Sequestration: A Mighty Sword: Inaction by Congress and the Impending Sequestration Could Have a Devastating Impact on Educational Technology Funding

Sequestration is one of the most-talked-about topics in education right now. It involves Congress, the federal government, funding, and schools--and it has the potential to be a volatile campaign issue in the upcoming presidential and congressional elections. The mere mention of the word strikes fear in school administrators who know what sequestration means and the damage it could wreak. So what is sequestration? A year ago the US Congress passed the bipartisan Budget Control Act of 2011 that raised the debt ceiling for the country. One outcome of the act was the formation of a 12-member bipartisan group of legislators tasked with identifying at least $1.2 trillion in deficit reductions over the next 10 years. this group cannot reach an agreement by the end of this year, an automatic holdback of alt discretionary funding for domestic programs will take place. This holding back of funds is called sequestration and will take effect in January unless Congress takes action before then. It is estimated that, if Congress does nothing to stop sequestration, federal education programs will be cut between 7.8 percent and 9.1 percent for fiscal year 2013. According to the Committee for Education Funding, a coalition of nonprofits that lobbies for federal funding of education, this would mean a reduction of $3.5 billion to $4.1 billion for the US Department of Education and a possible $725 million reduction in Head Start funding. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This would be the biggest cut to education in recent history, affecting more than 7 million students and potentially leading to significant job losses for educators and other school employees. The National Education Association predicts that as many as 75,000 jobs could be lost. Other estimates for program cuts are: * Title I funding for disadvantaged students: $1.3 billion * Special education funding: $1.2 billion * Teacher quality state grants: $225 million * School improvement grants: $49 million Differing Opinions There is very little likelihood that Congress will come to agreement before the November election, leaving the post-election tame duck session between November and January as the last chance to come up with a plan to prevent sequestration. In preparation, Congress has requested an economic impact statement from the Office of Management and Budget. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, in testimony before the Senate Committee on Appropriations' Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, warned that many of the education advances that have been made in recent years will be set back significantly. Among other important programs, Race to the Top would be affected and continuation funds could be curtailed. Some political observers also worry that last-minute congressional negotiations would lead to defense spending being spared and education taking even deeper cuts. Duncan said, If we don't work together to solve this problem, it further erodes what little faith remains in our elected leadership to put partisan politics aside and do the right thing for children and families. Other education analysts aren't as worried by the dire predictions, pointing out that the spending cuts would not even equal one percent of all school spending nationally. However, reductions will vary from state to state depending on demographics and will be felt most strikingly in states with populations that are the most dependent on federal dollars. This means that high-poverty students, Native Americans, special needs students, and children of military families will be hardest hit. Programs suffering the biggest cuts would likely be Title I, professional development, career and technical education, special education, and Impact Aid. …