Budget woes, school reform collide - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:
"O'Connell said California schools must continue to improve test scores and narrow the achievement gap, despite diminishing budgets.
He's hoping for help for reforms from another pool of federal money, $4.35 billion in competitive federal education grants for the program called Race to the Top. The funds will go to as many as 20 states that can set up winning models for education innovation, according to federal officials. Applications for the funds are due in December. The first round of awards will be given in March.
'The Race to the Top money is an unprecedented amount of federal dollars for systematic change,' O'Connell said."
"O'Connell said California schools must continue to improve test scores and narrow the achievement gap, despite diminishing budgets.
He's hoping for help for reforms from another pool of federal money, $4.35 billion in competitive federal education grants for the program called Race to the Top. The funds will go to as many as 20 states that can set up winning models for education innovation, according to federal officials. Applications for the funds are due in December. The first round of awards will be given in March.
'The Race to the Top money is an unprecedented amount of federal dollars for systematic change,' O'Connell said."
