Press
Results in National School-Reform Contest Spark Complaints
(From Newsweek, August 24, 2010)
By PAT WINGERT
While celebrations were breaking out in Massachusetts, New York, Hawaii, Florida, Rhode Island, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Georgia, North Carolina, and Ohio after the 10 were named winners of round two of the Obama administration's national education-reform competition, Race to the Top, controversy was mounting over some of the more surprising winners and losers.
Some education reformers described themselves as stunned that two states generally considered to be at the forefront of school innovation, Louisiana and Colorado, were among the "losers," while states with less impressive reform bona fides--Hawaii, Maryland, Ohio--were among the winners. Louisiana and Colorado were finalists in rounds one and two of the competition, while neither Hawaii nor Maryland made the finals in the first round. The winners will share $3.4 billion in prize money, to be divided based on population.
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August 3, 2010
African-Americans for Charter Schools
New survey data show black support on the rise. So why is the NAACP opposed?
By Paul E. Peterson and Martin R. West
This past week the NAACP, the National Urban League and other civil-rights groups collectively condemned charter schools. Claiming to speak for minority Americans, the organizations expressed "reservations" about the Obama administration's "extensive reliance on charter schools." They specifically voiced concern about "the overrepresentation of charter schools in low-income and predominantly minority communities."
Someone should remind these leaders who they represent. The truth is that support for charters among ordinary African-Americans and Hispanics is strong and has only increased dramatically in the past two years. Opposition along the lines expressed by the NAACP and the Urban League is articulated by a small minority.
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August 2, 2010
Obama Defends Teacher Policy
President Tries to Sway Unions, Civil Rights Groups to Back Merit-Based System
By LAURA MECKLER
WASHINGTON--President Barack Obama on Thursday delivered a fresh call to hold teachers accountable for student achievement, defending his administration against complaints from unions, civil rights groups and Democratic lawmakers.
These groups, usually backers of the president, have objected to the administration's Race to the Top program, which seeks to drive change at the local level through a competition for $4.3 billion in federal grants.
President Barack Obama, speaking at the National Urban League Thursday, said he was seeking "some measure of accountability" in classrooms.
To qualify for funding, states are encouraged to promote charter schools and tie teacher pay to performance. Unions have questioned both goals.
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July 30, 2010
If we win race, state Dems are to thank: John Sampson and the Senate stepped up, but work remains
(From The NY Daily News, July 30, 2010)
By JOE WILLIAMS
After losing out in round one, New York now has another shot at winning $700 million in federal education funding through the Race to the Top competition - thanks in large part to the Senate Democrats in Albany.
And frankly, had it not been for the leadership of Senate Majority Leader John Sampson and his fellow senators, there's no way New York would even still be in the race for federal dollars.
Now we just have to finish the job.
It may come as a shock to any New Yorker who's read a newspaper in the last year that the Senate Democrats have us this close to winning the federal money (think: the embarrassing Senate "coup" or the current budget stalemate), but the truth is that the Senate stood up for the state's students and pushed through reforms that were widely unpopular. Unpopular with whom? Entrenched special interests, particularly the teachers unions (primarily, the city's United Federation of Teachers and the New York State United Teachers).
Moreover, they demonstrated that Democrats in New York can be the primary drivers of education reform - something Republicans typically lay claim to.
For that, again, they deserve tremendous credit.
Continue reading "If we win race, state Dems are to thank: John Sampson and the Senate stepped up, but work remains"....
OPINION: NY should keep running in the Race to the Top
By JOE WILLIAMS
Joe Williams is the executive director of Democrats for Education Reform.
With Tuesday's announcement of 19 new Race to the Top finalists, New York is one step closer to winning $700 million in education funding for its public school students.
Although we can see the finish line, we haven't won yet. In fact there's still much work to be done at the state level before we show that we deserve the funding.
Winning the federal "Race" has always been predicated on two big-picture conditions. First, states needed to adopt education reforms designed to improve failing schools, bolster student achievement, and get kids ready for college and the workforce. All reforms had to have been passed and included in each state's application, which was due June 1.
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How NY can win the 'race'
By CHARLES BARONE
New York deserves a (preliminary) round of applause. After months of uncertainty, the Obama administration announced yesterday that the state is a finalist in the second round of Race to the Top, a competition for federal education money where states are rewarded for ambitious and workable plans to fundamentally improve their public schools. Our state stands to receive as much as $700 million in federal education aid.
"Ambitious" and "workable" aren't two words a lot of people associate with government these days -- so special recognition is due to New York officials, who courageously sent a bold and innovative reform package to President Obama.
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State passed over in second round of Race to the Top
Doyle calls review process flawed; others criticize breadth of school reforms
By Erin Richards
Wisconsin lost its bid for $250 million in federal education reform grant money Tuesday, as 18 other states and Washington, D.C., were named finalists in the second round of the Race to the Top competition.
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced the finalists for $3.4 billion in funding during a speech to the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
Those finalists were Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Washington, D.C.
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