Federal Keep Our Educators Working Act could send hundreds of millions of dollars to New Jersey, Pennsylvania to save teachers' jobs

Monday, April 26, 2010
By STEPHEN J. NOVAK
The Express-Times

A majority of New Jersey school budgets failed in Tuesday's annual school elections for the first time in decades, almost guaranteeing deeper staff and program cuts than already planned.

Some Pennsylvania school districts aren't in much better shape. The Easton Area School Board proposes cutting 70 teachers as well as some sports programs.

A bill proposed in the U.S. Senate seeks to alleviate some of the pain felt by educators nationwide by creating a $23 billion fund to help school districts retain, hire and train teachers.

"This country is about to face a massive wave of layoffs in our schools and institutions of higher learning that could weaken our economic recovery and cause serious damage to our education system," U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said earlier this month when he introduced the bill, called the Keep Our Educators Working Act.

"This bill is an investment in our kids, in our economy and our future," he said.

The measure immediately got the support of several other senators including New Jersey's Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez.

The money would be used for the "compensation and benefits and other expenses necessary to retain existing employees and for the hiring of new employees," or for "on-the-job training activities."

The bill is designed to mimic other programs established in the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Pressure on N.J. districts

Following a record-setting Election Day, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie declared victory over the state's largest teachers union, the New Jersey Education Association. School budgets statewide met their largest failure rate since 1976 with almost 59 percent voted down.

Since taking office in January, Christie has put pressure on school districts to reduce their budgets -- including cutting the state's aid to schools for this year and the coming school year by nearly $1.3 billion altogether. As a result, program and staff cuts are the norm in spending plans this year.

According to information compiled by the National Education Association, New Jersey could see more than $630 million from the education bill, money the New Jersey Education Association says is "desperately needed," especially as failed budgets go to their municipal governments for further cuts.

"Once a school district gets to the point where they're cutting positions, they've already gone through the budget with the fine-tooth comb. They're cutting into muscle and bone," said NJEA spokesman Steve Wollmer. "It can only get worse."

Problems go beyond N.J.

It is not only New Jersey's problem. The National Education Association predicts 150,000 teachers nationwide will lose their jobs over the next three months.

In the Easton Area district, the local union president said he hopes money in the bill, if passed, would be better used than a previous round of stimulus funding.

Federal dollars supposed to be used for retaining teachers was instead used on technology and security systems, Easton Area Education Association President Kevin Deely said.

Pennsylvania could see more than $900 million, according to the national association.

"Obviously, any money that comes in is good money for the school districts" because it covers costs that would otherwise be billed to local taxpayers, Deely said.

"There are so many layoffs going on in so many states," he said. "The government really needs to step up and salvage it."

Union: Situation is urgent

Lawmakers and educators in support of the bill say it can help prevent a sudden jump in unemployment resulting from school budget cuts.

However, the bill has just been introduced. Even if it is approved, it would not take effect until six months after passage, The Star-Ledger reported.

"If I had a magic wand, I would have had it passed yesterday, signed into law and the money would be in everybody's account," Menendez told The Star-Ledger last week.

Deely said his group would lobby area representatives to pass the legislation. Wollmer, at the New Jersey Education Association, said he hopes lawmakers realize the urgency of the situation.

"Once the layoffs take place, then you're talking about coming in after the fact, after the damage is done," Wollmer said. "It would be better not to do the damage in the first place."

Christie's spokesman, Michael Drewniak, said New Jersey would accept money from the bill.

"But that does not change the need for changes and reforms to pensions for public employees and teachers," he said.