RTTT finalists out Thursday - but not PA?
by Dale Mezzacappa on Mar 03 2010
Well, Thursday is the day that Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will announce the ten finalists for the coveted Race to the Top pot of gold at 2:30 p.m. States will be notified several hours earlier. Five of these states soon will be chosen as the first round of awardees.
Handicapping by reporters and bloggers for Education Week who are covering the process closely have concluded that Pennsylvania, one of the 40 states that applied, did not make the cut. But there will be a second round of competition for what's left of the $3.5 billion pot later this year.
Their money is on Florida, Louisiana, Illinois, Delaware, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Colorado, Indiana, and Minnesota.
Pennsylvania Department of Education spokesman Michael Race was not ready to throw in the towel.
"It’s all speculation," he said. "Until we hear an announcement from the Obama administration, nobody knows who will be a finalist or get the money." Philadelphia could benefit to the tune of more than $100 million if Pennsylvania wins.
Watch this space.
Watch this space.