Letter in Support of Inclusion of WEEA

November 27, 2001

Dear Conferee:

On behalf of the undersigned organizations, we urge you to maintain the House version of the Women's Educational Equity Act (WEEA) in the final version of HR 1. The House bill contains current authorization for the WEEA program, whereas the Senate bill includes WEEA in the Local Innovations For Education (LIFE) Fund, which provides just one authorization for numerous programs. WEEA represents the federal commitment to helping schools eradicate sex discrimination in their programs and practices. Further, WEEA ensures that all girls' future choices and successes are determined not by their gender, but by their interests, aspirations, and abilities.

While WEEA is a small program, it has a big impact on all students - boys and girls. Since its inception in 1974, WEEA has funded research, development, and dissemination of curricular materials; training programs; guidance and testing activities; technical assistance; and other projects to combat inequitable educational practices in pre-kindergarten, elementary and secondary, post-secondary, vocational, and adult education.

The WEEA resource center provides valuable professional development tools for educators not only through dispersing gender equity research, but also through on-line classes, email discussion lists, technical assistance, and field trainings. Through an 800 number, e-mail, and website, the WEEA Publishing Center makes these materials and models widely available at low cost to teachers, administrators, and parents.

WEEA also provides materials and tools to help schools comply with Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in federally funded education institutions. The program gives girls the skills and self-confidence needed to graduate through projects that prevent teen pregnancy. Further, WEEA provides programs that assist pregnant students and student-parents remaining in or returning to secondary school, graduating, and preparing their preschool age children to start school. WEEA also enhances educational and career opportunities for women and girls who face multiple forms of discrimination based on sex, race, ethnic origin, limited English proficiency, socio-economic status, disability, and/or age.

Since its inception, WEEA has funded more than 750 programs. Past and current WEEA-funded projects include:

Educating Against Gender-Based Violence and Gender Equity for Males: What About the Boys, part of the WEEA digest, a journal for educators containing research and resources on different gender equity issues.
Initiating school-to-work transition programs, guidance and counseling activities, and other programs to increase opportunities for women and girls to enter a technologically demanding workplace.
Developing and implementing Equity for Young Women with Disabilities, a guide to increase employment opportunities for women with disabilities, including creating a curriculum and increasing work experiences for women with disabilities.
Developing teaching strategies to enhance learning in math and science for girls' and ethnically diverse students.
Creating and distributing Girls Are...Boys Are...: Myths, Stereotypes, and Gender Differences, a study which discusses equity in mathematics, science, and engineering, and offers practical information that will help in assessing the school and classroom climate and in creating change.
Teacher Strategies That Work for Girls and Boys, a guide which provides teacher-generated and field-tested tips that can help teachers improve classroom interaction and change the classroom climate for girls and boys in math and science classes.

Once again, we urge you to maintain the House version of WEEA in the final version of HR 1. If you have any questions, please call Nancy Zirkin, Director of Public Policy and Government Relations, American Association of University Women, at 202/785-7720; Jamie Pueschel, Government Relations Manager, American Association of University Women, at 202/785-7730; or Leslie Annexstein, Senior Counsel, National Women's Law Center, at 202/588-5180.

Sincerely,

American Association of University Women
American College of Nurse-Midwives
American Educational Research Association
American Federation of Teachers
Association of American Colleges and Universities
Center for Advancement of Public Policy
Center for Women Policy Studies
Children's Defense Fund
Council of Chief State School Officers
Girls Incorporated
Hadassah
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
Myra Sadker Advocates
National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity
National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators
National Association for Commissions for Women
National Association for Girls and Women in Sport
National Association of State Directors of Special Education
National Coalition for Sex Equity in Education
National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education
National Council of Jewish Women
National Council of Women's Organizations
National Education Association
National PTA
National Women's Conference
National Women's Law Center
New Jersey Statewide Nontraditional Career Assistance Center
National Organization for Women
NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund
Organization of Chinese American Women
School Social Work Association of America
U.S. Student Association
Women's Business Development Center
Women Employed
Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press
Women's Research & Education Institute
Women's Sports Foundation
Women Work!
YWCA of the U.S.A.