A daily dose of education news around the nation – just in time for a little mid-day break!
Edujobs: With state and local budgets still in flux, it’s hard to know exactly how many teachers will or won’t lose their jobs this year. But states not facing teacher layoffs get a piece of yesterday’s $10 billion pie anyway. (The Daily Caller)
However, there are strings attached to the money in Texas. If the Lone Star State wants $830 million in emergency federal assistance for Texas schools, it will have to use the aid to “‘to supplement and not supplant’ existing state funding for public education.” Last year, Texas diverted $3.2 billion in federal stimulus funds intended for education to balance the state budget. (The Houston Chronicle)
Single-sex education: School districts in Kentucky and Louisiana want to open single-sex classrooms — but it won’t happen without a fight from the American Civil Liberties Union. (District Administration)
Election season: Backed by President Obama, Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO), who stepped in to succeed Ken Salazar (the administration’s interior secretary), won his state’s Democratic primary. It wasn’t a slam-dunk, however. (The Atlantic Wire)
Something’s gotta give: Nine schools in Kansas City, Kan. are slated for improvements. One — Central Middle School — has been on the list for ten years. Why? (Kansas City Star)
What’s a School Improvement Grant (SIG)? “In conjunction with Title I funds for school improvement reserved under section 1003(a) of the ESEA[Early Secondary Education Act], School Improvement Grants under section 1003(g) of the ESEA [referred to as No Child Left Behind under President G.W. Bush’s administration]are used to improve student achievement in Title I schools identified for improvement, corrective action, or restructuring so as to enable those schools to make adequate yearly progress (AYP) and exit improvement status.
Appropriations for School Improvement Grants have grown from $125 million in fiscal year (FY) 2007 to $546 million in FY 2009. The ARRA provides an additional $3 billion for School Improvement Grants in FY 2009.” (ed.gov)
