The Obama administration has thrown its support behind Sen. Harkin's "Keep Our Educators Working Act of 2010", but doesn't appear to be pushing for critical changes like those outlined here by The Education Trust's Kati Haycock, which would be a big mistake:

School leaders across the country are bracing for cuts in the upcoming school year--cuts likely far deeper than those made during the past two. In fact, the American Association of School Administrators projects that 275,000 education jobs nationwide will be cut in 2010-11.

Federal help is needed, and it's needed urgently.

But in our rush to "do something" to avert job losses, Congress must ensure that our vehicle for action doesn't stall at the outset. As currently written, the recently introduced $23 billion "Keep Our Educators Working Act of 2010" (Edujobs) will leave far too many educators and students stranded on the road to economic recovery.

• Edujobs should help state and district leaders end "last-hired, first-fired" policies--policies that teachers themselves reject and exacerbate the number of people who lose their jobs during layoffs.

• Congress must close a loophole in the bill that would allow 49 states to shift their share of the funds to their general budgets, rather than actually save the teacher jobs for which the money is intended.

Earlier this week, eight national civil rights and education organizations sent a joint letter to Congress urging them to amend the bill to address these issues. Without those changes, Edujobs will do too little to protect these educators, their schools, and our kids.

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kati-haycock/the-23b-keep-our-educator_b_569867.html