Report: End of federal stimulus funding to trigger significant teacher layoffs nationwide

[Hannah Bell]

Federal stimulus money that helped school districts shore up programs and save jobs is running out and educators across the nation now must turn to layoffs and cuts to make up the shortfall, according to a new report.

Starting in June 2009, Congress set aside about $100 billion to provide a two-year cushion to school districts through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Many districts have spent all the money they received and are having to shut down programs and lay off employees, according to a report released today by the national, independent Center on Education Policy...

The report is based on a nationally representative sample of district-level administrators polled in the spring of 2010. It found that nearly 95 percent of the nation's school districts have received or have been promised funding from the state fiscal stabilization fund of the stimulus act. Districts with funding declines, such as those in California, are likely to face serious problems in the coming school year because much of the federal stabilization funding they have received already has been spent...

http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15516851?nclick_check=1


long hot winter

[xchrom]

1. I think we've all figured out teachers don't matter.

It's cryin shame - but there it is.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

2. As the article says, it was a temporary cushion,districts had to solve the problems in the long term

Many districts made no changes and carried on like the money spigot was a long term thing.

Education is a local responsibility. To ring the alarm bells now or to blame the current administration is disingenuous at best. Blame should be laid at the local level at the feet of mayors, school boards etc.

[MadHound]

5. Actually education has always been a local, state and federal issue,

Unfortunately the federal government hasn't been keeping up its end of the bargain. Sure, there was this stimulus money, but after nine years and two administrations the federal government has yet to keep its promise to fully fund NCLB, which sucks down a huge amount of money.

Meanwhile, trying to raise money at a state level, where revenues in virtually all states has dropped significantly, is impossible. Even worse at a local level, where voters are unwilling to vote for school bonds during a recession.

And despite your contention that "Many districts made no changes and carried on like the money spigot was a long term thing." the fact of the matter is that schools districts across the country have already been cutting budgets to the bone for the past three years.

Your attitude is, sadly, part of the problem in this country. You sound as though you think that school districts are irresponsible with money, spending it like there was no tomorrow, when the fact of the matter is that most school districts actually perform miracles, year in, year out, balancing their budgets and finding ways to keep schools going when nobody at the local, state or federal level wants to give them the money that they truly need to become top flight schools.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

6. What is the Federal part in your opinion or the states for that matter?

Is it up to the Feds to step in when the locals will not fund things properly? Federal revenue has dropped too, not just states and local. If the localities are unwilling to pay for education, why should the Feds (and the rest of us) step in?

At this point the schools need to scale to the resources they have. I fully realize it will be bloody. However, until they do, there will not be enough momentum for change at the local level where they are primarily funded. The attempts to soften the blow, preserve programs, and retain staff is really part of the problem at this point. Let the locals get the education they are willing to fund. Its a harsh position, and it has taken quite some time for me to move there but at this point I do not see any other realistic alternative. Force the issue to the point where it can no longer be denied. Unfortunately I do not see any other way. There will be short term causalities, but it looks to be the only way in the long run to get things realigned and reprioritized.

Minor point: school bonds are for capital improvements not daily operations.

[MadHound]

7. Why should the Feds step in?

Because of the fact that this is our future at stake? Perhaps because the Feds have, to some extent or another, always provided a modicum of money for education? Perhaps because of the fact that the feds are continuing to pass unfunded mandates, such as NCLB, which takes up more and more of the school budget?

Your willingness to sacrifice the education of our children simply to make a point is, well, rather heartless and cold. And in many cases will accomplish nothing, except possibly opening up the floodgates to privatized education. Is that what you want.

Not to mention that some school districts, in both urban and rural areas, simply don't have the tax base to fully fund their schools, that is unless you're willing to impose a 25% property tax.

And right now, school districts are cut to the bone, releasing teachers, slashing programs, expanding classrooms. We have never been a society that has valued education, thus we have never fully funded it. While other sectors of our society recover after economic downturns, education doesn't. After decades of substandard funding, economic hits, and increased, but unfunded responsibilities, many school districts are at the breaking point. Rather than sacrifice our children in order to make some sort of political point, how about we try something that makes complete sense, but which has never been done, ie fully funding our schools, make education the priority that we all like to mouth pious platitudes about?

[ProgressiveProfessor]

9. Patch work solutions without a long term plans fail, and there is no longer term plan to fix school

funding from any level of government. There is no cash cow out there that can make things well, including the Federal government. Local voters are unwilling to fund what is required and they are the primary source of school funding. Until they are, things are pretty much going to continue down hill. Currently, the Feds do not have a substantive funding role in local education and at a practical level have little to offer in terms of $ per school. There is no money, and more importantly no political will to turn things around.

Your comment about the tax base is disingenuous. At some point, whether Fed, Sate, or local taxes, areas will have to cover their own costs. No area will accept vast disproportionality in the long term, paying for others while their own children are in need. You can see that on local, county, regional, and state levels every day.

I share you desire to fully fund the schools, but its not going to happen until people place public education higher in priority than it is today. Polls are showing that the converse is happening. The public is not willing at this point to do anything but let public education slowly rot while the well off flee to private education. I am frustrated with it to the point of starting to espouse an approach that advocates meltdown to force the issue. I am beginning to believe that nothing else will work. Its radical, but may well be what is needed. That does not mean I like it.

[4_TN_TITANS]

10. "there will not be enough momentum for change"

Eventhough it will crush family finances, since my wife is a teacher, our community needs some major cuts to education that would wake people up to the fact that it's worth funding. Our public schools are a bargain compared to what they would have to pay for daycare.

[Hannah Bell]

8. something is disingenuous all right.

[Wednesdays]

3. Peachy.

:sarcasm:

[LWolf]

4. We RIFFED about 50 people in my small district a year ago.

And pay cuts to avoid even more. This year, we agreed to more pay cuts and cutting more school days (which is also a pay cut) to avoid the RIFS. Whether I can make my mortgage payment after more pay cuts is yet to be seen.

No cutting of the billions for RTTT, of course. :grr: