Kentucky in running for Race to the Top

State News

August 4, 2010

By RONNIE ELLIS CNHI News Service The McCreary County Record Wed Aug 04, 2010, 10:39 AM EDT

FRANKFORT — Kentucky remains in the running for funding in the second round of Race to the Top, hoping to secure as much as $175 million in funding from the pool of $3.3 billion established as part of the federal stimulus to improve low-performing schools.

   The U.S. Department of Education announced Tuesday that 19 states, including Kentucky, from 36 states which applied for second-round funding. Kentucky made the round of finalists the first time, but failed to secure funding in the competitive grant process. Only two states – Tennessee and Delaware – received funding from among 13 finalist states. At the time, Education Commissioner Dr. Terry Holliday said Kentucky’s proposal would be strengthened if it included provisions for charter schools.

   Charter schools are privately operated and freed from many regulations required of public schools. But they are unpopular among some education activists and especially with teachers’ groups and unions – because the teachers in such charter schools often don’t belong to the groups or do not have to be certified as public school teachers do. But the General Assembly this spring balked at passage of legislation which would have authorized charter. The measure had support in the Republican controlled Senate but not in the Democratic controlled House.

   Kentucky’s application tries to overcome that with changes in the way teachers and principals are evaluated – tying part of that evaluation to student performance. It also calls for additional training for teachers and administrators.

   Kentucky’s application relies heavily on implementing provisions of Senate Bill 1, passed last year making changes to Kentucky’s education reform efforts by reducing the number of standards while requiring more thorough instruction in the standards. The measure also changes the way students are tested on what they’ve learned, but Holliday and others have said state budget cuts are making implementation of the law difficult.

   “Our application is strong, and the feedback we received from the first round helped us improve our plan,” Holliday said after Tuesday’s announcement. “I’m optimistic about our chances in this round; however, this application represents not only our plans related to Race to the Top, but our strategic priorities in the coming years.”

   “We are thrilled to once again see Kentucky in the list of finalists for Race to the Top funding,” said Gov. Steve Beshear. “Kentucky has shown repeatedly that it is a leader in education reform, and our selection reflects the high quality of our application and reinforces the validity of the work we are engaging in for Kentucky’s children.”

   A panel of educators will grade applications on a 500-point evaluation system which tries to measure state efforts to improve student performance, help low-performing schools, teacher quality and raise learning standards.

   In addition to Kentucky Arizona, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and South Carolina were named finalist.

   Representatives of those states will meet with review panels in August and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said Tuesday before the National Press Club that winners will be named in September. Duncan expects as many as 10 to 15 states could win grants in the second round of competition.

   “We know what it takes: great principals and teachers and a professional learning culture where everyone takes responsibility — from parents and students to educators,” Duncan said in his comments to the Press Club. “We all must be held accountable for these outcomes.”

   But he also said something which might comfort those in Kentucky who fear its lack of charter schools will doom its second application. While saying reformers should stop trying to blame teacher unions for the failure of public schools, Duncan suggested charter schools aren’t the only answer.

   “If unions were the only problem — all of our right-to-work states and charter schools would be outperforming the nation — which is not the case,” Duncan said.

   RONNIE ELLIS writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort. Reach him at rellis@cnhi.com.

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