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Politicians Threaten Money Authorized to Rehire Educators

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By Cynthia McCabe and Miguel Gonzalez

Even though Congress flew back to Washington for an emergency vote and President Obama signed legislation speeding funds to states to stave off massive layoffs of educators, some school superintendents and governors are claiming they’ll hit the breaks on any rehiring.

On their watch, class sizes could balloon, bus routes will evaporate and children will face even longer ride times, and education programs for students at their schools are in jeopardy. Educators will remain unemployed and out of the classroom.

Thwarting the law’s intent, politicians from Vermont to California said they believe next year’s budget will be even harder for them to manage and they’re considering holding onto the money — intended to help students heading back to schools this fall — for a year or more.

“This money was put in place to help people now,” said Donna Harris-Aikens, director of Education Policy & Practice for the National Education Association. “It was intended to recall educators who got pink slips, to eliminate furlough days, and most importantly to ensure that kids have the support they need and deserve.”

In Vermont, the governor said he’s considering using the money intended to rehire 300 teachers instead on plugging holes in the teachers’ retirement system — a move that would be illegal. The state’s largest newspaper, the Burlington Free-Press, today called out Gov. Jim Douglas, saying “cutting needed school staff when the money is there to retain jobs is heartless and would add to the ranks of the unemployed when the economy is still struggling.”

Under the law, states must apply for their share of the emergency education funding by Sept. 9. They have 20 months to spend the money, but were instructed by the Department of Education to do so “in a timely fashion.”

“NEA will not stand idly by and watch local school districts undermine the intent of Congress,” said John Wilson, Executive Director of the NEA, which was instrumental in securing the $10 billion to save 161,000 educators’ jobs. “It would be morally irresponsible for those teachers and education support professionals to not be reinstated. To ignore the priority of this legislation to save jobs would cause NEA to return to Congress to fix that selfish attitude. We are prepared to fight for justice.”

A New York Times piece this week pointed to other examples of politicians shunning the Education Jobs Fund:

* In Texas, Houston’s school superintendent has announced plans to use some of the money to extend the school day and year and hire tutors, not some of the 14,500 educators’ jobs threatened statewide.
* In Nevada, Gov. Jim Gibbons said he wants to review what “strings are attached” to the Education Jobs Fund before committing despite facing the nation’s worst unemployment rate at 14.2 percent and the possibility of saving 1,400 education jobs.
* In California, the Pomona school district is on the fence about whether to use the funds to hire 68 educators it leg go this spring or hold on to the funds for next year. The Los Angeles Unified School District is pondering how to use the funds despite a projected $280 million budget shortfall next year, and having to layoff 682 teachers and 2,000 education support professionals this spring.

The gamesmanship by the governors and superintendents quoted in recent days has some, such as New Jersey Education Association spokesman Steve Wollmer, in disbelief. His state is slated to get enough money to save 3,900 education jobs.

“Even our governor, who has conducted a scorched earth campaign against public education for the past eight months, is going to use this money for its intended purpose,” Wollmer said. “Political grandstanding is one thing, but the law is the law.”

Related posts:

  1. House Delivers Final Victory for Students and Educators!
  2. Educators Teach Congress the Meaning of ‘Layoff’
  3. Education Jobs Fund Passes Key Hurdle in House

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