Take Two!
Ohio’s Race to the Top round two presentation is scheduled to take place next week on Tuesday morning, August 10, at 8:30 AM. Team Ohio, State Superintendent Deb Delisle, Governor Ted Strickland, Associate Superintendent Marilyn Troyer, Columbus Superintendent Gene Harris and newcomer Melissa Cropper, President, Georgetown Federation of Teachers hope to make the case that Ohio is deserving of federal largess.
In an effort to whip up support, State Superintendent Deb Delisle has penned an op-ed piece highlighting the importance of this opportunity.
We recently learned Ohio is one of 19 finalists for the second round of Race to the Top, a competitive federal grant program awarding a total of $3.4 billion to states to support bold and innovative education reforms. The other finalist states are Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Washington D.C. A total of 35 states plus the District of Columbia submitted applications for Round 2 of Race to the Top in June. To be part of this select group of finalists is a testament to the strength of Ohio’s strategy as detailed in its application.
Ohio’s Race to the Top application requests $400 million in accordance with the federal guidelines. If awarded funding, these federal dollars will be used to help Ohio’s schools achieve goals to increase high school graduation rates, reduce performance gaps in student achievement, reduce the gap between Ohio and the nation’s best-performing states and increase college enrollment. As a finalist, we are required to present our Race to the Top proposals and answer questions to federal reviewers at the U.S. Department of Education on Aug.10.
As I think about the possibilities for Ohio’s education system that are represented in our Race to the Top strategy, I can’t help but reflect on the progress we have already made with education reforms. At this time a year ago, we were busy working on House Bill 1, which was passed by the General Assembly and signed by Gov. Ted Strickland. The passage of House Bill 1 put in motion a comprehensive reform plan for Ohio’s schools that builds on a strong foundation of education reform that dates back more than a decade.
That all sounds good, but make no mistake, Race to the Top is about money and politics.
The Ohio Department of Education’s (ODE) agency budget was reduced during this last budget cycle. The reductions resulted in less staff and less money for consulting contracts and vendors of all sorts. Winning Race to the Top funding would pay for additional ODE staff and a laundry list of outside “purchased service” contracts for consultants and nonprofits.
Governor Strickland also has some serious skin in this game. He can’t afford to go to Washington, D.C. again and come home empty-handed.
Even though Ohio once again is considered to have a second tier application, I can’t see the current administration letting Governor Strickland go into the fall in an election year without that big check in his hand.
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