How Much of the $10 Billion Ed Jobs Aid Has Your State Applied For?

States must complete a simple online application to obtain funds from the Ed Jobs Aid President Obama signed into law on August 10. ACA encourages counselors to contact their governors' offices to request that they apply for their states' fair share of education jobs aid as soon as possible, to save as many jobs of school counselors and other personnel as possible. State applications are due September 9, 2010. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) estimates that the aid could save up to 160,000 education personnel across the country. ED expects to award funds within two weeks of receiving an approvable application. So the quicker states apply, the sooner jobs can be saved. ED encourages districts to spend these funds in the 2010-11 school year, but districts have until September 30, 2012, to obligate funds.

Funds can be used for:

?compensation and benefits to recruit, retain, hire, or recall any school-level personnel, including school counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, physical therapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, nurses, etc.;

?premium pay for hard-to-staff schools or subjects;

?extended schooldays and/or summer school; and

?eliminating furlough days and pay cuts.

Funds cannot be used for:

?district-level personnel, unless they perform school-level functions; or

?outside contractors, except in cases where districts contract with other districts for specific services.

For more details from ED, visit http://www2.ed.gov/programs/educationjobsfund/applicant.html.

For more information from ACA, contact Dominic Holt at 800-347-6647, ext. 242, or at dholt@counseling.org.