Government

U.S. & Wyoming Government American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Amanda Dewey Political Science 1000, Semester 1 November 2009 Introduction The United States Government is faced with many issues year after year. However, some of these issues come up for debate within the Congressional Caucus, and at times a solution is supposedly implemented, but truly some of these issues tend to become a cosmetic fix. One issue that has been at the forefront for several years is the investment into education. From ex-Presidents Regan to Bush, not one particular president has come even close to tackling how education should be handled, funded or even monitored. However, this issue has become prevalent due to our economic downturn. Therefore, President Barack Obama signed into law, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), on February 17, 2009. “According to President Barack Obama, “In a global economy where the most valuable skill you can sell is your knowledge, a good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity— it is a pre-requisite. The countries that out-teach us today will out-compete us tomorrow”. [1] The ARRA is part of the economic stimulus package and the reason for signing this law is to help reduce the effects on how the current economic downfall is causing state and local budget cuts within the school systems. In addition, the law is designed to promote educational changes to help improve student achievement and have high- quality teachers in classrooms across the nation especially for low-income and minority students. The other aspects of this bill are to make college affordable and invest in early childhood development. Therefore, due to the significance of the ARRA bill, this paper will address how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will help minorities, single parents and low-income families achieve a post secondary education. Low-Income According to Terry Hartle, “Over the last generation, we have increased access to higher education for low-income and underprepared students---now we must ensure those students finish what they start”. [2] Hence, the ARRA will be a viable avenue to help reduce educational achievement gaps between the rich and low-income class. The reason is that this bill will give Title I around $13 billion in funding to help disadvantage children in reaching high academic standards. Title I purpose can be accomplished not only by having additional funding, but that funding can help continue offering various programs such as, English as a Second Language (ESL) and continue to meet the needs of delinquent children, and continue to provide reading assistance to young children in need. In addition, Title I can continue to help children with disabilities and ensure that accountability systems are put in place in terms of teacher preparation and training. The grant can help ensure that high-quality academic assessments are available to all students regardless of their economic status. The bottom line is that $13 billion dollars will only help reinforce and bring about change so low-income children are no longer at disadvantage in all facets of attaining a post secondary education. The bill will also target the homeless children in need of educational assistance. The ARRA will also give the McKinney-Vento Act and extra $70 million to aid in educating and reducing the educational barrier achievements for homeless students. The funding will help keep this program abreast especially during our economic downturn and the need to cut budgets in all areas of government and social services. This law helps to cover and provide fair and equal educational opportunities for low income communities who have and will see future budget cuts in their educational system. Erik Robelen said, “That the U.S. census Bureau reported earlier this month that 800,000 children less than 18 years of age lived in poverty compared to the prior year”.[3] With that in mind, the ARRA also has on their agenda to provide stimulus money to the Early Head Start and Head Start Program. The reason for such a drastic measure is to provide additional funding for these two programs because implementing a learning system for early childhood learning will help prepare them for kindergarten. According to Erik Robelen, “Some early-education advocates argue that Early Learning Challenge fund has a potential to transform the care and education low-income children receive”.[4] Research has shown that Head Start is important in helping increase educational success and children will be more productive. In addition, Head Start helps improve a child’s well-being and reduce crime. Minorities Minorities are also considered in the economic stimulus bill. Minority-serving institutions (MSIs) will also see some funding from the economic stimulus bill. Funding will give these minority serving institutions the earmarks needed to help keep these minority colleges and universities in operational mode. This bill provides the funding needed to support historically Black colleges and universities such as, the restoration of Historic St. Agnes Hospital. Charles Dervarics said “This hospital will serve as a home for an African American health disparities institute at the college”.[5] These MSIs give minorities a chance to not only go to college, but to obtain work-study on the campus. The ARRA bill is geared towards providing funding to work-study programs as well. In addition, minorities will have access to TRIO programs and GEAR UP as these two programs will receive funding also These two programs help low-income and minority students prepare for transition to a post secondary education level. The ARRA will try to decrease disparity not only among low-income students, but between non-minorities receiving a high-quality education and minorities receiving a low quality education. The bill focuses on providing minorities with a highly-qualified educational teacher so they are receiving an education that is equal, and just as high in quality as a non minority. The bill also allocated money to Indian Reservations to help also eliminate any disparities in the achievement gaps. The bill will provide funding to turn around and improve under performing schools. These underperformance schools tend to deal with minorities and the challenge to have these minorities meet the educational standards that were set by the No Child Left Behind Act have been a big concern within the educational system. Minorities have more opportunity now with the bill to complete and be prepared for a post secondary education than before. According to Charles Dervarics, “We know there is a premium placed on education and energy efficiency,” Bartley says. “We cannot afford to let one sector of higher education lag behind”.[6] Single Mothers and Affordability Single mothers are more prevalent today then before, however, supporting a family as a single parent can be challenging. Single mothers can also benefit from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. This act will provide more funding to the Pell Grant program and make college more affordable. In addition, the bill will provide $2 billion to the Child Care and Development Block Grant. This grant will provide child care services to an additional 300,000 that come from a low-income families, usually most single mothers fall into such a category. This service will allow more parents to go to work or school by providing child care. The bill will also provide a higher education tax credit and this can help improve the skills of not only the workforce, but single parents also. The ARRA will create a $2, 500 American Opportunity Tax Credit. This tax credit is partially refundable. Single mothers will have more opportunity now than before to go to school, increase their job skills and still have access to child care and more of an affordable education than before. Obama’s bill is geared towards helping single mothers go back to school by revamping funds for higher education and making scholarships, loans and federally financial aid more accessible to single mothers. The bill does not entail specifically what type of scholarships and how much, but the opportunity for a single parent is available. Conclusion Educational investment will no longer sit on the back burner for funding and get the leftovers. Terry Hartle stated that educational investment has become one of President Obama’s key goals in making America the first in the world to have a higher percentage of adults with a postsecondary education by the year 2020.[7] Hence, no matter if one comes for a low-income family, or is a minority or a single mother, each of these individuals will have the opportunity to prepare and be successful in completing a post secondary education. There is no solid proof yet based on raw data that the bill is effective, but there is the opportunity to try and find out how the bill will help those mentioned in this paper. References Dervarics, Charles “The Stimulus Package: Winners Large and Small.” Diverse: Issues in Higher Education 26.2 (2009): 6 MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 10 Nov. 2009 Dervarics, Charles “In Tough Economy, MSIs Win Funding Increases.” Diverse: Issues in Higher Education 26.4 (2009): 6 MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web 10 Nov. 2009 ED.gov. 2009. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: Saving and Creating Jobs and Reforming Education. 7 March 2009 Galuszka, Peter “Stimulus Money Slow To Reach Colleges.” Diverse: Issues in Higher Education 26.17 (2009): 7 MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 11 Nov. 2009. Hartle, Terry “Ambitious Goal.” The New England Journal of Higher Education (2009). MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web 11 Nov. 2009 Robelen, Erik W. “Early Education Returns to Policy Spotlight.” Education Week 29.4 (2009): 1 MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. WEB 10 Nov. 2009 Robert M., Shireman, UnderSecretary Deputy, and Education U.S. Department of “ Eligibility for Student Loans.” FDCH Congressional Testimony (n.d): MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web 11 Nov. 2009. ----------------------- [1] ED.gov (7 March 2009) The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: Saving and Creating Jobs and Reforming Education. http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/implementation.html#skipnav1 [2] [3] Terry W. Hartle, “Ambitious Goal,” The New England Journal of Higher Education Summer 2009. [4] Erik W. Robelen, “Early Education Returns to Policy Spotlight,” Education Week, 2009: 1. [5] Ibid., 3 [6] Charles Dervarics, “In Tough Economy, MSIs Win Funding Increases,” Diverse Issues in Higher Education [7] Ibid., 3 [8]Ibid., 29