Districts key in race for school funding

Individual school districts will play a significant role in determining whether Georgia receives a portion of the $4 billion Race to the Top federal funds.

The money is part of the $100 billion in stimulus money set aside for education and will be awarded to states that show dedication to reform.

The original application guidelines were announced in July and were revised after more than 1,000 educators weighed in with suggestions. The final application, released Thursday, shows a shift in focus from the state level, putting more responsibility on individual school systems.

"States don't teach students to read; districts do. We're absolutely looking at collaboration and buy-in," U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan told the Chattanooga Times Free Press during a teleconference Thursday. "If change is just on paper or at a policy level, that's absolutely not what we're looking for."

To receive the money, states must supply a comprehensive reform plan based on four main goals: creating rigorous college- and career-reading standardized tests; having effective data systems to track students; turning around the lowest performing schools; and hiring high-quality teachers.

But Mr. Duncan said it will be imperative for states to prove that their school systems are up to the challenge and capable of implementing the reforms listed in the application.

The U.S. Department of Education will award the money in pieces and will continue to evaluate winning states to make sure they follow through, he said. If they do not, they will not receive the remaining money, he said.

"We emphasized the importance of states' capacity to deliver on their plan," Mr. Duncan said. "I'd like to think this is more thoughtful, more comprehensive."

After a presentation about the plan by Georgia Education Superintendent Kathy Cox, Catoosa County Schools officials said they think the state is in good shape for winning some of the money.

"Georgia is a strong contender for receiving the funds," said Marissa Brower, spokeswoman for Catoosa County. "The steps that we have taken toward improvement are a good match for the focus of the funds."

When he first announced the guidelines for the Race to the Top Funds, Mr. Duncan was critical of states, such as neighboring Tennessee, that had restrictive charter school laws. Because he sees charter schools as key to education reform, states that limited the number of schools that could open, or the number of students who could attend, would have a lesser chance of winning the stimulus funds, he said.

Shortly thereafter, a bill that had been defeated in the Tennessee Legislature was resurrected and passed, increasing the statewide cap of 50 charter schools to 90 and allowing more students to attend the schools.

On Thursday, Mr. Duncan said states were not required to have charter schools to receive the Race to the Top money but that having them made up about 10 percent of the application puzzle.

"We never, ever said that charter schools had to be in there," he said. "Good charter schools are a big part of the answer. Poor charter schools are part of the problem. Where they're successful, we want that."

Mr. Duncan said he didn't have a number in mind for how many states would split the $4 billion. The first application deadline for the money is Jan. 19, with funds being awarded in the spring, and the application for the second half will be June 1, with the winners announced by Sept. 30.

"I think we're going to have a very vigorous competition," he said. "When we say, 'race to the top,' we mean that literally."