Edujobs bill lives again

The emergency funding bill known as "Edujobs" has more lives than a cat. Put to rest again last week, Edujobs has found new life in a bill that would also provide $16 billion in desperately needed Medicaid funding for states.

The Obstacles to Edujobs
The key sticking points in Edujobs has always been the price tag and the offsets. Republicans balked at the $10 billion the bill asks for, citing the need for belt-tightening during an endless recession that now seems poised for a double dip. The White House turned up its nose at the idea that funding to restore teaching positions should come out of its pet reform projects, like Race to the Top.

Cutting the Budget to Find Funding
In this most recent incarnation, edujobs is tied to the idea of Medicaid funding the states' need in order to avoid another round of budget cuts. It also borrows funding from education programs that are not so near and dear to the Department of Education: the Striving Readers program, which promotes adolescent literacy and the Ready to Teach program, which provides funding for telecommunications programs for teachers and also cuts $82 for student financial aid administration.

Uncertainty
Even though the bill is likely to be supported by Democrats, it's not a sure thing. Passage would simply send it back to the House, which is in recess until mid-September.

In most states, school will have been in session for at least a month before the bill could pass the House, and the states could only then begin to apply for funding to restore lost teaching positions. While teachers might be glad of a job whenever they are hired back, the damage to students will have already occurred and won't be easily rectified.

Both parties talk long and loud about the importance of education, and their commitment to the youngest of our citizens, but their actions are still falling short.

Let Us Know What You Think
But that's just my opinion, what's yours? Is Congress doing everything it can for American students? What's the situation in your community?

Read more: education, teacher layoffs, edujobs bill, congress doesnt pass edujobs, race to top, medicaid bill to include edujobs, edujobs finds new life in senate bill

comments15 comments add your comment
Dianne D. says
Aug 3, 2010 8:00 AM
In my community, only about 34% of the money allocated for education actually makes it to the classrooms. The rest gets tied up in the administrative offices. There is something desperately wrong there.

why is this inappropriate? submit cancel .Submitting... .
Your report of abuse has been received and will be reviewed.
The response report you have submitted was unable to transmit. Please try your submission again or contact support.
Carol B. says
Aug 3, 2010 7:56 AM
Jobs, but educating people whether children or adults is more than a job. It takes 24/7 attention to the work, it means no real holidays (always thinking how to do something that will work better, be more fun, enhance the program) and we need all our teachers and then some, to educate our people well. The "classroom teachers" are the ones in front, but everyone is an educator just by being there- teaching someone something by the way we live.

why is this inappropriate? submit cancel .Submitting... .
Your report of abuse has been received and will be reviewed.
The response report you have submitted was unable to transmit. Please try your submission again or contact support.

Ann G. says
Aug 3, 2010 7:41 AM
Without health and education an individual will be struggling all his/her life unless incredibly lucky. Multiply this exponentially and the same goes for a country. United States has the worst health care "system" in the developed world and one of the worst, if not the worst, public education systems. That along with the greed of Wall Street is driving the USA down. When are these right wingers going to wake up and realize what they are doing to your country. What a shame!!!!!!!

why is this inappropriate? submit cancel .Submitting... .
Your report of abuse has been received and will be reviewed.
The response report you have submitted was unable to transmit. Please try your submission again or contact support.

Edward M. says
Aug 3, 2010 6:43 AM
Has anyone with a modicum of intelligence considered that the funding for most of your projects could be found by cutting the "defence" budget, say by half.
why is this inappropriate? submit cancel .Submitting... .
Your report of abuse has been received and will be reviewed.
The response report you have submitted was unable to transmit. Please try your submission again or contact support.

Alexandra R. says
Aug 3, 2010 6:33 AM
Education and health care are most important. The human and economic loss to a country is incalculable if these are deficient.

why is this inappropriate? submit cancel .Submitting... .
Your report of abuse has been received and will be reviewed.
The response report you have submitted was unable to transmit. Please try your submission again or contact support.

Therese J. says
Aug 3, 2010 6:04 AM
To quote your article, "Republicans balked at the $10 billion the bill asks for, citing the need for belt-tightening during an endless recession..." Education should be a TOP priority, receiving the funding needed to educate our future wage-earners. Instead, Republicans have focused on having tax cuts for the wealthy continued, when, by their own planning 10 years ago, the cuts are set to expire this January. Now they blame the Democrats-- --for everything that has gone wrong, including the recession!

Congress needs to get its priorities right and focus on educating our students NOW so we'll have responsible, effective, thoughtful, adults in years to come.

why is this inappropriate? submit cancel .Submitting... .
Your report of abuse has been received and will be reviewed.
The response report you have submitted was unable to transmit. Please try your submission again or contact support.

Jo B. says
Aug 3, 2010 5:39 AM
One word: Education. Without good education a country is nothing.
Interesting article.thank you for sharing x

why is this inappropriate? submit cancel .Submitting... .
Your report of abuse has been received and will be reviewed.
The response report you have submitted was unable to transmit. Please try your submission again or contact support.
nobo dy says
Aug 3, 2010 1:16 AM
thanks

why is this inappropriate? submit cancel .Submitting... .
Your report of abuse has been received and will be reviewed.
The response report you have submitted was unable to transmit. Please try your submission again or contact support.
Kaye Skinner says
Aug 2, 2010 11:25 PM
Prayers going up.

why is this inappropriate? submit cancel .Submitting... .
Your report of abuse has been received and will be reviewed.
The response report you have submitted was unable to transmit. Please try your submission again or contact support.

Chien Chao says
Aug 2, 2010 7:20 PM
education is the root of a country