ASBO International's Economic Recovery Blog

Lost Interest?

Several school districts have lost interest, interest on their loans. Right about now, 0% APR could do a lot of good in schools.

In Wisconsin, 56 school districts will get $120.5 million for renovation and construction, thanks to the ARRA's Qualified School Construction Bonds. Find out how some of the schools will be spending that money.

Recession Blocks Goal?

The U.S. might be out of the World Cup, but the game goes on. There's another important tournament going on, one that we must win: the tournament for education funding. Another team might be eliminated soon.

Oregon is in jeopardy of losing a half billion dollars in federal stimulus money for education.  The Oregonian reports:

"Under the U.S. Department of Education's State Fiscal Stabilization Fund, Oregon received $570 million for three years ending in June 2011.

To keep that money, the state must maintain its financial support for public schools and higher education at or above 2006 levels – what government calls a sufficient 'maintenance of effort.'

The governor on Tuesday ordered 9 percent across-the-board budget cuts to adjust to a $577 million hole in the budget resulting from the recession and declining state revenue. His order shaves state support for higher education in next year's budget below 2006 levels by about $32 million."

As we move the next round of Race to the Top, will injuries like this keep states from advancing? Or will we have to wait another four years to recover?

Spend Some Money Before Our Coach Turns Back Into a Pumpkin

As the deadlines to spend ARRA funds approach, some school districts still have big bills left in their wallets. In a recent Department of Education webinar, more than 48% of the participants said they are somewhat concerned about spending their money before the deadlines.

Titled, Strategic Use of Title I & IDEA: How To Maximize ARRA FY09 and FY10 Funds, that webinar, co-presented by ASBO members, covered ways school districts can maximize the impact of Title I and IDEA funding and minimize the post-ARRA "funding cliff."

Check out the ideas they came up with about how you can use ARRA funds to improve the achievement of students eligible to be served under Title I and IDEA funding.

Use of IDEA ARRA funds for students with disabilities:

• Virtual special education courses in Spanish
• Training for parents of students with disabilities
• School-to-work programs
•  University partnerships
• Intensive language arts special education reading programs
• Extended-day programs necessary to implement IEPs
• Dropout prevention initiatives
• Staff for collaborative special team-teaching

Use of Title 1 ARRA Funds for at-risk students:

• Align with the school intervention models in the School Improvement Grants (SIG) program.
• Boost the funding provided to existing highest-need Title 1 schools (more staff and intense services through additional staffing and resources).
• Initiate a new program that has never been funded by state/local funds (extend part day kindergarten to full day for educational at risk students); use future Title I dollars to continue after ARRA.
• Expand programs to additional Title 1-eligible schools.

 Watch for more upcoming DOE webinars.

ARRA Hokey Pokey

The left foot is in, but the right foot is out. As states enter round two of Race to the Top, some states have won over the unions. But the districts aren’t all onboard.

Here’s what Education Week reports:

"Although the changes made in applications from the first to the second round varied widely from state to state, union buy-in increased on average by 22 percentage points, with states such as Florida, Michigan, and Wisconsin making big leaps.

"At the same time, the overall level of district support and students affected in the 30 applications barely budged, mostly owing to California’s loss of support from about 500 districts representing nearly 2 million students. That negated progress other states made in improving buy-in."

To best compete, states need all stakeholders on the same page. That’s what it’s all about.

Community $chool

You might be able to get more than a good feel for giving back to your community.

If your schools are known as the center of your community, open to everyone -- all day, every day, evenings and weekends—check out the Department of Education's Full Service Community Schools grant.

Apply now to bring funds to your district. And find out how to incorporate the community school strategy into your district’s education reform.

Schwarzenegger’s ARRA Stand-up

Laughter is the best medicine, right? Well, maybe that’s the approach Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger took when he announced that California was submitting a new bid for Race to the Top.

The Bay Citizen reports on Schwarzenegger’s speech:

"The school superintendents who prepared the bid deserved an Oscar 'for the great performance in putting this together,' he said, thanking several by name, including Carlos A. Garcia, the San Francisco superintendent.

'It’s supported just about by everybody,' Mr. Schwarzenegger added.

That, too, was meant to be a joke."

As in many states, critics in California see Race to the Top as an attack on teachers. But they need the funding. Garcia, who was flippantly thanked by the governor, argues that school districts want to be part of a partnership, not what he perceives to be the federal government’s “my way or the highway” approach.

How's your experience? Maybe your state will get to say, "I'll be back" for the next round of Race to the Top.

Tenure Tearjerker?

Should ineffective teachers lose their jobs? Colorado says yes.

In its quest to compete in Race to the Top, the state passed a law that requires school principals to evaluate teachers, tying at least half of their rating to student achievement. The law also says that tenured teachers who perform badly for two years in a row can lose their job security. Several lawmakers wept in public sessions in their attempt to stop the law, reports The New York Times.

Are you reaching for tissues or applauding this change?