Fact-Checking President Obama on Race to the Top
President Obama touted Race to the Top during the State of the Union
In the State of the Union Address, President Obama said:
“For less than 1 percent of what our nation spends on education each year, we’ve convinced nearly every state in the country to raise their standards for teaching and learning — the first time that’s happened in a generation.”
Claim # 1: Race to the Top is less than 1% of expenditures on elementary and secondary education. – True.
According to official projections by the National Center for Education Statistics, the United Statesspent $488 billion on elementary and secondary education during the 2009 – 2010 school year during which the Administration launched Race to the Top, which was a $4.35 billion expenditure.
Claim # 2: Almost every state in the union has committed to the Common Core Standards. – False.
The Obama Administration considered it a binding commitment by the state to the Department of
