It's been a year since the stimulus packaged was passed into legislation, and Education Week recently asked school administrators Charlotte Vann and Charlene Green to participate in a Web Chat Forum to discuss how monies have been put to work in their districts.

Since the money is a one-time deal, both Vann, who is the Director of Special Education and Federal Programs from Conway Public Schools in Arkansas, and Green, the Deputy Superintendent, Student Support Services, in Las Vegas, Nevada, agreed that it was important to invest in programs that are sustainable.

Said Vann, "One of the largest impacts for us has been our ability to provide extensive professional development--which also leads to sustainability--and allows us to impact students today and tomorrow." Green added that they were able to impact a large number of students by reducing class size and adding literacy interventions, dropout-prevention programs, and RTI. Vann and Green also answered questions about how their districts handled funding for Title I, ELL, and homeschooling programs.

I particularly liked what Charlotte Vann stated in closing--that teacher morale is higher. Facilities have been improved with renovation funds, professional development has helped teachers acquire new skills and techniques, and technology is being updated--all helping them enhance their students' ability to learn.

And I think that's very good news.