Iowa not
picked as
finalist for funds
By Meredith Hines-Dochterman The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
(MCT) — Iowa didn’t make the list of finalists in the second and last round of Race to the Top funding announced Tuesday by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
Instead, Arizona, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and South Carolina are in the running for $3.4 billion in federal dollars.
Iowa was among 35 states and the District of Columbia to apply for the second round of federal funding. The state wasn’t named a finalist in the first round, either.
“While we were not chosen as a finalist, Iowa has a vision for reform that centers on students and preparing them for the many opportunities that await them beyond high school,” Iowa Department of Education Acting Director Kevin Fangman said.
Duncan said the 19 finalists were identified as having the “boldest plans,” but stressed that every state that applied will benefit from the “process of collaboratively creating a comprehensive education reform agenda.”
Race to the Top was introduced last year as a way to reward the states that support reforms supported by the Obama administration. The reforms include lifting the limits charter schools, tying teacher evaluation to student performance and adopting rigorous learning standards.
Iowa was vying for up to $175 million in federal grant money.
Iowa educators and lawmakers were divided on Race to the Top’s mission. About 60 percent of Iowa’s 361 school districts signed agreements for the state’s first application.
When Iowa failed to make the list of 15 finalists, it was hinted that the lack of support hurt the state.
Nearly 70 percent of the Iowa’s districts signed on for the second round of funding, including its eight largest school districts — Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Des Moines, Dubuque, Iowa City, Sioux City and Waterloo — but there were still reservations. Some lawmakers say the state’s unwillingness to completely support Race to the Top’s guidelines hurt Iowa’s chances to advance in the competition.
“It should come as no surprise that Iowa was not selected as a finalist for the national ‘Race to the Top’ grant program considering Gov. (Chet) Culver and legislative Democrats submitted an application that failed to meet the essential guidelines laid out by the Obama Administration,” Senate Republican Leader Paul McKinley, R-Chari ton, said in a statement.
Race to the Top’s first round of funding resulted in two winning states — Delaware and Tennessee. Combined, the states will receive $600 million.
The 19 finalists will make formal, in-person presentations before a judging panel in next month. Winners will be named in September.
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