How education could plunge off the 'fiscal cliff'
by Donna Krache, CNN
(CNN) Sequestration: The word strikes fear in the hearts of school boards and administrators nationwide, and with good reason.
What does it mean? The term refers to the across-the-board budget cuts that will automatically occur in federal programs in January 2013, unless Congress reaches an agreement by the end of this year on reducing the deficit.
What kind of cuts will this mean for education?
The American Association of School Administrators (AASA) estimates the reductions would amount to over $4 billion. That would plunge education funding into pre-2003 levels, according to the National Education Association.
Why is that so scary? Part of the reason is that America’s schools have added 5.4 million new students to their rolls since 2003, and costs have risen about