Obama’s Race To The Top Fund

By: Stephen Jones, PhD.

The transformation of education in America will require a commitment at all levels of government.  This year on February 17, 2009 President Barack Obama signed the “American Recovery Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARA).  This legislation is designed to stimulate the economy, support job creation and invest in critical sectors.  Making an investment in education is one of the requirements of the act. The American Recovery and reinvestment act provides an opportunity for education reform by supporting changes in teaching strategies that will result in improved student performance.  The long term goal is that entire school systems will be changed. Overall the Act is designed to improve teacher effectiveness and improve the academic performance of students.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has allocated 4.35 billion dollars for the “Race to the Top Fund” which is a competitive grant program to encourage and reward states that are serious about ending old and outdated instruction practices.  The “Race to the Top Fund” encourages significant improvement in student outcomes.  It recognizes the need to improve the graduation rate.  Another area that is emphasized is the importance of preparing students for careers. Some states have already begun preliminary work on proposals that they would like to send to the Department of Education late in the year.

According to the Department of Education, there are four core education reform areas:

• Adopting internationally benchmarked standards and assessment that prepare students for success in college and the workplace
• Recruiting, developing, retaining and rewarding 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

The “Race to the Top Fund” is a promise of a new era in the way that education is delivered by instructors.  It is important to have new and innovative classroom teaching strategies.  The grants for the Race to the Top will make a significant amount of financial resources available to schools.  States may apply for phase 1 funding at the end of 2009 and additional funding, which will be called phase 2 will be available during late spring 2010. The goal is to maximize the amount of money that states can make available to school districts.

Staying stuck in a particular teaching method is counter to the Race to the Top policy that was established to improve teacher effectiveness.  The Department of Education will be seeking states that are ready to require their school districts to throw out their old teaching methods.  The Race to the Top Fund provides funding for strategies that focus on effective teaching methods.  Too many school districts cannot attract teachers because there is no room for innovative teaching methods.

In addition, some teachers select a school system but drop out after a year or two of teaching.  School districts need to think about how they can provide mentoring for new teachers.  The seasoned teacher and the new teacher should function as a team.  There may also be opportunities to exchange ideas that change the way that instruction is delivered in the classroom.

The proposed selection criteria of the Race to the Top Fund includes some guidelines that will be used to identify which school districts will be funded. This is an important consideration since the number of teachers and principals who retire will continue to rise.  There is a tremendous opportunity ahead of this country if we can put aside policies and activities that are counter to the success of students.  A Department of Education summary of the selection criteria for teachers and principals includes the following:

1.  Providing alternative pathways for aspiring teachers and principals

2.  Differentiating teacher and principal effectiveness based on performance

3.  Ensuring equitable distribution of effective teachers and principals

4.  Reporting the effectiveness of teacher and principal preparation

5.  Providing effective support to teachers and principals

This is an indication that there is a two prong approach to making comprehensive changes in schools.  It will take the combined efforts of teachers and principals to implement effective education reform in the schools.  It will open a new doorway to teaching practices that offer a fresh perspective on helping students to succeed in the classroom.

In the area of reforming compensation to teachers, it is clear that the Race to the Top Fund is devoted to compensating and promoting teachers who are highly effective in the way that they instruct students.  The fund will reward teachers who are consistently helping students to improve their performance in their classrooms. One way to differentiate teachers is to use data to rate their performance.  Principals and teachers can work as a team to target specific activities will raise student achievement. Improved performance of students could lead to additional responsibilities and career growth opportunities.  Teachers can make some of the nest new principals when they understand how to promote and reward innovation while wrong with other teachers.

Teachers need to function in a continuous pathway that involves innovation.  The challenge is to educate students for 21st century living.  It’s time to take a radical new approach to education which allows both teachers and students to obtain a benefit.  There are a whole range of things that teachers can do to innovate in their classroom. It will require teachers who are willing to invest time in new experiences and thoughts about how instruction will be delivered.  Participating in teacher development sessions that have not changed over the last ten years will limit teacher growth.  There must be a plan to revise all teacher development. More of the courses need to use the latest technology and websites that will allow teachers to continuously update their knowledge.

Colleges need to partner with K12 schools to offer certifications focused on instructional innovation.  There is extensive research that can be done with teachers who are in training at the college level.  The state who will receive Race to the Top funds should propose partnerships between colleges and school districts to increase the possibility that new teachers will incorporate new teaching techniques in classes that are more effective with the delivery of instruction.

Clearly, change is what this country needs.  There is a need for a fresh perspective on student teaching methods. It is the school districts that risk change that will thrive in the 21st century.  This type of change cannot be accomplished without research on practices that work.  Some schools are allowing teachers to use feedback systems as way to reinforce learning.  Students use clickers to give teachers immediate comments on what they have learned.  The feedback system provides information so that the teacher can reinforce instruction that the students do not comprehend.  This is also an excellent way to refine instruction for subsequent classes.  Communication and motivation in the classroom can improve when students are performing better.

Teachers also need flexibility to incorporate new activities that still comply with their school districts established curriculum.  There are benefits that can be achieved when teachers pursue new teaching methods to improve each students understanding of their subject.  The teachers need more opportunity to incorporate current affairs into each class.  This approach is valuable because it allows students to give their opinion on a topic. For example, the students could talk about whether the United States should continue the war in Iraq. The students have a greater possibility of remembering a subject when they can give their own opinions.  The teacher can use this approach and have the students search the internet to find ways to support their position. Teachers can help students to become active learners.

We cannot continue to underfund education and expect a good result.  The government must make an investment into the entire array of courses that introduce new instruction methods.  Everyday in cities all around the country teachers go to schools that are more than 60 years old.  The schools are crumbling and their classroom is not a welcoming place for students.  The teachers do not feel safe.  It is difficult to retain teachers in a school district environment where they are not safe.  Teachers are not willing to stay after school because they are not willing to stay in the communities where they work.  School districts must also make an investment in changing the school environment to obtain a better commitment from students.

Teachers who want to change the classroom structure can also benefit from support in their classroom.  The Race to the Top Fund approves of additional support for teachers.  Providing additional assistance in the classroom can free up teachers to provide more individual attention to the students who are in the classroom.  In many schools teachers do not have the luxury to help students effectively because they are trying to keep pace with the specified curriculum.

Additional forms of support could include graduate students or counselors who offer advising to students.

In many of these schools it is difficult to implement technology because it is too expensive.  It is cheaper to wire a new school for computers and wireless laptops. The implementation of new technologies must be incorporated in any school district’s plans.  There are all types of ways to introduce new software that will benefit teachers who are trying to keep pace with schools that are better funded.  This will require additional training and teachers who are wiling to learn how to implement this technology in their classes.   For example there are white boards that a teacher can use to record their notes from the board and send them to each students e-mail address.

There is a greater need for transparency on teaching methods that cause students to learn and pursue knowledge for themselves.  The new Race to the Top initiative appears to have more direct language about the importance of changing school structure and implementation of instruction.  The teachers can take advantage of this opportunity to demonstrate how they are able to take their current resources and make fascinating classes. One idea would involve teachers submitting mini proposals to their principals regarding resources they can use to improve student performance.  The teachers are in the classes with students all day and they know their weaknesses and strengths.

The Race to the Top fund is a vital financial resource that has been needed for a long time.  It is one way that the United States can invest it maintaining world class K12 schools.  For too many years schools across the country have been neglected.  Teachers and principals can play a critical role in turning education in a whole new direction. Good teachers who are willing to innovate in the classroom need to be rewarded for their efforts.  The United States cannot afford to let another generation slip by with inadequate education to perform 21st century job.  There are too many careers on the horizon that will require skilled workers.  The United States need skilled teachers who understand the critical nature of our current dilemma.  Now is the time for action that will bring about a new day in the American K12 education system.  TOC

President Barack Obama in Madison, Wisconsin.  President Obama meet with students, teachers and school officials and deliver remarks on strengthening America’s education system at Wright Middle School.  Secretary of Education Arne Duncan also traveled with President Obama.