</SPAN><SPAN><SPAN 
                    style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt">ram.</SPAN></SPAN> 
                    <LI><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt">**  note that 10 
                    Senators have already co-signed the letter; Senators on the 
                    </SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt"><A 
                    href="http://www.magnetmail1.net/ls.cfm?r=171622841&sid=6509095&m=728008&u=NAGC&s=http://appropriations.senate.gov/members.cfm" 
                    target=_blank><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt">appropriations 
                    committee</SPAN></A></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt"> may 
                    decline to co-sign. </SPAN>
                    <LI><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt">Click here to read the 
                    </SPAN><A 
                    href="http://www.magnetmail1.net/ls.cfm?r=171622841&sid=6509096&m=728008&u=NAGC&s=http://attach/Senate%20ltr%20FY%202010.pdf"><SPAN 
                    style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt">Dodd-Grassley letter</SPAN></A><SPAN 
                    style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt">.</SPAN> </LI></UL>
                  <P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt"></SPAN> </P>
                  <P> </P><!--ONE End --></SPAN></SPAN></TD>
                <TD 
                style="PADDING-RIGHT: 34px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 24px; COLOR: #231f20; PADDING-TOP: 24px; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" 
                vAlign=top align=left width=400><!--TWO Start -->
                  <P><SPAN style="COLOR: #000080"><B><SPAN 
                  style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><SPAN 
                  style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri">President Obama's Budget Excludes 
                  Javits Program</SPAN></SPAN></B></SPAN><B><SPAN 
                  style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"></B></P>
                  <P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><SPAN 
                  style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri">As you may know, President 
                  Obama’s budget was sent to Congress yesterday. Unfortunately, 
                  the education budget did not include funding for the Javits 
                  Gifted and Talented Students Education 
                  program.</SPAN></SPAN></P>
                  <P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><SPAN 
                  style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri">Of course, we’re disappointed 
                  that the President didn’t support the program this year, 
                  especially considering that he did when he was in the U.S. 
                  Senate. Although the budget documents state that the president 
                  supports gifted and talented education, there is no indication 
                  of how he and the secretary of education intend to demonstrate 
                  that support. Know that NAGC will be working to persuade the 
                  administration to show their support in tangible 
                  ways.</SPAN></SPAN></P>
                  <P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><SPAN 
                  style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri">IN THE MEANTIME, gifted education 
                  advocates will rely on the strategies that have served us well 
                  in the past. We’ll take our case directly to Congress to 
                  ensure that the Javits program is funded in fiscal year 2010 
                  and beyond. </SPAN></SPAN></P>
                  <P><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><SPAN 
                  style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri">IN THIS REGARD, we have the 
                  opportunity to send a strong signal to the Senate 
                  appropriations committee by securing additional Senators to 
                  join Senators Dodd & Grassley in requesting at least 
                  $11.25 million in funding for the Javits program in fiscal 
                  year 2010.</SPAN></SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"></P>
                  <P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><SPAN 
                  style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri">Originally, the letter to the 
                  appropriations committee was to be sent on April 24, but 
                  because of the delay in Congress receiving the president’s 
                  budget, Senators Dodd (CT) and Grassley (Iowa) have extended 
                  the deadline to co-sign their letter to May 
                  12.</SPAN></SPAN></P>
                  <P><SPAN style="COLOR: #000080"><B><SPAN 
                  style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><SPAN 
                  style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri">NAGC urges you to take a moment 
                  in the next few days to email your 
                  senators</SPAN></SPAN></B></SPAN><B><SPAN 
                  style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"></B><SPAN 
                  style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri">, 
                  asking them to co-sign the Dodd-Grassley letter requesting 
                  $11.25 million for the Javits Gifted and Talented Students 
                  Education Act.  Click <A 
                  href="http://www.magnetmail1.net/ls.cfm?r=171622841&sid=6509097&m=728008&u=NAGC&s=http://attach/Senate%20ltr%20FY%202010.pdf">here 
                  </A>to read the letter.</SPAN></SPAN></P>
                  <P><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><SPAN 
                  style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri">So far we have 10 Senators who 
                  have agreed to co-sign </SPAN></SPAN></B><SPAN 
                  style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri">the 
                  Dodd-Grassley letter (see below), but we’d like to have many 
                  more to show the appropriations committee that there is real 
                  support for this small, but important program.  (Note 
                  that Senators on the <A 
                  href="http://www.magnetmail1.net/ls.cfm?r=171622841&sid=6509098&m=728008&u=NAGC&s=http://appropriations.senate.gov/members.cfm" 
                  target=_blank>appropriations committee</A> may decline to sign 
                  the letter, because the letter is directed to 
                  them.)</SPAN></SPAN></P>
                  <P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><SPAN 
                  style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri">Senate email addresses (or online 
                  forms) are posted for all Senators at <A 
                  href="http://www.magnetmail1.net/ls.cfm?r=171622841&sid=6509099&m=728008&u=NAGC&s=http://www.senate.gov" 
                  target=_blank>www.senate.gov</A>. Use “<I>education 
                  appropriations request</I>” as your email subject line so that 
                  your message will be directed to the appropriate staff. 
                  </SPAN></SPAN></P>
                  <P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><SPAN 
                  style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri">If you have used information 
                  developed by the National Research Center on the Gifted & 
                  Talented, or if your district or state has benefitted from 
                  participation in a Javits grant project, please be sure to 
                  include that information in your messages to the Senate. We 
                  need to let Congress know the myriad ways that the Javits 
                  program benefits students.</SPAN></SPAN></P>
                  <P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><SPAN 
                  style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri">Thank you, your advocacy efforts 
                  will make a difference!</SPAN></SPAN></P>
                  <P><SPAN style="COLOR: #000080"><B><SPAN 
                  style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><SPAN 
                  style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri">Senators Already Co-Signing the 
                  Dodd-Grassley Letter on the Javits 
                  Program</SPAN></SPAN></B></SPAN><B><SPAN 
                  style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"></B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"></P>
                  <P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><SPAN 
                  style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri">Blanche Lincoln (AR)<BR>Joseph 
                  Lieberman (CT)<BR>Richard Lugar (IN)<BR>Frank Lautenberg 
                  (NJ)<BR>Jeff Bingaman (NM)<BR>Sherrod Brown (OH)<BR>Ron Wyden 
                  (OR)<BR>Robert Casey (PA)<BR>John D. “Jay” Rockefeller 
                  (WV)<BR>Russell Feingold (WI)<BR></SPAN></SPAN></P><!--TWO End --></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD>
          <TD width=9 
          background=http://templates.commpartners.com/NAGC/MM/leg_update/images/shad_right.gif><IMG 
            height=1 
            src="http://templates.commpartners.com/NAGC/MM/leg_update/images/spacer.gif" 
            width=9 NOSEND="1"></TD></TR>
        <TR>
          <TD width=9 
          background=http://templates.commpartners.com/NAGC/MM/leg_update/images/shad_left.gif><IMG 
            height=1 
            src="http://templates.commpartners.com/NAGC/MM/leg_update/images/spacer.gif" 
            width=9 NOSEND="1"></TD>
          <TD 
          style="BORDER-RIGHT: #b0a4a4 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #b0a4a4 1px solid" 
          width=631 bgColor=#284a8d>
            <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0>
              <TBODY>
              <TR>
                <TD width=229><IMG height=1 
                  src="http://templates.commpartners.com/NAGC/MM/leg_update/images/spacer.gif" 
                  width=229 NOSEND="1"></TD>
                <TD width=400><IMG height=1 
                  src="http://templates.commpartners.com/NAGC/MM/leg_update/images/spacer.gif" 
                  width=400 NOSEND="1"></TD></TR>
              <TR>
                <TD 
                style="PADDING-RIGHT: 24px; PADDING-LEFT: 34px; FONT-SIZE: 10px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 24px; COLOR: #ffffff; LINE-HEIGHT: 13px; PADDING-TOP: 24px; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" 
                vAlign=top align=left><B>National Association <BR>for Gifted 
                  Children</B> <BR><BR>1707 L Street, N.W. Suite 550 
                  <BR>Washington, DC 20036 <BR>Tel: (202) 785-4268 <BR>Fax: 
                  (202) 785-4248 <BR>Email: <A 
                  href="mailto:giftedsupporter@nagc.org"><FONT 
                  color=#ffffff><U>giftedsupporter@nagc.org</U></FONT></A> 
                  <BR><A 
                  href="http://www.magnetmail1.net/ls.cfm?r=171622841&sid=6509100&m=728008&u=NAGC&s=http://www.nagc.org/" 
                  target=_blank><FONT 
                  color=#ffffff><U>www.nagc.org</U></FONT></A></TD>
                <TD 
                style="PADDING-RIGHT: 34px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; FONT-SIZE: 10px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 24px; COLOR: #ffffff; LINE-HEIGHT: 13px; PADDING-TOP: 24px; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" 
                vAlign=top align=left>
                  <P>You are receiving this news directly from NAGC at your 
                  request. We never share your personal information with outside 
                  parties. If you are interested in NAGC membership, or updating 
                  your e-mail and address information, visit the membership 
                  section on the <A 
                  href="http://www.magnetmail1.net/ls.cfm?r=171622841&sid=6509101&m=728008&u=NAGC&s=http://www.nagc.org/" 
                  target=_blank><FONT color=#ffffff><U>NAGC Web 
                  site</U></FONT></A> or call 202/785-4268.</P>
                  <P>To ensure delivery, please add <A 
                  href="mailto:nagc@nagc.org"><FONT 
                  color=#ffffff><U>nagc@nagc.org</U></FONT></A> to your email 
                  address book or Safe Sender List. If you are still having 
                  problems receiving our emails, see our whitelisting page for 
                  <A 
                  href="http://www.magnetmail1.net/ls.cfm?r=171622841&sid=6509102&m=728008&u=NAGC&s=http://www.commpartners.net/index.php/white-listing.html" 
                  target=_blank><FONT color=#ffffff><U>more 
                  details</U></FONT></A>.</P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD>
          <TD width=9 
          background=http://templates.commpartners.com/NAGC/MM/leg_update/images/shad_right.gif><IMG 
            height=1 
            src="http://templates.commpartners.com/NAGC/MM/leg_update/images/spacer.gif" 
            width=9 NOSEND="1"></TD></TR>
        <TR>
          <TD colSpan=3>
            <DIV 
            style="BACKGROUND: url(http://templates.commpartners.com/NAGC/MM/leg_update/images/footer_bg_649px20px.gif) no-repeat 0px 0px; WIDTH: 649px; HEIGHT: 20px" 
            align=center><IMG height=6 
            src="http://templates.commpartners.com/NAGC/MM/leg_update/images/footer.gif" 
            width=631 
NOSEND="1"></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR>
<P align=center><FONT size=2>1707 L Street NW, Washington, DC 
20036</FONT></P><BR><IMG 
src="http://www.magnetmail1.net/spacer.cfm?tracking_id=3393153657" NOSEND="1"> 
<p>**********************************************************************<br />This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and<br />intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they<br />are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify<br />the sender immediately and delete the communication and any attachments.</p><p>This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept by<br />MIMEsweeper for the presence of computer viruses.<br />**********************************************************************</p>
</BODY></HTML>