President Obama justified the $10 billion stimulus tacked on to the jobs bill at the last minute by saying, “We can’t stand by and do nothing while pink slips are given to the men and women who educate our children or keep our communities safe.” But Houston’s superintendent sees the supplement to the jobs bill differently. “We can’t treat this money as if it’s a supplement to a jobs bill,” says Grier. Right, of course not. Instead of rehiring the 414 people he lost, including certified teachers, Grier wants to use $40 million of the $70 million he received to extend the school day and hire tutors. With deficits on the horizon and no such stimulus planned for next year, the Times says districts are using the funds to preserve future layoffs. Between this and the bank bailouts intended to jump-start lending that didn’t actually happen, it seems like Congress might do well to add more detail to the “how to spend this” clause.
