I read a post recently by the Crimson Avenger at Kitchen Table Math, The Sequel. The post is about a meeting the Avenger attended with some school administrators. I am unsure of which district it was, but I don't think it matters much, because they all seem to think alike.
Two paragraphs that caught my eye from this post are:
"But there was no talk of reducing expenses, finding efficiencies, or eliminating programs. Instead, the primary focus was on using that money for teacher training, with new data systems a secondary interest."
(I suppose it's only natural that they think this way. After all, they've seen the federal government spending historically-large wads of money (credit?) while only giving a miniscule nod to cutting expenses.)
"While the Department of Education has repeatedly said that the stimulus funds are a one-shot deal, these administrators were convinced that all they had to do was show some kind of progress – however they chose to define it – and the money would be renewed. I haven’t heard anything about continuation of funds from any other source, but these folks were certain that as long as they moved the needle in some way, the money would keep flowing."
This doesn't surprise me. With NCLB giving funding based on performance for so long, they have come to expect it, so they ignore reality. Or maybe they know that they'll get their funding. No one wants to be accused of letting the schools fail.
