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4/7/2010 12:00 AMT.W. Budig, ECM Post Review The Pawlenty Administration may not file again for federal Race to the Top funding unless lawmakers this session pass education reforms. Gov. Tim Pawlenty Tuesday, April 6 told a group of lawmakers, union officials and other education stakeholders that Minnesota can’t realistically compete for federal funding under the Race to the Top program criteria. Pawlenty indicated that lawmakers this session will need to pass at least some of the education reforms he’ll be offering offer to ensure the administration will file a second application in the Race to the Top program. “If they (lawmakers) refuse to do that, we’re likely not to proceed with another application,” said Pawlenty. Minnesota’s application in the first round of applications for federal funding under the program was recently rejected by the Obama Administration. Pawlenty doesn’t criticize those in the Obama Administration, but praises them for their efforts in education. He compared President Barack Obama’s willingness to politically bruise his supporters on the issue of education to the resoluteness President Richard Nixon exhibited in establishing relations with China. Minnesota will follow Obama direction Minnesota will ultimately follow the direction set by the Obama Administration, Pawlenty argued. The only question is whether the state will be “dragged” or leads, he explained. Pawlenty pointed to areas of weakness in the state’s education system as identified by the Obama Administration in its review of the state’s Race to the Top application. Included are a lack of alternative pathways to teacher licensing, not aggressively removing ineffectual teachers, a lack of support among the teachers’ union which may suggest practical and political challenges in implementing the state’s Race to the Top plan. On average, Minnesota education shines nationally, Pawlenty explained, but in terms of educating poor children, children of color — addressing the achievement gap — the results “are awful.” House K-12 Finance Committee Chairwoman Mindy Greiling, DFL-Roseville, hopes the administration files for another Race to the Top application. Greiling. who listened to the governor’s speech, said she heard little in it that might be considered as offering common ground to the teachers’ union. Indeed, she deemed Pawlenty as continuing to “poke the eye” of the union. A potential area of common ground between the administration and union, Greiling suggested, could be in closing the achievement gap. Says Minnesota is hamstrung Still, Minnesota may be inherently at a disadvantage in applying for the federal program, Greiling explained. “I think Minnesota is hamstrung from the get-go,” she said. That’s because the state has a tradition of strong local control and strong teachers’ unions. This is both good and bad, said Greiling. Big changes can’t be done quickly, but the resistance also serves as a safeguard against too quickly accepting education reforms that may not be beneficial, she explained. Greiling indicated legislation dealing with teacher licensing could be passed this session. Successful states can gain millions of education dollars from the federal government under the Race to the Top program. Delaware and Tennessee won grants in the first phase of the Race to the Top competition. Education Minnesota statement on Race to the Top meeting: ST. PAUL, Minn., April 6, 2010: “Tuesday’s meeting regarding a second Race to the Top application was a good first step. We agree that solving the achievement gap and improving learning for all our children is Minnesota’s most urgent educational challenge. We agree this must be a true team effort, inclusive of everyone who wants the achievement gap eliminated. A second application will be worth the effort, and we’re ready to join any positive discussions about moving ahead. Regardless of whether the state chooses to make a second application, or whether a second application is ultimately successful, we are committed to working together with everyone to find solutions that improve learning and close the achievement gap.” http://ecmpostreview.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5048 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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