DFER: Hopeful, Yet Cautious On Stimulus Compromise
Focus shifts to making sure reform makes its way to schools
 
As the final numbers on the proposed economic stimulus package become more clear, Democrats For Education Reform applauds Congressional leaders for recognizing the tremendous financial strain felt by many state and local school districts around the nation, but for simultaneously insisting that we not squander this unprecedented opportunity to bring fundamental change to the opportunities we provide for our children.
 
The stimulus agreement includes approximately $95 billion for federal education programs – making it the largest single increase in federal education funding in U.S. history.  Education funding and policy issues were among the most emphasized and debated in the closing hours of debate on the stimulus, and the last to be decided.
 
The compromise includes $13 billion for Title I of NCLB, which will assist schools in meeting NCLB’s ambitious goals for closing achievement gaps and help mitigate political pressure from those who want to get out from under NCLB’s accountability targets on the argument that they are not receiving adequate resources from the federal government.
 
The investment that Congress and President Obama have made and their decision to link dollars to robust reforms reflects the increasing prominence of education as a key domestic policy issue, due in no small part to strong advocacy from education reform groups both on the stimulus and in the 2008 election cycle.
 
We are hopeful about what can begin to be accomplished with this compromise. But we are also mindful that the real work is only beginning. DFER plans to monitor implementation carefully and work with the Obama Administration and Secretary Duncan to ensure these funds are spent in a way which maximizes their potential to effect fundamental and lasting changes in the quality of education provided to our nation’s public school students.
 
Here’s a rundown on the status of our key priorities in the final stimulus agreement:

Targeted Programs

State Incentive and Innovation Funds: Conferees approved $5 billion for state incentive and innovation funds.
 
This is what Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has been referring to in the media as his “Race to the Top” initiative. Secretary Duncan will have wide discretion in deciding how to target and prioritize the use of this unprecedented sum of money.
 
The bill specifies that funds be aimed, among other things, at improving state standards and assessments and equalizing the distribution of qualified teachers. This presents both a significant opportunity and a daunting challenge.

It has been seven years since the federal government has undertaken any major new policy initiatives on K-12 education. The incentive and innovation funds will help jump- start what we hope will be a series of new directions on federal education policy that bring K-12 education in line with the challenges of the 21st century.
 
But previous attempts to translate legislative language and good intentions into robust policies that result in real change at the state and local level on these issues have been mitigated by bureaucratic inertia and political opposition.
 
DFER plans, along with education, civil rights and business groups, to monitor implementation and work with the Administration as closely as possible to ensure that missteps and mistakes of the past are not repeated. We will push to make sure that legislative intent leads to real change rather than more of the same.

Teacher Incentive Fund: The conferees approved $200 million for the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF). This program will support efforts to develop and implement performance-based teacher and principal compensation systems in high-need schools. On this item, President Obama kept his campaign promise to support merit pay for teachers. Our hope is that these funds will launch programs that will serve as models for district- and state-wide performance pay systems across the nation.

We will push to expand this pilot program when Congress takes up reauthorization of the

Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA/NCLB).

Improving State Data Systems: The conferees approved $250 million for state education data systems - critical components of a 21st century education system.  DFER joined a broad alliance of education groups pushing for this provision. In addition to helping undergird performance pay systems, funds also will support activities such as measuring common graduation rates, implementing growth models in accountability system, aligning professional development to educator and school needs, and evaluating program and intervention effectiveness.

Early Childhood Education

The conferees have approved $2.1 billion for Head Start and Early Head Start
This is a wise and timely investment that will help forestall job losses for pre-school educators, provide children high-quality early childhood education, and ensure that parents have a safe and nurturing place to care for their children while they work. All are vital to both preventing further short-term declines in the national economy and boosting long-term economic productivity.

Charter School Construction

While we were disappointed that funds specifically earmarked for charter school (and traditional public school) construction were dropped in the conference agreement, we recognize that such projects will be able to fall under state stabilization grants. We are mindful that this essentially pushes the fight for facilities to the state level, and we look forward to working with the Obama administration to live up to his campaign promise to double the amount of federal funding used to support high-performing public charter schools.

Fiscal Oversight

The conference report requires that states maintain their effort on education funding at a level at or above 90% of such funding in 2006. The Secretary may waive this provision, but only in extreme circumstances.

Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) is a political action committee whose mission is to encourage a more productive dialogue within the Democratic Party on the need to fundamentally reform American public education.  DFER operates on all levels of government to educate elected officials and support reform-minded candidates for public office.