Stimulus Saves Education Jobs, But Should Reform Have Been Prioritized?

Following the recent announcement that the stimulus has created or saved 250,000 education jobs, some are skeptical about the benefits of the investment. Andrew Smarick asks whether the investment should have been spent on innovation rather than maintaining the status quo, "This of course may be good for grown-ups, but it’s not so hot for America’s schoolchildren."

But that's not the most important thing he sees, making the point that this particular part of the stimulus is the first time the administration has claimed to be using funds not just to safeguard jobs but to advance reform. Though he doesn't see the data to support this claim that reform is even happening apart from in few anecdotes. Indeed, Michele McNeil at EdWeek argues that most of the money so far is getting schools up to the status quo. And a report from the American Association of School Administrators found "many of the dollars are simply backfilling budget holes, limiting the ability of districts to implement innovative reform."

Detailed data from the Washington Post does agrees that most of the funds went for school aid. "The largest share of the $67 billion ... went straight to states to shore up teetering budgets ... About $30 billion in education aid from the stimulus law remains unspent, including $5 billion earmarked for school reform."

Yes, reform is part of the package, but it isn't intended to be the main priority. The hope it just that schools will move towards reform, and eventually beyond the status quo. But the budget holes have to be plugged before that can happen.

Photo credit: Aaron Jacobs