"By withholding $1.2 billion in education funding, the governor is depriving California students, teachers and aides of critical resources just as they're returning to the classroom. California's struggling economy needs this money to ensure that our children don't become victims of Wall Street's scandals, and to continue the education reform efforts of President Obama and Secretary Duncan. The Schwarzenegger administration is proving to be an unreliable partner in our efforts to reform California schools. The governor is playing politics with California schools, putting 16,500 teacher jobs at risk and jeopardizing the future of millions of students. I urge him to sign this legislation, which will distribute the badly needed funding."

Miller has been a staunch advocate for education funding for America's schools. He initially proposed a $23 billion dollar emergency “Education Jobs Fund” in late 2009. Twice, the House passed funding to support teacher jobs, but Senate Republicans blocked the legislation from moving forward. Miller also authored the Local Jobs for America Act, introduced in March, which would help create and save public and private sector jobs and restore vital services in local communities.

“It was the right decision to come back to Washington to take this important vote,” Miller added. “It’s not the first time this Congress has voted to support jobs, teachers and the future of this country. And we are not done working to rescue this economy.  Sadly, it is also not the first time Republicans have voted against jobs and against assistance for families across the country.”

The legislation includes $10 billion to save teacher jobs and $16.1 billion in health assistance to the states. The funding will also keep police officers and firefighters on the job, at no cost to taxpayers.

According to estimates from the Department of Education, the $10 billion in education funding will save 161,000 teacher jobs. And the Economic Policy Institute estimates the Medicaid funds will save and create 158,000 jobs, including preventing the layoff of police officers and firefighters.  More than half of these jobs will be in the private sector, including workers who contract for or supply services to state and local governments.  

Under the bill, California will receive an estimated $1.8 billion in Medi-Cal assistance and $1.2 billion in emergency education funding.  It is estimated that 16,500 California teacher jobs would be saved by this funding, including an estimated 249 education jobs in Miller’s 7th Congressional District, which includes portions of Solano and Contra Costa counties.

Miller said that he has indicated to the Department of Education that the education funds should be sent out to the states and distributed to local communities as quickly as possible.

The bill reduces the deficit by $1.4 billion over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.  The bill includes costs of $26.1 billion and offsets of $27.5 billion – including $17.7 billion in spending cuts and $9.8 billion by closing tax loopholes that encourage corporations to ship American jobs overseas.  

The legislation uses the same formula to distribute the education funds to states as was used in the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund under the Recovery Act .  The formula allocates funds based on each state’s relative population of individuals ages 5 to 24 and of each state’s share of the total population. Governors will distribute funds to districts using the state’s primary funding formulae for K-12 education or each district’s share of Title I.   Once the bill is enacted, Governors will be required to tell local school districts which formula they plan to use to allocate the funds to ensure districts can plan immediately to hire back staff.

Miller has been fighting for almost a year for additional emergency aid to keep teachers in the classroom.  He initially proposed a $23 billion dollar emergency “Education Jobs Fund” in late 2009. Twice, the House passed funding to support teacher jobs, but Senate Republicans blocked the legislation from moving forward. Miller also authored the Local Jobs for America Act, introduced in March, which would help create and save public and private sector jobs and restore vital services in local communities.

More information about the work Miller has done to save jobs

More information about the bill

U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chair of the House Education and Labor Committee and a lead advocate in Congress for education jobs, released the following statement.

“The financial industry collapse has trickled down to local communities in the form of decreased revenues, lost property taxes and, ultimately, harmful budget cuts to school districts across the country. Without immediate action, our students and teachers stand to suffer the consequences of a system breakdown in which they played no part. If we balk now and let our students lose a year of learning in our schools because of the of financial scandals, it will be a scandal on the Congress.”

“These budget cuts would punish teachers, devastate communities and set back the significant progress students have made since the implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Keeping teachers in classrooms and educators in schools is part of a larger strategy of getting Americans back to work. By investing this emergency money to save jobs, we prevent further turmoil by keeping unemployment and COBRA costs from spiraling out of control and creating more burden on local communities.”

View the state by state estimates

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

“Providing all our children with a world-class education is critical to a sustainable economic recovery. Sadly, budget cuts across the country have threatened the jobs of hundreds of thousands of our teachers, guidance counselors, principals, cafeteria workers, librarians and more. These job losses are devastating for students and our communities. We can’t allow a child’s education to become a casualty of what is happening in our economy.

“I want to commend Chairman Obey for his vision and unwavering commitment to America’s students, teachers and families. Chairman Obey knows that with serious investments in education jobs, we can stave off a crisis in our nation’s schools by keeping teachers in the classrooms helping our children learn.

“This emergency spending will also build on our recent investments in the Pell Grant scholarship so every eligible student can continue to have access to an affordable college education. These investments place the scholarship on solid ground by paying for the accumulated shortfall, fulfilling our promise to students and families who rely on the scholarship by ensuring they will continue to receive benefits. We have a critical opportunity to make a real difference in the future of this country.”

Chairman Miller introduced the Local Jobs for America Act in March to help create and save public and private sector jobs and restore vital services in local communities.

“It is clear from this report that when we invest in education jobs, we can make a difference in local communities and help restart local economies. This is what we need to keep our workforce competitive and regain our footing as a leader in the global marketplace.    

“Sadly, the jobs of hundreds of thousands of teachers and school staff are still at risk, which would be devastating for our students and our nation’s economic future. We have to demand the best for our students, our teachers and our schools. We won’t be able to maintain the success of the Recovery Act if our students can’t continue to build on the progress they’ve made. Congress needs to act swiftly to help keep teachers in the classroom and students learning.”

In March, Chairman Miller introduced the Local Jobs for America Act to invest $23 billion to help states support education jobs.

More information about the legislation to help save local jobs

“Today’s announcement is a devastating blow for workers and communities in New York City, but sadly they are not alone. 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. A new study by the American Association of School Administrators predicts that over 80 percent of school districts will have to cut jobs for the coming year.

“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. In addition to laying off teachers, Mayor Bloomberg’s budget will close 16 daycare centers, 50 senior centers and 20 firehouses, and will shutter libraries, lay off child caseworkers, and close adult literacy programs.

“Instead of cutting services and adding to the unemployment crisis, we should be doing the opposite: Putting people to work providing services that are needed now more than ever. The Local Jobs for America Act has been steadily gaining momentum for months among local mayors and county officials – Democrats and Republicans. The bill will quickly create and save up to one million jobs in both the public and private sectors, and lets local communities decide where jobs are most needed.   These will be local jobs that we can count – and jobs that we can count on.

“The bill means that local governments won’t have to balance their budgets on the backs of students, working families, or homeowners. Local officials shouldn’t have to choose between raising taxes and eliminating key services.

“It will also help local businesses put people back to work by investing in private sector job training for workers – and by spurring hiring. Local businesses won’t be able to start hiring again until consumers start spending again. Investing in jobs for public sector workers who have been pink-slipped will put money back in their pockets – generating spending at their local grocery stores, pharmacies and other retail shops.

“Finally, it will protect our children from paying an unfair price. Teacher and education-related cuts ultimately hurt our students – and our future. This legislation includes a $23 billion education jobs fund that will support at least 250,000 jobs for teachers, principals, cafeteria workers and other key school personnel.

“For all of these reasons, Congress should act immediately. Americans shouldn’t have to wait for another announcement.”

The Local Jobs for America Act was introduced in March and currently has 158 co-sponsors. It has been endorsed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National League of Cities, the National Association of Counties, education groups, and over 300 organizations. Learn more about the Local Jobs for America Act.

Today, both the New York Times and the Washington Post ran opinion pieces calling for Congress to act on Miller’s bill.

Earlier this week, Miller joined the nation’s leading teachers unions and teachers who have been pink-slipped at a press conference. View footage from the event.

“An investment in teachers is an investment in the future of our students and our country,” said. U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the committee. “Teachers play an absolutely critical role in shaping our next generation of engineers, innovators and entrepreneurs. If we’re serious about closing the achievement gap, ending the high school dropout crisis, and regaining our global competitiveness, then we have to be serious about supporting teachers.”

Studies show teachers are the single most important factor in determining the success of children in school. School leaders are the second most important factor.

“Students will not do well in school if they are not taught by well-prepared and engaged teachers,” said Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers. “At the same time, neither students nor their teachers can succeed unless the teachers are supported by competent administrators who understand not simply the value but also the necessity of collaboration; the environment in which they are asked to learn and teach is safe, appropriately staffed and equipped; and there is shared responsibility—not top-down accountability.”

More than 200,000 students complete a teacher preparation program each year, but little comprehensive data exists on the effectiveness of these programs. Witnesses testified that teacher preparation programs and schools of education need to do a better job to properly train teachers.

“We need to build a system so that all beginning teachers can perform competently from their first day in the classroom, no matter how they enter teaching,” said Dr. Deborah Ball, Dean of the School of Education at the University of Michigan. “Right now, teachers are considered ‘qualified’ simply by virtue of graduating from an accredited program or competing a major in the subject they teach. This sidesteps the real issue, for it relies on poor proxies for teaching effectiveness instead of demonstrated capacity to do the actual work that will help student learn. This is perilous for our students.”

Although professional development is a key component of teacher success, the  U.S. lags behind other countries in required teacher professional development. Singapore and Sweden, for example, require teachers to have at least 100 hours of professional development each year. Research shows that in order for professional development to be successful, it must be intensive, ongoing and connected to practice. Just over half of teachers were given time away from regular duties or professional development in the 2003-2004 school year.

Marie Parker-McElroy, an Instructional Coach in the Fairfax County Public Schools testified that “districts – especially those most in need of improvement - can build capacity, and provide time and support to implement effective professional development in all schools. This is the most critical lever available to improve the effectiveness of our teacher workforce, as we continue to seek ways to improve recruitment and preparation.”

In Long Beach Unified School District, where students speak 38 languages and nearly three quarters of students receive free or reduced price lunch, students are achieving at high levels.

Christopher Steinhauser, Superintendent of Schools for the district, explained that these students are succeeding because teachers are supported at every level. “New teachers are not simply left to sink or swim in Long Beach,” said Steinhauser.  “They’re supported by new-teacher coaches, and with ongoing training on how to use data to continually improve instruction throughout the school year.”

As Miller and other witnesses also emphasized at the hearing, supporting teachers has to start with ensuring teachers and leaders still have jobs. By the end of this school year, as many as 300,000 may be laid off because of the budget crises facing districts across the country.

Earlier today, Miller joined Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), union leaders and teachers who have been pink-slipped at a press conference to urge Congress to pass legislation that could help support 250,000 education jobs. Miller and Harkin have both introduced bills that would meet that goal. For more information on Miller’s bill, the Local Jobs for America Act, click here.

View witness testimony

View a clip of Chairman Miller at a press conference urging support for teacher jobs

“One year ago, our nation was headed toward an economic collapse, shedding an average of 600,000 jobs a month. State and local budget cutbacks were putting teachers’ jobs – and our students’ education – in peril. Our economy was in need of emergency triage that would immediately begin to save and create jobs and lay the foundation for longer-term economic growth.

“One year after its enactment, it is clear that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is meeting these core goals. To date, the law has already created or saved two million jobs and helped our economy grow at its fastest rate in years. It has funded more than 300,000 education jobs, keeping teachers in classrooms and children and students of all ages learning. It has helped minimize harmful cuts at public colleges and universities and provided students with larger Pell Grants to pay for college.

“The Recovery Act has provided a much-needed lifeline for workers who lost their jobs – and their health insurance along with it. Millions of Americans have received extended or increased unemployment benefits and many got help paying for their COBRA premiums because of the Recovery Act. We can’t underestimate the difference this has made for laid-off workers struggling to put food on their tables, heat their homes, or pay for a visit to the doctor.

“The Recovery Act is also making strategic investments in our future. Recovery programs are training displaced workers for high-growth jobs in our health care, biotech, clean energy and manufacturing sectors. The Race to the Top program is leveraging key education reforms that will better prepare our children for college, competitive jobs and a global economy.

“As President Obama and Congress have repeatedly said, the Recovery Act marked the beginning of our efforts to rebuild our economy and our middle class. Too many workers continue to lose their jobs or have trouble finding new ones. Our work will not be over until every American in need of a job can find one.”

RECOVERY ACT: HELPING STUDENTS, WORKERS AND FAMILIES

• 2 million: the number of jobs created or saved by Recovery dollars thus far, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
• 300,000: the number of teaching and other education-related jobs saved or created.
• $500: the increase in the Pell Grant scholarship eligible students received for the 2009-2010 year due to this law alone. 
• $2.4 billion: the amount of Federal support that helped colleges and universities keep teaching, even as enrollments grew, according to the State Higher Education Executive Officers.

“No other factor matters as much to students’ success in school than the effectiveness of their teachers. If we are serious about regaining our global competitiveness, we need a seismic shift in the way we think about teachers, treat teachers, and partner with teachers. President Weingarten is right: We have to demand excellence in our classrooms, which begins with a teacher evaluation and development system based on multiple measures, including good data, student achievement and stronger support for educators. And we must encourage school leaders and unions to work together, so that teachers’ voices are heard. I’m glad to see AFT is prepared to set the bar high and I look forward to working with them and other key stakeholders as we continue the critical work of improving our schools – and improving opportunities for all of America’s children.”

Miller has been a longtime champion of legislation to help elevate and strengthen the teaching profession. He is the lead author of several bills to help improve teacher training, recruitment and support programs. Most recently, he helped craft the education provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which provides $200 million in funding for school districts to reward educators for outstanding performance or for taking on additional responsibilities and leadership roles and invests $100 million to address teacher shortages and modernize the teaching workforce.

He is also the author of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, which provides up-front tuition assistance of $4,000 each year – for a maximum of $16,000 – for college students who commit to teaching in high need public schools or high need subject areas.

“Our nation’s economy has made significant progress since earlier this year when more than 600,000 Americans were losing their jobs every month. While we may have stemmed the tide of steep job losses and the Recovery Act is making an undeniable impact, millions of Americans are still looking for a job,” said U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee and one of the lead authors of the bill. “The Jobs for Main Street Act is the right thing to do to continue rebuilding our economy and the just thing to do for the millions of families who urgently need work.”

The legislation uses existing available funds from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) to pay for targeted investments in infrastructure and emergency aid to state and local governments to hire teachers, police officers and other vital personnel.

Among other provisions, the Jobs for Main Street Act provides:

• $23 billion to save an estimated 250,000 education jobs over the next two years;
• $41 billion to extend for six months expanded unemployment benefits, including increased payouts and longer duration of benefits;
• $12.3 billion to extend from nine to 15 months the 65 percent COBRA premium support for individuals who have lost their jobs. In addition, the bill extends eligibility through June 30, 2010;
• $200 million for AmeriCorps programs and the National Service Trust, to support an additional 25,000 AmeriCorps Members;
• $500 million for summer youth employment programs;
• $300 million to support the College Work Study program, which supports low- and moderate-income undergraduate and graduate students who work while attending college; and
• $750 million for competitive grants to support job training for approximately 150,000 individuals in high growth and emerging industry sectors, particularly in the health care and green industries that are adding jobs despite difficult economic conditions.

For more information on the Jobs for Main Street Act, click here.

Earlier in the day, the House also approved the 2010 Defense Appropriations bill, which included a separate two-month extension of COBRA premium benefits and unemployment insurance.

“This legislation wisely targets our resources in the workers and families who need the most help weathering this economy.

“It makes key investments to help dislocated workers get the training and skills they need for good jobs in high growth industries and increases worker protections against wage theft and exploitation so that employees who work hard and play by the rules get their fair shake.

“It takes important steps to strengthen our health care workforce and meet the health care needs of families as Congress continues working to fulfill our promises to reform our broken health insurance system.

“It enhances our future competitiveness by boosting teacher effectiveness and addressing our high school dropout crisis -- two approaches that will help more students graduate from high school with a quality education. It continues our commitment to the Pell Grant scholarship so Americans have access to an affordable college education and further invests in Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions. And it supports early education opportunities to put our youngest learners on the path to success.

“Altogether, these investments will help us build on the progress our economy is beginning to make and lay the groundwork for a sustainable recovery. I want to commend Chairman Obey and the Appropriations Committee for crafting a package that does right by students, workers and families and upholds our commitment to fiscal responsibility. I look forward to continuing to work with them to make further progress in rebuilding and strengthening our nation’s middle class.”

For more information on the Labor, Health and Education provisions in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, click here.

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“Thousands of California teachers will be laid off in coming weeks without the infusion of ARRA funds. We implore you to provide for the immediate needs of the state’s already cash-strapped schools by taking all available steps to prevent these layoffs,” the lawmakers wrote.
 
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, signed by President Obama last month, includes a state stabilization fund to give states emergency relief to stave off teacher layoffs, backfill harmful cuts to education programs, and repair and modernize schools – which would also create jobs. Under this structure, states would receive and allocate funds to school districts and colleges and universities.

The plan allocates over $5.9 billion in stabilization funding to California.

As their letter notes, there has recently been confusion over whether the state can decide how local districts and colleges use those funds. To clear up any misunderstanding, the lawmakers today confirmed that deciding how to use this emergency aid should be up to local school districts and college, not up to the state. While the state allocates the funds, school districts should determine how to use them based on their local needs.

“We would like to clarify that it is the intent of Congress that local education agencies may determine how they will use Stabilization funds and that resources are allocated from the state to school districts and institutions of higher education as soon as possible,” the letter reads.

To read the lawmakers’ full letter to state officials, click here.