Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen made a brief stop by a Race to the Top summit in Chattanooga today at EPB headquarters.
Along with state Education Commissioner Tim Webb and other officials, the governor spoke of the federal grant money as a "pivot point" in Tennessee's public education system.
"Five hundred million (dollars), even in government, is nothing to sneeze at, but the change in attitudes and expectations in the state is the best thing to come (from Race to the Top)," he said.
The Hamilton County Schools system stands to receive about $11 million of Tennessee's winnings.
Gov. Bredesen also acknowledged that after a new governor is elected later this year, implementing the federal initiative likely will cause friction among lawmakers, teachers and administrators.
"There will be things that people don't like. When that happens, don't let people spin off from (Race to the Top)," he said. "Anything worth doing will have some friction with it."
For complete details, see tomorrow's Chattanooga Times Free Press.