Guest Blog V: Education - after the Conference Report
Since Thursday, teacher-bloggers Ken Bernstein and Anthony Cody have been guest-blogging on the progress of the Stimulus. Here is Ken's take on what emerged from conference.
Now that we have a conference report...
It seems appropriate to revisit the impact of the Stimulus, formally known as the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), now that the House and Senate have agreed to the Conference Report and the President will sign it into law.
What will be in the law will not be as generous as the measure originally passed by the House, but is far superior to the version originally imposed on the Senate as the price of getting votes from the three Republican Senators who supported the measure, as well as keeping the votes of Democrats Ben Nelson of NE and Independent Joe Lieberman of CT. Much of what I offered in my original commentary remains, although some of the numbers have changed a bit. Thus the current national total for IDEA Part B is now 11.3 billion dollars over two years, rather than the original 13 billion. It is still a sufficient amount to ameliorate some of the financial pressures that would otherwise cost many teaching jobs, as noted in my original post.
State-by-state totals for education-related spending are less than in the House version, but substantially greater than was proposed by the Senate. Let me offer comparisons for the two states I know best, Maryland and Virginia. Amounts are in millions of dollars:
| State | House | Senate | Conference |
| MD | 2,127.0 | 1,186.2 | 1,520.7 |
| VA | 2,872.4 | 1,607.8 | 2,068.5 |
The news is not all good. The $20 billion in the original House version for school construction and renovation ($14 billion for K-12 and $6 billion for higher education facilities) was eliminated completely. And the original $79 billion for the Title XV Fiscal Stabilization Fund for the states in the House bill was ultimately cut way back in the Senate; only the last-minute intervention in the last moments of the conference on the bill by Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats was able to restore the Stabilization Fund for the states to $53.6 billion with an "agreement" that "some" of the funds could be used by the states for "renovation" (not for construction). Thus the possible stimulative effects of school construction and modernization have been greatly reduced. Here is worth noting the backlog of deferred maintenance just to bring existing school structures up to code is well in excess of $100 billion nationally, and the decrepit condition of many school facilities clearly has a detrimental impact upon learning. One hopes that future federal legislation might revisit this subject.
The conference report also added a line item that had not been part of the original proposal. That is a fund of $5 billion at the discretion of the Secretary of Education to be awarded to states that meet key performance measures in education. This is intended to promote innovation. Here we are going to have to trust Secretary Arne Duncan, who is on record as wanting better methods of measuring what our students are learning. Many in education will be waiting to see who is placed in charge of these efforts: it could be a beneficial expenditure, finally assisting in the development of assessments other than the ubiquitous, cheap to administer (and highly profitable for certain testing companies) multiple choice tests.
Some are not happy with the final shape of the bill. Remember that a major reason for the Federal role in K-12 education was to somewhat level the playing field. The original Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was a part of Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society program, and for those who don’t know Johnson had seen first hand the inequities of schooling when, right out of San Marcos State Teachers College, he taught minority children in a poor district in the Rio Grande Valley. The House had proposed $11 Billion for Title I state grants, and the final version comes close at $10 billion. But groups like the 21st Century School Fund worry that the stimulus in its current form does little to alleviate the discrepancy, particularly in facilities, between wealthy suburban districts and financially struggling districts in inner cities, rural areas, etc.
It looks like the cuts that many states were going to have to impose upon educational funding can now be either avoided or at least somewhat lessened as a result of the funds that will flow to them as a result of ARRA. That is a positive. Given that many states are in the middle of their budget processes, we have to hope the money will flow quickly enough to prevent furloughs during the current school year, something that would have a devastating effect upon student learning. And if states and local districts can react quickly enough, perhaps some reductions in force for next year can be rescinded before those teachers move to leave the profession.
More is still needed. We should remember that the current incarnation of ESEA, commonly known as No Child Left Behind, is overdue for reauthorization. Some of those items not addressed in ARRA can be revisited then. President Obama has also made clear his belief that ARRA is not all that will be done, that we confront an ongoing problem, and we will have to keep trying things until the situation is improved. That follows the model used by Franklin Roosevelt during the early years of the New Deal, to try things, see what works, and make modifications as one goes.
For now? A lot of teaching and support jobs will be saved. States and localities will be given some breathing room as the nation tries to reorganize its financial system and its economy. While not perfect, and perhaps not large enough to fully address all the economic needs of the nation, ARRA provides welcome breathing space – the looming catastrophe for public education we would confront without the education measures is at least postponed.
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We’re having some discussion
We’re having some discussion about school economic woes and budget cuts in our Teacher Leaders Network Forum discussion group. I thought I might share some of this conversation here, sufficiently edited to honor our pledge to keep those discussions private.
A SOUTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER WROTE:
In my part of South Carolina, the more industrial upstate, most districts are announcing cuts of various types, and our state legislators are discussing possible cuts to next year's state budgeting.
In my district, teachers are being furloughed two days that were orginally scheduled for in-service professional development, and our district supplement to the state salary is being revoked. Remember, SC is a right-to-work state which means we do not bargain collectively or work under an union contract. Districts have the right to cut salaries, working assignments, and number of days if they determine need.
Administrators in my district are being furloughed three additional days. These days are scheduled when students are not in the building. Considering that building administrators earn little more per day than teachers, mostly working more days for higher salaries, I am sorry to see this applied to building administrators who work long, long hours.
Staff are being assigned furlough days that vary according to how many days they work. We're also implementing various energy-saving policies, and there is a hiring freeze. Our district tells us the savings equal 55 layoffs prevented this year, but we are also told to expect some layoffs next year.
Other districts in our area are doing similar things, though most are using layoffs this year. There has been discussion of closing some schools.
At the state level, we are hearing of various possiblities for next year: (1) Ending NBCT supplements for new teachers and not carrying them into renewal (which means supplements for 10 years and only for those who are already NBCTs or those who are candidates now). (2) Shortening the teacher work year by cutting five of 10 professional development days and reducing salaries accordingly. (3) Shortening the 180 day student year to 175 or 170, in addition to #2.
I'd be curious to know what is happening elsewhere. I have been thinking also as to how we as teacher leaders should be working to provide the best possible outcomes for our students.
A CALIFORNIA MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER REPLIED:
Since California is on the verge of bankruptcy and has not yet settled on an agreed upon budget, I expect many if not all of the financial decisions mentioned will probably occur here over the next year as well. As district and local school personnel not currently in the classroom are “bumped down,” I also expect to see a lot of new faces on my campus next year.
A GEORGIA HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER REPORTED:
Cuts are coming in my district as well. Normally, our fast-growing county hires about 500 new teachers a year -- this year, we are hiring none, even though we are opening five new schools. The result: forced transfers and deals being made between principals: "I'll take John if you'll take Sally," etc.
The county is trying to find "homes" for everyone with tenure who is already working full time. Part-time teachers are gone, and new teachers are also at risk. My school lost only six teachers; we were lucky because we will be the biggest school, numbers-wise, next year. Another high school in my district is actually losing 80 teachers. You can imagine what this is doing to morale. You wouldn't BELIEVE the rumors and angst flying through the buildings. The fear and depression just seems to be hanging in the air.
We also had austerity cuts recently--all lamps, microwaves, stereos, heaters, fans, refrigerators, etc. had to be removed from classrooms. We asked if we could pay an impact fee to keep these things, and of course we were told no. So, we now are forced to keep our stuff in community refrigerators. That lasted a week for me until my food started being stolen, so now I bring my cooler every day. As y'all can imagine, knowing that someone in the building stole from me did not help my spirits.
The result of all these cuts is that morale is as low as a frog's belly on mowing day. My only comforts: I still have a job, and everybody in the district and state (and, it sounds like, the country) is in the same boat.
Sorry this has a negative tone. I'm just really tired and losing my optimism and my motivation. I'm wondering how to get my groove back. It doesn't help that I'm being forced to work on Presidents' Day, and that we don't have a day off until spring break even though every system around us is off at least today.
A HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER IN MARYLAND WROTE:
We just got hit with the appliances as well. I tried pointing out that if my microwave were not plugged in when I wasn't using it, there was no more electricity being used when I heated water for a cup of tea than if I heated it in the one teachers lounge, which is about a 3 minute walk away (I am in an outside temporary). No luck. Of course, we have wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars on a new grade and attendance program that is time consuming and full of bugs (it was calculating incorrect averages for transcripts being sent out for seniors applying for Early Decision.
We were scheduled to close 12 schools and cut 900 jobs, about 70% of which would have been teachers. We are waiting to see impact of the federal stimulus bill on our district to see how much of that might be rescinded. If I look in the Sunday Washington Post, there are few education jobs. The local districts normally run job fairs in January and February. So far none of that. And it is not as if there are many non-teaching jobs to which one can switch.
A MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER IN MASSACHUSETTS REPLIED:
This topic makes me so very frustrated, sad, and angry! We just got a huge detailed e-mail about the cuts. Most of them affect the kids directly. The one that got my blood boiling is the disappearance of late buses each Thursday. We have hundreds of kids who use this opportunity to stay after to get extra help and be a part of the school clubs. We have kids whose parents don't own cars, work late, etc. who depend on their kids having a late bus so they can enjoy these important opportunities.
We already lost two teaching positions this year in the 6th grade, so each teacher is teaching a subject they've never taught before, as well as their usual content area. We have lots of PTO fundraisers during the year -- "Boxtops for Education", labels from Nestles, and Tyson chicken rewards are some ones I can remember, but there's more. Our principal, an incredibly creative and insightful man, who I'm sure saw the future when he was hired, has developed a business partnership with a local hospital.We also have a bin for donated books outside school, and another for paper (we get money for recycled books and paper). I'm on our school's site council and we're now organizing an Open House for school volunteers.
I walked by an ELL classroom last week, and overhead one of our teachers explain to her students, "Because of the budget cuts there isn't any money...." How sad we are having to explain to our kids why they must tighten their belts when it comes to their education.
[Submitted by John Norton, moderator of the TLN Forum, http://www.teacherleaders.org]
We will have to see the
We will have to see the impact of the money flowing to the states through the stimulus. Since that may mean cuts the states were going to make may now not happen, or at least not be so severe, it is possible that some of what has been announced might be rescinded.
Then again, states and localities have other woes as well, and even with more federal money, in some cases it may not come close to closing the gap in what is needed and what can actually be provided. We will have to watch, especially as some states are still completing their own budget processes.
Some News from Michigan Ken
Some News from Michigan
Ken makes a good point. But a one-time stimulus is unlikely to resolve persistent school funding woes in states like Michigan, as the economic basis for school financial support continues to erode. Here's another teacher report shared in the Teacher Leaders Network Forum --
MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH TEACHER - SMALL SYSTEM
Public schools in Michigan are in for a hard hit, again, as well. The proposed budget suggests a $59 per pupil cut in funding.
Our district has already cut much programming. Extra-curriculars are virtually non-existent. Students must pay $125 per sport to play any sport, including middle schoolers. At the middle school level, student council, quiz bowl, peer counseling, everything ... has been cut.
We lost our middle school counselor two years ago, but a few weeks ago, a K-8 counselor was hired to replace her. We no longer have a middle school principal, instead sharing 2 district wide, one for K-6, another for 7-12. We have been told to expect layoffs across the board for next year, teachers and support staff.
Professional development monies are scarce as well. Conference attendance was always one thing our district strongly supported but those are being severely limited now.
The teaching staff here finally settled our contract after nearly 2 years of teaching without one. We took a huge hit to our insurance, as well as accepting a 1% raise over each of the next 3 years. We also are teaching an extra hour a day compared to our last contract.
We keep tightening our belts, and tightening our belts, but at what point do we just give up and close the doors?
Until educational funding becomes a true priority in our nation, it seems public education does not stand a chance. I too hate to take the negative stance but it is disheartening to say the least!
[Submitted by John Norton, moderator of the TLN Forum, http://www.teacherleaders.org]
Additional economic notes
Additional economic notes from TLN members
MORE MICHIGAN BUDGET SOLUTIONS
Paper (teachers were given two reams for this marking period).
Printer cartridges (teachers were asked to buy their own when the ones in the workroom ran out).
Playground and lunchroom aides (guess who picked up the slack there).
Fewer hours--moving from a six-period day to a five-period day, permitting a 15% reduction in staffing positions.
Custodial services (classrooms now cleaned twice a week, rather than daily--BYO vacuum cleaner suggestion).
And the #1 strategy, across the board: increased class size. The band teacher now sees over 400 students at day.
MISSISSIPPI TEACHER: WHO NEEDS BUILDINGS?
Let’s just have class out in the mud.
One of my main areas of consternation with the wrangling over the economic stimulus was the insistence of Republicans to cut the funds for school construction. The House was able to reinsert some funds for renovations, but not nearly enough (thanks Ken B. for the great analysis at Public Insights).
In MS, state funds for school construction and renovation have been frozen (except for the most extreme needs - such as Gulf Coast schools after Katrina) for the last 7 years. There are students here in the Delta who have spent their entire school life in trailers. The average age of school buildings in the U.S. is 42 years. We have one elementary school building in our district that is partially condemned (the kids are crammed into the other part). Hopes for relief in that area still seem pretty distant.
The political "rationale" [there's an oxymoron for you] of not wasting taxpayers money on school construction escapes me totally.
[Submitted by John Norton, moderator of the TLN Forum, http://www.teacherleaders.org]
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