I Thought We Were Broke ?

I thought that DC was in the middle of a budget deficit. Isn't this the rationale for DC mayor Adrian Fenty's cutting funds for the independent evaluation of DC public schools as well as city services to vulnerable residents? Someone please tell me where are the funds coming from to publicly fund LEA's for new teacher hires and highly qualified veteran teachers to transfer schools ? Is this money being funded by the stimulus money ?

According to a June 23 article on the WTOP website , "Chief Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi's revised revenue projections, Washington faces a $190 million deficit in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, and a $150 million shortfall in the 2010 budget proposal approved by the Council in May. " That's a total of 340 million dollars.

You tell me what's wrong with this picture. Post here on The Washington Teacher

Subsequent to writing this piece, I wrote Jesse Rauch, Legislative Analyst for the DC City Council. Here's what he said about the source of the funds :

"Terese, my colleague in the Committee of the Whole, says that those are Title II funds coming from the Feds. I CC’d her if you have additional questions on those OSSE grants. Thanks Candi. "

Jesse B Rauch
Senior Legislative Analyst
Committee of the Whole
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Room 410
Washington, DC 20004

OSSE link: http://newsroom.dc.gov/show.aspx/agency/seo/section/2/release/17666

OSSE Announces Funds for New Teacher Signing and Transfer Bonuses ( 7/21/09)

"The DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) is pleased to announce to all public LEAs the availability of funds for highly qualified new hires and highly qualified veterans that transfer to schools with low numbers of highly qualified teachers and/or schools in NCLB corrective action status. Teachers in the following subject areas may be granted a $3,000 signing or transfer bonus:

Mathematics
English/Language Arts/Reading
Science
Art
Social Studies

For more information on taking advantage of the Highly Qualified New/Transfer Teacher funds, please have your LEA representative contact Valida Walker, Title II-A Coordinator in the Office of Educator Licensure and Quality at valida.walker@dc.gov or hqt.help@dc.gov "

Posted by The Washington Teacher, information courtesy of OSSE website, quote courtesy of WTOP.com