Duncan says stimulus spared 325,000 education jobs

Some 325,000 education jobs were saved by the federal stimulus funding this year, according to the federal government’s first quarterly report of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“These reforms will be seen for many years to come,” Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a conference call with reporters on Nov. 2. He acknowledged that much of the stimulus funding doled out so far has gone to keep existing staff and programs running, rather than create new initiatives.

Specific jobs were not counted but the overall number includes teachers, principals, and support staff in K-12 schools, plus educators, administrators, and support staff at higher education institutions. The state-by-state report showed variations in the numbers of education jobs spared, which was likely because of the reporting and interpretation of the data by state officials, Duncan said.

Michael Resnick, NSBA’s associate executive director for advocacy, said: “We are aware, based on surveys we’ve conducted as well as conversations with school board members and administrators, that the stimulus package has been helpful to school systems in these tight budget times by preventing staff layoffs and supporting education programs that would otherwise lose funding.”

Some critics have warned of an impending “cliff,” where, under the terms of the stimulus package, the federal money will be gone in two years and districts must show results for their spending.

Duncan downplayed questions that asked him to predict what would happen if there was another economic downturn.

“What we really tried to do was stave off an education catastrophe here, this would have been a national disaster,” he said. “I don’t see it as a prediction of where we’ll be two or three years out.”

Duncan generally tried to remain positive and emphasized what he considered to be the early signs of an economic recovery. However, he also advised school leaders to take a hard look at their programs, determine which are the most critical and effective, and shed those that have not lived up to promises. While educators have traditionally been reluctant to cut programs, he added, administrators need to prioritize those that can further their long-term plans.

“This has been an unprecedented difficult time,” he said.

-Joetta Sack-Min