Education

New York Schools Chief Plugs Urgency of Race to Top Aid

February 03, 2010 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

New York was one of the last states to release the full contents of its Race to the Top application (it appears that South Dakota and Hawaii are still holding out), with leaders there arguing that they didn’t want to give away proprietary ideas.

They relented late last week, and I’m just starting to plow through the application. Of course, the conventional wisdom is that the state won’t be a strong contender, at least in Round One, because of the legislative brawl that kept lawmakers from raising the statewide cap on charter schools.

In the meantime, though, David Steiner, the education commissioner in New York, has an op-ed in the Buffalo News that promotes, sort of, the Empire State’s application. I say sort of because Mr. Steiner doesn’t make much of a case for the state to win a piece of the $4 billion RTT grant based on the merits of its application. He uses verbs like “propose,” “supports,” and “endorsed” to describe several of the reformy nuggets in the application, a hint perhaps, that there may not be a whole lot of guaranteed concrete action should the state prevail in the competition.

Mr. Steiner makes a point of emphasizing the need for RTT funds because of the threat of deep spending cuts to K-12 education:

With schools across New York facing the prospect of a $1 billion reduction in state aid, we cannot pass up the opportunity to secure $700 million to help deliver a high quality education."

To me, that sounds more like a plea for RTT dollars to help plug budget holes, not to deliver the sort of “dramatic” changes that U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has said, time and again, that he is looking for.

A version of this news article first appeared in the State EdWatch blog.

Events

Reading & Literacy K-12 Essentials Forum Reading Instruction Across Content Disciplines
Join this free virtual event to hear from educators and experts implementing innovative strategies in reading across different subjects.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in Schools
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by Panorama Education
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Science Webinar
Spark Minds, Reignite Students & Teachers: STEM’s Role in Supporting Presence and Engagement
Is your district struggling with chronic absenteeism? Discover how STEM can reignite students' and teachers' passion for learning.
Content provided by Project Lead The Way

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Quiz Education Week News Quiz: Nov. 26, 2024
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Small Business Administration administrator Linda McMahon attends a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Aug. 16, 2018, in Washington.
Small Business Administration administrator Linda McMahon attends a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Aug. 16, 2018, in Washington.
Andrew Harnik/AP
Education Briefly Stated: October 23, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: October 2, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: September 18, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read