Welcome
Season's Greetings from All of Us at Democrats for Education Reform
Coming in January, 2011 ... "Ticket to Teach"
Cartoon by Andrew Hart, freelance artist and co-founder of the Philadelphia Cartoonist Society.
To see more of his artwork, visit his website here www.andrewjhart.com
All rights reserved to Andrew Hart
Democrats for Education Reform Congratulates the 19 Race to the Top, Round 2 finalists
Democrats for Education Reform congratulates the 19 Race to the Top, Round 2 finalists - Arizona, California, Colorado, Washington, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and South Carolina.
These 19 states, as well as the rest of 46 that entered into the competition, finalist or not, deserve credit for the steps they made toward making their schools work better for children and parents.
Race to the Top (RttT) has affected more positive change in state and local education laws and policies than any other federal education program in history. It has mobilized policy-makers, principals and teachers to create the conditions that are needed to help schools meet high standards of excellence. Each state has taken its own unique route, yet the objective is common.
While not all states enacted the big changes we saw in states like Colorado, New York, Louisiana, and Rhode Island, the gains are nonetheless significant. Some states enacted solid reforms that are not revolutionary but take critical steps toward better teacher training and learning. Almost every state, with just a few exceptions, began to re-examine its education policies.
That process is ongoing and will not end with the announcement of the Round 2 finalists today or with the announcement of Round 2 winners in September. States and districts, teachers and parents, are still learning from each other about what's possible, from both a political and policy perspective.
Our education system didn't break overnight, and it will take more than one federal program and more than one 4-year grant cycle to fix it. What is indisputable, however, is that Race to the Top has put wind in the sails of the education reform movement and, in just a year and a half, has accelerated the pace of change more than any other past federal effort and much more than most of us dreamed possible.
Click "read more" below for "Race to the Top By the Numbers" and "Race to the Top Quotes" from key national, state, and local leaders.