Stealing the money to save teachers?

[proud2BlibKansan]

YOUR PRESIDENT wants you to save teachers' jobs--and gave you billions of dollars to do it. So why are you putting the money aside instead?

That's the question that teachers' unions across the U.S. are asking their bosses in the wake of the $10 billion education jobs bill passed August 10. Although the money is dedicated to putting laid-off teachers back in the classrooms, local school districts and politicians are trying to use the money to advance their "reform" agenda rather than restore jobs.

So it's time for teachers' union activists to dust off the old line about the 1930s labor law reform under President Franklin Roosevelt--"Your president wants you to join a union"--and use the unequivocal pronouncements of President Barack Obama to hold school officials accountable.

And for his part, Obama was unequivocal. Standing alongside laid-off teachers on the eve of a special session in the House of Representatives, Obama said, "I urge Congress to pass this proposal so that the outstanding teachers who are here today can go back to educating our children."

more . . . http://socialistworker.org/2010/08/19/stealing-money-from-teachers

[MadHound]

1. Heck, it's not even gotten out of state hands yet here

Nixon is still rummaging around trying to figure out what to do. Meanwhile, all the decisions about hiring and firing have already been made in most school districts, and that's not going to change. That's what burns me about this money, yes, it's nice to get, but the fact of the matter is that it was needed earlier this spring, when it could have truly effected hiring and firing decisions.

Instead, they dangled out RTTT money in order to advance their agenda, and now that the cuts have been made, decisions done, now they come through with a modicum of cash.

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. I'm blaming both parties for this mess

The Democrats for not paying attention to the tragedy of RttT and the Republicans for just being the assholes they always are when it comes to spending on any domestic programs.

[Catshrink]

2. They're talking about using some of it here for "deficit reduction"

It's an accounting thing - take some money that was designated for education at the state level and put it toward the shortfall and use the "new" fed money for schools. In short: nothing changes. They might release a little to appease the school districts but not nearly all of it.

I'm waiting for the Leg. to try a mid-year salary reduction. It's illegal for teachers to strike here but that might just be the tipping point. Yeah, then they'll PATCO us.

At some point the joy of teaching doesn't compensate for the bullshit.