A competition among states for more than $ 3 billion in federal education reform grants is called Race to the Top. Wednesday, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced that 18 states and the District of Columbia as finalists within the competition’s second round. Finalists for instance California convinced various school district to cooperate with the grant application. In Nevada, which didn’t make the cut, politicians pointed fingers and called the program big government.
$ 3.4 billion at stake for Race to the Top finalists
The first round of Race to the Top ended in March, with Delaware ($ 100 million) and Tennessee ($ 300 million) as the winners. The Department of Education will hand out $ 3.4 billion within the form of education reform grants at the end of the second phase. Race to the Top finalists are Arizona, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and South Carolina. They will compete in August within the interview portion of the competition. Race to the top winners will be declared in September.
Education reform: “a quiet revolution”
In announcing the Race to the Top finalists in a speech to the National Press Club in Washington, Duncan called the program part of “a quiet revolution” in education reform. Supporters of the competition say its most profound effect is to motivate states to start taking action on controversial reforms before having to find money for them in their budgets. To improve their chance of winning, education reform laws have been passed in 23 states since Race to the Top was announced, according to the Department of Education Reform.
California cooperation helps it advance
California became a Race to the Top finalist after finishing out of the cash within the first round. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that across the state, 300 local school districts and county offices of education signed on to the Race to the Top application, agreeing to implement the reforms it outlined. California’s application, which highlighted what districts are already doing to turn around struggling schools, evaluate and support teachers and principals, and measure student performance, was written by superintendents from seven school districts.
Nevada politicians point the blame fingers
A consultant was paid $ 40,000 to write Nevada’s failing Race to the Top application. Fox News Las Vegas reported that an orgy of finger-pointing ensued upon Nevada’s failure to reach the finals. Democratic Senator Harry Reid accused Republican Governor Jim Gibbons of a “lack of leadership”. Gibbons said Reid never “lifted a finger” to help the state compete. Perhaps though she wants less federal involvement in schools and has called for eliminating the Department of Education, right wing candidate for Senator Sharon Angle piled on Reid after Nevada was left out in the cold .
Further reading
press.org
sfgate.com
fox5vegas.com
