Public schools serving Clevelands neediest students will receive substantially more federal aid in the coming year, thanks to a keen eye and diligent follow-up by the Cleveland Teachers Union. The CTU made good use of a recent memo to local unions, sent by AFT secretary-treasurer Antonia Cortese, that detailed federal estimates of Title I aid provided by the U.S. Education Department for large school systems. Education Department estimates indicated that the district was entitled to much more than the $51 million in Title I assistance the district was told by the state department of education it would receive for the upcoming school year. School officials, at the behest of CTU president David Quolke, took their case for greater Title I resources to the state—which ultimately determined that the district was entitled to $8 million more in Title I funding. The shortfall occurred because the percentage of children living in poverty had not been calculated correctly, and the state made the appropriate adjustments, ensuring that the district received its deserved share of Title I funds.