Education Funding News in Brief

Obama at Your Graduation?

By Michele McNeil — March 01, 2011 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

School districts have until March 11 to compete for the chance to have President Barack Obama deliver a high school graduation address as part of the White House’s Race to the Top Commencement Challenge, now in its second year.

The White House extended the deadline, originally Feb. 25, to give more schools the chance to apply. Officials would not release the number of applications received so far.

Last year, President Obama delivered the commencement speech at Kalamazoo Central High School in Michigan, the winner among a field of 1,000 applicants and six finalists. Those finalists created short videos and essays on how their schools were preparing them for the future. More than 170,000 people then voted online for their favorites. The president chose the winner from among the top three vote-getters.

The process this year is similar, although the White House has simplified some parts of the application, such as making some data points optional. Applicants still have to answer such questions as: “Describe specific ways in which your school has prepared you for college and a career,” and “Why should your school win? Discuss what makes your school unique.”

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the March 02, 2011 edition of Education Week as Obama at Your Graduation?

Events

Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Mathematics K-12 Essentials Forum Helping Students Succeed in Math
Student Well-Being Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: The Power of Emotion Regulation to Drive K-12 Academic Performance and Wellbeing
Wish you could handle emotions better? Learn practical strategies with researcher Marc Brackett and host Peter DeWitt.

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 Funding Schools and States Scramble as Trump Freezes $6.8 Billion in Federal Funds
After-school programs, English-learner services, migrant education programs, and professional development are all at risk.
8 min read
President Donald Trump speaks to the media before walking across the South Lawn of the White House to board Marine One en route to Joint Base Andrews, Md., and on to Florida, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Washington.
President Donald Trump speaks to the media before walking across the South Lawn of the White House to board Marine One on Tuesday, July 1, 2025. Trump's administration has told states it's holding back nearly $7 billion in already-approved federal funds for schools, sending states and schools scrambling for more information.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
Education Funding Education Department Restores COVID Funds For Schools—With Some Caveats
All state education agencies and school districts now have until March 2026 to finish spending COVID aid.
4 min read
Image of funding stream faucets and a hand controlling the flow.
iStock/Getty
Education Funding Trump May Soon Defy Congress and Cut $5 Billion More From Schools
Funding for migrant education, English-learner services, professional development, and after-school programming is at risk.
10 min read
Image of a slow-drip funding stream coming from a faucet.
gheatza/iStock/Getty
Education Funding 5 Ways Schools Are Directly Feeling the Federal Funding Chaos
Canceled grants, terminated contracts, and proposed cuts are sparking worries as districts plan future budgets.
6 min read
Image of money assembling block by block.
iStock/Getty