Assembly must act on 'Race to the Top'

11-30-2009

Editorial/Fresno Bee

President Barack Obama says the status quo in American schools "has held back our children, it has held back our economy, and it has held back our country long enough." It is time, he says, to stop talking about reforming education and start doing it. The states are the great laboratories of experimentation, but the federal government can help. Obama announced in July that states could compete for $4 billion in new "Race to the Top" funds to get things moving. The first round of applications is due Jan. 19. California could gain up to $500 million, but our application isn't ready. Obama said that in judging applications, "We'll take a look at whether states are taking an all-hands-on-deck approach when it comes to reform." In California, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's on board. He delivered a package to legislators in August. The Senate's on board, too. It passed a bill on Nov. 4. The California Department of Education has been holding sessions around the state with local districts and is itching to get the ship of state moving. But the Assembly has been dawdling. (more...)

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Assembly must act on 'Race to the Top'

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