1. United States
2. Va.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to support The Refresh Act H.R.10631 and S.5561 to provide grants to local educational agencies to help public schools reduce class size in the early elementary grades, and for other purposes. Introduced by Representative Shontel Brown, Senator Jeff Merkley, and Representative Lucy McBath is designed to lower classroom sizes in high-poverty public elementary schools by authorizing and establishing a $2 billion competitive grant program administered through the Department of Education that focuses specifically on early elementary education, targeting kindergarten through grade 3 (K–3). This legislation aims to help school districts reduce K–3 class sizes in targeted schools so that there are no more than 18 students per class, focusing on schools in the highest quartile (top 25%) of student eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch programs, offering five-year competitive grants to local educational agencies (LEAs). The use of funds (at least 97% required for direct reduction) targets recruiting, hiring, and supporting fully certified and qualified general education teachers as well as special education/disability teachers, obtaining additional space or renovating school buildings to create more classrooms, training and professional development for early elementary teachers, and developing and incorporating feedback mechanisms regarding educator working conditions and workload maximums. The proposed bill requires participating local educational agencies to submit annual progress reports through which the Secretary of Education, via the Institute of Education Sciences, is tasked with conducting formal evaluations tracking student academic achievement, teacher retention rates, disciplinary actions, attendance and absenteeism, and educator working conditions. There are numerous benefits of smaller class sizes, including: -Teachers can better accommodate each student's learning preferences, personalizing lessons, and spotting individual needs early. -With fewer students, quiet children are less likely to get lost in the crowd, making them more comfortable asking questions, sharing ideas, and getting their needs met. -Students in smaller K–3 classes are stronger readers, closing achievement gaps. -A quieter, less crowded room means teachers spend less time managing behavior and more time actually teaching. -Students from smaller early-grade classes are more likely to graduate from high school, to go to college, and earn higher wages later in life. -Manageable teacher workloads help prevent burnout and lead to higher teacher retention. - Educators building stronger connections with students and their families fosters a stronger, more supportive community. For all of these reasons, I ask you to support H.R.10631 and S.5561 in committee, in discussion on the floor, and when it comes up for a vote. Thank you.