WESTOP,

The last couple of days have been very difficult for the TRIO community.  As many of us sit in our offices writing diligently to complete our UB grant applications, and worry about missing GAN's (all very important); the vast majority of our EOC personnel across the nation have not been allowed to report to work or have been the victims of lay-offs as of September 1st.  These programs were given a ridiculous "No Cost Extension" to carry out services while they heard news from the department.  The problem with that, EOC Programs spent their money, which is what the Department expects all of us to do on the last year of our grant cycle.  This is a dyer situation that can very well set a precedent and affect many more programs in the upcoming competitions.  I encourage you all to reach out to the ED, The White House, Congress and anyone with influence over this matter and address the irony of the situation as is clearly stated in Dr. Mitchem's letter.  I also ask you to support our EOC colleagues, unfortunately, there is little that we can do at a personal level, but it is important that they know that we stand with them in these hard times.  Best Wishes.

September 1, 2011

The Honorable Arne Duncan Secretary U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20202

Dear Secretary Duncan:

I find it ironic that President Obama is just days away from unveiling a new job creation plan before Congress while, at this very moment, the 124 Educational Opportunity Centers (EOCs) are laying off thousands of workers. This massive lay-off is a direct result of the fact that the Department was unable to complete the EOC grant competition before the expiration of the current grant cycle (August 31, 2011).

The Department’s handling of this situation has real-time, real-life consequences for the thousands of EOC employees who will not be able to sustain their livelihood after today. In addition, these dedicated professionals will be unavailable to the un- and underemployed adults seeking assistance with academic re-entry at the very time they need it most.

It is my sincere hope that the Department of Education resolves this matter as swiftly as possible by releasing the results of the EOC competition. Until that time, thousands of hard-working educators will be left out in the cold.

Sincerely,

Arnold L. Mitchem President

Sergio

WESTOP President