New York in finals for Race to the Top $700M

BY STEVE MOSCO

Wednesday, July 28, 2010 3:20 PM EDT

New York got another gold star as it moved one step closer to the top of the class.

The U.S. Department of Education announced the finalists for the second round of the Race to the Top competition on Tuesday, July 27 – with New York making the cut and positioning itself to win $700 million in federal funding.

“I am extremely pleased to learn that New York has been named a finalist in Race to the Top Round II,” said Governor David A. Paterson. “This competition has provided states with an unprecedented opportunity to reform schools and challenge the educational status quo that is failing too many children, and I am proud to see that New York has been recognized for moving forward with our much needed improvements.”

New York State was also a finalist in round one of the grant program in March, but didn’t make the grade when only Tennessee and Delaware took home the prize. That loss prompted Albany to make legislative changes to increase the State’s chances of winning educational funding.

“I commend the Legislature for approving my proposals to lift the State’s charter school cap, to link teacher evaluations to student performance and provide resources to implement a data system that tracks individual student performance,” said Paterson. “These were all areas that the U.S. Department of Education identified as weaknesses in our first application, which failed in large part because the Legislature initially refused to pass these vital reforms.”

One of 18 states and the District of Columbia to make the list, New York now faces the challenge of keeping this momentum going; something that Education Reform Now believes will require even more policy changes from Albany.

“New York still has a long way to go, particularly when it comes to providing parity in funding for charter schools,” said the advocacy group in a statement. “If the state truly wants to win the “Race” and secure the educational future of its children, it will need to continue to pursue aggressive reforms.”