hot topic | RACE TO THE TOP
Somes States Sprint in
RACE to the TOP, by Jennifer Ginn
State policymakers toppled hurdles that had stymied them for years as they joined the Race to the Top for a piece of a $4 billion federal pie. But those hurdles—such as linking student performance to teacher pay, lifting caps on charter schools and making it easier for states to take over failing schools—may only have fallen in certain parts of the country. Some states are racing to compete for the funding in the 2009 Recovery Act, while others are left at the starting gate. Will Race to the Top funding mean lasting changes for education in this country? That answer may depend on where you live.
Race to the Top, Strings Attached
CAPITOL IDEAS
»
MARCH/APRIL 2010
32
Congress set aside $4.35 billion in the Recovery Act for Race to the Top, a highly competitive grant program designed to reward states that have taken bold steps toward education reform. To qualify, states had to demonstrate a “comprehensive approach to education reform,” according to the application. Given most states’ financial situations, the lure of more money has been a strong one. But strings attached to the funding tempered that draw in many areas. Texas Gov. Rick Perry, for instance, cited those strings when he pulled his state’s application. Michael Griffith, senior policy analyst at the Education Commission of the States, said many of the requirements were highly unpopular. Among them: Tying teachers to student achievement data. “This was a big sticking point,” said Griffith. “There were states where teacher organizations lobbied and pushed through legislation that said you cannot have any policy that creates this tie
between teachers and student achievement.” Making other changes, while not required, improve a state’s chance to win. States can earn up to 40 points, out of a total of 500, by lifting caps or bans on charter schools. Fifteen points are awarded to states that emphasize science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, education.
Some States Already On the Road
Griffith said Colorado is considered to be one of the frontrunners for funding. Colorado Lt. Gov. Barbara O’Brien said teachers and state officials threw their full support behind the state’s application. She said it is just an extension of the education reforms she and Gov. Bill Ritter have been working on since 2007. “We went at this with full bore enthusiasm, because we had such a good framework,” said O’Brien. “That means the legislature was on board; we had the support of the districts. Race to the Top pushed us to go even further.” O’Brien said if the grant opportunity hadn’t come along, the state would be left trying to incrementally implement plans. “This really made us focus on where we want to be in a couple of years if we get this grant.” O’Brien said Colorado must cut $260 million from the K-12 budget this year, but even if the state doesn’t receive Race to the Top funding, officials there plan to move ahead with many of the ideas in the application. Kentucky policymakers share many of the same beliefs as those in Colorado. Kentucky was the first state to adopt the Common Core State Standards, which states must use to receive Race to the Top funds. State education agencies voted unanimously Feb. 10 to adopt the standards.
LEARN MORE about the Common Core State Standards Initiative states must participate in to qualify for the federal Race to the Top funding in the February Stateline Midwest story about the new state-led initiatives, available at www.csg.midwest.org. REGISTER for a CSG Webinar March 10 on the Common Core State Standards Initiative at www.csg.org
