Dublin Schools Sign on to “Race to the Top” for more funding

More than $4 billion of federal public funding is up for grabs for schools across the United States through the U.S. Department of Education’s “Race to the Top” program announced last year.  Dublin public schools, as represented by the Dublin Unified School District (DUSD), are included in California’s Race to the Top application.  You’d think with that much money on the line for cash-strapped school districts that every State, school and school district would be lining up – not so.  10 states didn’t apply at all, and within states not every school district / school chose to participate.

How does Race to the Top work?  According to the U.S. Department of Education Race to the Top website,

“[The U.S. Dept of Ed is] asking States to advance reforms around four specific areas:

• Adopting standards and assessments that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace and to compete in the global economy;
• Building data systems that measure student growth and success, and inform teachers and principals about how they can improve instruction;
• Recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most; and
• Turning around our lowest-achieving schools.

Awards in Race to the Top will go to States that are leading the way with ambitious yet achievable plans for implementing coherent, compelling, and comprehensive education reform. Race to the Top winners will help trail-blaze effective reforms and provide examples for States and local school districts throughout the country to follow as they too are hard at work on reforms that can transform our schools for decades to come.”

Like any large government program there are proponents and detractors.  Some teacher’s unions have expressed concerns about pay tied to performance and even blocked efforts to join the program in some cases (Time Magazine: “Why we’re failing our schools“).

Fortunately, Dublin teachers, administrators and trustees were able to agree the potential benefits of the Race to the Top program justified participating in the process.

More information on California’s Race to the Top application, which includes the Dublin Unified School District, is available here.