Secretary Duncan has called the crisis an "education catastrophe." He's right. So it's hard to fathom how the Education Department (ED) can forge ahead with the RTT competition in the face of this near 50 state financial meltdown. Putting aside the expert debate about the educational value of the RTT reforms, ED needs to rethink the RTT strategy in light of the extraordinary fiscal stress in state education budgets…There’s still time to call it off.Here’s where we get confused. Race To The Top is a federally-funded stimulus program for states who develop coherent strategies to improve student growth, prepare students to succeed in college, develop effective teachers and principals, and turn around the lowest-performing schools. Such an agenda echoes ELC’s own core value, which it defines in its Mission Statement: “if given the opportunity, all children can achieve high academic standards to prepare them for citizenship and to compete in the economy.” So what’s up with the animus? Given the deplorable state of our urban schools (who educate the very children ELC advocates for) and the commonality of purpose between ELC and RTTT, wouldn’t alliance be more logical than defiance?
Labels: Education Law Center, RTTT