Anyone else here fuming over the Federal Education Jobs Act?

[Lifelong Protester]

I hope it turned out better for your district than mine. We are a rural, poor district, but in a 'vacation area' so we have a lot of pricey real estate that constitutes second homes for rich folks, most of whom want our school to close down (so our kids can ride a bus for 2 hours a day...) to lower their taxes on their SECOND luxury home.

So, because of Wisconsin's funding PROBLEM, we get screwed over and over in any of these federal 'grants'. We look 'wealthy', but the community is poor. Our state funding is low because we look, again non-resident-wise, wealthy.

We are going to get..(wait for it)...$315 to 'save a job' with this latest act. The governor, who is pro education but not running for re-election, decided to use the general aid format, not the Title I (which would have helped us because we are POOR, did I mention POOR??) for distributing the funds. Apparently the Congress gave only two choices. The two closest districts are getting 30-40 thousand each. We get $315.

So what is happening? We get a lousy $315, and schools that are fairly wealthy are getting millions. I am not exaggerating. Millions. Many schools up in vacation land are similarly getting the shaft. And we are districts who need the money. We are just hanging on. But I guess our kids are not worth it.

I am tired, tired, tired, of any federal money being handed out in "competitions". I just left a comment on the NYT page about RTTT funding (New York is "in"). Any time you set up a competition, you have decided there should be losers.

Are my poor rural kids not worthy? I'm sick of the 'winners' and 'losers' mentality. CRITERIA to meet to get funding is fair. This competition crap is rigged. And inherently not fair.

I just needed to vent. Sorry if this is too wordy.

[Hannah Bell]

1. i hear you. criminal. also that "vacationers" can dictate whether actual residents have a school

or not.

[Lifelong Protester]

2. Yep, no link to the community, just come in and use our

resources, don't give a dang about out community's children. Just want to save a few dollars on their taxes so they can have a SECOND home. That part just slays me. Ok, fine, if you have enough money to have a second vacation home, don't try to scrimp on the backs of my kids here.

Unfortunately they don't seem to get it that their $1,000,000 home is messing up the funding here, and that is why we ALL have to pay more in taxes.

[sandnsea]

3. So demonstrate at the capitol

And get the governor to use the Title I format.

[Lifelong Protester]

6. It may come to that. Several smaller schools are looking to band

together. I don't think much, money-wise, will come of it. But it may be an issue to show the inequitable way that schools are funded.

The biggest trouble is that those who are affected adversely are small schools, with staff running at 90 miles an hour to keep things going. Having even a few folks devote much time and energy to this is hard to do. It's always the same, the poor and voiceless can be screwed over because we do not have the means to fight back. I, however, think a protest is in line.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

4. This act was NOT a competition.

It was formula funded to states. If you have a problem with your state's disbursement, take it up with the state - NOT the federal government.

The stimulus gave out more than $53 BILLION by FORMULA to states in 2009. Only about $5 billion was distributed via competition.

The facts are not on your side.

[Lifelong Protester]

5. Yes I understand THIS act was not a competition, I was

combining my outrage in one post. RTTT IS a competition. I'm not happy with that either.

My anger over the Federal Education Jobs Act is how it was passed to states with ONLY TWO choices for distribution. Both had losers. In Wisconsin, the choice was made to go with our General Aid Distribution Fund, which discriminates on the basis of 'wealth' in land or homes. As I stated, we get the shaft because we are a poor community, lucky enough to live in a place of great beauty. That attracts second home owners. It is not their fault (those second home owners) but because of Wisconsin's broken funding formula, we get screwed. Their pricey homes mean we get less in state aid because we appear 'rich'. I would like to see some distribution of funding based on community need.

The funds from the FEJA could have been distributed by using the Title I funding method, which is based on poverty rates, needs tested. I think fairer. But I guess that is my opinion.

I have worked on Title I grants, AODA grants, etc. for decades. I am just fed up with the competitive 'winners' and 'losers' scenario.

Sorry I did not keep my outrages separate.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

7. I cannot for the life of me understand your problem with the feds when the problem is the state.

That's my issue. There are always going to be winners and losers in any funding structure. If there weren't, politics wouldn't exist.

[Lifelong Protester]

11. My problem with the feds: they put together a plan too quickly

which had unintended consequences. Governors, from my understanding here in WI, could not make an equitable distribution, no chance to make sure every district was fairly treated. I think that poverty rate (Title I) is a better way to distribute the funds. If I taught in a rich district, I am sure I would feel differently. So, that's my beef with the feds. Not a clearly thought out plan.


There were always going to be winners and losers, but I think the feds could have researched this a little better before putting the act into effect.

And I am grown up enough to know there will always be winners and losers. I just cannot stomach that the 'losers' are kids. And I am personally tired of it always being poor kids.

I hope the funds help a lot of children. I hope RTTT helps a lot of children, but I am skeptical.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

18. If one school gets money and another doesn't, under ANY criteria, the losers would be children.

That's life. It's entirely unavoidable.

[Lifelong Protester]

20. ...

"Some men see things as they are and say why. I dream things that never were and say why not."

Why not no losers?

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

21. Because there's no such thing as infinite resources.

Keep dreaming, but that one ain't never gonna happen.

[proud2BlibKansan]

13. In this case, the losers are children

:eyes:

[LWolf]

8. How it affects my district:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8978061

fwiw, my district is relatively small, but covers a HUGE area, since much of the area is rural. We encompass one smallish town, two tiny towns, and many, many miles of farms and ranches.

[femmocrat]

9. How does one find out how much his/her district was awarded?

Do you have a link? Thank you.

We didn't have any layoffs, so I don't even know if we got anything. We always need Title money, though.

[Lifelong Protester]

10. In Wisconsin, the district administrator was sent an email with

the information. He handed me a copy of the list. If you are in Wisconsin, let me know your district and I can tell you what you will (or will not) receive.

I am not sure about other states. Distribution was not based on any district having a specific amount of teachers laid off, it was either distributed based on the state's funding formula or the Title I formula. If your state went with the latter, and you have a high poverty rate, you probably did well. It is my understanding the governor was allowed to choose the distribution method in each state. I think it was a hastily put together plan, and some unintended consquences came along as a result.

[femmocrat]

12. Thank you.... I'm in PA.

Rural district; lots of free-and-reduced lunch and Title students.

[Reader Rabbit]

14. Public education has become "The Hunger Games"

I just finished "Mockingjay" today, and the whole competition RttT thing could have been a model for the Hunger Games. Throw a bunch of poor kids into a death-match situation for the entertainment of the wealthy (and as a means of control), and only one makes it out alive.

I'm totally with you and your vent. No apology necessary.

[Lifelong Protester]

15. Thanks for your kind reply. Is what you are referring to a book?

"Mockingjay"? Or the "Hunger Games"? I'd be interested in more information.

[Reader Rabbit]

17. "The Hunger Games" is a young adult sci-fi book and series.

It's a horrific future in which two young people from each of the twelve districts in a nation are required to compete to the death in a Survivor-like setting. The last book of the trilogy came out today, and I spent the entire day reading it. (I also bought the first two, so I can have 'em in my classroom for the kids.) Halfway through the book today, I realized that's just what Arne Duncan and Obama are doing—sacrificing our kids for their ridiculous competition.

The Hunger Games series
1st - The Hunger Games
2nd - Catching Fire
3rd - Mockingjay

[Lifelong Protester]

19. Thank you! I will look these up.

[Starry Messenger]

16. I'm halfway into "Catching Fire"

Excellent metaphor, I didn't even think of that connection.