A Look At Why Feds Failed State Ed Officials
By Lydia Chávez
Follow instructions, write clearly, pay attention to organization. It's all advice teachers in California commonly give public school students.
But a close reading of the state's failed application for millions of dollars in Race to the Top stimulus funds - the biggest bonanza of federal education dollars in decades- shows that California officials failed to adhere to any of it.
"One thing that does seem a clear distinction (with the winners) is the specificity with which many of the states went into in their applications..." Rick Miller, deputy superintendent of California's Department of Educators, told local districts and other stakeholders in a March 8 conference call.
The finalists "had a very clear idea of exactly what they wanted to do and how they wanted to do it," he said.
Miller and Kathryn Radtkey-Gaither, undersecretary for education, urged those on the call to read California's application. Let them know, Radtkey-Gaither said, if there are any "Oh-my-gosh-what-
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