School District Hopes to Access Federal Funding Program If State OKs It

• Legislature Grapples with Criteria

BY SUZANNE GULDIMANN

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education, at a special meeting on Monday, Jan. 4, voted to approve a Memo of Understanding with the state of California to participate in the state’s bid to compete in the federal “Race to the Top” education grant program. However, the state legislature is still arguing over SBX5-4, the bill that would authorize the state’s participation in the federal program.
The California legislature’s discussion stalled again on Jan. 4, and the vote is now anticipated to take place after the Malibu Surfside News goes to press on Jan. 5. The deadline for the state application is Jan. 11.
Described as “the centerpiece” of the Obama administration’s education reform efforts, RTTT will provide $4.35 billion for education grants to states with schools that meet targeted reform goals in four areas: “adopting internationally benchmarked standards and assessments that prepare students for success in college and the workplace; recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals; building data systems that measure student success and inform teachers and principals how they can improve their practices; and turning around our lowest-performing schools,” according to the Department of Education’s website.
Cash-strapped California could potentially receive up to $700 million in RTTT grants, provided that its “Local Education Authorities,” which include participating school districts, county offices of education and charter schools, meet the federal criteria.
Controversial aspects of the criteria that have sparked months of debate in California include the mandatory annual review of teachers and principals, and the requirement that the lowest five percent of “persistently lowest achieving schools” be reorganized and restaffed, transformed into charter institutions or closed.
The MOU approved by the SMMUSD board of education establishes “a framework of collaboration and articulates specific roles and responsibilities for the LEA and the state in the implementation of an approved RTTT grant,” the SMMUSD staff report states.
“As a condition for participating in and receiving an allocation of funds under the state’s Race to the Top program, [the district] must enter into an agreement with the state that will describe more specifically the mutual responsibilities of the State and LEA for planning and implementing the state’s plan.”
Whether the state is willing to enter into an RTTT agreement with the federal government remains to be seen.