Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan visited Jackson Middle School in Orlando yesterday, highlighting how the Recovery Act is saving tens of thousands of teaching jobs and providing the resources necessary to prepare American students for the 21st century economy.
Jackson Middle School, a leader in the efforts to reform primary education, is just one of thousands of Florida schools benefiting from the Recovery Act. Vice President Biden and Secretary Duncan were joined by Jackson Middle School Principal Dr. Joseph Miller and Monica Arbelaez, who currently teaches 6th and 8th grade students at the school. A number of elected officials also attended the event, including Congressman Alan Grayson, Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas and Congresswoman Corrine Brown.
"Education funding in the Recovery Act will save tens of thousands of jobs in schools -- many of them for teachers and aides who work with disadvantaged students and students with disabilities," said Secretary Duncan. "Because of the Recovery Act, these students are more likely to get the individual attention they need, and all students will have better access to extracurricular activities and enrichment programs that extend their learning opportunities."
Overall, the Recovery Act is impacting all aspects of the lives of Floridians, from education to tax relief, to transportation and job creation. As of today, $486,832,603 in Pell Grants have been awarded to students attending schools in Florida, and $8,247,257 in Work Study funds have been awarded to students attending schools in Florida. The Recovery Act has made $8.3 billion available to Florida, including $1.8 billion to help prevent cuts in Medicaid, $995 million to improve roads and highways, and 3.6 million seniors, veterans, and other high-need residents have received one-time $250 economic relief payments. Over 710,000 Floridians have also benefited from expanded unemployment benefits available because of the Recovery Act.
Posted 08/20/09 to www.NASFAA.org. Redistribution to non-NASFAA institutions is prohibited. Please submit Web site questions or comments to Web@NASFAA.org.
