Tracking the stimulus plan

As the stimulus funds are distributed to the states, we've found it interesting here at the Scholastic Library to watch the local press coverage of the issues school districts are facing.  These are some of the more interesting items we noticed this week.

U.S. News’ On Education blog explores Will stimulus money lead to actual education reform? 

It discusses Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s demand for verifiable reform as opposed to

many states reluctance to provide what could be embarrassing numbers.

And the Boston Globe reports As money for teachers flows, some states have other ideas. 

Loopholes in the law might allow governors to use the money for other projects.  Duncan

insists “he can come down hard on states that don't comply because he is releasing the money

in installments, and because he will award billions of dollars in competitive grants later

this year.”

In Education stimulus funds about to flow; school officials told to spend wisely, the

Arkansas News reports on the $570 million the state’s 245 school districts will receive over

the next six months.  The state’s Education Commissioner provided guidance to the districts

for applying for funding.

The Daily Journal in Mississippi discussed the stimulus funding as well in Superintendents

watch for stimulus money.  Because the Mississippi legislature has failed to pass a budget,

teacher layoffs were on hold.  The stimulus money will allow many schools to maintain their

teaching staffs.

Schools’ ‘money is falling off the truck’, an article in the Washington Post, looks at how

some state and local governments are slashing school budgets, to be replaced by the stimulus

funds.  Several articles over the last few weeks have discussed this possibility as well. 

“Education Secretary Arne Duncan has warned states against playing ‘shell games’ with money

aimed at schools. The stimulus law and regulations have strings to protect against big drops

in education funding but allow the most cash-strapped states to seek some flexibility.”

The Pittsburgh school district will receive about $43 million in stimulus money over the

next two years and it is looking at creating a reading intervention program for middle

school students to help prepare them for high school, according to City schools to use

stimulus funds for literacy programs from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

For more information on the stimulus plan, check out Scholastic's The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act page.

And just for fun, they’re dancing in a train station in London in this fun commercial for

T-Mobile.  And not to be outdone, enjoy the dancing at the Antwerp train station as well.