Obama budget threatens funding for poor school districts

[Hannah Bell]

The Obama administration’s budget proposal for 2011 contains sweeping changes to funding for primary and secondary education. New rules would radically alter the guidelines for the distribution of funding to schools with high concentrations of low-income students, punishing students and teachers in these schools for failure to meet “college- or career-readiness” goals....

While details of the education proposal remain sketchy, the changes being pushed by Obama to what is known as Title I funding are to the right of the Bush administration’s No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001—the law that is widely recognized by teachers and parents as an attack on education, particularly in poorer school districts...

Under Title I of the act, the US Department of Education established a set of programs to distribute funding to schools and school districts with a high percentage of students from low-income families...

Under Obama’s proposals, a significant portion of these Title I funds would be distributed to poorer districts—not on the basis of economic need, but according to their “performance.” This would in effect penalize students and teachers in schools already operating with budgets funded by lower tax bases, and where increasing numbers of families are struggling under the growing impact of the economic crisis...

The change is modeled on Obama’s Race to the Top (RTTT) program, which is forcing states to compete for $4.3 billion in stimulus funds. Under RTTT, states that prohibit the use of test scores in teacher evaluations are ineligible for funds. States are also rewarded for opening up more charter schools, institutions that are privately run but receive federal money at the expense of public schools...

Education Secretary Arne Duncan gave an indication of what the changes to Title I funding would mean in remarks at the Brookings Institution in Washington last May. He said, “When a school is chronically under-performing despite additional supports and other strategies, you have to consider bolder action, whether it’s changing the leadership, hiring a new staff or turning schools over to charter operators.”

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/feb2010/educ-f08.shtml


I think it's significant that the stick is used on poor districts & the carrot (rttt) on wealthier ones.

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. Losing federal funding will devastate districts serving low income kids

Just more war on the poor. Very disappointing coming from a Democratic president. I certainly hope this is not his legacy.

[Catshrink]

2. You'd think with ears as big as his he'd be able to hear the wailing from

those in the trenches of education.

[YvonneCa]

3. Or the 'pitter-pat' (or massive shuffling sound) of little feet as teachers...

...run away from their Title 1 schools.

[Dinger]

5. He's A Democrat

But not the "Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party" though. Sad.:-(

[Dinger]

4. If He Lets This Pass, It's WAR

Fucking WAR!

[Catshrink]

7. Potty mouth

:evilgrin:

[Dinger]

9. Thank You

:evilgrin:

[vegiegals]

10. The WH is pushing this.....

States will do anything for money--including WI:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-race-top-graham-road-elementary-school


.........And even before states have received a single dime of taxpayer money, many of them have committed to instituting important reforms to better position themselves for a Race to the Top grant. Forty-eight states have now joined a nationwide partnership to develop a common set of rigorous, career-ready standards in reading and math. Wisconsin has enacted legislation permitting schools to link student achievement to the performance of teachers and principals. In Illinois, Louisiana, Tennessee, California, we've seen changes in laws or policies to let public charter schools expand and succeed. These are public schools with more independence that are formed by teachers, parents, and community members........

[Dinger]

12. Teachers WILL Push Back, And Doyle Is Losing On Mayoral Control

http://host.madison.com/news/state-and-regional/wisconsin/article_48ee0852-c4f6-58fe-8462-80050a6afed4.html

[Catshrink]

6. Nope, it's justification for turning schools in low income areas into charters

another means for for-profit education corporations to make money off the poor.

[vegiegals]

11. Exactly.

[LWolf]

8. The stick and carrot are corrupt, imo.

:grr: