The Campaign for Educational Equity TEACHERS COLLEGE COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY The Fifth Annual Equity Symposium STIMULATING EQUITY? The Impact of the Federal Stimulus Act on Educational Opportunity February 8 - 9, 2010 SYMPOSIUM MATERIALS SSupportedupported byby thethe FordFord FoundationFoundation The Fifth Annual Equity Symposium STIMULATING EQUITY? THE IMPACT OF THE FEDERAL STIMULUS ACT ON EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY February 8 - 9, 2010 Cowin Conference Center Teachers College, Columbia University SYMPOSIUM MATERIALS Supported by the Ford Foundation TABLE OF CONTENTS Welcome Letter……………………………………………………………………………………………………..1 Press Release……………………………………………………………………………………………………….2 Symposium Schedule……………………………………………………………………………………………...4 The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009…………………………………….………...……8 Symposium Paper Summaries……………………………………………………………………………...……9 An Early Look at the Economic Stimulus Package and the Public Schools: Perspectives from State Leaders……….......…………………………………………….................................................9 Center for Education Policy Stimulating Equity? A Preliminary Analysis of the Impact of the Federal Stimulus Act on Educational Opportunity ……………………………………………………………………………….11 Michael A. Rebell, Jessica R. Wolff, and Daniel Yaverbaum The Campaign for Educational Equity Filling Budget Holes: Evaluating the Impact of ARRA Fiscal Stabilization Funds on State Funding Formulas………………………………………………………………………………………….14 David Sciarra and Danielle Farrie, Education Law Center Bruce Baker, Rutgers University School Reforms and Equal Education Opportunities for All Children: The Changing Federal Role in Education…………………………....................................................................................16 Maris A. Vinovskis, University of Michigan Safeguarding the Right to a Sound Basic Education in Times of Fiscal Constraint……………..…….19 Michael A. Rebell, The Campaign for Educational Equity Biographies……………………………………………………………………………………………………….21 Contact Information………………………………………………………………………………..…………...33 Welcome to Teachers College and the fifth annual Equity Symposium, “Stimulating Equity? The Impact of the Federal Stimulus Act on Educational Opportunity.” This event will mark the first major national forum to analyze, in-depth, the impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on educational equity and educational opportunity. The U.S. Department of Education is expected to distribute approximately $100 billion over the next two years to states, school districts, and higher education institutions. The availability of this enormous increase in federal funding provides not only invaluable assistance to states in maintaining jobs and educational programs in these difficult times, but also an extraordinary opportunity to advance educational opportunity nationwide. This year’s symposium will, therefore, examine the impact of the stimulus funds through an educational equity lens, presenting nationwide analyses of how the stimulus funds have been used, case study examples of effective and ineffective uses of the funds, and explorations of the long-term implications of this massive spending experience on the role of the federal government in promoting educational equity and educational reform. We look forward to your participation. Sincerely, Michael A. Rebell Executive Director Campaign for Educational Equity, and Professor of Law and Educational Practice 1 PRESS RELEASE PRESS CONTACTS: Joe Levine Office: (212) 678-3176 [email protected] Where Is $100 Billion in Education Aid Going? States Are Using Education Stimulus Money for Budget Gaps Instead of Equity, Teachers College Study Suggests NEW YORK, NY, February 8, 2010 - States are using federal stimulus money intended to promote innovation and equity reforms in schools to instead plug holes in education budgets ravaged by the economic recession. That’s the finding of at least one major study that will be presented at “Stimulating Equity? The Impact of the Federal Stimulus Act on Educational Opportunity,” a symposium that will be held at Teachers College, Columbia University on February 8th and 9th. The event convened by the College’s Campaign for Educational Equity, is the first major national symposium to analyze the impact of The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA), which is enabling the U.S. Department of Education to distribute $100 billion to states over the next two years for public schools suffering from the effects of the recession. The symposium will discuss whether this windfall of federal cash – more than double the Department’s 2009 budget – will improve equity and opportunity for low-income students. The keynote speakers at the symposium are Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell, who has insisted that funding for educational equity provisions in his state continue as scheduled despite the current economic downturn; and Russlynn Ali, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, who is responsible for enforcing civil rights law in schools. When Congress passed ARRA last February, one intent was certainly to stabilize education funding. But its other aims were to continue equity and adequacy reforms, and promote education reforms to boost student achievement. “Our initial analysis indicates that Congress largely achieved its purpose of stabilizing state education budgets and ensuring continuity in educational services, but the “equity goals” of bolstering services for disadvantaged students who tend to be the greatest victims of budget cutbacks, were only partially achieved,” said Michael Rebell, founding director of the Campaign for Educational Equity and organizer of the annual symposium. “Important new programs have been implemented with the additional Title I and IDEA funds, but the rapid termination of this funding in 2011 will create major problems.” At the symposium Rebell, who is an attorney, will deliver a paper arguing that, even in a recession, states are legally required to continue to equalize educational opportunity for all children. “Children’s constitutional rights are not put on hold because there is a fiscal crisis,” he said. 2 Also at the symposium: • PBS NewsHour’s John Merrow will lead a conversation on how to handle the hard times to come with Jack Jennings, president and chief executive officer of the Center on Education Policy, and Chester Mitchell, Massachusetts Commissioner of Education. • Maris Vinovskis, professor of history, University of Michigan, will deliver a paper on the expanding role of the federal government in education. • Education Week’s Michele McNeil will explore the challenges and promising practices observed in different regions of the country with Joseph Martin, Executive Director of the Georgia School Funding Association; Timothy Mitchell, Superintendent of the Chamberlain School District 7-1 in South Dakota; and Candace Cortiella, Director of Advocacy Institute in Washington, D.C. • New York Times education reporter, Jenny Medina, will lead a roundtable discussion on handling budget shortfalls in New York State with Photeine Anagnostopoulos, Chief Operating Officer, and Alison Avera, Deputy Chief Operating Officer, of the New York City Department of Education; Dan Lowengard, Superintendent of the Syracuse City School District; Mary Anne Schmitt-Carey, Executive Director of Say Yes to Education in Syracuse; Glynda Carr, Executive Director of Education Voters of New York State; and Geri Palast, Executive Director of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity. The full agenda for “Stimulating Equity? The Impact of the Federal Stimulus Act on Educational Opportunity” is available at http://www.tc.edu/centers/EquitySymposium/symposium10/program.asp. Summaries and copies of the full reports being presented will be available starting February 10, 2010 at http://www.tc.edu/centers/EquitySymposium/symposium10/resource.asp . Teachers College is the largest graduate school of education in the nation. It is affiliated with Columbia University but is legally and financially independent. The editors of US News & World Report have consistently ranked the College as one of the leading graduate schools of education in the country. For more information, please visit the College’s Web site at www.tc.columbia.edu. The Campaign for Educational Equity is dedicated to promoting equity and excellence through improved policy and practice. For more information, please visit the Campaign’s website at www.equitycampaign.org. ### 3 STIMULATING EQUITY? THE IMPACT OF THE FEDERAL STIMULUS ACT ON EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY SYMPOSIUM SCHEDULE Monday, February 8, 2010 MORNING SESSIONS 9:00 AM Welcome and Conference Overview Michael Rebell, Executive Director, Campaign for Educational Equity Keynote Address (via live video feed) Edward G. Rendell, Governor, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Welcome and Introduction: Susan Fuhrman, President Teachers College 10:15 AM Session 1. The Impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) on Educational Equity and Innovation A. The View from the States: Governors’ and State Education Department Perspectives on ARRA Implementation Presenter: Jack Jennings, President and CEO, Center on Educational Policy B. Following the Money: A National Survey of How the ARRA Funds Are Really Being Used Presenters: Jessica Wolff, Policy Director Daniel Yaverbaum, Researcher, Campaign for Educational Equity Moderator: Luis Huerta, Associate Professor of Education, Teachers College 11:15 AM Coffee Break 11:30 AM Session 1 (continued) C. The ARRA and School Funding Equity? A Quantitative