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CAT Tracks for March 30, 2010
COLLABORATION & COLLABORATORS |
You will have to excuse and old history teacher for not jumping on the NEA and IEA bandwagons...cheering the accomplishments of Delaware and Tennessee and eagerly looking for new ways to sell out the dues-paying membership.
Collaboration and collaborators...the "key terms" used in the articles below.
My bad, but...
When I hear those terms, my historical mind automatically flashes back to references like "Quisling", the more "American", Benedict Arnold, or the Biblical icon, Judas Iscariot.
In short...it's NOT a "good thing".
President Barack Obama and his Stooge of Education, Armed Dunkin', have made the goals of RttT and their proposed "new" NCLB perfectly clear - shut down regular public schools and open charter schools...eliminate tenure rights and fire teachers "at will" based upon unreliable student test scores. Arne the Duncan and his basketball playin' buddy took turns giving the mass firing of educators in Central Falls, Rhode Island, a standing ovation.
Delaware and Tennessee became "The Chosen" because they took the strongest position in endorsing the goals of Obama and Duncan. (THAT, and the aforeposted "Buypartisan" angle.) Excuse me for not joining the NEA in applauding!
Illinois laments that their "sell out" wasn't deemed strong enough - BUT - promises to "do better" by the next deadline of June 1st. I'm supposed to be excited?
Nope, no can do.
With respect to the latest positions of the NEA and the IEA, I can only quote another of my many adages...
"With friends like these, who needs enemies."
From the National Education Association Website...
NEA applauds selection of Race to the Top winners
Department of Education sends clear message that collaboration of all stakeholders is key
WASHINGTON - March 29, 2010 - The U.S. Department of Education today announced the first round of winners for the Race to the Top competitive grant program. The following statement can be attributed to National Education Association President Dennis Van Roekel:
“In announcing today’s winners of the Race to the Top program, the Department of Education is sending a clear message that collaboration among all stakeholders is essential if we are serious about improving our schools. With this first round selection, the department also is signaling that states must have collaborative partnerships and comprehensive plans that demonstrate high standards if their applications will be considered viable in future phases of the Race to the Top program.
“Educators are key partners in any successful effort to turn around low-performing schools. You can’t build a good plan that will yield long-lasting, sustainable results that are positive for students and their schools without having buy-in from all stakeholders. By selecting Delaware and Tennessee’s proposals—two states that submitted highly collaborative and comprehensive plans—the administration did what was right for students.
“Unfortunately, the Race to the Top competition does not address the pressing needs of students in all states. For Delaware and Tennessee, it is only a stopgap effort for the sustained funding those states need. For the other 48 states that did not receive any funding, their financial situations are still just as bleak. The competition cannot comprehensively take on the looming problems of fiscal inequity among America’s public schools or systemically improve our nation’s schools.
“America’s students need more than a program that only rewards a few throughout the country, and that is why it is vital that the administration and Congress move forward to revamp and reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.”
More information on NEA’s position on reauthorization of ESEA can be found online at www.nea.org/esea. Follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/NEAMedia.
From the Illinois Education Association Website...
Strong 1st round showing buoys Illinois’ Race to the Top hopes
March 29, 2010 by IEA Communications
The president of the states’ largest education employees organization today expressed both disappointment and optimism upon learning that Illinois won’t receive first round funding from the federal Race to the Top (RTTT) program.
According to Illinois Education Association (IEA) President Ken Swanson, while a first round RTTT grant would have been great for Illinois, he’s hopeful that some of that much-needed funding could find its way to the Land of Lincoln in later rounds.
“The winners announced today, Delaware and Tennessee, submitted applications reflecting collaboration between education employee unions, their state boards of education and other education stakeholders,” Swanson said. “IEA has similar relationships with the Illinois education stakeholders and that’s one of the keys to getting RTTT funding.”
“To qualify, everyone at the negotiating table must be willing to co-develop a good plan that will yield long-lasting, sustainable results. That’s what we did with the State Board and the other stakeholders” he added.
The federal Race to the Top program allows states to compete for more than $4 billion in federal education money for the purposes of improving education through innovation and data-driven decisions.
There were 16 finalists for the 1st rounds and Illinois placed fifth. Three of the top five states, the two winners and Illinois, had support from their National Education Association (NEA)-affiliated unions. Florida and Georgia rounded out the top five.
NEA also commented on the RTTT announcement, saying that the U.S. Department of Education, “…is signaling that states must have collaborative partnerships and comprehensive plans that demonstrate high standards if their applications will be considered viable in future phases of the Race to the Top program.”
The next step in the process is for applicants who did not receive RTTT funds to analyze the comments from the federal evaluators and determine whether any changes in the application are needed or wanted.
Applications for second round funding are due June 1, with recipients to be named in September.
