Race to the Top
Posted Tuesday, August 18, 2009
New Education Secretary Arne Duncan has been dubbed a "king maker" for the unprecedented levels of discretionary spending at his disposal thanks to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
They call it the "Race to the Top" fund and it's funded to the tune of $4.35 billion.
For those who think of the federal education agency is regulatory and focused on compliance, Race to the Top marks ED's toe-dipping into offering carrots, rather than sticks, to spur reform. Duncan has been travelling the country, warning states against misappropriating stimulus funds, encouraging charter schools and dangling Race to the Top money as an incentive.
If you read ED's preliminary guidance, it becomes a little clearer what ED will be looking for when they approve the grants.
Thinks like common core standards, charter schools and performance pay are certainly going to be part of the discussion. Longitudinal data systems - testing that links student data over time - is also a priority.
According to the Associated Press, South Dakota Education Secretary Tom Oster says South Dakota will want to compete. With ED saying they will give priority to "comprehensive strategies," Open Forum wonders how far the state will move into these issues, which aren't really the topic of debate when session cranks up.
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