Los Angeles
California is now competitive in President Obama’s national $4.35 billion “Race to the Top” education competition. After six months of bipartisan massaging, hand-wringing, and compromise, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed reform legislation Thursday that will ensure the state can vie for up to $700 million in federal funding for its schools.
But the debate over the reforms – which puts more power in the hands of parents – spilled over into the signing at the Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School in south central Los Angeles. Both teachers unions opposing the reforms and parents groups supporting the bill showed up to make their voices heard.
Mr. Obama created the “Race to the Top” education fund last year as part of the stimulus bill investment in critical sectors. The fund rewards states that create the conditions for education innovation and reform and improve student outcomes and graduation rates.
California could not apply for the funds because of a so-called educational “firewall” that kept its students' test scores from being used to evaluate teachers. Two bipartisan measures have cleared away