Race To The Top: Only two states win Round 1

As a part of President Obama’s 2009 Recovery and Reinvestment Act, an education-funding
initiative called Race To The Top was created. Race To The Top makes over $ 4 billion available for state’s education budgets – if they meet the point system created. Only states that build a certain
number of “points” will be funded in one of the two rounds of funding. Many state school districts are now desperate to implement or refine reforms to hopefully get a cut of round 2 Race To The Top same
day cash loans.

The basic functioning of Race To The Top

Race To The Top developed a scoring system for
school reforms based on 500 points. One reform is worth 58 points, but the bulk are worth 10-40. Making education funding a priority is worth 10 points. Demonstrating progress in narrowing achievement gaps is worth 30 points. Developing statewide academic standards is worth 40 points. Forty states and the District of Columbia have elected to compete for Race To The Top funds. Awards to schools are based on student population, and are ultimately decided by the Department of Education.

Round 1 winners of Race To The Top

Only two states met the federal government’s requirements for round 1 of Race To The Top. Delaware and Tennessee will both get Race To The Top money.
The Delaware education spending budget will get a $ 107 million boost, and Tennessee may receive up to $ 502
million. Many states are being left out of the funding, admitted Arne Duncan, the Secretary of Education. Duncan said that states that would like the cash have had a fire lit under them. It turns out that support of teachers’ unions for the reforms were the clinching factor for these two states.

Scrambling for
Round 2 Race To The Top

The Race To The Top fund, when it was created, had relatively few rules from Congress. Arne Duncan has created a “judged”
point system that weighs a state’s own reforms with the point system created for Race To The Top. Many states have voiced concerns with Race To The Top, namely that the point system favors tying a teacher or principal’s performance to student achievement. Many other states have voiced concern how the unprecedented number of federal dollars will not be distributed to all states, leaving some wondering why the federal government hasn’t given them some of the cash to lend that it has. With huge budget deficits, most states cut education funding
first. With $3 billion remaining, the Round 2 Race To The Top winners, due to be announced in June, can look forward to some serious federal help.