Что такое Title 1 и как федеральное финансирование помогает школам США? Разбор на примерах!

The vast majority of Americans have no idea what the Department of Education does. There are a number of things that fall under DOE’s umbrella, but I’m going to take a few minutes to tell you about a *small* part of what DOE does that has an enormous impact on millions of students nationwide - Title 1 funding.

Title 1 provides federal funding to schools with a high percentage of low income students. Approximately 45% of schools in the US are Title 1 schools and receive additional funding for students. There’s a high likelihood that your child’s school receives Title 1 funds.

Let me tell you some of the ways those extra funds helped my school this year.

Those funds paid for half of a reading interventionist’s salary and paid for a full-time reading tutor. Together these two staff provided small group reading instruction to our most struggling readers.

Those funds allowed us to purchase decodable book sets aligned to our reading program so that I could create leveled take home reading bags for families. So when students were practicing reading at home, the books in their hands had words and phonics skills they had already learned. Many of our families don’t have books at home or don’t have books that early readers can actually read.

Those funds gave our 5th graders the opportunity to travel to a nearby coastal town to learn about local habitats and marine biology. They participated in hands-on learning activities and followed up by writing research reports using what they had learned.

Those funds provided each family in my school with a copy of the same book so that everyone could participate in One School One Book. Families all followed the same reading schedule, and kids answered questions and earned prizes at school. 94% of our students participated.

Those funds paid for the newer teachers in my building to attend a multi-day conference one weekend to receive professional development in the Science of Reading.

Those funds will feed each student in grades 3-6 a small snack each day during our state testing window coming up in April.

Those funds allowed us to purchase craft supplies so that all families had materials to work together on a craft and writing project when we hosted a family day at our school.

Those funds gave our 4th-6th graders the opportunity to have an after school Robotics club when we used the monies to purchase LEGO robotics kits.

Those funds purchased books at all grade levels so our students could pick out a book of their own to take home in the fall and spring.

Those funds provide classrooms with books, supplies, resources, materials, and subscriptions that we wouldn’t be able to afford otherwise.

Title 1 funding is critical for so many students in our country. And chances are high that your own child benefits from Title 1 funding. Cutting the DOE’s workforce by nearly half - and openly declaring that the end goal is to eliminate the department entirely - should scare all parents.

Title 1 is just one tiny piece of what DOE does for our nation’s students. Dismantling it would be disastrous. I haven’t even touched on what that would mean for students with IEPs or 504s (IDEA). I haven’t mentioned how it would impact migrant families (also Title I) or Indigenous students (Title VII). Don’t even get me started on protecting students from discrimination based on race (Title VI) or gender (Title IX).

This is an exhausting time to be in education. This is a depressing time to be a parent. This is a horrifying time to be an American.