To all friends of East Dallas Community School, Lindsley Park Community School, and charter school teachers everywhere:

This is an urgent request. I’m asking for your assistance on behalf of all of our East Dallas and Lindsley Park Community School teachers and other charter school staff.

The IRS recently issued a Proposed Regulation titled “Determination of Government Plan Status.” This regulation would force states to prohibit charter school teachers and employees from participating in state retirement plans, including TRS. TRS is the retirement plan that covers all of our charter school teachers and employees.

This regulation would negatively impact nearly all charter school teachers in the country, including Texas charter school employees. If the Proposed Regulations are given effect, all charter school employees may be forced to either leave their charter schools or lose their accrued pension wealth. For this reason, we cannot allow these regulations to be adopted in their current form.

Here is what you can do:
1) Click on this link (or cut and paste the link into your browser)
http://wfc2.wiredforchange.com/o/8975/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=8396
With one click, this site allows you to email Secretary Geithner, Secretary Duncan and your state’s congressional delegation to alert them to this concern.  THIS ACTION MUST BE TAKEN ON OR BEFORE THIS MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6TH .

2) Please circulate this information widely (friends, family, anyone in your community or in the country who would be willing to register their concern)

For additional information, below is a link to an op-ed that the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools co-authored with the Fordham Institute published this past week: http://www.edexcellence.net/commentary/education-gadfly-daily/flypaper/2012/charter-school-teachers-would-be-hit-hard-by-new-treasury-department-ruling-on-pensions.htm

What could be more important than supporting these teachers and staff who are dedicating their lives to educating our children?

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Terry N. Ford
Executive Director

Since 1978 the purpose of East Dallas Community Schools has been to transform the way children are educated during the early childhood years.

EDCS is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization which operates early childhood learning centers with programs to meet the needs of children from birth to age nine.

For over thirty years the mission of our schools has been proving that all children, regardless of race or income, can succeed in school when we start young and involve parents.

Applications for the 2011-12 school year are being accepted now through August 31.

For an application contact School Director Tom Loew by phone at 214-321-9155 ext. 101 or by email attomL@edcschool.org

• We start young to take advantage of the windows of opportunity in a child’s early brain development.
• We involve parents as partners in their child’s education.
• We expect excellence from each child.
• We teach values; children learn the importance of being kind, loving, and respectful.
• We encourage initiative so children learn how to be responsible for their own learning.
• We create a small, supportive school community, where people know each other and help students build on their strengths.

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• In a neighborhood where the high school graduation rate is less than 50%, 94% of our third-grade alumni have graduated from high school; 88% of those have gone on to college.
• In 2010, EDCS earned Texas’s top rating:  Exemplary.
• Since 2003, 99% of EDCS third graders have passed the high-stakes state reading test.
• For the sixth year in a row, the State of Texas has awarded EDCS a Gold Performance acknowledgment for commended student achievement in reading.
• EDCS was awarded the nationally prestigious 2011 Educational Achievement Award from the American Psychoanalytic Association for supporting children’s emotional well-being.
• Data in the September 19, 2010 front page Dallas Morning News article documents that EDCS is ranked in the top 17% of all public schools in the state.