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WASHINGTON (AP) - The Obama administration is awarding $290 million in grants to reward top teachers and boost opportunities for teachers who work in impoverished schools.
The Department of Education says the funds will flow to almost 1,000 schools in 18 states plus the District of Columbia.
The program is intended to encourage school districts to incentivize good teaching through faculty evaluations and performance-based pay. Some of the grants focus on science and math teachers, whichPresident Barack Obama has said is a top priority.
Public school systems in New York and Los Angeles will use the funds for a compensation program that's based on career ladders.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan says there's a desperate need for top teachers and principals to have greater influence over their colleagues.
September 27, 2012 @ 1:19 pm
Good idea. Support teachers instead of attacking them like the GOP Tea Party.
September 27, 2012 @ 1:30 pm
Last time I checked the tea party consisted of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans.
September 27, 2012 @ 4:32 pm
Look, I’d like to support teachers. I really would. However, the federal government isn’t capable of managing money at school level without leaving the door open for abuse and waste. Heck, state governments have a hard time of it as it is.
Speaking of a classic example from my own high school days, about 25 years ago. Florida got a lottery because the funds would go to schools. Fine, schools got a slush fund that had a lot of dollars. However, politicians cut the individual budgets for the various school districts, as the lottery was going to make up the money. The one problem with that scenario was that the bureaucracy required to get the money from the slush fund was so large, most individual schools couldn’t get access to the funds. For about 3 years, my school couldn’t buy paper, toner, pens, pencils, or other basic supplies. School clubs were tapped to run fundraisers to give the school needed offices supplies.
The final insult was that the school was forced to spend $1000s of dollars of money for paint that it didn’t need. It was completely painted but, they had so much paint left over, they decided to paint the concrete floors and stairwells.
Look at this article again. New York and LA are going to use the money for bonus pay for senior teachers because, that’ll give influence over younger teachers. Considering New York pays substandard teachers not to teach, I find myself wondering why give them money at all.
September 27, 2012 @ 3:31 pm
Just once, I’d like to see the government make out a check for a few million and have it come back “returned due to insufficient funds”. Wouldn’t that be a hoot!
September 27, 2012 @ 3:52 pm
Personally I would like to know what 18 states will receive this grant and which impoverished schools. That is not even half of this country and yes we need more top teachers in many areas of every state.
September 27, 2012 @ 4:18 pm
This is all part of the “redistribution” plan. The end? The bankruptcy of the U.S. the deconstruction of our society, our way of life and the fonunding principles of this nation. For what end? POWER AND CONTROL. No more, NOTHING LESS. He needs to go along with all who think like him (democrats).
September 27, 2012 @ 4:30 pm
It’s called throwing good money at a problem and making it worse. You know the finest and most successful teachers are those in Chicago.
September 27, 2012 @ 4:34 pm
How bout spending that money on Replacing Union Thugs in the Chicago Schools who held an entire city hostage?
There are thousands of Unemployed Teachers..worth their weight in Gold who could do a better job, and give up their DEMANDED Union membership because THEY LOVE TO TEACH, rather than BLACKMAIL parents.
September 27, 2012 @ 4:35 pm
I would like to see the criteria being used to “reward” these teachers. From what I have seen, with the Teachers Union in Chicago being the latest example, the unions have rejected any rational form of teacher evaluation over and over. Teachers that have been put on probation still come to school and sit in a room and get paid for doing nothing, and then retire with pensions sometimes higher then their salaries. This is more cronyism and gifts to the unions from the Obama administration. It really makes me sick to watch this administration give away money it is borrowing without even having an approved budget for any spending.
September 27, 2012 @ 5:05 pm
Everyone with half a brain knows the money is going to schools in Democrat cities. More Fed slush funds being paid out, using the people’s tax money to buy Democrat votes.
September 27, 2012 @ 5:19 pm
Their pay is not enough??? Seriously???
September 27, 2012 @ 5:58 pm
September 27, 2012 @ 6:05 pm
Another windfall for the teachers union! Does money educate the kids or does knowledge. The liberals think it is money but common sense says it is dedication. Unions do not create quality, but the pride of teaching quality education does. How much of that money will be siphoned off by the Unions for the Obama campaign?
September 27, 2012 @ 9:19 pm
I am disappointed by the teachers taking bribes from Obama for their vote! It is plain to see why Obama is giving money out for votes.
If I were a teacher, I would tell Obama that my vote CANNOT be brought!