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--></style></head><body lang=EN-US link="#467886" vlink="#96607D" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none'> NFB-Legislative-Directors <nfb-legislative-directors-bounces@nfbnet.org> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Pare, John via NFB-Legislative-Directors<br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, October 23, 2025 3:27 PM<br><b>To:</b> State Presidents <StatePresidents@nfb.org>; NFB Legislative Directors List <nfb-legislative-directors@nfbnet.org><br><b>Cc:</b> Pare, John <JPare@nfb.org><br><b>Subject:</b> [NFB-Legislative-Directors] Department of Education RIF - Fact Sheet and Mock Meeting Recording<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Dear Affiliate Presidents and Legislative Directors:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I wanted to write a quick email to thank all of you for your willingness to jump right in an advocate against the Reductions in Force (RIF) at the Department of Education. Lindsey has received multiple calls and email from affiliates seeking contact information for different district offices, and Kyle has also received messages from affiliates who have already scheduled meetings. I encourage you to keep it up!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Additionally, I wanted to draw your attention to the <a href="https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/legislative-priorities/preserving-office-special-education-and">Department of Education RIF Fact Sheet</a> that is currently on our legislative priorities page. Please use this sheet to study and learn the issue so that we can all deliver the same unified message to our members of Congress. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Finally, I also wanted to let all of you know that we have recorded a mock meeting specifically for this issue that can also be found under the Mock Meetings heading on our <a href="https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/legislative-priorities">legislative priorities page</a>. You don\u2019t have to follow the language of the meeting exactly, in fact, we encourage you to personalize the issues if applicable, so that the members of the Senate and House will see that their constituents will be hurt by the RIF. Special thanks to Barbara Manuel and Corbb O\u2019Connor for helping us to record this meeting. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>We look forward to hearing all of your reports from the meetings with your senators and representatives, and we thank you again for your enthusiasm and tenacity to ensure that the rights of the blind will be protected!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Warm regards,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>John<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#242424;mso-ligatures:none'>John Paré</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#242424;mso-ligatures:none'>Executive Director for Advocacy and Policy</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#242424;mso-ligatures:none'>200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#242424;mso-ligatures:none'>410-659-9314, extension 2218 | </span><u><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0563C1;mso-ligatures:none'><a href="mailto:jpare@nfb.org">jpare@nfb.org</a></span></u><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#242424;mso-ligatures:none'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'><a href="https://nfb.org/" target="_blank"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0563C1;mso-ligatures:none;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=210 height=75 style='width:2.1833in;height:.7833in' id="_x0000_i1028" src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/nfblogo.png" alt="National Federation of the Blind"></span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#242424;mso-ligatures:none'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#242424;mso-ligatures:none'> </span><span style='color:black'><a href="http://www.facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind" target="_blank"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0563C1;mso-ligatures:none;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=24 height=24 style='width:.25in;height:.25in' id="_x0000_i1027" src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/facebook.png" alt=Facebook></span></a></span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#242424;mso-ligatures:none'> </span><span style='color:black'><a href="https://twitter.com/NFB_Voice" target="_blank"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0563C1;mso-ligatures:none;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=24 height=24 style='width:.25in;height:.25in' id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/twitter.png" alt=Twitter></span></a></span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#242424;mso-ligatures:none'> </span><span style='color:black'><a href="https://www.youtube.com/NationsBlind" target="_blank"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0563C1;mso-ligatures:none;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=24 height=24 style='width:.25in;height:.25in' id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/youtube.png" alt=Youtube></span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#242424;mso-ligatures:none'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#242424;mso-ligatures:none'>The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation\u2019s blind. Every day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>