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Education Jobs Fund Keeping U.S. Teachers on the Job: News of the Day

The Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act, approved by the House during a rare emergency vote in early August, provides critical aid to communities struggling with budget shortfalls by supporting 319,000 American jobs in local communities, including 161,000 teacher jobs. Local news from communities across the country shows that this education funding is allowing school districts to keep teachers in the classroom.


Iowa’s Waterloo Courier reported:

“Iowa school districts will split a pot of $96.5 million in federal funding intended to save or create education jobs.

“Districts will receive monthly payments throughout the 2010-11 fiscal year starting in September or October based on enrollment. In Northeast Iowa, that means a total of $2.35 million for Waterloo Community Schools, $885,245 for Cedar Falls Schools, $386,161 for Waverly-Shell Rock, $300,669 for Independence and $134,235 for Hudson.”

The Salt Lake Tribune has similar good news to share, “The Alpine district already has added more teachers and the Provo district is paying for full-day kindergarten.”

The Austin Daily Herald of Austin, Minn. also reported that many local school teachers are able to keep their jobs due to the Congress’ action:

“More Austin Public School teachers will keep their jobs thanks to an estimated $1 million dollars in federal aid from the Education Jobs Fund.”



“The incoming aid helps ease the district’s projected $1 to 1.5 million deficit for next year, acting as an insurance against possible job cuts in the immediate future.”

Saving Education Jobs: Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act

The Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act, signed into law in August, will save or create an estimated 319,000 American jobs in local communities, including 161,000 teacher jobs

States are applying for and receiving funds:

News of the Day: Saving Local Jobs

Yesterday, President Obama signed H.R. 1586, the Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act, legislation that will prevent mass teacher layoffs, keep police and firefighters on the job, and close tax loopholes that encourage corporations to ship American jobs overseas. The new law will save or create 319,000 American jobs in local communities, including 161,000 teacher jobs. These much-needed funds are expected to reach the states in 45 days. Communities across the country are already celebrating the passage of this legislation:

The News-Leader of Springfield, Mo. reported:

“The bill would send Missouri $292 million for Medicaid and $189.7 million to help cash-strapped schools rehire staff or prevent future layoffs. The education funding will save 3,000 jobs statewide and more than 1,200 in the 4th, 7th and 8th congressional districts. The Medicaid funding would help states meet other budget needs, such as keeping thousands of police officers, nurses and other public workers employed.”

Montana’s Great Falls Tribune passed on similar news:

“Montana will receive $38 million in Medicaid funding and $30.7 million to avoid layoffs, mostly of K-12 teachers, from the bill. The U.S. Education Department estimates that the money will save about 700 teachers' jobs in Montana.”

California’s Coachella Valley will also benefit greatly, according to The Desert Sun:

“Valley schools may be able to rehire teachers and shrink the size of classes when school starts now that a $26 billion jobs bill has become law.

“‘I guess there is such a thing as Christmas in August,’ said Ricardo Medina, superintendent of Coachella Valley Unified School District.”

Chairman Miller appeared on MSNBC yesterday morning to voice his passionate support for the legislation and discuss why job creation is vital to the economic recovery:

“What we’re talking about is creating jobs for teachers, for firemen, for police, for nurses – the people that hold our public spaces together in this country. And we should not have our children lose a year’s education because the Republicans refuse to create jobs.

“And you know what they call teachers and firemen and nurses and policemen with jobs? You know what small businesses call them? They call them customers.”
Today, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs issued the following statement, emphasizing the President’s emphatic support for emergency legislation to help prevent teacher layoffs and create and save 300,000 education jobs.

“As the House prepares to vote on the emergency spending bill today, communities across this country are facing an education crisis with hundreds of thousands of teachers at all levels at risk of losing their jobs.The President shares the concern of millions of Americans  that cuts to state and local budgets are forcing states and localities to cut education spending drastically, impacting the learning and growth of our nation’s children. While some states may not feel the impact yet, there are thousands of teachers who will receive pink slips in the coming months.  The President strongly supports targeted aid focused on preventing these  teacher layoffs in order to stem the education crisis.”

The House Appropriations Committee will vote on the legislation later today. [Note: This vote was postponed.]

U.S. Rep. George Miller, chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, and a lead champion to help save teacher jobs, applauded the White House for their clear message.

“The President knows the desperate situation in our schools. He knows the cost of inaction for our schools, our teachers, our students, our families and our communities. Today, he’s sent us the clear message that Congress has to act now to help prevent these layoffs that would punish teachers, devastate communities and set back the significant progress out students are making in school. ”

Yesterday, the White House released state-by-state estimates of the number of jobs that will be saved or created through the $23 billion Education Jobs Fund.

View the state-by-state job estimates.

View the White House fact sheet, “Keep Our Teachers Working

News of the Day: Chairman Miller Talks About ESEA, Higher Education and More

Chairman George Miller is featured today in Politico’s video series called the “The Politics of America’s Youth” with Mike Allen. He discusses ESEA reauthorization, higher education, and the bipartisan spirit and support for education reform.

Watch the three part video here.

On ESEA Reauthorization:

"We now have the opportunity to really take that rigid system and make a trade-in, if you will, of some additional flexibility at the local level for outcomes, for results. The Secretary [of Education] has made that clear, the President has made that clear, and I think we've made that clear in the series of hearings that we have held. We'd really like now to put more emphasis on better teachers, more emphasis on better leadership, more emphasis on the use of those resources and the flexible use of those resources, and really put teaching and learning and leadership back into the classroom, back into the local systems, and then stand back and hold them accountable for those--for those results, and we're getting a lot of encouragement as we've held our hearings."

On Higher Education:

"And what we tried to address ... was to see whether or not we could bring down the cost of college for families with an increase in the Pell Grant, by lowering the interest rates on student loans over the next couple of years, and then make it easier for the students and the families to manage that debt that they're required to take out to get the degree that they desire. And one of the ways we do that is we have--we let them have an income determinant payment system. How much you pay every month depends upon how much you're making. So, if you start a career with a low entry wage, you can still have that career and you can manage your payments.

"If you go into public service or you work for a non-profit, if you want to become a nurse, a doctor, a teacher, a prosecutor, a public defender and you're working for a public agency, in ten years, your loans go away, and you never have to pay more than 10--10 percent of your discretionary income to pay that loan back. All of a sudden, people can envision careers that otherwise they couldn't have, where they may really wanted to be a teacher, to be a health nurse, to be a physician's assistant, but they couldn't see how they could balance the pay and the education. We need those people, and so this is really in the public interest.

"We also--when we moved to the direct loan programs, it required the companies bring jobs back to America because they're now managing federal assets when they manage the repayment of these loans, and that requires people--that it be done here in America."

On Bipartisanship:

"There is--clearly, whether you're a Democrat or a Republican, you have a big interest in children. It's about our children, our neighbor's children, our constituents' children, it's about the country, and that passion is on both sides of the aisle, certainly in our Committee."

Communities Across the Country Face Devastating Layoffs

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Teachers, firefighters and policemen nationwide are losing their jobs due to local budget shortfalls.  Chairman Miller has urged Congress to pass the Local Jobs for America Act to create or save one million public and private sector jobs.
 “All across the country, we are hearing from mayors and community leaders who are deeply worried about pending budget crises and their impacts on workers, their families and municipalities…Whether it’s the potential loss of teachers, school nurses, janitors, firefighters, law enforcement officers, or countless other critical services – it’s clear that these looming crises, if left unaddressed, stand to threaten the livelihoods of thousands of families, to cut off essential public services, and to undermine our broader economic recovery.” - Chairman George Miller

Norwich, MA Protests the Layoffs of 71 Local Teachers. NBC Connecticut reported, “The board of education says that if the budget remains the same, 71 teachers will lose their jobs, two schools will be closed, and programs like foreign language classes will be canceled. ‘These student’s can’t move any place. They’re stuck here,’ said Bill Young, one of the teacher’s losing his job. We’re going to have less services, and less chances for students to get the education they deserve.’”

Mayor of New York Announces 12,000 Layoffs of City Workers. The New York Times reported, “Under the mayor’s proposal, which covers the fiscal year that starts on July 1, the city would lay off 6,400 teachers and 300 classroom aides. The rest of the city’s work force would shrink by more than 4,000 positions, mostly through attrition. About 50 senior centers and 16 day care centers would be closed.

City of Las Vegas May Be Forced to Lay Off Hundreds Due to Local Budget Deficit. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported, “The city is now looking at a $478 million general fund budget, down from a $493 million tentative budget the City Council has already approved. To meet a shortfall in revenue, the city might draw $48 million from reserves instead of the $38 million already budgeted, with layoffs and program cuts. Plans already call for 146 layoffs, but that number could double, Mayor Oscar Goodman has said.”

Stockton, CA Lays Off 55 Police Officers, Leaving Many in “Layoff Limbo”. The Stockton Record reported, “In May 2009, when the city was projecting a $31 million budget deficit, Brandon Ezell was one of 55 Stockton police officers told that he would be laid off at the end of that June, before the start of the next fiscal year.”

Over 80% of U.S. School Districts Expected to Eliminate Jobs in the 2010-2011 School Year. According to CNN Money, “Based on a survey of school administrators from 49 states, a total of 275,000 education jobs are expected to be cut in 2011, according to the American Association of School Administrators. ‘Faced with continued budgetary constraints, school leaders across the nation are forced to consider an unprecedented level of layoffs that would negatively impact economic recovery and deal a devastating blow to public education,’ said AASA Executive Director Dan Domenech.”

Local Jobs for America Act Will Help Save Teachers' Jobs

Teacher job crisis looming

The American Association of School Administrators recently estimated that budget cuts will leave 275,000 educators out of work in the 2010-11 school year. In addition, Dr. Lawrence Mishel of the Economic Policy Institute estimates that for every 100,000 education jobs lost, 30,000 jobs will be lost in other sectors because of the lost spending by schools and the laid-off educators.  A loss of 275,000 education jobs would translate into more than 82,000 job cuts in other industries.

Committee Chairman Miller: “Teacher layoffs threaten our economic recovery and long-term stability at every level. Our teachers can’t afford to lose their jobs, our children can’t afford to lose a year of learning, and our nation can’t afford to stall the progress we’ve made to get our economy back on track.”

Watch Chairman Miller speak about investing in education jobs through the Local Jobs for America Act at a press event:



Local Jobs for America Act can help

The Local Jobs for America Act, introduced earlier this year, would invest $75 billion directly in local communities to save and create jobs in both the public and private sectors and restore vital services that families rely on.  The bill also includes an additional $24 billion investment to support 250,000 education-related jobs, including teachers, janitors, cafeteria workers, guidance counselors and principals.


In related news: yesterday, on National Teacher Day, the Committee held a hearing to examine how to best support teachers and leaders in schools. Studies show that teachers are the single most important factor in affecting student achievement.
One year ago today, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was enacted with the goal of keeping our recession from turning into a deeper Depression, and saving and creating jobs. A year later, it’s clear that the Recovery Act pulled our economy back from the brink of financial collapse, protected teachers, policemen, firefighters, and other vital workers from losing their jobs, and made strategic investments in education reforms and worker training that will help lay the groundwork for a long-term economic recovery. Newspapers from coast to coast have documented how the Recovery Act has helped students, workers and families:
PROTECTING EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS OF ALL AGES

“A year later, it’s clear that the stimulus package averted tens of thousands of teacher layoffs nationwide, and mitigated deep cuts to school programs.” [Education Week, 1/5/10]

“Public colleges and universities had one of their leanest years on record in 2008-09 and only a $2.4 billion infusion of federal stimulus money staved off fiscal disaster…” [Washington Post, 2/12/10]

SAN FRANCISCO, CA: Recovery Act funding saved tens of thousands of public school teacher jobs. “In California, the stimulus was credited with saving or creating 62,000 jobs in public schools and state universities. Utah reported saving about 2,600 teaching jobs. In both states, education jobs represented about two-thirds of the total stimulus job number. Missouri reported more than 8,500 school jobs, Minnesota more than 5,900. In Michigan, where officials said 19,500 jobs have been saved or created, three out of four were in education.” [San Francisco Gate, 10/13/09]

EL PASO, TX: Recovery funding of nearly $1 million for Pell Grants allowed two Anamarc Educational Institute campuses, in El Paso and Santa Teresa, to increase enrollment by over 10% while continuing to offer financial aid to their students. “Last year, 88 percent of Anamarc students were receiving Pell Grants.” [El Paso Times, 11/22/09]

SEATTLE, WA: Recovery dollars will allow 108 more Washington State kids to enroll in Head Start programs. The funding boost will also create 14 new jobs in early education. [Seattle Post Globe, 2/4/10]

LEBANON, PA: Pennsylvania’s Lebanon County schools received 1.5 million in Recovery Act aid, allowing the area to improve special education programs and bolster Title 1 expenditures, a program that helps low-income students improve their math and reading skills. [LD News, 1/30/2010]

WALNUT CREEK, CA: $3.7 million in recovery funds will allow Cal State Long Beach, a California public university, to add about 600 courses in the fall- a move that will restore many cut classes. CSU Chancellor welcomed the aid, saying, "Hopefully this will help to alleviate some of the shortages in classes, and students will be able to make faster progress toward their degree." [Contra Costa Times, 2/8/10]


TRAINING WORKERS FOR CAREERS OF THE FUTURE AND PROVIDING YOUNG AMERICANS WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE

“The last year has shown — just as economists have long said — that aid to states and cities may be the single most effective form of stimulus.” [New York Times, 2/17/10]

OMAHA, NE: The state of Nebraska was awarded $4.8 million in recovery dollars that will fund “job training in wind energy, biofuels and sustainable, environmentally friendly building technologies”. The money is expected to provide 860 Nebraskans with job training. [Nebraska World Herald, 1/22/10]

LEWES, DE: A Recovery Act grant of over $150,000 saved an endangered Delaware-based Americorps program, the AmeriCorps Youth Conservation Corps. The summer program employs teenagers “to perform maintenance and restoration work” at the treasured Cape Henlopen State Park. [Cape Gazette, 6/25/09]

WHITTIER, CA: California’s Mt. St. Antonio College received $2.2 million in recovery funds “to train more than 100 displaced workers for new jobs” in expanding industries including health care, biotech, green industries, aviation and manufacturing sectors. [Whittier Daily News, 2/12/10]

HACKENSACK, NJ: New Jersey’s Passaic Community College received $4.5 million in Recovery Act funding that will train workers for new positions in health care and education. A local reporter noted, “Local non-profit agencies and hospitals will partner with the college to train people for more specialized health care jobs as part of the program.” [NorthJersey.com, 2/13/10]

HONOLULU, HI: Due to recovery funding, “53 [Hawaii] jobs were created in the AmeriCorps community volunteer program”. [Honolulu Advertiser, 2/2/10]

KETCHUM, ID: The state of Idaho received nearly $6 million in Recovery Act aid to “to prepare workers for careers in energy efficiency, renewable energy and other ‘green” occupations. In response to the funding, Idaho Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter said, “This grant will give Idaho workers access to training in green industries that will lead to career-path jobs in energy efficiency and renewable energy.” [Idaho Mountain Express, 1/26/10]

Recovery Act Jobs: State-by-State

STATE FUNDS AWARDED RECIPIENT-REPORTED JOBS EDUCATION JOBS
Alabama $2,879,946,703 13,871 5,866
Alaska $1,599,388,595 1,596 268
Arizona $3,392,939,821 6,811 2,849
Arkansas $1,584,748,636 2,829 655
California $21,650,138,095 71,015 49,982
Colorado $3,229,978,450 9,407 3,900
Connecticut $1,851,708,850 7,048 3,975
Delaware $720,689,064 1,523 705
District of Columbia $3,044,036,584 3,719 661
Florida $9,094,185,017 34,966 24,055
Georgia $4,861,526,252 24,103 14,397
Hawaii $1,007,797,512 3,014 2,083
Idaho $1,858,250,061 6,160 4,057
Illinois $7,805,527,172 11,375 2,602
Indiana $4,153,669,041 15,278 12,046
Iowa $2,059,557,824 9,096 6,203
Kansas $1,565,844,902 6,561 3,883
Kentucky $2,511,040,050 10,677 7,381
Louisiana $2,515,219,042 11,322 7,023
Maine $889,318,291 2,182 336
Maryland $4,680,473,252 6,759 1,467
Massachusetts $4,713,047,794 9,261 3,215
Michigan $7,319,327,513 20,140 9,313
Minnesota $2,978,457,783 12,291 6,952
Mississippi $2,071,100,200 3,412 602
Missouri $3,390,575,173 16,074 11,462
Montana $1,162,870,408 4,121 1,579
Nebraska $1,079,872,241 3,849 1,703
Nevada $1,427,100,987 3,149 2,005
New Hampshire $824,716,551 1,295 261
New Jersey $4,582,612,624 21,512 15,907
New Mexico $2,223,479,041 4,582 2,373
New York $12,373,720,643 43,061 30,157
North Carolina $5,437,207,212 26,119 19,039
North Dakota $885,135,966 2,698 1,613
Ohio $6,445,027,536 24,705 11,881
Oklahoma $2,329,598,907 7,999 4,903
Oregon $2,241,634,383 9,657 5,623
Pennsylvania $6,816,672,122 12,238 2,661
Rhode Island $794,028,907 1,345 194
South Carolina $5,765,646,903 11,024 4,947
South Dakota $950,346,898 3,244 602
Tennessee $5,941,032,774 10,259 3,749
Texas $12,423,955,147 28,460 18,577
Utah $1,761,439,655 4,740 1,955
Vermont $624,753,124 1,624 294
Virginia $4,319,924,264 9,877 5,079
Washington $7,867,066,655 14,413 5,464
West Virginia $1,480,743,335 2,195 641
Wisconsin $2,948,665,736 10,316 4,338
Wyoming $562,557,420 851 18
       
TERRITORY FUNDS AWARDED RECIPIENT-REPORTED JOBS EDUCATION JOBS
Northern Mariana Islands $84,398,311 138 55
Puerto Rico $2,340,754,806 14,506  
       
TOTAL $199,662,327,231 599,108  

Note: “Funds Awarded” includes federal contract, grant, and loan awards for individual states and territories, as reported by prime recipients for the period February 17-December 31, 2009. “Recipient-Reported Jobs”covers the period October 1-December 31, 2009.
Source: recovery.gov 

“Education Jobs” are reported from the Department of Education for the period October 1-December 31, 2009, and include jobs such as teachers, principals, librarians, and counselors. Source: Department of Education

Key Investments in the President’s 2011 Education Budget

President Obama’s 2011 Education Budget continues an impressive funding commitment in education. His budget sends the right message about balancing incentives with resources – spurring major school improvements and providing the resources needed to make them.

The President’s proposed budget includes  a request for $49.7 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Education, a $3.5 billion increase from last year’s request. It streamlines programs through consolidation and program elimination with an eye on program effectiveness. Specifically, the President’s budget will:


Drive Reform and Innovation

Transforming elementary and secondary education by introducing positive incentives and rewards to spur reform:
  • $1.35 billion to continue the  Race to the Top program;
  • $500 million for Investing in Innovation;
  • $261 million for Research, Development, and Dissemination ($60.5 million increase over FY 2010);
  • $65 million for Statewide Data Systems ($6.75 million increase over FY 2010);
  • $1.0 billion in contingency funding to support newly reauthorized ESEA initiatives.

Strengthen Teaching and Leadership

Rewarding teacher and principal excellence, including nearly $5 billion for five new programs:
  • $3.9 billion for Excellent Instructional Teams programs, which include the following 3 new programs:
    • $2.5 billion for Effective Teachers and Leaders State formula Grants; 
    • $950 million for a competitive Teacher and Leader Innovation Fund program;
    • $405 million for a competitive Teacher and Leader Pathways program;
  • $1 billion for three new effective teaching initiatives focusing on literacy, STEM and interdisciplinary subjects.

Improve School Climates

Promoting healthier and safer learning environments for students by investing:
  • $210 million for Promise Neighborhoods;
  • $1.16 billion for 21st Century Community Learning;
  • $410 million for Successful, Safe and Healthy Students.

Support Early Learning

Ensuring children continue to have access to early learning opportunities and child care:
  • $1 billion for Head Start – allows current levels of services to be maintained;
  • $1.6 billion for Child Care and Development Block Grant Program funding an additional 235,000 kids.

Close Achievement Gaps

Supporting high expectations, increased accountability for all students, and the development of high quality standards and assessments:
  • $14.5 billion for Title I, part A, renamed College and Career Ready Students;
  • $11.8 billion for IDEA, Grants to States, a $250 million increase over the FY 2010 level, excluding ARRA funds, which would maintain the federal contribution for special  education at 17 percent;
  • $800 million for the English Learner Education, a $50 million increase over FY 2010;
  • $445 million for State Assessments, renamed Assessing Achievement, a $39.2 million increase over FY 2010.

Support Higher Education


Increasing access to higher education by increasing the maximum Pell Grant award to $5,710 for the 2010-2011 award and linking future increases of the maximum award to the Consumer Price Index. In addition, proposals to:
  • Convert Pell into a mandatory entitlement program;
  • Cap payments under Income-Based Repayment at 10 percent of income and forgiving balances after 20 years.
  • Reinforce the Administration’s support for SAFRA which includes among other things:
    • Elimination of FFEL and a switch to Direct Loans; 
    • $2.5 billion for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other minority-serving institutions;
    • An expansion of the Perkins Loan program to provide $6 billion in new loan volume;
    • $10.6 billion for an investment in community colleges; 
    • $9.3 billion for an Early Learning Challenge Fund to provide competitive grants to states to improve early learning programs.
Rep. George Miller, chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, speaks passionately about the need to pass the Jobs for Main Street Act on the House floor on December 16, 2009.


Learn more about the Jobs for Main Street Act and how it will create additional jobs for construction workers, teachers, police officers, firefighters and others, and extend critical assistance for the unemployed and people who have lost health insurance.




To learn more about seclusion and restraint, click here.
Building a Strong, Competitive 21st Century Economy

As we work to rebuild our economy and move our country forward, teachers will play a critical role in preparing our students to compete globally. It’s time to treat teachers like the professionals they are by rewarding them for their talent and hard work and providing them with opportunities for professional development and growth. 

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will help retain and cultivate excellent teachers by saving and creating new jobs and providing teachers with the support they deserve. The legislation will:
Reward teacher excellence
  • Provides $200 million in funding for school districts that want to reward educators for outstanding performance or for taking on additional responsibilities and leadership roles.

Train and recruit outstanding teachers for classrooms that need them most

  • Invests $100 million to address teacher shortages and modernize the teaching workforce;
  • Provides training for new teachers to help them improve overall student achievement;
  • Enhances professional development activities for new teachers;
  • Strengthens teacher recruitment and training efforts for prospective teachers;
  • Improves the preparation of general education teacher candidates in order to more effectively teach students with disabilities.

Prevent teacher layoffs

  • Allows the State Stabilization Fund, IDEA, and Title I investments to be used to help states  keep teachers on staff.

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