CALL TO ACTION for the Olympic sports community(Please forward and post)    FROM: The College Sports Council  SUBJECT: Possible rollback of recent Title IX reforms    On March 17, 2005 the US Department of Education issued a clarification of Title IX's three-part compliance test. The CSC sees this announcement as a significant reform breakthrough since, for the first time, there is now specific, straightforward guidance that enables schools to comply with the interest and abilities requirement of Title IX's regulations.    This welcome reform of the old gender quota system creates a simple method for schools to measure interest and comply with the third prong of the three-part test, instead of relying exclusively on proportionality.    These common sense reforms are already under attack by trial lawyers associations and gender quota lobbyists in Washington, DC. A rollback is possible.    Gender quota lobbyists are pressuring the Department of Education to repeal their recent reforms.  Senator Hillary Clinton has sent a letter to the Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings "decrying" the department's new Title IX policy guidance.    If the Olympic sports community doesn't stand up for these common sense reforms, we could see a rollback of this hard won progress in restoring fairness for all to Title IX.    Your efforts can make a difference. Please write your elected officials to assert your support of these recent reforms and prevent a return to the old gender quota system.    You can locate your representatives online at:  www.senate.gov  and  www.house.gov    Follow the links to your Senators' and Congressman's email address.    Please cc President Bush and the CSC at:  president@whitehouse.gov  info@collegesportscouncil.org    Some suggested talking points:    1. You support the Department of Education's clarification of Title IX's three-part compliance test issued on March 17, 2005.    2. The new recommendations for surveying student interest offer a viable, common sense alternative to the old gender quota system for compliance with Title IX, and will help stop the elimination of athletic opportunities for males caused by proportionality.    3. NCAA schools now sponsor 1,000 more sports teams for women than they offer for men. The world of college athletics has changed dramatically since 1972. We need our regulations to be relevant to the world we live in today, not governed by past perceptions.    4. Please keep Title IX focused on preventing discrimination, as it was intended, and not let it be hijacked by trial lawyers who want to restore the old gender quota system.    Finally, you may want to emphasize that you support the spirit of Title IX, fairness for all who want to play sports.    Remember:  1. Be polite and courteous.  2. Thank them for considering your concerns.  3. If they fail to respond, write them again.    Thank you for your support in achieving these common sense reforms and working to restore Title IX to its original intent- fairness for all who want to play sports.    Sincerely,  Eric Pearson  Executive Director  College Sports Council  www.collegesportscouncil.org