August 13, 2010
Dear Governors:
I am very pleased to announce that Congress has passed and the President has signed legislation that provides essential resources to assist local school districts in saving or creating education jobs during the 2010-2011 school year. The new Education Jobs Fund program will go a long way in protecting these jobs and ensuring that America’s students are prepared to succeed in college and careers. This $10 billion program will enable schools to keep an estimated 160,000 or more education jobs.
The Education Jobs Fund requires that school districts use the funds to pay the salaries and benefits of teachers, school administrators, and other essential staff. The funds can be used to recall or rehire former employees, retain existing employees, and hire new employees to ensure that students receive vital educational and related services. These funds may not be used for general administrative expenses, overhead, or for other support services by school districts.
In order to minimize disruptions to our children’s education, we have developed a streamlined application process that allows States to access their funds quickly while ensuring accountability for the use of these funds. Accompanying this letter are the application and initial program guidance, which will assist you and your districts in understanding how these funds may be used most effectively to keep teachers and other essential staff in our classrooms. To facilitate local planning, I strongly urge you to make publicly available as soon as possible the amount of Education Jobs Funds that each school district will receive.
I encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible, but no later than the statutory deadline of September 9, 2010. The Department anticipates awarding funds within two weeks of your submission of an approvable application.
I understand that communities across America are still facing serious financial challenges as our economy continues to improve. I am excited that we are able to provide these essential funds quickly to help ensure that students have the teachers and support they need to succeed in school this year.
Sincerely,
/s/
Arne Duncan
cc: Chief State School Officers
Enclosures: Education Jobs Fund program application and initial guidance
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| File Title | August 13, 2010 |
| Author | Jim Butler |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-02-02 |