What Does The ‘Gang Of Moderates’ Gain By Slashing Education Funding In The Stimulus?
What Does The ‘Gang Of Moderates’ Gain By Slashing Education Funding In The Stimulus?
As The Wonk Room noted yesterday, Sens. Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Susan Collins (R-ME) are attempting to craft a “compromise” on the economic stimulus package. This compromise entails making devastating cuts to the proposed education funding in the bill, a significant portion of which is aimed at low-income, disadvantaged students. A draft of their proposed cuts includes:
- 50 percent of Title I funding, which goes to disadvantaged students ($6.5 billion)
- 50 percent of Head Start funding, which goes to low-income families ($1 billion)
– 50 percent of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act funding ($6.75 billion)
- 100 percent of state education stabilization funding ($24 billion)
Nelson and Collins have convened a “gang of moderates” to hash out the specific cuts from the legislation. OpenLeft has compiled a list of likely participants in the gang.
With these members in mind, it’s worth pulling up data regarding students who stand to benefit from this stimulus funding. Here are five Senators who should be very concerned with denying the proposed education funding to their constituents. Full list after the jump.
| Senator | Percentage of students (5-17) in families with income below poverty level |
Percentage of non-white students |
| Sen. Bayh (D-IN) | 15.4% | 20.5% |
| Sen. Collins (R-ME) | 25.1% | 5.4% |
| Sen. Martinez (R-FL) | 24.8% | 51.6% |
| Sen. McCaskill (D-MO) | 27.2% | 23.7% |
| Sen. Nelson (D-NE) | 16.7% | 23.5% |
Of course, it’s not just that this would be good funding on a moral level, but also that education funding provides strong stimulus. This is money that will be spent now, preventing teacher layoffs and upgrading equipment, while at the same time making an investment in human capital. Down the line, when the stimulus effects of the funding have worn off, these investments in a better educated workforce will still be paying dividends. And by cutting it, these Senators gain…what?
There is also a flaw in the Senators’ thinking. They propose cutting 50 percent of some funding, but by leaving half of the money in they seem to be acknowledging that it is, in fact, stimulative. What is the point of affirming that funding will work as stimulus and then cutting it in half? This quibbling doesn’t do justice to the urgency of addressing our economic woes.
| Senator | Percentage of kids (5-17) in families with income below poverty level |
Percentage of non-white students |
| Sen. Bayh (D-IN) | 15.4% | 20.5% |
| Sen. Bennett (D-CO) | 16.2% | 38.1% |
| Sen. Collins (R-ME) | 25.1% | 5.4% |
| Sen. Conrad (D-ND) | 17.8% | 13.2% |
| Sen. Landrieu (D-LA) | 21.2% | 49.9% |
| Sen. Lieberman (D-CT) | 14% | 33% |
| Sen. Martinez (R-FL) | 24.8% | 51.6% |
| Sen. McCaskill (D-MO) | 27.2% | 23.7% |
| Sen. Nelson (D-NE) | 16.7% | 23.5% |
| Sen. Shaheen (D-NH) | 13.7% | 7.1% |
| Sen. Snowe (R-ME) | 25.1% | 5.4% |
| Sen. Specter (R-PA) | 15.2% | 25.4% |
| Sen. Voinovich (R-OH) | 11.7% | 21.2% |
| Sen. Warner (D-VA) | 10.3% | 40.7% |
| Sen. Webb (D-VA) | 10.3% | 40.7% |
| Sen. Udall (D-CO) | 16.2% | 38.1% |
Sources: US Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates 2007; National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data 2006-07
8 Responses to “What Does The ‘Gang Of Moderates’ Gain By Slashing Education Funding In The Stimulus?”
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The education system spends almost 1 trillion dollars a year on education already and our kids still can’t read. They can show you how to put a condom on though. It’s not a spending or a money thing. We pay enough already. In some states they spend 20 grand a year per child in the school system.
And still the kids have to use their fingers to count to ten. What can you expect though, the parents have to take their shoes off to count to 20.
This is a stimulus bill to create jobs folks, not a bill to reward the Teachers union.
Strange though. Those politicians send their kids to private schools. That should tell you something. 20 grand per child per year would pay for a great private school for your kid now wouldn’t it?
February 6th, 2009 at 4:49 pmI’ll make it simple for those who went to public school lately.
February 6th, 2009 at 4:51 pmIt’s a stimulus bill to create jobs not a education bill.
Professorj, it’s …create jobs not an education bill, not “…create jobs not a education bill.” Cprrection from a public school grad. Sorry, couldn’t resist.
More sustantively, you seem to be really clueless about education.
February 6th, 2009 at 7:35 pmWhile I understand the frustration of those that see education funds vanish into an inefficient beaurocracy without any measurable improvement in student performance (though this has a lot to do with flawed performance assessment methods – but that’s a different story,) I have to wonder whether the folks that gripe about the way the money is spent have EVER voted in school board elections (never mind taken the time to actually research the positions and backgrounds of the candidates.)
I teach English to 12th graders in a middle class suburb of a medium side city. I can’t offer much individualized instruction because I have 160 students a day for 45 minutes. This is because there aren’t enough rooms available to reduce class size (check it out folks smaller class sizes trump everthing except socio-economic status in predicting student performance.) I have taught in this school for 5 years and have NEVER had a text book with which to teach reading or writing – I create (at my own expense – not easy at 40k a year) my own resources.
On that note. I am expected to work from 20 to 40 hours a week beyond my contract hours. My evil teacher’s union managed to strong arm the district this year into actually paying me the 2% anual pay raise that the state legislature mandated for me. Face the reality people, if you ever actually had to pay me for my skills in a competitive, free market environment, you would not be able to afford my services. Period.
February 7th, 2009 at 11:01 amI’d just like to throw this out there. Maine is 98.08% white, Nebraska is 93.53% white. Seems to me like these 2 Senators cut out programs that would help urban minorities because their states have very very very very few urban minorities.
February 7th, 2009 at 12:09 pmpoliticscorner Says:
Professorj, it’s …create jobs not an education bill, not “…create jobs not a education bill.” Cprrection from a public school grad. Sorry, couldn’t resist.
More sustantively, you seem to be really clueless about education.
Typos are common. It’s no big deal except for those who never make mistakes. I try to proof read my stuff but sometimes I miss something. I see worse here.
As far as being clueless about education that’s an assumption on your part.
Been in the profession for 20 years. Am I perfect, obviously not but then again neither are you I suspect.
The education system spends almost one trillion dollars a year. That’s every year. Some states spend 22 thousand dollars a year per student yet that student still can’t read.
It’s not the money. It’s the system. If you know anything about the education system in this country then you know what I say is the truth. If you don’t know then i (oops another typo) suggest you look into it rather than try to correct someone for a typo on a forum.
February 7th, 2009 at 9:37 pmGreg, there are many of us who experience the same problems. It’s not a funding thing Greg. It’s more of a waste of funding.
This country collects almost a trillion dollars a year for education. If it was spent properly then the system would work.
Greg I almost missed another typo. Politicscorner would of had a field day with another typo from me. He is the typo cop here. Knows nothing about education but he’s darn good at criticizing people for typo’s.
February 7th, 2009 at 9:45 pmOne must add that while the person not in the profession may have a difficult time understanding where that money goes, they need not look far beyond the adminstration building of a school district.
February 8th, 2009 at 10:08 pm