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President Obama to Push Race to the Top
November 03, 2009 4:23 PM
ABC News’ Yunji de Nies Reports:
Tomorrow, on the anniversary of his election, President Barack Obama heads to Madison, Wisconsin to speak at a local middle school. He’ll address education policy, with a focus on the ‘Race to the Top’ initiative. That $4.35 billion dollar program, funded through the Recovery Act, is a national competition among the states, to inspire education reform.
“He’s going to talk about his education reform plan and he’s going to highlight the importance of innovation and excellence in our public education system,” said Melody Barnes, Director of the Domestic Policy Council, on a conference call with reporters, “This competition is not based on politics or ideology or interest group preferences. It’s based on whether or not a state is ready to do what actually works.”
To qualify for the money, states must meet four “assurances”:
-designing and adopting internationally benchmarks and standards
-recruiting, developing, rewarding and retaining effective teachers and principals
-build data systems that measure students’ success
-providing support for turning around low performing schools, in part by expanding the number of charter schools
When the parameters on the funding were first announced, several states were immediately identified as already out of the running because of existing state laws. Among them, California, that state’s legislature quickly acted to change its laws to qualify by allowing teacher pay to be linked to student performance. Barnes said a number of other states, including Illinois, Tennessee, Ohio, Connecticut, Rhode Island have raised their charter caps or defeated proposed cuts to charter school funding, so that they too can compete. Wisconsin’s state legislature will vote on Thursday on legislation similar to that adopted by California, which would allow students performance to impact teacher pay. If the measure does not pass, Wisconsin will not be eligible for Race to the Top dollars.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan told ABC News in July that as in any competition not everyone will win, and thus some states will not receive this funding. He said hopes the competitive spirit will drive reform.
"I think there'll be tremendous pressure on states, state legislatures where things aren't happening, by parents saying exactly that: 'Our children deserve a slice of the pie, and we want that pressure,'" Duncan said, “This isn't about winners and losers…This is about challenging the status quo as a country, getting dramatically better and giving every child in this country a chance they desperately need to have a great, great quality education."
The Department of Education will begin accepting applications in the next few weeks, and awarding the money in January. There will be two rounds of funding, so states that do not qualify or win grants in this first round will be able to apply again later in 2010.
“Ultimately, this idea is really simple,” Barnes said, “We want to support strategies that are working and replicate them all over the country. We will subject every application that we get to a rigorous review. And we will only award grants to those that demonstrate real commitment and real results. That’s the President’s ultimate goal.”
-- Yunji de Nies
November 3, 2009 in Current Affairs, Education, Obama, Barack, White House | Permalink | Share | User Comments (11)
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I can't wait to see how this fly's for those intercity schools in Chicago, Dallas, LA, NY and Philly etc. It is going to be really funny when the teachers say to those students that they have to get their grades up because Obama said so.
If you really want to get grades back up give the power of the classroom back to the teachers. Students have been in charge of the classroom for a long time. Students know that the teachers has NO power over them. Back when I went to school the teacher was the law.
But also lets remind Mr. Obama that not all kids get A's and B's, not all kids want to even with the best of teachers teaching them. Instead Mr. Obama should have said no matter what grade you get just take pride in the learning process. Take what you learn out into the world and apply it the best you can. Just remember no matter if you are the President of the United States or the local plumber, dishwasher, car salesman or just any hourly worker take pride in your job and take the job you do with pride.
Posted by: Kevin | Nov 5, 2009 2:45:44 PM
Teacher pay for student performance scares me as a teacher. I would rather have teacher pay linked to teacher performance. There are so many things beyond our control... lack of adequate lab equipment, lack of parental support, and believe it or not, some students resist efforts to reach them.
I have no problem with pay being tied to performance, but it should be on MY performance... something I have control over... not on student performance... a system like that would chase the best teachers out of the toughest districts... the ones where they are needed most.
--If every district had all of the supplies, equipment, administrative support, and parental support possible... and the districts paid to send their teachers back to school to be exposed to the latest educational research and practice... then... MAYBE tying teacher compensation to student performance MIGHT make a little sense... but with things as they are... I think it is a recipe for flight from tough districts...
--maybe someone should ask successful teachers what THEY think would work best... has anyone considered that?
Posted by: rgk | Nov 4, 2009 4:15:38 PM
I hope this plan does not encourage the practice of grade inflation and is instead based on standardized testing measures. I do think grade inflation can work to increase a student's confidence, however if practiced over the long term it can decrease competition in schools and prevent innovation in the global market place and in academia as a whole.
Posted by: Scott | Nov 4, 2009 12:47:38 PM
Teacher's pay linked to student performance? Why not link teacher's pay to the TEACHER's performance?
Posted by: James Danley | Nov 4, 2009 10:31:13 AM
In a monopoly situation, this sounds like a neat way to continue to stifle choice, transfer more taxpayer money payoffs to the chosen beneficiaries of tone-deaf government bullies. What ever happened to vouchers to promote choice,change (toward higher education, improved teacher performance, administrative performance, even student performance?
Posted by: sam foreman | Nov 4, 2009 5:23:11 AM
"It may, but that isn't enough. There has to be incentive to stay, and better salaries in better schools could cause disincentives. It isn't good enough to have tough schools be just revolving doors for young teachers."
I agree that there has to be a path to some permanence.
But the fact is teachers suffer high burnout rates particularly at the tough schools (not exactly a shocker) and I'm not sure an improved salary will change that.
But I am glad that we agree that teacher pay is low.
Posted by: Ryan C | Nov 3, 2009 6:00:32 PM
Americorp does a pretty good job getting young teachers to start in such schools and populations.
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It may, but that isn't enough. There has to be incentive to stay, and better salaries in better schools could cause disincentives. It isn't good enough to have tough schools be just revolving doors for young teachers.
Posted by: MayBee | Nov 3, 2009 5:25:21 PM
"I don't want there to be incentives for teachers to turn away from the very difficult populations and schools."
Americorp does a pretty good job getting young teachers to start in such schools and populations.
Posted by: Ryan C | Nov 3, 2009 5:07:49 PM
"that state’s legislature quickly acted to change its laws to qualify by allowing teacher pay to be linked to student performance."
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Well, I don't necessarily agree.
I don't mind that the state law has been changed to allow it if the local districts deem it a good idea.
But CA has problems in education/results that go well beyond teacher performance. I don't want there to be incentives for teachers to turn away from the very difficult populations and schools.
Posted by: MayBee | Nov 3, 2009 5:03:10 PM
"This is a huge deal - something of an only Nixon could go to China, or only Bill Clinton could sign welfare reform. This little sliver of the administration's efforts is something that honest conservatives can get behind (in the same way honest liberals could get behind Bush's AIDS initiative)."
Agreed.
Posted by: Ryan C | Nov 3, 2009 4:43:17 PM
"that state’s legislature quickly acted to change its laws to qualify by allowing teacher pay to be linked to student performance."
This is a huge deal - something of an only Nixon could go to China, or only Bill Clinton could sign welfare reform. This little sliver of the administration's efforts is something that honest conservatives can get behind (in the same way honest liberals could get behind Bush's AIDS initiative).
Posted by: jhw539 | Nov 3, 2009 4:39:38 PM
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