Education and the Economic Stimulus Package
Posted by Beth DuBose on Jan 30, 2009
House Democrats offered a two-year an $825 billion stimulus package that they will now negotiate with the Senate in preparation to deliver a joint package to Obama by February 13th, 2009. The proposed package offers good news for education.
“As states begin tackling a projected $350 billion in budget shortfalls these investments will prevent cuts to critical education programs and services,” said Rep. David Obey, WI, chair of the House Appropriations Committee, in his release of Stimulus Package Details.
Here is a summary of the Economic Stimulus Package that the House passed that I got from the International Reading Association:
School Construction: $14 billion for K-12 for renovation and modernization, including technology upgrades and energy efficiency improvements. Also includes $100 million for school construction in communities that lack a local property tax base because they contain non-taxable federal lands such as military bases or Indian reservations, and $25 million to help charter schools build, obtain, and repair schools.
Education Technology: $1 billion for 21st century classrooms, including computer and science labs and teacher technology training.
IDEA Special Education: $13 billion for formula grants to increase the federal share of special education costs and prevent these mandatory costs from forcing states to cut other areas of education.
Title I Help for Disadvantaged Kids: $13 billion for grants to help disadvantaged kids in nearly every school district and more than half of all public schools reach high academic standards.
Statewide Data Systems: $250 million for competitive grants to states to design and develop data systems that analyze individual student data to find ways to improve student achievement, providing teachers and administrators with effective tools.
Education for Homeless Children and Youth: $66 million for formula grants to states to provide services to homeless children including meals and transportation when high unemployment and home foreclosures have created an influx of homeless kids.
Improving Teacher Quality: $300 million, including $200 million for competitive grants to school districts and states to provide financial incentives for teachers and principals who raise student achievement and close the achievement gaps in high-need schools and $100 million for competitive grants to states to address teacher shortages and modernize the teaching workforce.
Early Childhood Development
Child Care Development Block Grant: $2 billion to provide child care services for an additional 300,000 children in low-income families while their parents go to work. Today only one out of seven eligible children receives care.
Head Start: $2.1 billion to provide comprehensive development services to help 110,000 additional children succeed in school. Funds are distributed based on need. Only about half of all eligible preschoolers and less than 3 percent of eligible infants and toddlers participate in Head Start.
IDEA Infants and Families: $600 million for formula grants to help states serve children with disabilities age 2 and younger.