MISD has no part in Race to the Top

McKinney schools won’t be receiving funds from the federal government’s $4.35 billion Race to the Top program, as governor Rick Perry has decided Texas will not be submitting an application for what is being billed as a national competition to advance school reform. Under the program, the state would have been eligible for up to $700 million in grants if it earned points in such areas as turning around failing schools, showing improvement in teacher effectiveness, and having quality charter schools.

The Texas Classroom Teachers Association released a statement from Executive Director Jeri Stone in support of Perry’s decision, saying that seeking funds would be a classic “be careful what you wish for situation” that would force Texas to agree to an as yet undeveloped national curriculum, related national tests and “highly prescriptive and punitive changes in such areas as teacher appraisal, compensation, and employment decisions.”

Stone further stated that the state’s experience with the No Child Left Behind program, which Perry championed, has shown dangers in thinking federal funds would cover the associated costs of implementing reform, and that sacrifices in autonomy and flexibility would be damaging to the needs of students.

“We think the price is far too high for Texas to pay,” he said. “We do not need or want an increased emphasis on high stakes testing, the federal government dictating employment practices, essentially unchecked charter school growth, or the institutionalization of policies that are neither grounded in research nor good for Texas students and educators.”

A government press release on Race to the Top states that it is the centerpiece of the Obama administration’s education reforms and will concentrate on four significant areas: adopting internationally benchmarked standards and assessments that prepare students for success in college and the workplace; recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals; building data systems that measure student success and inform teachers and principals how they can improve their practices; and turning around the nation’s lowest-performing schools.