‘Race To The Top’ Funds May Not Fund Local Schools

PALM DESERT – A lot of money may be coming for our local schools. First, a lot needs to change, but what?

“It’s still not clear what they want,” says Ricardo Medina, Coachella Valley Unified School District Superintendent.

“There are clearly more questions,” says Jack O’Connell, California Superintendent of Schools.

Through “Race to the Top,” California schools compete for up to 700 million dollars spread over three years, but there are strings attached.

“There are some parts that everyone likes and some parts that people don’t like,” says O’Connell.

“A lot of us have concerns on ‘Race to the Top’ and what it will mean for our school districts,” says Medina.

In part, it means linking teacher pay to student performance at the state level, but that’s just the beginning. Some wonder if the money is worth it.

“The funding is competitive so there is no guarantee we’ll get any funding,” says Medina.

“All of the things to get us ready for the ‘Race to the Top’ will use up the money,” says Bev Bricker, California Teacher’s Association.

State and national leaders say, the program is more about improving our schools and less about the money.

“The funds will not be used to supplant the cuts from our government,” says O’Connell.

California schools have 18 billion dollars less to work with this year. Although they’re desperate for money, some say reform is what’s really needed.

“There will be more accountability and more data and we can make more informed decisions about what to do with our limited resources,” says O’Connell.

Leaders say with or without “Race to the Top”, resources will remain limited for years to come.