Breaking News on Race to the Top

We have been covering the Department of Education’s Race to the Top initiative closely here at Schools Building Communities and Secretary Arne Duncan announced the final 16 states that are being considered for funding (out of 41 applicants).

Unfortunately, Indiana DID NOT advance to the final 16, which are Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Tennessee.

The press release announcing the finalists indicated that “the number of phase 1 winners will be determined by the strength of the applications. While the department does not have a predetermined amount of money to award in each phase of the competition, we expect no more than half of the money will be awarded in phase 1 to ensure a robust competition in phase 2.”

Indiana would certainly be encouraged to submit a phase 2 application.

Next up? Again from the release: “The finalists will be invited to D.C. in mid-March to present their proposals to the panel that reviewed their applications in depth during the initial stage, and to engage in Q&A discussions with the reviewers.”

UPDATE:

WFPL, Louisville’s public radio, talked to Indiana’s Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett, who said that the disappointing news does not mean the end for Indiana’s plan.

From that report:

“We have told school corporations across the state of Indiana that we will implement this reform plan whether we are funded or not,” he says. “And the fact is we don’t believe money will solve the problem. What will solve the problem is for us to have the political courage, the political will to truly reform education in this state and we’re going to implement our reform agenda as we have planned.”

Bennett says he’s not sure how Indiana will handle its application in a second contest for funds due in June.

“We’re going to wait and see what we get back from the federal government, what feedback we get back from our technical advisors,” he says. “Obviously our interests will always be to pursue this reform money, but again, I’ll always back that up and say I don’t believe this is about money.”