Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Districts Get EduJobs Funding Amounts

Holliday encourages use to support Senate Bill 1

Yesterday local school districts learned how much money they would recieve and how it might be used. The amounts were sent to superintendents in the commissioner's regular Monday email.

This from KSBA:

Holliday was direct about how he feels districts should use the funding, which federal law directs to classroom instruction and support purposes, but not central office or other administrative services.

“From KDE’s standpoint, Senate Bill 1 professional development would be our strongest recommendation for use of these (“edujobs”) funds,” Holliday said. “We strongly encourage you to utilize these funds to pay teachers for the time they may need to get ready for 2011-12 when the new language arts and math standards will be implemented.

“We encourage you to hire academic coaches to help teachers, intervention specialists and college readiness teachers, whatever you may call it, to come in and help your kids to be ready to meet those new standards,” he said.

“These kinds of employment decisions could help you and not disrupt classes as much as hiring additional classroom teachers,” Holliday said.

And Holliday encouraged districts that adopted a 186-day calendar – due to the General Assembly reducing funding by one day to balance the state budget — to use the funds to replace the reduction by one or more days.

The “edujobs” bill passed by Congress this summer requires that the funding be obligated by Sept. 30, 2012, allowing districts to invoice KDE for eligible expenses. States must use all of their “edujobs” funds by Dec. 31, 2012...

No comments: