Sunday, January 17, 2010

Paradox in Race to the Top / Half of local school districts just say no - SignOnSanDiego.com


Paradox in Race to the Top / Half of local school districts just say no - SignOnSanDiego.com:

"Who’s afraid of improving student performance by increasing accountability? Apparently, more than half of the public school districts in San Diego County. That’s who. Why else would those districts drop out of the competition for what could be as much as $700 million headed to California as part of the Obama administration’s innovative education reform initiative, “Race to the Top?”

This is quite a paradox. School districts in San Diego County, like those around the country, are always complaining that they don’t have enough money. There is never enough money, they say. It’s always the same verse.

Now the Obama administration is giving districts what they say they want – money. More than $4 billion nationwide, in fact. You would think that every district in San Diego County would jump at the chance to claim some of it. Yet, only 20 of the county’s 42 public school districts notified the state by Dec. 31 that they intend to apply."