Briefing: School Funding
Over the past few weeks, federal and state officials have announced two big pieces of funding for the state’s public schools. Through the much-publicized Race to the Top program, Massachusetts will get $250 million over the next four years for education reforms. Another new federal program, the Education Jobs Fund, will provide $204 million in direct funding for schools across the Commonwealth in the 2010-2011 year, helping to protect education jobs from the effects of the recession.
How were the funds awarded?
The Education Jobs Fund spread $26 billion across the country to preserve jobs for teachers and other school employees. The Race to the Top funds, on the other hand, are competitive grants. To get the money, states had to develop plans to change schools by tying teachers’ pay to students’ test scores and encouraging the creation of charter schools. In Massachusetts, one significant step was adopting national standards for English and math.
What states have received Race to the Top money?
The first round of funding provided money to only two states, Tennessee and Delaware. The second round, whose results were announced this month, gave out a total of $3.4 billion to Massachusetts, Washington D.C., Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and Rhode Island. Massachusetts got the highest score in the second round.
What will the Education Jobs Fund money be spent on?
Massachusetts is combining the federal funds with state education funds to make sure that all school districts in the state get at least $25 more per student in state aid than they did last year. The state says the money will support about 2,700 teaching positions.
What about the Race to the Top funds?
That money must be used to implement changes in states’ educational systems. In Massachusetts, half the funds will go to schools that signed on to the state’s application for the program, while the other half will be spent at the state level. Some possible uses include training educators to teach science and math classes more effectively and giving incentives for talented teachers to work at low-performing schools.
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