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Sequestration Keeps 57,000 from Early Education

WASHINGTON — Nearly 57,000 of the nation’s economically disadvantaged children will be denied access to the Head Start and Early Head Start programs this year due to cuts caused by sequestration.

The federal pre-K education program, which serves low-income families throughout the United States, will take a 5.27 percent hit amounting to 18,000 Head Start staff either losing employment or facing salary cuts. Head Start advocates have said that the depletion in funds, approximately $405 million, has far reaching impacts on the development of at-risk children and their families.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius has called for community action against the cuts.

“For many young children in this country, the road to a better life begins when they enter a high-quality early-learning program like Head Start,” she said in a statement. “When they do, we all benefit because they are better prepared to go to school, start a career and achieve success. But recent events have placed new obstacles on that road.”

Head Start, which serves children aged 3 to 5, was initially launched in 1965 as a summer school program to prepare low-income children for kindergarten. Since then, the program has grown to include Early Head Start, which serves children less than 3 years old, and has served more than 30 million students.

According to the National Head Start Association, students who participate in Head Start programs gain educational, economic and health benefits. Communities benefit from Head Start, the organization said, because children who participate in the programs are less likely to commit crimes when compared to siblings who do participate in Head Start programs.

“The decision to take away funding for high quality early learning for tens of thousands of young Americans is indefensible morally and economically. If we shortchange our children, we shortchange our nation,” Sebelius said in a statement. “Strong early learning can translate into school success, which can lead to college and good jobs, and ultimately a robust economy.”

Sebelius cited research that suggests that for every public dollar spent on early childhood education, communities receive a $7 return through increased productivity and savings on public assistance and criminal justice programs.

“So there is no question that these cuts jeopardize our children’s futures. America now ranks 28th globally in early childhood education enrollment and now risks falling even further behind in preparing our children for school,” Sebelius said in a statement. “We can’t win the race for the future by holding back our children at the starting line.”

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Philadelphia Schools in Crisis

PHILADELPHIA — Surviving with a $304 million deficit, teachers, staff and education activists of the School District of Philadelphia are calling the funding shortage of area schools a crisis.

In a letter addressed to Education Secretary Arne Duncan from Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, and education activist Diane Ravitch, Duncan is pressured to intervene.

“We are writing to ask for your urgent intervention to preserve public education for the children of Philadelphia,” the letter said. “Due to draconian budget cuts, the public schools of Philadelphia are being starved to the point where they can no longer function for the city’s children. Philadelphia is in a state of crisis. We believe your direct and public intervention is required to ensure the existence of educational opportunity in that city.”

The city is facing a massive layoff of about 3,800 school district employees due to the School Reform Commission’s (SRC) approval of a $2.4 billion spending plan that included massive cuts to staff as well as art, music and athletics among other programs.

Pennsylvania lawmakers recently developed a new plan that would generate about $140 million for the district, but local education leaders say the district needs at least $180 million to deter the “doomsday” budget and rehire teachers. Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter is also attempting to secure an additional $60 million via a $2 per pack tax on cigarette sales.

William Hite, superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia, said the budget was based solely upon the revenues known to be available, though he is hopeful that a resolution can be found that will best benefit Philadelphia students.

“To be fiscally responsible, the School District of Philadelphia must live within its means. But this is not the budget that anyone wants,” Hite said in a statement released Sunday. “The budget that is scheduled for adoption tonight in no way fits my idea of public education, high-caliber opportunities or even quality schools and programs. It falls catastrophically short of meeting students’ needs.”

School Reform Commission Chairman Pedro Ramos also released a statement stating that funding for the district is “clearly inadequate.”

“We will continue to advocate for additional funding and savings and hope to amend this budget before the start of the new school year. Philadelphia students deserve a safe, high quality education that will prepare them for college and career,” Ramos said. “The new SRC has not shied away from tough decisions and reducing costs, but we cannot fulfill our duty to children if funding is so dramatically inadequate.”

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California’s Revised Budget Favors Higher Education

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — While students and administrators of California’s higher education system can breathe a sigh of relief with the revised state budget for the time being, the economy will continue into an era of unpredictability, according to a statement by Governor Jerry Brown.
The new budget has gained positive response from the higher education community. The college tuition freeze and $500 million in funding to California State Universities (CSU) and University of California (UC) campuses will be maintained and improvements for higher education include the elimination of the unit cap and multi-year funding increase. Community colleges will also no longer be expected to take increased responsibility for adult education. However, uncertain times will still call for discretion in the California budget.
“We have climbed out of a hole with the Proposition 30 tax,” Brown said. “That’s good, but this is not the time to break out the champagne.”
Proposition 30, which passed in November with just 53 percent approval, went into effect Jan.1 of this year. The four-year quarter-of-a-cent sales tax is projected to provide California schools with $6 billion each year and relieve the state of “trigger cuts” to education.
The proposition was under heavy scrutiny during the campaign, but the positive outcomes of the measure have now been made clear, Brown said.
“During the campaign the critics said two things: ‘Proposition 30 won’t pass and if it does, the money won’t go to schools,’” Brown said. “Well, they were wrong on both accounts.”
Brown did not downplay the major successes brought forth by Proposition 30, but he did warn that certain risks were involved with the new budget. At both the state and federal level, Brown said, there has been a habit of over-commitment.
“We’re trying to now have honest budgeting and careful budgeting,” he said.
The initial state budget, issued in January, did not anticipate recent economic impacts such as the sequester and the payroll tax restoration, Brown said. The pressure of Washington and the global economy has also played its part in budget projections. But as with years past, there are risks, Brown said.
“We’re sailing into some rather uncertain times as we always have,” he said.
The unit cap was eliminated from the January budget over concern that the proposal was ineffective and unfair to students. If the proposal were approved, students would only be allowed to take about a year’s worth of additional units or 150 percent of units required to complete most degrees.
“We want to get more people through than we currently do and we want kids not to take seven years but four years,” Brown said. “If they get through in four years instead of seven years, there’s more space, we can add more students, the kids don’t borrow as much money and they get into the workforce sooner.”
The loss was one among other gains, the governor said.
“Like everything else we take it in steps,” he said. “Two steps forward, one step backward.”
The multi-year funding plan will increase per student funding by $1,503 for community college students, $1,953 for CSU students and $2,491 for UC students by 2016 to 2017. The budget will increase the general fund contribution to each institution’s prior year funding base up to 20 percent over the four-year period. This represents approximately 10 percent in total operating funds, including tuition and fee revenues.
“It prioritizes higher education by providing new funds to begin reinvesting in the public universities, with the expectation that the universities will improve the quality, performance and cost effectiveness of the educational systems,” the budget revision said. “The plan is rooted in the belief that higher education should be affordable and student success can be improved.”
With Brown’s warning that the economy is still indeterminate, Ana Matosantos, director of the state’s department of finance, said the four-year budget increases are based upon past markers.
“We look at what has happened in the past, the recoveries generally following a recession, and what we think is going to happen,” Matosantos said. “We look at it twice a year and we take our best shot at what we think is going on in the economy and what is going on with revenue; we do the same thing with expenditures.”
Budget revisions have gained favorable responses from representatives of the UC and CSU systems as well as several higher education organizations in California.
“The funding proposed for public higher education in the governor’s May revise is a critical investment in the future of California,” said CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White in a statement. “We look forward to working with the governor and legislature to invest these educational resources while ensuring the accountability of our universities and the success of our students in a way that upholds the mission of the California State University.”
The California legislature will have until June 15 to pass or make revisions to Brown’s proposed budget.

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Massachusetts Governor Proposes Increased Funding for Education

BOSTON — Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts is no stranger when it comes to education reform. Back in 2010, Patrick signed a historic education reform bill that sought to close achievement gaps and transform Massachusetts’ public schools by providing increased funding. Fast-forward to 2013, and Patrick is now pushing for even greater reform and even more funding for education.

Patrick recently proposed an increase in spending for public education by more than $2.5 billion over the next four years. The funding would begin with a $550 million increase for next year and would gradually increase each year to an additional $1 billion annually by fiscal 2017, according to the governor.

Public education has been a major factor for Patrick since taking office in 2007. The bill signed in 2010 doubled the number of students able to attend charter schools in districts with the lowest MCAS scores and also gave superintendent’s greater flexibility to turn around persistently low-achieving schools.

Earlier this year Patrick proposed new funding for community colleges, but his latest proposal focuses on expanding early childhood education. Patrick wants to expand day care and preschool programs so that more than 30,000 children can get off waiting lists and into the classroom. The proposal encourages school districts to create pre-kindergarten programs for 4-year-olds by offering districts per-student state aid for them, according to the governor. Currently, the state only gives state aid for 4-year-olds if they require special education.

“Unless we ensure that all children have access to high-quality learning opportunities in their earliest years when learning and achievement gaps begin to form, we will never reach our goals of all students reading proficiently by grade 3,” said Patrick to a group of students, staff, parents, and elected officials. “It is an educational and economic issue to have an achievement gap at all, but to let it languish as long as we have is a moral question.”

Much of the state agrees with Patrick in the sense that a strong education system will help the state and lead to strong, educated members of society, starting in the early years of a child’s educational journey.

“The best prevention program is looking for ways of addressing the needs in our preschool programs,” said Worchester School Committee member John Monfredo to GoLocalWorchester News. “We need full-day preschool programs and need to work with private and public providers to get our children the necessary readiness skills before entering kindergarten.”

With the overwhelming support of placing children in school early, there may be a need for increased building in order to accommodate these students. Although with the current funding formula there has not been specific mentions of how exactly or if exactly that would take place. For now, Massachusetts is focusing on getting more students more access to a better education — the technicalities will come later.

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California’s Budget Seeks to Close Achievement Gaps

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Governor Jerry Brown recently released a funding plan for the state’s K-12 educational system that would increase funding throughout the state.

The state provides compulsory instruction and support services to approximately six million students, grades K-12 in more than 10,000 schools, according to the recent report.

The budget includes an increase in funding as a result of certain propositions passed by voters. The budget includes Proposition 98 funding of $56.2 billion for 2013-14, an increase of $2.7 billion over revised funding levels for the 2012-13 year, according to the report. The budget also proposes investments for 2013-14 that will significantly reduce late payments to schools and target substantial additional funding to schools and students in most need of the resources.

“The budget cuts made in the last two years and the passage of Proposition 30 make it possible to both live within our means and to increase funding for education,” said Brown in a statement.

Although the help is always welcomed, some think the new budget will leave out suburban school districts as it looks to help districts in more rural and urban areas first.

Brown’s new formula would give districts more money based on their share of low-income students, English learners and also the number of foster children in the district, some argue this would leave less money for the general education fund and would not distribute funds fairly.

Details of the 2013-2014 California budget state, “While K-12 school districts across the state will benefit from the increased funding — through a new school funding formula — school districts serving those students who have the greatest challenges will receive more generous increases — so that all students in California have the opportunity to succeed.”

Among those receiving funding is the higher education sector. The budget increases state funding for UC and CSU’s by an additional $250 million. The budget states, “It proposes a multi-year stable funding plan to strengthen our higher education system, ensure affordability and reduce student indebtedness.”

In order to address the needs for the higher education sector, the state recognized the trend of higher costs for students to attend a college or university and that this has greatly affected the middle class. As a solution, the budget states, “By shortening the time it takes a student to successfully complete a degree and calling on UC and CSU to deploy their instructional resources more effectively, the system can be made more affordable — both for students and the state.”

While some see some gaps in the budget in terms of education, others have responded seemingly enthused, including the Education Trust—West, an organization that works for the high achievement of all students at all levels.

“Governor Brown’s proposal would correct deep funding inequities between rich and poor districts that we have documented in our research. It would simplify our complex, opaque and antiquated system of funding our schools,” according to a statement made by Education Trust—West. “Most importantly, by providing additional dollars for low-income students and English learners, it acknowledges the basic fact that students who enter school with additional needs require additional resources in order to close opportunity and achievement gaps.”

The organization said they are “ready and willing to work the governor and other advocates to ensure funding fairness for the sake of California’s students.”

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Ohio Schools Get Major Funding from State

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Schools in Ohio are gearing up for future construction projects, thanks to recent state funding totaling nearly $500 million for school construction projects.

A total of 26 districts in Ohio will be benefiting from school construction dollars. The state is also required to contribute local funding for school construction, which will nearly double the total construction dollars.

South-Western City School District received the most funding, totaling $124 million in state funding. The district will receive a total of $248 million for school construction, as local funds are expected to match state dollars for the projects.

Ohio school districts must raise their local share of the project within 13 months before the state funding can be released, according to the Ohio School Facilities Commission (OSFC). Districts that fail to acquire their funding in that period are considered “lapsed,” but can still participate in OSFC programs once they obtain local funding.

The money will come at a crucial time, when facility upgrades and new construction are in high demand throughout school districts. However, the funding awards are still contingent upon the Ohio State Controlling Board approval.

“This is a critical step in ensuring that our children are in new or renovated facilities that help support academic achievement,” said Richard Hickman, OSFC executive director.

Energy Conservation Savings

OSFC will also receive funding for districts through the savings produced by a new program that was recently introduced in the state. In late June, OSFC gave approval for five Ohio school districts to participate in the Commission’s Energy Conservation program, designed to produce significant energy conservation savings for the districts.

The Commission’s Energy Conservation program, more commonly known as the HB 264 program will guide the five districts to nearly $860,000 in annual energy and operational savings through the planned improvements, according to OSFC.

“Reducing energy costs and consumption is a major goal for school districts,” said Hickman in a statement. “The $860,000 in annual savings generated through the HB 264 program will allow these five districts to upgrade their facilities and become more energy-efficient. Furthermore, the energy savings will cover the cost of the financing used to fund the projects.”

Districts involved in energy conservation include Clinton-Massie Local, Graham Local, Shaker Heights City, Tipp City Exempted Village and the Upper Arlington City District.

In addition, all school buildings currently being designed or built with OSFC funds will receive at least LEED Silver certification, with a goal of meeting LEED Gold, according to OSFC. Two Ohio schools have already achieved LEED Platinum status, the highest LEED certification level, as well as 18 school buildings achieving LEED Gold, and another 13 receiving LEED Silver certification.

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