CONTACT YOUR SENATORS TODAY!

The vote is Monday August 2

SENATE VOTE SCHEDULED FOR MONDAY ON EDUCATION JOBS This week, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) blocked the Senate from voting on an education jobs amendment as part of a larger bill on small business. But, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has scheduled another vote for Monday evening, August 2. The package being considered will provide $10 billion to save over 135,000 education jobs. It will also provide funds for Medicaid to help prevent more deep cuts to the programs that serve our most vulnerable populations. We are facing an education crisis, with hundreds of thousands of educators being laid off, class sizes growing, and programs critical to students' success being cut or eliminated. Our students' education and the future of our nation are at stake! EVERY VOTE COUNTS and every Senator needs to hear a strong message of support. Tell your Senators to stand up for what is right! CONTACT YOUR SENATORS TODAY: E-mail your Senators. Tell them to VOTE YES on a $10 billion education jobs package (H.R. 1586). Call 1-866-608-6355 to contact your Senators. You will hear talking points and will be connected to the United States Capitol Switchboard – ask for one of your Senators. Tell your Senator that public education faces a budget catastrophe and that he/she should VOTE YES on a $10 billion education jobs fund. Remember to call back to speak with your other Senator. Ask your colleagues, friends, and family to call and e-mail the Senate too.

Education Jobs

"Urgent Vote on Education Jobs"

The U.S. Senate will vote IMMINENTLY on an amendment to the small business bill (H.R. 5297) that would provide $9.7 billion to save approximately 135,000 education jobs jeopardized by state and local budget cuts. This amendment is fully paid for and is DIFFERENT than the House-passed education jobs fund.
Contact your Senator NOW. Urge your Senator to vote YES to education jobs amendment to the small business bill (H.R. 5297)."

LOUISIANA TO RECEIVE $67.6 MILLION TO TURN AROUND ITS PERSISTENTLY LOWEST ACHIEVING SCHOOLS

Office of Communications & Outreach, Press Office              

400 Maryland Ave., S.W.              

Washington, D.C. 20202       

 
 

FOR RELEASE:              

July 2, 2010

 
 

Contact: Sandra Abrevaya              

         press@ed.gov or (202) 401-1576

 
 

 
 

LOUISIANA TO RECEIVE $67.6 MILLION TO TURN AROUND ITS PERSISTENTLY LOWEST ACHIEVING SCHOOLS

 
 

      U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced that Louisiana will receive $67.6 million to turn around its persistently lowest achieving schools through the School Improvement Grants (SIG) program. These funds are part of the $3.5 billion that will be made available to states this spring from money set aside in the 2009 budget and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

 
 

      "When a school continues to perform in the bottom five percent of the state and isn't showing signs of growth or has graduation rates below 60 percent, something dramatic needs to be done," said Duncan. "Turning around our worst performing schools is difficult for everyone but it is critical that we show the courage to do the right thing by kids."

 
 

      The $67,608,523 made available to Louisiana is being distributed by formula to the state and will then be competed out by the state to school districts. In order for a school district to apply for these funds, it must have a state-identified "persistently lowest achieving" or a Tier III school -- a school that has failed to meet annual yearly progress for two years and is not identified as a persistently lowest achieving school.

 
 

      However, Tier III schools can only receive funds once all of the state's persistently lowest achieving schools have received funds. Louisiana's application, which includes its list of persistently lowest achieving schools, as defined by the state, can be found here: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/sif/summary/index.html.

 
 

      School districts will apply to the state for the funds this spring. When school districts apply, they must indicate that they will implement one of the following four models in their persistently lowest achieving schools:

 
 

•     TURNAROUND MODEL: Replace the principal, screen existing school staff, and rehire no more than half the teachers; adopt a new governance structure; and improve the school through curriculum reform, professional development, extending learning time, and other strategies.

 
 

•     RESTART MODEL: Convert a school or close it and re-open it as a charter school or under an education management organization.

 
 

•     SCHOOL CLOSURE: Close the school and send the students to higher-achieving schools in the district.

 
 

•     TRANSFORMATION MODEL: Replace the principal and improve the school through comprehensive curriculum reform, professional development, extending learning time, and other strategies.

 
 

      Once schools receive SIG funds, they will be able to begin to spend them immediately to turn around schools this fall. States may apply to the Education Department for a waiver to allow them to spend funds over a three-year period. An additional $545,633,000 has been provided for SIG in 2010 and will be awarded to states to fund additional schools in the 2011-12 school year. The department has also made a request for an additional $900 million for the program in the 2011 budget.

 
 

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LAE Lobby Day - May 27, 2010

LAE Lobby Day - May 27, 2010