Tennessee and Delaware win Race to the Top
March 30th, 2010 - 9:41 pm ICT by Pen Men At WorkMarch 30, 2010 (Pen Men at Work): U.S. public education received a jolt on Monday by the Obama administration after it selected only two states, Delaware and Tennessee to receive $600 million in hard-fought grants designed to help districts to refurbish their programs.
The awards, which are a part of the administration’s $4.35 billion Race to the Top competition, has sparked a scramble among the states nationwide so as to prove which of them is championing the most vigorous changes. The grants were applied to by forty states and the District of Columbia. Tennessee will receive $500 million, and Delaware gets $100 million.
The education department used a complex scoring system that weighted everything from states’ willingness to track student and teacher performance, adopt uniform standards, and turn around or close their worst schools in order to select winners. Delaware earned 454 out of a possible 500 points, while Tennessee amassed 444.
The finalists were Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and South Carolina. The District of Columbia came in last among the 16 finalists and received 402 points.
States and school districts across the country are straining to fill widening education budget gaps and the grants have come as help. Many states pushed through debatable legislation or agreed to other changes in order to qualify for the federal funds.
According to the administration, Tennessee and Delaware triumphed because they outscored the others by a reasonable margin.
Delaware stood out for its revamp plan which included a promise to identify the worst-performing schools of the state and turn them around within two years. It also got high points for the extra bonuses it gave to teachers and principals willing to work in the toughest, academically-challenged schools.
Tennessee lawmakers met twice in special session to pass new education laws. The state introduced a number of new charter schools, which are schools that are taxpayer funded but independently run.
Delaware and Tennessee have forced new measures that base teacher pay and promotions partly on how well their students perform.
- Race To The Top Funds Won By Tennessee And Delaware - Mar 30, 2010
- Georgia, North Carolina, and Others Win Obama's 'Race to the Top' Grants - Aug 25, 2010
- Punjab accepts agitating teachers' demands - Nov 12, 2010
- Peyton Manning makes donation to scholarship fund - Feb 20, 2012
- Michelle Rhee Launches Advocacy Group Students First - Dec 07, 2010
- David Paterson Proposes Educational Changes To Get Federal Grants - Jan 10, 2010
- Secretary of Education Arne Duncan Announces $100M In Grants - Oct 02, 2010
- Strong earthquake strikes the U.S. East Coast, widely felt - Aug 24, 2011
- NASA selects partners for 2010 Summer of Innovation - Apr 27, 2010
- Snowstorm storms upper Midwest - Feb 25, 2012
- Himachal teacher donates national award money - Sep 05, 2011
- Tripura to launch disaster management project in schools - Apr 23, 2012
- Hamid Ansari calls for more funds for State Universities to improve higher education - Dec 20, 2010
- Mizoram school teachers not getting salaries - Apr 09, 2012
- No guest teachers to be removed: Hooda - Nov 07, 2010
Tags: colorado florida, columbia tennessee, district of columbia, education budget, education department, education laws, jolt, kentucky louisiana, louisiana massachusetts, men at work, new education, ohio pennsylvania, pen men, public education, scoring system, special session, teacher performance, tennessee lawmakers, two states, uniform standards