Obama to seek $1.35 billion more for education

[cory777]

Source: Washington Post

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE
The Associated Press
Tuesday, January 19, 2010; 12:18 AM

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama will ask Congress for $1.35 billion in his 2011 budget proposal to extend an education grant program for states, although the Education Department remains months away from announcing its first round of awards, senior administration officials said.

Obama was outlining the budget proposal Tuesday at a Fairfax County, Va., elementary school.

The $787 billion economic stimulus program Obama signed into law soon after taking office included $4.3 billion in competitive grants for states, nicknamed the "Race to the Top" fund. States must amend education laws and policies to compete for a share of the money.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/19/AR2010011900009.html

[Lorien]

1. A tiny drop in the bucket, comparatively

but the "race to the bottom" has been going on for far too long, so we'll take what we can get.

[sandnsea]

2. Education got $90 billion in the recovery act

This is just one program.

Education
Total: $90.9 billion

$44.5 billion in aid to local school districts to prevent layoffs and cutbacks, with flexibility to use the funds for school modernization and repair (State Equalization Fund)
$15.6 billion to increase Pell Grants from $4,731 to $5,350
$13 billion for low-income public schoolchildren
$12.2 billion for IDEA special education
$2.1 billion for Head Start
$2 billion for childcare services
$650 million for educational technology
$300 million for increased teacher salaries
$250 million for states to analyze student performance
$200 million to support working college students
$70 million for the education of homeless children

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Recovery_and_Reinvestment_Act_of_2009#Education

[impik]

Don't bother them with facts. Facts always come in the way of the Anti-Obama narrative here

[placton]

3. read mad floridian

no doubt this will be part of his push to replace public education with charters
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7493576

[Cha]

16. No.

[Tim01]

4. Wrecking our education system instead of fixing it.

Why can't we get Bushes policies thrown out already?

[fasttense]

5. I think it is because President Obama still believes in "free" trade.

Though for most smart economists neoliberal, trickle down "free" trade theories were proven false at the start of the 2nd Republicon Great Depression. But for President Obama and the Democratic majority "free" trade is still the holy grail.

So privatizing schools, turning your children's education into a mere profit line for corporations, to our Democratic leaders is simply harsh medicine. It will make us and our children suffer for awhile, but in the end it will will work a magical mystery cure.

[madrchsod]

6. obama`s great failure-public education

[coyote]

7. Wow...1.35 billion. This is like a bonus check for a bank CEO. N/T

[proudohioan]

8. It would have been nice

if BANKS would have had to amend financial regulation laws and policies to COMPETE for a share of THEIR bailout money!!!!!

[Stumbler]

9. F**king pathetic

So, we've got over $700 billion with literally no-strings-attached for banksters who failed at the jobs they were hired to perform. We've also spent trillions on hiring private mercenaries to carry out our misguided military objectives. But we've got less than $1.5 billion to be awarded in the form of a competition for only the best schools? Wtf is wrong with this picture?

[AlphaCentauri]

10. hope the money goes to get results not to the bureaucrats packets n/t

[JoeyT]

11. A for effort I guess.

Create massive budget shortfalls in the public school system. (Already done. Wasn't this president's fault.)
Give only the best schools money so any school with troubled or inner city kids is still going to be too broke to buy books.
Rail on about why so many of these damned schools and teachers are failing our children.
????
Profit!

[proudohioan]

15. I don't know whether he deserves an 'A' for effort.......

You're absolutely right, not this presidents fault for budget shortfalls, but shit, come on, schools having to COMPETE for money??????? This is the best we can do???

Wall Street wasn't made to COMPETE for their billions; why is it that Main Street always seems to have to jump like trained seals in order to receive sloppy seconds????

Sorry, I don't mean to come off like I'm bashing you personally; I'm not. I'm just frustrated at the administration's tone in general.

Great point about only the best schools being given money. Not really a level playing field, is it? A set-up for failure in the name of profit; DISGUSTING.

[Romulox]

12. How much more for endless war, Mr. President? How much more for bankster bailouts?

:hi:

[SammyWinstonJack]

13. +1

:thumbsup:

[callous taoboy]

14. rest of the headline: "Educators asked to levitate school buildings to prove worth"

Sorry to be such a snark about this, but I'd like the federal government off my back so I can return to being in charge of my classroom and actually teach again before I retire.

[proudohioan]

17. no apology necessary...

your feelings are shared by many!

[MichiganVote]

18. Probably will be used to try to unload lawful teachers unions..

[tonysam]

19. Keep it up, Barack, and you won't have a prayer in hell of being re-elected.

This is outright war against public education and teachers.

[Desperadoe]

20. Race to the Top stalls

Education officials skeptical of program

Most Lancaster County school districts will be standing on the sidelines when the Race to the Top begins.

The new federal program is designed to pump $4.3 billion in stimulus funds into schools that implement reforms over the next four years.

Grants from Race to the Top, the largest pool of discretionary education funds ever provided by the federal government, could total $400 million in Pennsylvania.

But if Lancaster County is any indication, Race to the Top may not have much impact — if it comes to Pennsylvania at all.

Only two of the county's 17 school districts — School District of Lancaster and Octorara Area — signed a memorandum of understanding by last week's deadline to participate in the program.<snip>


http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/247647

Knowing the state of the economy and the budget here in PA, I would say that this program is a total failure. Obama needs to scrap this quick and throw Arne in the bottom of the pile. Pathetic!