The administration has just announced its round one Race to the Top winners, and only two states – drum roll please – Tennessee and Delaware, made the cut. The stated purpose of $4.35 billion RttT program is to increase teacher quality, improve failing schools, enhance the quality of state assessments, and build data systems to measure student growth. The identification of just two first-round winners falls short of the number most analysts predicted. While it is unclear as of yet exactly why those two states made the cut, the New …
Although significant attention is being paid to the Obama Administration’s “Race to the Top” first round winners, one state is implementing rigorous education reforms without the help of the federal government. In Florida, the State Senate has proposed legislation in two committees to strengthen merit pay for teachers and end tenure. The Florida Times Union reports: The measure, sponsored by Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine, would require the state to oversee the implementation of pay for performance models by local school districts, with those who don’t comply losing state funding …
President Obama’s proposal Monday to link Title I funding to adoption of education standards has the education world abuzz. During a speech to the National Governor’s Association, President Obama stated: I want to commend all of you for acting collectively through the National Governors Association to develop common standards that will better position our students for success.and today, I’m announcing steps to encourage and support all states to transition to college and career-ready standards on behalf of America’s students. First, as a condition of receiving access to Title I funds, …
It appears that President Obama will exempt education from his so-called spending freeze. Despite the fact that Obama already doubled the Department of Education’s budget through the Omnibus and Stimulus bills last year, he plans to continue the spending binge. The Washington Post reported yesterday: Administration officials said they could not provide a direct comparison to current elementary and secondary education spending levels, but they said federal education spending would rise overall by 6.2 percent. That would apparently be the largest percentage increase since 2003, not counting the huge infusion …
President Barack Obama’s $787 trillion failed stimulus included a $4.3 billion set aside for Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s “Race to the Top” fund. States that jump through the right Obama administration hoops can win up to $750 million in stimulus cash. But yesterday, Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX) announced that Texas will become the first state not to participate in this next step toward the creation of national education standards. Brooke Dollens Terry of the Texas Public Policy Foundation explains why: Education has historically been a state issue, with power …
Last spring, the National Governor’s Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) began developing a set of math and English language arts standards as part of their Common Core Initiative. The Common Core Initiative is being driven by the belief that standardizing academic content across states will raise academic achievement, and that students will be better prepared to compete with their peers worldwide. Forty-eight states have since signed on to adopt the voluntary academic standards. So far so good, right? States coming together voluntarily to adopt …
Great catch by Frederick Hess at The Enterprise Blog: Was it just me, or did anyone else find it troubling to read the Washington Post story “Democrats round up health bill votes” on Saturday and stumble upon this sentence: “Rep. Jason Altmire, a second-term Democrat who represents a blue-collar district in suburban Pittsburgh, was the focus of an aggressive lobbying effort Friday, taking calls from Obama, Pelosi and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, as well as Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Education Secretary Arne Duncan.” …
