I’m not much for the California is a failed state theory, but the place is pretty dysfunctional politically, and I had more proof recently. To my public school/district readers, what has your state done with their EETT Stimulus money? Okay, now raise your hands if your state hasn’t spent any of your ARRA EETT money. Hey, wait, how come only folks from the Golden State have their hands up? For my fellow Californians who have been wondering where the heck their ARRA EETT money is, I bring you news.  They legislature has a plan. It’s bold, and different! They would like to move all the money over to spend on Pre-K student information systems, and High School work readiness. All laudable goals. I have a few concerns. See the federal program is specifically for students in grades 4-8.  If a district tried to “move” money around like that, they would be audited quicker than  you can say “Inspector General” but this is not the first time the Legislative Analysts office has tried to use EETT money to pay for that which it was not intended for (for those too tired to read — it suggested the money should be spent on shoring up the CALPADs statewide student tracking database, long overdue and over budget). Oh, and they won’t begin to hold hearings on this until…April, so still no money until????

Now before you starting hating on Miz Mercer about how she doesn’t love those little Pre-K and big hairy high school students I want to say I’m concerned about the process, and the danger it puts us in for receiving/keeping any funds if we don’t follow guidelines for this money. I’m also concerned that the Feds may wonder why the money hasn’t been spent, and will ask for it back. I wonder if some government/stimulus/Obama hating candidate will use this as fodder in their argument against the efficacy of the Stimulus package. We need the money spent, and quickly. To that end we need to follow the program. Here is the letter I’ve written to my congressional representative’s office, I’d suggest you do the same rather than keep waiting:

I am writing to you about the EETT C ARRA money for California that the state would like to spend in a way that is not at all consistent with federal guidelines for this money. Here are highlights of giving background and the problem:

• The state was awarded $71M in funding that could be used for either competitive grant awards to school districts, OR 1/2 for competitive awards and 1/2 for grants to districts based on Title 1 formula;
• The money is for Enhancing Education at the fourth to eighth grade level;
• The state has sat on the funds for almost a year while the CDE formulated and carried out a plan for distributing the money as it has been in the past, using 1/2 for competitive grants and 1/2 for formula-based grants. Because they could not get legislative authority, the money has not been distributed.
• Districts have already sent in grant applications for the competitive money, and the CDE has graded them, they just haven’t released results due to the legislature not giving them funding authorization. This means that all the time and money expended was wasted. That matters less than the bottom line which is those funds need to be spent, and quickly. The quickest way to do so is to use the process already in place by CDE.
• The Legislative Analyst is recommending that the state divert the money to a student records system for Pre-K and High School work readiness.

What I would like is:

• To know that you are concerned that the state may be spending this in a way that wasn’t intended.
• To have you express your concerns to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee about how the money is being spent, and the fact that California is one of the only states that hasn’t yet disbursed this money. Stimulus funds were supposed to be spent rapidly. At this pace, we will be almost a year behind schedule on a two-year program.

Pertinent documents:

LAO Report: http://www.lao.ca.gov/laoapp/ click on the “Proposition 98 and K-12 Education” report

Letter from CTAP about this kerfuffle

Federal Guidelines on EETT ARRA Round Funding

State Ed Code on EETT