Education

Additional $105 Million will be Available in Fall

June 22, 2009 -- WASHINGTON –New Mexico’s Congressional delegation today announced that $213 million is now available for state schools and education through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The funding will be dedicated to help save teaching jobs and support state and local efforts to reform and improve the public education system in the state.

New Mexico has already received $97 million in education stimulus funds — representing a combination of funding for Title I, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Vocational Rehabilitation Grants, Independent Living Grants and Impact Aid.    » read more »

Governor Patrick to issue Executive Order to coordinate policy and resources for science, technology, engineering and math education

BOSTON– June 18, 2009 – Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Timothy P. Murray today announced plans for an Executive Order creating the Governor’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Education Coordinating Council.

The new council, to be chaired by Lieutenant Governor Murray, will be the central coordinating entity for the Executive Branch as it seeks to increase student interest and achievement in STEM fields.    » read more »

June 19, 2009 -- AUGUSTA – Maine Governor John E. Baldacci today signed LD 285, An Act to Amend the Laws Governing the Consolidation of School Administrative Units to Delay All Penalties for One Year.

“Our intention has never been to punish school districts,” Governor Baldacci said. “What we want is a more efficient and affordable system that puts available resources to work for students instead of paying for unnecessary administration.”

“After careful consideration, I have decided to sign this legislation, which will delay penalties for one year for school districts that have not reorganized. This delay will give those districts working in good faith toward restructuring time to complete their work.”    » read more »

June 17, 2009 -- Education programs in seven states—Arizona, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon and South Dakota—have been selected to receive nearly $3.8 million to provide training programs to recruit and graduate new American Indian teachers and school administrators, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced today.

“These professional development grants will help us find, train and retain the very best teachers and administrators within American Indian communities,” said Duncan. “These grants represent opportunity, both for teachers and their students.”

The grant award is part of the Office of Indian Education’s Professional Development program, which trains qualified individuals to become teachers and administrators in Indian communities.    » read more »

Grants will help programs from preschool to high school

June 17, 2009 -- U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced today the award of 14 grants totaling $3,404,882 to programs in 11 states that will help American Indian children succeed in school.

“This is an opportunity to assist students who are, as I’ve seen for myself, some of the most motivated in any of our nation’s schools,” said Duncan, who visited the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation in Montana last month.

Grants are awarded under the Demonstration Grants for Indian Children Program to help enhance both preschool preparation for American Indian children and efforts to prepare American Indian high school students transition to and succeed in college or other postsecondary education options.    » read more »

Stabilizing Student Loan Market, Protecting Borrowers and Safeguarding

June 17, 2009 -- U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced that four companies were awarded contracts to service a portion of the approximately $550 billion outstanding federal student loan portfolio held by the Department. The selected contractors will also service loans originated by and sold to the Department in the future.

The award of these contracts provides the Department with the capacity necessary to support anticipated increases in the number of loans owned by the Department and ensures borrowers receive the assistance they need to effectively manage their federal student loan obligations.    » read more »

June 17, 2009 -- Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) released the following statement today following Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s announcement that the Department of Education will commit up to $350 million of the Race to the Top program to support common education standards initiatives. The Race to the Top program, which is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will award competitive grants to states that are working to use innovation to improve their education systems.    » read more »

Virginia, software giant to provide displaced workers with free technology training through the Microsoft Elevate America program

June 15, 2009 -- RICHMOND - Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine today announced that Virginia will join forces with Microsoft in an innovative public-private partnership to provide free technology training to displaced workers.

Through the Microsoft Elevate America program, the software and technology giant will work with the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) to distribute 11,250 vouchers for technology training and certification. Elevate America also provides a wide variety of other free resources on its website including basic skills training and career resources to find internships and jobs.    » read more »

June 15, 2009 -- SANTA FE – New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and Secretary of Education Veronica C. García today announced that the New Mexico Public Education Department has awarded or will award more than $250 million in federal stimulus funds for schools throughout New Mexico.

The money includes general operation funds for the 2009-10 school year, funds for special education programs, money to programs that serve disadvantaged children, grants for school lunch equipment, and funds for homeless students.    » read more »

Governor Crist Signs Legislature's Parameters For Historic Gaming Compact With Seminole Tribe Of Florida; Estimated to provide billions of dollars to support education

June 15, 2009 -- MIAMI – Florida Governor Charlie Crist today signed Senate Bill 788, relating to gaming, which outlines the Legislature’s parameters for a 15-year compact with the Seminole Tribe of Florida that will maximize funding for K-12 public schools. To emphasize the benefit to Florida’s students and teachers, the Governor signed the legislation at Design & Architecture Senior High School, a magnet school for the visual arts located on a three-acre campus in Miami’s design neighborhood.    » read more »

Colorado Governor Ritter Praises Release of Recovery Act Funds to Colorado Dollars Will Help Maintain Education Programs, Budget Funding

June 12, 2009 -- Colorado Governor Ritter today praised the quick release of $509 million in federal funding to help maintain K-12 and higher education programs across Colorado.

On June 10, the U.S. Department of Education approved the state's application for $760 million of State Fiscal Stabilization Fund dollars and released 67 percent, or $509 million, for use in Colorado. The state expects to receive the remaining $251 million this fall.    » read more »

Gov. Schwarzenegger Issues Statement on $883 Million Recovery Act Funding Allocated for Education

06/12/2009 -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger released the statement below following the California Department of Education’s announcement of the allocation of $883 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) State Fiscal Stabilization Funding (SFSF) to local education agencies for categorical program restoration.    » read more »

Eco-Engineers from The Ohio State University Win 2009 EcoCAR Competition

TORONTO, CANADA, June 12, 2009 -- Today university students from The Ohio State University earned top honors at the 2009 finals of the EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge competition in Toronto, Canada for their design of an Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV). The Ohio State University took first place out of 17 universities in the U.S. and Canada that competed in the first major milestone of this three-year competition which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, General Motors, and many others including the Government of Canada.    » read more »

Senator Sherrod Brown Announces More Than $1 Billion in Education Funding for Ohio; Funding to Save Jobs, Promote Long-Term Education Reform

June 10, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today announced that more than $1 billion in funds is available from the U.S. Department of Education to save jobs and drive reform at schools across Ohio. The funds are available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

“Investing in Ohio’s education system is about ensuring the long-term success of our students and the economic competitiveness of our state,” Brown said. “This funding will help attract and retain high-quality teachers in Ohio.”    » read more »

Governor Rell Signs Bill to Help More Students Get Higher Ed Loans

June 10, 2009 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell has signed a bill that will help more students get access to low-interest loans for higher education through a financing partnership the Governor helped establish last year with Connecticut credit unions. (Senate Bill 842: An Act Concerning A Student Loan Guarantee Program Reserve Fund.)    » read more »