November 12, 2009
Racing To The Top
DFER commends Obama Administration and Secretary Duncan for Bold Reform Initiative, but Cautions That Big Test is Yet to Come
Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) commends the Obama Administration and Education Secretary Arne Duncan for their steadfast support of the bold and innovative Race to the Top fund, and supports the new guidelines announced today. DFER hailed those states that have made substantial policy changes in anticipation of Race to the Top, and called out states that have dragged their feet in producing true, ambitious and fundamental reforms.
"Today marks the official start of President Obama's historic Race to the Top school reform initiative," said Joe Williams, executive director of DFER. "In the final guidance, Secretary Duncan has shown that he is dead serious about real school reform and about kicking off a Race to the Top that truly lives up to its title."
"The bright lines from the draft guidelines around issues like the student-teacher data firewall and radically overhauling low-performing schools remain intact. Secretary Duncan has shown he has the political backbone to stand up to indefensible state and local policies and to demand that states change these failed policies if they want to even get to the starting line."
"At the same time, the Department of Education has bent over backwards to correct misperceptions about Race to the Top priorities around issues like teacher evaluation and charter schools, while making substantive changes based on feedback from educators and administrators. In our opinion, they have struck exactly the right balance; Duncan and his team have shown leadership that is both principled and flexible."
"Race to the Top has catalyzed reform efforts across the country and important steps have already been taken by key states in anticipation of the competition."
"California and Wisconsin have torn down their data firewalls. States like Tennessee, Illinois, and Indiana have lifted their charter school caps. Massachusetts, Kentucky, and other states are in the process of approving more charter-friendly policies. Rhode Island has raised the bar for what it takes to attain a teaching license, and acted to base teacher hiring and promotion on quality rather than seniority."
"In states like Colorado, Delaware, and Louisiana, Race to the Top has galvanized statewide coalitions, who have already begun to develop plans that not only make them competitive for Race to the Top under the guidance issued today - i.e., that they be data-proven, long-term, and sustainable - but also work within Race to the Top's ample flexibility to meet their own specific state needs."
"It is important, however, not to overrate what has happened so far. Many state plans so far are promissory. Some states have simply corrected indefensible policies or made changes that sound good but upon closer observation are less than meets the eye."
'Wisconsin, for example, took down the technical firewall between teachers and student data, but for all intents and purposes still prevents student achievement from being used in teacher evaluations and tenure decisions. New York seems to think it can get by simply by passively letting its firewall law expire and phoning their application in. Some members of New York's political leadership are actually bragging behind the scenes that the fix is in and that they will get a Race to the Top grant regardless of the integrity and ambitiousness of their school reform plan."
"So while today's guidelines represent an unprecedented resolve for real reform accompanied by real dollars, the big test of the federal government's courage and steadfastness is yet to come."
"Despite all the good things in today's guidance, Race to the Top will be a failure if in awarding grants, the feds revert to the old way of doing business where government officials succumb to political pressure and reward states that have proven to be unable or unwilling to advance credible and ambitious reforms. This path ensures that the education system we see three or four years from now will look very much like the education system we have today. It would represent a squandered opportunity of epic proportions."
"Race to the Top will be a success if, and only if, the federal government chooses to make major investments in those states, and in only those states, that have shown the willingness to break out of the old way of doing things, and advance game-changing models that best serve our children. This path, while more challenging, is the only one that will truly transform public education."
"We have heard a lot this year about the dumbing down of standards when the stakes matter. It's important that this not happen next year in the Race to the Top competition."
"The states have been handed the questions and their bluebooks. We will see early next year what they have come up with before the bell rings. The key challenge for the Administration will be to keep the bar high, and to resist the temptation to grade states on a curve."
DFER will continue to monitor the Race to the Top to ensure that states fulfill the policy promises they will make as they compete to receive funds.
