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I can not believe it. Professional educators are now smarter than a fifth grader!! "Many local school districts say they won't join the federal Race to the Top program, citing financial questions about the new $4.3 billion initiative that California can participate in after passage Wednesday of state legislative measures.
"It's signing a blank check," said Wheatland Union High School District trustee Cathi Bradshaw."
These folks don't trust the Federal government--join the crowd, few trust government at any level--just look at the results of government education, for example.
The fear is real--Obama wants to control local education, and he is going to use Federal funds to do it. Look, he gave your tax dollars to GM, AIG and dozens of banks--, and is deciding who gets loans, through Obama how much employees are paid--and through Obamacare, whether you get to have life saving procedures and medicine or "not a fit candidate" and given a counselor to help you die.
Sorry, government schools are too far gone. We need charter schools, private schools, hone schooling--anything to get the unions and as much of government as possible out of the classroom.
""This was thrown together almost more hastily than health care reform," Robison said. "We don 't know how it's going to impact us." Glad to see someone in government education has learned something.Schools opting out of Race to the Top
Administrators raise questions about funds
By Ryan McCarthy, Appeal-Democrat, 1/07/10 http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/school-90449-district-top.html
Many local school districts say they won't join the federal Race to the Top program, citing financial questions about the new $4.3 billion initiative that California can participate in after passage Wednesday of state legislative measures.
"It's signing a blank check," said Wheatland Union High School District trustee Cathi Bradshaw.
Emily Dawson, president of the Wheatland board, referred Tuesday to uncertainties about the federal program before a unanimous board vote against participation.
"It's very difficult to understand," Dawson said. "It's ambiguous."
Nancy Aaberg, superintendent for the Yuba City Unified School District, said Wednesday the district doesn't take issue with program goals that include rigorous school standards but noted the same concerns Wheatland school district trustees voiced.
"The financial part is very unclear," Aaberg said.
The Race to the Top fund provides competitive grants to reward states creating conditions for education innovation and reform, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Ryan Robison, superintendent of the Sutter Union High School District, said the district hasn't taken an official position but his recommendation to trustees would be they take no action on the federal program.
"This was thrown together almost more hastily than health care reform," Robison said. "We don 't know how it's going to impact us."
The Marysville Joint Unified School District will participate, superintendent Gay Todd said of applying for a grant for staff development to improve skills and instructional strategies.
The superintendent said that because of the economic slowdown the Marysville school district is pursuing all available funds even though Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has said education will face no further cuts in state aid.
"This Race to the Top does want to link student performance to teacher evaluations and they are going to require teachers unions sign off saying they understand and are agreeable to that," Todd added. "I think that may be a major issue for California and for our district as well."
Michael Schlussler, president of the Marysville Unified Teachers Association, said union agreement to link student performance to teacher evaluations would have to be discussed with the association membership.
"I would hope nobody's trying to railroad us into some kind decision we're going to regret later," Schlussler said.
Sandra Jackson, spokeswoman for the California Teachers Association, praised the motivation and reason for Race to the Top.
"We all want to do our best to close the achievement gap," Jackson said. "Some pieces of Race to the Top can help with that and others will not."
Linking teacher evaluations, which affect promotions and pay, to student performance initially raised concerns because a single test was used rather than multiple tests taken by students, she said.
Jeff Roberts, superintendent of the Plumas Lake Elementary School District, said the district is leaning against participating in the Race to the Top. Sharing the concerns of other local school districts, Plumas Lake is also affected by a federal funding model based on the 2000 census before the Plumas Lake area boomed, Roberts said.
"Our whole district was almost born in the last 10 years," the superintendent said.
Erika Hoffman, principal legislative advocate for the California School Boards Association in Sacramento, said about half of the nearly 1,500 school districts in the state have indicated they will participate in the Race to the Top program. The Los Angeles Unified School District will join the effort, Hoffman said, while the San Diego Unified School District will not.
Final legislative hurdles were passed for measures allowing the state to help qualify for $700 million in competitive federal grants. Schwarzenegger has said he will sign the legislative bills.
Vic Ramos, superintendent of the Wheatland school district, described Race to the Top as a pilot federal program that in some aspects may replace No Child Left Behind, begun during the Bush administration.
"We've left that child behind," Ramos said. "We're now racing to the top."
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"It's signing a blank check," said Wheatland Union High School District trustee Cathi Bradshaw."
These folks don't trust the Federal government--join the crowd, few trust government at any level--just look at the results of government education, for example.
The fear is real--Obama wants to control local education, and he is going to use Federal funds to do it. Look, he gave your tax dollars to GM, AIG and dozens of banks--, and is deciding who gets loans, through Obama how much employees are paid--and through Obamacare, whether you get to have life saving procedures and medicine or "not a fit candidate" and given a counselor to help you die.
Sorry, government schools are too far gone. We need charter schools, private schools, hone schooling--anything to get the unions and as much of government as possible out of the classroom.
""This was thrown together almost more hastily than health care reform," Robison said. "We don 't know how it's going to impact us." Glad to see someone in government education has learned something.Schools opting out of Race to the Top
Administrators raise questions about funds
By Ryan McCarthy, Appeal-Democrat, 1/07/10 http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/school-90449-district-top.html
Many local school districts say they won't join the federal Race to the Top program, citing financial questions about the new $4.3 billion initiative that California can participate in after passage Wednesday of state legislative measures.
"It's signing a blank check," said Wheatland Union High School District trustee Cathi Bradshaw.
Emily Dawson, president of the Wheatland board, referred Tuesday to uncertainties about the federal program before a unanimous board vote against participation.
"It's very difficult to understand," Dawson said. "It's ambiguous."
Nancy Aaberg, superintendent for the Yuba City Unified School District, said Wednesday the district doesn't take issue with program goals that include rigorous school standards but noted the same concerns Wheatland school district trustees voiced.
"The financial part is very unclear," Aaberg said.
The Race to the Top fund provides competitive grants to reward states creating conditions for education innovation and reform, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Ryan Robison, superintendent of the Sutter Union High School District, said the district hasn't taken an official position but his recommendation to trustees would be they take no action on the federal program.
"This was thrown together almost more hastily than health care reform," Robison said. "We don 't know how it's going to impact us."
The Marysville Joint Unified School District will participate, superintendent Gay Todd said of applying for a grant for staff development to improve skills and instructional strategies.
The superintendent said that because of the economic slowdown the Marysville school district is pursuing all available funds even though Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has said education will face no further cuts in state aid.
"This Race to the Top does want to link student performance to teacher evaluations and they are going to require teachers unions sign off saying they understand and are agreeable to that," Todd added. "I think that may be a major issue for California and for our district as well."
Michael Schlussler, president of the Marysville Unified Teachers Association, said union agreement to link student performance to teacher evaluations would have to be discussed with the association membership.
"I would hope nobody's trying to railroad us into some kind decision we're going to regret later," Schlussler said.
Sandra Jackson, spokeswoman for the California Teachers Association, praised the motivation and reason for Race to the Top.
"We all want to do our best to close the achievement gap," Jackson said. "Some pieces of Race to the Top can help with that and others will not."
Linking teacher evaluations, which affect promotions and pay, to student performance initially raised concerns because a single test was used rather than multiple tests taken by students, she said.
Jeff Roberts, superintendent of the Plumas Lake Elementary School District, said the district is leaning against participating in the Race to the Top. Sharing the concerns of other local school districts, Plumas Lake is also affected by a federal funding model based on the 2000 census before the Plumas Lake area boomed, Roberts said.
"Our whole district was almost born in the last 10 years," the superintendent said.
Erika Hoffman, principal legislative advocate for the California School Boards Association in Sacramento, said about half of the nearly 1,500 school districts in the state have indicated they will participate in the Race to the Top program. The Los Angeles Unified School District will join the effort, Hoffman said, while the San Diego Unified School District will not.
Final legislative hurdles were passed for measures allowing the state to help qualify for $700 million in competitive federal grants. Schwarzenegger has said he will sign the legislative bills.
Vic Ramos, superintendent of the Wheatland school district, described Race to the Top as a pilot federal program that in some aspects may replace No Child Left Behind, begun during the Bush administration.
"We've left that child behind," Ramos said. "We're now racing to the top."
More...
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