Is RI at Risk of Losing $75 million in Race to the Top Funding?
Monday, February 28, 2011
A leading education reform group is warning that as much as $75 million in Race to the Top funds is at risk under the new Board of Regents.
Rhode Island Campaign For Achievement Now (RI-CAN), sent out surveys last week to the new Board of Regents nominees in an attempt to better understand their stance on education policy, but no one will complete the questionnaire by today’s deadline, according to Governor Chafee’s office.
The survey features questions that focus on the nominees’ commitment to closing the achievement gap and the federally-funded Race to the Top initiative as well their opinions on expanding charter schools and developing a new, more thorough teacher evaluation system.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTRI-CAN’s survey asks the nominees to note whether they “strongly agree,” “agree,” “disagree” or “strongly disagree” with a series of statements. Some of the statements include: “While some Rhode Island schools are producing great results for kids, other schools consistently fail to deliver an education that prepares all of our students for success,” and, “I feel confident that if my child were assigned by luck of the draw to any Rhode Island public school that their education would prepare them to succeed in life.”
“Leadership is everything to the direction of our public schools,” RI-CAN Executive Director Maryellen Butke said in a statement. “These nominees have an opportunity to continue the significant progress made in education reform for our state and the public deserves to know where they stand.”
This Is What Committees Are For
Last week, the Governor’s office informed Butke that the nominees would not be filling out the surveys prior to confirmation hearings, but would be free to answer them when the process was complete. The first hearing is Tuesday.
Chafee’s Communications Director Mike Trainor said he trusted the Senate will ask the right questions and that one private organization should not be involved in the process. “With all due respect to Ms. Butke and her organization, this is what the committees are for,” Trainor said.
Race To The Top In Question
It is not surprising that the Governor’s office would be against its nominees filling out surveys from Butke’s organization. RI-CAN has firmly sided with Commissioner Deborah Gist when it comes to education policy and advocates for more school choice, great accountability among teachers and more flexibility for schools districts on its website.
Butke said she was concerned about Rhode Island’s Race to the Top money could be at risk after recent statements made by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Last week, in a statement to Education Week, Duncan said the government would be willing to rescind funding.
“Where folks aren’t following through, are we prepared to take funds back? Absolutely,” Duncan said.
Butke said Rhode Islanders should know whether the incoming Board of Regents members support Race to the Top.
“We sent the nominees the survey to find out where they stand on education policy,” Butke said. “With Race to the Top funds on the line, it is important to make sure the nominees are in support of the plan."
Senator Supports Survey
At least one State Senator said he would like to view the results of the survey. Senator Louis DiPalma (Little Compton, Middletown, Newport, Tiverton), a member of the Senate Committee on Education, said he supports reviewing any additional information about the nominees’ opinion on education policy.
“It’s important we have as much information as possible so we can be as informed as possible,” DiPalma said. “We need to have meaningful dialogue.”
DiPalma, who co-sponsored legislation on lifting the state’s charter school cap and is a support of Commissioner Gist’s, said he was unaware of RI-CAN’s survey, but hoped to learn more about it this week.
“Education is the key to our economy,” he said. “We need to have more dialogue because we’re all accountable for this.”
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