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The presidents of America’s two largest teaching unions, American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and National Education Association (NEA), have rallied together to call on the US President to advocate for education funding at G8/G20 summits.

In response to a request from EI, the AFT President Randi Weingarten and NEA President Dennis Van Roekel have sent a letter to President Obama calling on him to rebuild the world economy by increasing funding for education, not cutting it.

In their joint letter, the two presidents request that President Obama exercise his: “Leadership role at these international meetings to impress upon fellow world leaders that education must not be seen as an expensive drain on their economies, but as a high-return investment, the heart and soul of recovery and new beginnings.”

Both unions have also called for support to build a Global Partnership for Teacher Education and Professional Development, in order to ensure the supply of a sufficient number of qualified teachers to achieve quality Education for All by 2015.

The letter also states: “Investing in education will spur innovation that will produce solutions to the many problems we confront.”

The AFT and NEA’s joint letter has also been copied to three cabinet secretaries and six administration officials. In addition, the AFT has sent an urgent action alert to 60,000 activists requesting that they sign a petition to the President and post a message on the White House’s Facebook page. To add your name to the Urgent Appeal to President Obama please click here.

This is one initiative amongst many others that education unions have put in place during these critical days ahead of the G8 and G20 summits in Canada. The intention is to lobby governments and world leaders to influence debates and resolutions that will determine which strategy is pursued to exit the financial crisis.