Tracking the Stimulus - Part I

The $98 billion education stimulus package represents an unprecedented opportunity for both riches and risk for the nation’s public schools.
That was the message from three members of the “Washington Education Mafia,” as moderator and USA Today education reporter Greg Toppo affectionately described the panelists at this morning’s session.
The public – as well as educators – is looking to the media for clarity, said Michael Casserly executive director of the Council of Great City Schools.
“At the local level, school districts are receiving all kinds of very confusing and frankly erroneous information,” Casserly said.
His office is doing its best to stamp out the rumors, such as false limitations on how some of the Title I funds can be spent, “But they’re popping up even more frequently than we’re able to deal with.”
For Amy Wilkins, vice president for government affairs and communications at the Education Trust, the potential for backlash has her losing sleep.
Her “Big nightmare?” That at the end of the two-year funding cycle, schools, districts and states won’t be able to demonstrate improvement.
If that happens, it’s going to be “Very hard for those of us in education to go back to Congress and say, ‘give us more money,’” Wilkins said. “If the education community cannot stand and deliver here, we will have a problem.”
Education reporters need help tracking the stimulus money, and Wilkins hoped EWA would offer technical support and resources to assist with forensic accounting.
“The potential for this money to disappear into the mire is enormous,” Wilkins said.
And while there will likely be plenty of opportunities for journalists write about misuse of stimulus funds, panelist Scott Palmer co-founder and managing partner of EducationCounsel, urged balance.
Even though more positive stories “aren’t as sexy,” said Palmer, “I would implore you to also write about the examples of superior use (of stimulus funds) and true reform.”