Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Is this a trick?

Stimulus Plan Would Provide Flood of Aid to Education

WASHINGTON — The economic stimulus plan that Congress has scheduled for a vote on Wednesday would shower the nation’s school districts, child care centers and university campuses with $150 billion in new federal spending, a vast two-year investment that would more than double the Department of Education’s current budget.

The proposed emergency expenditures on nearly every realm of education, including school renovation, special education, Head Start and grants to needy college students, would amount to the largest increase in federal aid since Washington began to spend significantly on education after World War II.

Critics and supporters alike said that by its sheer scope, the measure could profoundly change the federal government’s role in education, which has traditionally been the responsibility of state and local government.

pinch me.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

and the other 750 BILLION!!!!!!!! No thanks!

Anonymous said...

It's a trick in the sense that there is no such thing as a free lunch, and so dumping bushels of paper money on the monopoly government educational system will come with increased debt and devalued currency. It's also a trick because it will have pretty much no effect on the educational improvement of students. But I'm sure the money that remains after being filtered through layers of bureaucracy will show up as fancy new tech toys for teachers.
In a world of graft, it pays to have a strong union with even stronger political connections.

Naisortep said...

I wonder if this will affect Chess and other afterschool activitites

Anonymous said...

"In a world of graft, it pays to have a strong union with even stronger political connections."

Yes, the $750 billion for Citibank and AIG proved that very clearly.

Rick Massimo

Anonymous said...

Excellent news. The federal government has typically funded a very small percentage of its mandates at the necessary levels, e.g. special education, where it has funded only about 10% of its promised funding. This has happened under both major political parties. Our country has an excellent university system, but we typically neglect funding primary and secondary education. A great move by President Obama who understands the importance of this issue and has the courage to back up rhetoric with action.

Anonymous said...

Anyone care to guess how much ends up in the schools and how much to the administration of getting the money, selecting the projects before it gets to the schools?

Anonymous said...

I have an important new book to recommend to all teachers in our audience:

Readicide: How Our Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It

The entire book is readable online as a PDF. Click on "sneak peek."

Anonymous said...

Yeah, your classes will be taken over by the fake Elizabeth Vicary, and despite all of us knowing who that person is, they never admit to teaching despite having 20 students in front of them daily.

Anonymous said...

Yep! No free lunch except for the bonuses to executives at Merril Lynch after doing such a lousy job. Getting the big bucks with no results. Some teachers get results (GO LIZZY) get the big bucks. Yep! Love that commercial about the mail room guy who goes for the big bucks on a lottery ticket because all the so called honest big-wigs have been screwing over the company and customers. Although the concept of gambling on a lottery ticket to get ahead is a fools dream, its still funny in a demented sort of way. Yeah Pinch yourself Lizzy perhaps your time has come.

Anonymous said...

anjiaoshi said:

"I have an important new book to recommend to all teachers in our audience:

Readicide: How Our Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It"


I took a look at that, but it didn't have enough pictures in it, so I got bored.

-Matt

Anonymous said...

$150 bn for education?!
Such a waste! - we could better finance 5 months more of fighting in Iraq for that money...

Rich in Brooklyn said...

It only seems like a trick because we've become so accustomed to a government that doesn't care about providing real services.

I have no doubt that many schools will find very good uses for this money. If corruption becomes a problem, then that can be attacked also.

The new president and the new congress are on the right track.
- - Rich Accetta-Evans
Brooklyn Quaker

Anonymous said...

Random thought #12:

God, I love the French Defense!

Anonymous said...

Well, French is for lovers.