Public schools

Washington, DC - 05/12/2009 - Many low-income students miss out on college because they don’t know how much it actually costs or how to get access to billions of dollars in financial aid, according to a report released today by Pew’s Economic Mobility Project.

This matters, say the report's authors, because postsecondary education is among the most important factors in determining whether a person achieves the American Dream of upward economic mobility. The report, Promoting Economic Mobility by Increasing Postsecondary Education, emphasizes that America is no longer a country where a high school diploma is the reliable gateway to getting a decent job and building a good life. It has become increasingly difficult to advance in society without some level of higher education.    » read more »

May 11, 2009 -- Education Secretary Arne Duncan today told a leading think tank that the Obama administration is changing the federal Title I program to aggressively drive reform in schools that need it the most.

Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and the proposed 2010 budget, the administration is shifting billions of dollars into the Title I School Improvement Fund (SIF), which allows for bold strategies to help turn around underperforming schools and advance other key reforms.    » read more »

New laws increase bicycle safety, help military and improve school funding

May 11, 2009 -- COLORADO SPRINGS -- Colorado Governor Bill Ritter today signed into law seven bills during a town hall meeting with El Paso County state Reps. Dennis Apuan and Mike Merrifield and Sen. John Morse, including measures to improve bicycle safety and help National Guard citizen-soldiers afford college.    » read more »

WASHINGTON, May 8, 2009 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced more than $300,000 in grant awards to eight state agencies to conduct administrative reviews of school meals programs. The Administrative Review and Training Grants support states in their efforts to increase operational accuracy in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs.

"The National School Lunch and Breakfast programs are essential to the well-being of our children, especially among those that are nutritionally at risk," said Secretary Vilsack. "This effort will help states enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of these critical programs so that benefits are provided to needy children in the best way possible."    » read more »

May 08, 2009 -- (Oklahoma City) Saying it would turn back the clock on decades of education reforms, Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry today vetoed Senate Bill 834, legislation that would have allowed local school administrators to ignore more rigorous state standards and create their own academic benchmarks and rules.

Supporters of the measure claimed SB 834 would increase local control and give districts more flexibility, but in his veto message, the governor said the tradeoff would be weaker standards across the board.    » read more »

Bringing New Teachers to Schools Needing Them Most

May 4, 2009 -- The U.S. Department of Education has awarded a total of $6,857,548 to 14 teacher training programs through the department's Transition to Teaching program. The program supports efforts to recruit mid-career professionals and recent college graduates with degrees in areas other than education and then to help these recruits become teachers through alternative certification methods. The program emphasizes placing teachers in high-need schools.

"Some of the best teachers enter the field after years in other professions," U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said. "This program will help more people who want to make that transition, and it helps connect schools with the greatest need with those new teachers."    » read more »

April 28, 2009 -- TRENTON - Meeting the educational needs of all of New Jersey’s children in an equitable and fair manner has been the primary impetus behind the State’s School Funding Reform Act, New Jersey Governor Corzine said earlier today.

“We really needed to replace a flawed, decades old, ad-hoc state aid system with something that could deliver a balanced and nonpartisan formula and address the needs of all students, regardless of where they live,” said the Governor. “What was developed after intensive work by the Department of Education, administration officials, legislators and stakeholders is a system that puts the needs of all children on equal footing toward future success.    » read more »

April 24, 2009 -- WEST ALLIS - Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle today announced $111,877,624 million for Milwaukee-area schools which will be used for special education and for schools with a high percentage of low-income students. The funding is part of $366 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding released yesterday by the Governor and State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster for Wisconsin school districts. The Governor made the announcement at Irving Elementary School in West Allis.    » read more »

April 23, 2009 -- MADISON - Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle and State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster today announced $366 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding for Wisconsin school districts which will be used for special education and for schools with a high percentage of low-income students. The Governor and Superintendent made the announcement at Thoreau Elementary School in Madison. Madison schools will receive about $11.7 million of the allocation.    » read more »

Campaign continues to push governments to provide quality, free public education by 2015

WASHINGTON - April 21, 2009 - NEA Vice President Lily Eskelsen joined leaders from around world today in support of the education rights of children, including the right to professional, quality teachers and access to quality public education. Eskelsen's remarks came during a roundtable discussion and news conference marking the Global Campaign for Education's Global Action Week, April 20-26.    » read more »

04/18/2009 -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced that California school districts and universities can immediately begin applying for $3.1 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) dollars meant to prevent the need for laying off teachers, professors, and other school employees, and to protect education funding and reform efforts in this difficult economic time. The Governor and the U.S. Department of Education yesterday announced that California was the first state in the nation to be approved for a share of the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund dollars within the Recovery Act.    » read more »

Governor urges legislature to implement savings to spare schools and vital services

April 13, 2009 -- Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius has signed the 2010 State Budget while calling on legislature to enact her proposals to save the state millions of dollars – money that can be used to guard against deeper cuts to public schools and safety net services.    » read more »

24 March 2009 -- Leading members of the Texas scientific community, in collaboration with AAAS, have urged the Texas State Board of Education to reject amendments to the state's draft science standards that would undermine sound science teaching. And in a commentary published in the San Antonio Express-News online edition, AAAS officials warned that approval of the anti-science amendments could undermine Texas's reputation as a world engine of scientific discovery and innovation.

Read the full text of the letter to the Texas State Board of Education from AAAS and two dozen leaders of the Texas science community.

The board is to take a final vote on the standards on Friday 27 March.    » read more »

BROCKTON – Friday, March 20, 2009 – As part of his Massachusetts Recovery Plan to secure the state’s economic future, Governor Deval Patrick today announced $280 million in federal education recovery funds will go to school districts to assist with costs for special education, care and support. The Governor also announced an additional $10 million for preschool special education services.

“Additional funding for special education is an important step toward helping all of our students reach their full potential,” said Governor Patrick. “Federal recovery funds are making a difference again.”    » read more »

March 19, 2009 -- Superintendent Carol Comeau issued the following statement about Alaska Governor Sarah Palin’s intention to reject $160 million in stimulus funds for education. Included in the governor’s proposal is the refusal of $12.9 million for Title I programs and $12.9 million for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and special education programs for the Anchorage School District.

“We’re shocked and very disappointed that the governor said she would reject the education stimulus money for Title I and IDEA programs. We believe that we can make very good use of the funds, not only in job preservation but also in adding new positions to ultimately use these funds to increase student achievement for our neediest children.    » read more »