Local comment - A race to the top, or to nowhere?

Among the many federal initiatives passed March 7, 2009 was “The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: Saving and Creating Jobs and Reforming Education.” The act attempts to put workers back on jobs and also allocates $100 billion for education related projects.

The U.S. Secretary of Education, Arnie Duncan, designated $5 billion for competitive grants to states and school districts.

Of the total, $4.35 billion was earmarked for “The Race to the Top” (RTTT) fund to improve education quality and results nationwide.

As with any federal program there are evaluation criteria that must be met.

Under, the RTTT Secretary Duncan mandated the following 19 “Absolute Criteria” under five general categories that MUST be met by every state or school district that applies for funding.

A brief outline that set follows.

Standards and Assessments: 1. Develop and adopt common standards. 2. Develop and implement common, high-quality assessments. 3. Support transition to enhanced standards and high-quality assessments.

Data Systems to Support Instruction: 1. Fully implement a statewide longitudinal data system. 2. Access and use State data. 3. Use data to improve instruction.

Great Teachers and Leaders: 1. Provide alternative pathways for aspiring teachers and principals. 2. Differentiate teacher and principal effectiveness based on performance. 3. Ensure equitable distribution of effective teachers and principals. 4. Report the effectiveness of teacher and principal preparation programs. 5. Provide effective support to teachers and principals.

Turning Around Struggling Schools: 1. Intervene in the lowest-performing schools and local education agencies (LEAs). 2. Increase the supply of high-quality charter schools. 3. Turn around struggling schools.

Overall Criteria: 1. Demonstrate significant progress. 2. Make education funding a priority. 3. Enlist statewide support and commitment. 4. Raise achievement and close achievement gaps 5. Build strong statewide capacity to implement, scale, and sustain progress.

The above criteria cannot be met by any state or school district! Yet, no state superintendents, members of state school boards, leaders of teachers, or leaders of administrators have spoken out about this blatantly coercive takeover of our public schools. Yes, the U.S. Secretary of Education is using a coercive measure to award competitive federal funds for education.

Several years ago, the U. S. Supreme Court established parameters for federal spending. Among that list is “Financial inducements of federal spending programs must not be coercive.” The RTTT mandates that all states, LEAs, schools, and those working in them must meet the entire set of 19 federal criteria.

Of critical importance, the RTTT require even higher-stakes tests for students, very costly and quite useless accountability systems, and the implementation of charter schools where none exist. The money is not focused on helping classroom teachers do a better job. No, the RTTT is a further attempt to privatize the public schools with the public footing the bill. In my estimation, the RTTT is a direct attack on the U. S. Tenth Amendment-state’s rights.

It is the paramount duty of Washington State to provide for the public schools. I am calling on every school board member in the state to raise this issue with state legislators, the attorney general, the state superintendent of public instruction and our governor. The stakes have never been higher for public schools and the children they serve!

Dr. Orlich, Pullman, a WSU Professor Emeritus, has published extensively on American education with 15 books on various topics, including his just released and co-authored Teaching Strategies: A Guide to Effective Instruction, 9th edition, 2010, Boston: Wadsworth/Cengage.