PROFESSIONAL
Perkins & Funding
Budgetary concerns have always been at the forefront of educational issues, but they are even more important these days. We asked Cynthia Arendt, Director of Family and Consumer Sciences at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in Jefferson City, Missouri, about the current economy, its effect on FACS, and what educators can do to overcome its challenges. We received straightforward answers, along with some special encouragement for teachers.
Q: How has the current economic situation affected FACS programs thus far, and how do you anticipate that it will affect them in the next one to three years?
A: I think that teachers will be required more than ever to prove the value of their program to administrators and board members. Districts will be looking to save money, and cutting electives is one way to do this.
Q: Have there been any significant changes on the FACS funding scene? How might they affect educators?
A: District budgets will be smaller and there will be less money available for programs. Perkins money will be reduced, so less money for grants from our office will be available to district programs.
Q: Can you provide any resources for funding information?
A: In addition to Perkins money, there is Target's Take Charge of Education funding program, and some states have technology grants. Search the Internet for grants that are offered for the specific content you teach. We have some teachers who have been very creative in finding grant resources.
Q: What advice would you give FACS educators, given the current climate?
A: I would be sure that my program is focused on meeting district needs, and I would also be focused on moving students onto career pathways. I would make sure the rigor is there and cut the fluff. I would market programs to community members, board members, parents, and legislators, so they know what students are doing that is of value, including learning leadership skills.
As a FACS teacher, you need to be sure that you are addressing standards and that you are not presenting to the public the technical skills of cooking and sewing as the main content of the program. We need to continue to focus on the family while moving this content to career paths and showing students how they can have a career in human services.
*Target's Take Charge of Education school fundraising initiative, currently in its 11th year, has donated $246 million to more than 100,000 schools nationwide, and $14.9 million of that was provided in 2008. See listing under Funding Resources.
Your school may qualify for federal money under the recently reauthorized Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act. Among other things, the Perkins Act allows grant funds to be spent on supplemental materials for career and technical education programs, such as videos and DVDs, computer simulations, online tutorials, and workbooks. Such materials help you provide rigorous and challenging academic and career instruction for your students. They also help you plan and present varied, motivating activities (such as self-guided and team projects) and accommodate different learning styles.
Supplemental Materials
Glencoe provides a wide range of supplemental materials eligible for purchase with Perkins funds. To see what is available to you, browse Glencoe's "one-stop shopping" catalog of instructional materials. Click the link below to download the catalog, which presents high-quality, innovative products for Family and Consumer Sciences; Business, Careers and Marketing; and Trade and Technical Education.
www.glencoe-techzine.com/pdf/jan07_glencoe_perkins_catalog.pdf
Funding Resources
www.donorschoose.org
Go to the "About" page for information on how teachers can post class projects and request donations.
www.staplesfoundation.org/foundapplication.html
The mission of Staples Foundation for Learning is to provide funding to programs that support or provide job skills and/or education for all people, with a special emphasis on disadvantaged youth.
www.seaworld.org/conservation-matters/eea
SeaWorld/Busch Gardens Environmental Excellence Awards reward money to K-12 students and teachers across the country who are working at the grassroots level to protect and preserve the environment.
www.Target.com/tcoe
Target donates undesignated funds to K-12 schools nationwide twice a year through its Take Charge of Education program. Funds have been used for everything from books and supplies to extracurricular activities.
