Go for Race to the Top’s next round; all students would be winners | Thoughts on Public Education

Go for Race to the Top’s next round; all students would be winners | Thoughts on Public Education:

Go for Race to the Top’s next round; all students would be winners

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Posted on 11/10/11 • Categorized as Common Core standards, Race to the Top,Uncategorized

By George Miller

After 37 years in education policy, I can recognize a golden opportunity for our schools when I see one. California is staring at one right now, and it should take it.

Earlier this year U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the third phase in the Race to the Top competition. Race to the Top is a grant program born out of the stimulus legislation passed in 2009 to spark innovation and high performance in states. This latest round of applications will provide states like California, which applied for earlier rounds but did not ultimately win, with the opportunity to receive federal funding. California should apply for this third phase of funding.

In the last round of Race to the Top, California had a unique application that reflected our

Putting kitchens back into kindergarten - by Kathryn Baron

by Kathryn Baron

Kindergarten teacher Paulie Esquivel looked around the model classroom and started taking a mental inventory – in reverse. Dress-up area; she used to have that. Puppet theater; that, too, was once in her class. Ditto for the sand table, paint and easel, and water table. “To me, it’s what kindergarten used to be: fun and exciting,” [...]