U.S. Unveils Education Stimulus Rules
The Department of Education releases the rules Thursday for getting Race to the Top money — $4.5 billion in funding for education innovations for which states must compete. But some local officials are irritated with the process because they feel their concerns are being trampled on in the rush for cash.
STEVE INSKEEP, host:
The U.S. Education Department has more than $4 billion in stimulus money that its prepared to hand out. The White House says the Race to the Top fund will set off a wave of innovation by rewarding the best ideas for improving student achievement. That's what the White House says. But before a dollar has been awarded, the fund is controversial.
NPR's Larry Abramson reports.
LARRY ABRAMSON: Physics students know this: A good way to move a big, heavy object is with a lever. If the big object is the U.S. education system, the lever is money, as President Obama explained last week to an audience at a Wisconsin middle school.
President BARACK OBAMA: If youre willing to hold yourselves more accountable and if you develop a strong plan to improve the quality of education in your state, then we'll offer you a big grant to help you make that plan a reality.
ABRAMSON: So the administration is delighted that many states have already rushed to change laws just to make themselves eligible for Race to the Top money. But, in fact, it's that rush to qualify that makes John Ashley of the Wisconsin Association of School Boards very uneasy.
Mr. JOHN ASHLEY (Executive director, Wisconsin Association of School Boards): We now see states scrambling to read the minds of the Department of Education as to what would make their state eligible for the funds.
ABRAMSON: For example, in Wisconsin, legislators threw out a ban on linking teacher evaluations to student achievement. The administration said that ban had to go so states could experiment with rewards for teachers whose students do well. But John Ashley says the new law doesnt really make it any easier to get rid of ineffective teachers.
Mr. ASHLEY: It seems to be more geared toward helping us reward successful teachers, yet not allowing us to take the information to dismiss a teacher that's not performing effectively, which I think harms the teachers who are doing a great job.
ABRAMSON: But Education Secretary Arne Duncan says Race to the Top is meant to give states flexibility, not to tell them what to do.
Secretary ARNE DUNCAN (Department of Education): Based upon their history of accomplishments and their capacity to deliver on a courageous plan that they themselves design.
ABRAMSON: That's in contrast to No Child Left Behind, a legacy of the last administration, which is seen by many local officials as federal meddling in state affairs. Duncan says Race to the Top will only reward sincere efforts to improve student achievement.
Sec. DUNCAN: If anyone's just doing things to chase a few dollars, that's not the kind of transformational change we want, and its frankly not the kind of places we're going to invest in.
ABRAMSON: But many states have invested big time in figuring out just what they need to do to compete for money that is badly needed, given tight school budgets. The new rules for the competition run well over 100 pages. The Gates Foundation is handing out grants to help states negotiate the application process.
Anthony Cody coaches science teachers for the Oakland Public Schools, but in his spare time, he's been railing against Race to the Top on his Facebook page.
Mr. ANTHONY CODY (Science Education Consultant): People with large amounts of money are using that money to leverage change that they want.
ABRAMSON: Cody and other teachers are particularly worried that Race to the Top will accelerate the reliance on testing that began under No Child Left Behind and that it will punish teachers if scores dont improve.
Mr. CODY: President Obama campaigned on the notion that we would move away from punishing schools for tests - for low test scores, yet that practice continues.
ABRAMSON: Now $4 billion is a lot of money, but it's not enough to reward every bright idea. There will be winners and losers, and most states will probably get nothing from the fund. But Secretary Arne Duncan says that's not the point.
Sec. DUNCAN: If folks are doing this because it's the right thing for children, then whether or not they receive the money, children are going to benefit.
ABRAMSON: The Education Department says Race to the Top is an incentive program. It's not punitive, the way No Child Left Behind is perceived to be. But the department will have a lot of public relations work to do to make sure the fund is seen as a helpful lever and not as a big stick.
Larry Abramson, NPR News, Washington.
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INSKEEP: This is NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.
