Source Form #16

Title: Budget Delay threatens cash for schools

http://www.mercurynews.com/centralcoast/ci_11736677?nclick_check=1

 

Summary:  Mercury News covers California schools in this article as they patiently await money from the federal stimulus, which may come too late to close the $42 billion gap and move to make $23 million in cuts.

 

Topic: http://msaraceno.wordpress.com/question/

 

Category:  This is a journalistic source.

 

What is it?  This is an online publication that is published in regards to the current budget crisis as it pertains to one of the worse off states—California.

 

Publication Information:  The website is called mercurynews.com.  The article was published on February 19, 2009. 

 

Author:  J.M. Brown, Sentinel staff writer for the Mercury online newspaper.

 

Location: http://www.mercurynews.com/centralcoast/ci_11736677?nclick_check=1

Published on February 19, 2009

 

Accessed: February 22, 2009.

 

Support: Barney Finlay, the county education-finance chief.  This source is used to portray where exactly the funds could be dispersed and in turn how they would benefit such areas.

 

Jack O’Connell, state schools Superintendent.  This source is used as a person in charge of California schools and what this budget deficient accompanied by prolonged payment from the stimulus really means to the schools.  As March 15 approaches, this source is going to become more pronounced because that is the deadline for notifications of layoffs; thus, knowing what financial support is coming is very important to his plans.

 

Susan Silver, Scotts Valley Superintendent.  This source provides a look at who is considering the parcel tax as a means of funding taken by Santa Cruz City Schools and Live Oak Schools—that have shown some success with it. 

 

The sources in this article are working together to give light to people involved in the California education system and what the prolonging effect of the federal stimulus package is having when the deficit gap has been active too long already.  Silver is an example of how schools are thinking down in California in terms of searching for alternative solutions to a problem that may not be fixed quick enough.  The key of all these sources is that the money is going to be necessary to fix the problems; however, in the mean time major cuts may need to be made as they await a slow process of bill signing.

 

Audience and Agenda:  This paper is part of a larger scope called The Bay Area Newsgroup.  The online audience is upwards of 27.6 million monthly page views.  These papers are all geared to provide local bay area news and coverage of national news to their local readers.  The main source of funding comes from advertising across the many platforms of publication.   Since a lot of the viewership is local, advertising pertains to many local companies looking to get some attention including things like Alameda County fair, Joint Replacement Center and Ken Harvey’s auto.

 

Usefulness:  This article gives a direct cause and affect of problems with lacking funding for Title I funds.  Although it is limited to California schools, the article gives good insight to a state with the worst budget deficit and how money would benefit such.  Taking this article with Arne Duncan’s comments, the information backs up the problems with the current structure of the No Child Left Behind laws altogether and the need for a more federal based strategy plan for all 50 states.  The effects of current regulations are displayed through first hand interpretations of such and provide a good insight into how the assessment standards are hindering the progress of the education system—specifically to California.  As a basis for state level issues, the main problems since it is state run at the moment, the article gives ample insight into the specific issues facing the worst off schools in the nation and provides a good reasoning for more federally based regulation of Title I funds—without ever saying it needs such.  The article is current and useful in outlining specific issues of state-level funding disbursements and the need for the current federal stimulus to move quickly but still maintain good regulation over how the money is going to be used.

 

Works Cited: http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/2009/02/05/what-arne-duncan-thinks-of-no-child-left-behind.html

 

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