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Editorial: ‘Race to the Top’ grant worth pursuing

Sun., Aug. 30, 2009

Here come the school-year jitters. Will they like us for who we are or what we can be? How will we persuade them that we have changed and can change even more to fit in?

Seventh-graders heading off to middle school for the first time? No, education reformers angling for a big chunk of federal dollars. The U.S. Department of Education has set aside some $5 billion for states that can demonstrate their commitment to innovations that can lead to better schools, but proponents of change are worried that Washington state will rest on the education reform victory of last May. They’re right to worry, because the changes probably won’t be enough to impress the Obama administration. But the state seems sincerely committed to applying for the money.

Gov. Chris Gregoire traveled to the nation’s capital in July and returned with a message that the state needs to commit to more changes before it can expect to land these coveted “Race to the Top” grants. On Thursday, the Quality Education Council, which sprang from the reform bill, met in Olympia to discuss the state’s application.

The state Board of Education, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and governor’s office all agree that the money would be wonderful to have, but because it would run out in four years, the state needs to be prudent before making long-term commitments.

The feds are looking for innovations and achievements in the areas of standards and assessments; improving teacher effectiveness and achieving equity in teacher distribution; improving the collection and use of education data; and supporting struggling schools. As it stands now, the state falls short in some of those areas. The Legislature would need to adopt changes.

For instance, the state is one of the few that is barred from taking over long-struggling schools. Lawmakers should change that. Also, the Legislature ought to adopt the proposed Core 24 curriculum, which would beef up graduation requirements, especially in the area of math.

Federal and state education officials don’t expect many grants will be awarded during the first round of applications, which comes to a close on Dec. 1, because the feds have yet to finalize guidelines and every state needs time to assess and adjust.

Washington state will have to decide soon whether to make a first-round pitch. The second opportunity comes in June, which gives legislatures a chance to enact desired reforms and outline how they would sustain the changes once the federal funds dried up. Not all of the spending needs to be long-term. Several expenditures could be one-time only and still be valuable. For instance, the state would finance a new math curriculum, plus buy new texts and pay for teacher training.

The reforms embodied in the basic education overhaul were hard won, so we can understand the concerns when it comes to sustaining that effort. To that end, the League of Education Voters has put together a credible report on what changes need to be pursued. The public can help by reminding state leaders that expectations have not waned.

A strategic pursuit of a “Race to the Top” grant would be a sign of that commitment.