Race to the Top not best way to help schools
(Last updated: 13 hours ago)A new federal education program gives states an opportunity to contend for some serious cash.
President Barack Obama’s school improvement initiative, Race to the Top, offers states a chance to compete for more than $4 billion throughout the next few years. The states which choose to participate must submit a proposal to be reviewed and graded by a panel of five anonymous judges.
The criteria includes how teachers are evaluated and how many of the states’ school boards can be persuaded to join the plan. The first batch of winners, Delaware and Tennessee, came away with $100 million and $500 million, respectively. Many states have voiced their displeasure with the review process and might not participate in the next round of the program.
Although the program is a way for states to receive much-needed educational funding, this contest isn’t the best way to divide up the cash. Race to the Top is a contest for money based on which states can best formulate a plan to conform to the federal government’s wishes. But the federal government doesn’t necessarily know what’s best for children’s education, and asking states to change in exchange for money rather than for what might be in the best interest of students is not right. When it comes to deciding what works best for schools, states and local school boards should have the most influence — not the federal government.
In Michigan’s plan, the state ties teacher evaluations to student test scores. There is no perfect way to effectively evaluate teacher performance based on students. To benefit students, educational
