Arne Duncan: Use Stimulus Funds "Smartly"
Published April 10, 2009 @ 02:09PM PT
Under the President's stimulus plan, $11 billion total in special education aid and Title I aid for disadvantaged students started going to the states on April 1st. The April 7th Education Week reports that U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and his staff have said that "states and school districts must use their federal stimulus money smartly or risk losing billions more"---here's what "smartly" means:
• progress on increasing teacher quality and effectiveness
• establishment of data systems linking information from preschool to higher education
• turnarounds of low-performing schools
• creation of better and higher academic standards
Duncan is also holding out another $5 billion in incentive and innovation grants to give to districts at the discretion of his department.
With specific regard to special education students and IDEA, EdWeek provides this breakdown:
• Offer training and dual certification for teachers of English-language learners and students in special education.
• Implement online individualized education programs (IEPs) aligned with state academic standards.
• Hire transition coaches to help graduating high school seniors find employment or get postsecondary training.
The emphasis on teacher training and on transition coaches sounds promising, though---considering the widely varying needs of special education students----it'll be very much of interest as to how these are allocated. Besides a transition coach, my son will need a job coach, or those efforts to transition him to work will not go anywhere.
The stimulus money will end---"disappear," as Education Week puts it----in 2011 and school districts are hampered by this reality in various ways. If they use the funds to hire new special education teachers, they may not be able to keep those teachers after 2011 --- but they would be required to continue to provide an education appropriate to the needs of special education students, but no longer able to do so. So hiring more special education teachers or more staff may not be a likely use of the funds.
Your take on what the stimulus money might do for your education or your child's?
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Comments (3)
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Kristina is a Classics professor in Jersey City, New Jersey, a blogger (formerly at AutismVox), a translator (of Virgil), and an advocate every day for her son, Charlie.
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I would love if all of the schools near here got new playgrounds with durable equipment. The current playgrounds are run down and scary- disabled and nondisabled children need safe playgrounds to play on.
Posted by Erin Monk on 04/10/2009 @ 05:36PM PT
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Wonder if they'll be more of a push for more technology instead of playgrounds----I know what would be better for Charlie, though.
Posted by Kristina Chew on 04/10/2009 @ 06:49PM PT
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Every child is entitled to an education. All children are entitled to an education that pushes the limits so a child can reach THEIR OWN POTENTIAL. Every child should be given the opportunity to feel accomplished and have positive self worth. It is important to help our youth to be self sufficient. Communities should offer vocational and trade schools since not all children are college material. It is important to have enough educators to help develop programs to attract young people in to Special Education programs for children with disabilities and children who are mentally challenged. I am a parent who's child had Learning Disabilities when very young and the schools were not equipped to deal with this. Kids fell behind, or were pushed to the next grade level, especially since there were no behaivor problems. NYS at the time had a law called 4407 and it enabled me to find the best school for my daughter's education. Today, she is a successful hair dresser ( 46 years old). Unfortunately a vocational school in Northern Palm Beach County has closed its doors. I think vocational training will help provide potential high school dropouts to persue an alternative means of learning a skill such as auto mechanic, air conditioning and refrigeration, horticulture, food services, tile setter, etc. I feel that is in imperative to fund head start programs. A child's mind is like a sponge, they are eager to learn and to please. Investing in our children is investing in the foundation and future of our country.
Sallie Mills
West Palm Beach, FL
Posted by sallie mills on 04/23/2009 @ 12:15AM PT
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