Preserving Jobs in Education

Why?  In the United States, economic progress and educational achievement have always gone hand in hand.  The ARRA funds will help with reforms in our nation’s schools so that children can receive a complete and competitive education.

The Department of Education is quickly providing states with large infusions of one-time funds to be spent over the next two years on everything from early childhood initiatives to college, including programs for children with disabilities, low-income students, and adults working to upgrade their skills for the 21st century.  The states are responsible for making improvements in teacher effectiveness and ensuring that all schools have highly qualified teachers; making progress toward college and career-ready standards and rigorous assessments that will improve both teaching and learning; improving achievement in low-performing schools, by providing intensive support and effective interventions in schools that need them the most; and gathering information to improve student learning, teacher performance, and college and career-readiness through enhanced data systems that track progress.

ARRA funding, combined with the responsibilities of the states, will help keep outstanding teachers in America’s schools, arm educators with the tools and data needed to determine what does and doesn’t work in our nation’s classrooms, align curricula and assessments with rigorous standards that prepare young people for college and careers, and transform our lowest-performing schools.