Federal Stimulus for Education Pushed Criticized

Ten Reasons Why the "Economic Stimulus" Should Not Include Education Spending January 26, 2009
by Dan Lips Backgrounder #2233

House Democrats recently unveiled draft legisla­tion for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.[1] Widely touted as an economic stimulus package, the $825 billion draft legislation included as much as $142 billion for education.[2] This includes the creation of a $79 billion State Fiscal Stabilization Fund to assist state governments in providing public educa­tion and other services. The act also includes signifi­cant spending increases for current and proposed federal programs for K-12, postsecondary, and early childhood education.

This approach is bad economic policy and bad education policy. An unprecedented federal spending increase for education will not improve economic growth--and past experience strongly suggests that this plan will not improve American educational per­formance. Instead of a massive federal spending increase, Congress should embrace fiscally responsi­ble solutions to help states meet fiscal challenges and improve educational services.

http://www.heritage.org/research/education/bg2233.cfm

Science and Math in the Stimulus
While the stimulus provides a major cash infusion to the nation’s schools, the flow of federal money to school and college “STEM” education efforts, in particular, is smaller and more difficult to track.

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2009/02/science_and_math_in_the_stimul.html

STEM Coalition Letter to leaders recovery stimulus monies

http://www.stemedcoalition.org/content/documents/2009/STEM%20Ed%20Coalition%20to%20Leadership%20on%20Stimulus-Recovery%20Package.pdf

STEM

http://www.stemedcoalition.org/