American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

Letter to Dr. Shaw and Mr. Hazen

Racine Schools

May 14, 2009

Dr. James Shaw, Superintendent
and Mr. David Hazen, Chief Financial Officer
Racine Unified School District
2220 Northwestern Avenue
Racine, WI  53404


Dear Dr. Shaw and Mr. Hazen:

We write with regard to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: Saving and Creating Jobs and Reforming Education (ARRA).  It is our understanding that ARRA stimulus funds will soon be made available to the Racine Unified School District.  The REA requests that these new funds be used to support improving teaching and learning in the District by budgeting for improvements such as the following:

Restore full-time library media specialists to all elementary schools;

Create teacher positions that will support appropriate inclusive practice for students with disabilities;

Create teacher positions that will provide for class-size reduction at all levels;

Create and fill teacher instructional leader and other coaching positions to improve student achievement at all levels of the District;

Transform the District's current student data management system to a modern data warehouse that will support teachers, support personnel, and parents as they address student needs;

Transform the current student IEP writing program to a modern, user-friendly online Individualized Education Program (IEP) aligned with state academic standards that can be used by parents, teachers and principals to create content-rich IEPs aligned to the general education curriculum;

Modify the current school schedule to allow for collaboration among the instructional staff;

Provide intensive professional development for all teachers in alignment with collaboratively-created school improvement plans.

We believe our request is consistent with the intent of the law as has been voiced numerous times by President Obama and Secretary Duncan.  We look forward to the opportunity to discuss this matter with you in the near future.

Sincerely,
Pete Knotek                                                                Nicholas Whitman
REA President                                                            REA & REAA Executive Director
/sh                                                                                                                  

cc: REA Executive Committee
Mr. Bill Van Atta, President, RUSD Board of Education