Hawaii was chosen as one of the finalists to secure $75 million in federal “Race to the Top” dollars for educational reforms aimed at turning around low-performing schools (a regular occurrence in Hawaii especially after the Furlough Fridays this past year. This would be a nice piece of change for the educational system, although I am not too sure the Hawaii DOE wouldn’t squander it.
Hawaii was selected as one of 19 finalists – out of 35 states, that are all competing for some of the $3.4 billion that the federal government is giving out to help states with their education problems. Most local educational officials agree that Hawaii has a good chance of coming out on top for these funds. We will all know is September when the U.S. Department of Education announces the winner.
Many people around the nation labeled the Hawaii pick as a ”surprise pick,” which I am not too sure why. Our math and reading scores come in at a robust 48th and 49th in the nation. Maybe it is because the U.S. Department of Education has watched the Hawaii DOE waste money and make bad educational decisions time and time again. If Hawaii does indeed win this money, the DOE needs to prove that it has taken a step in the right direction when it comes to spending and planning the education of our children
Here is how the state proposes to spend its requested $75 million in federal Race to the Top grant money through 2014:
$33.2M Effective teaching and leading
$18.7M Targeted support to struggling schools and teachers
$9.3M High-quality standards and assessments
$7.2M Data collection and information reporting
$6.5M Alignment and performance monitoring of organizational functions
Source: State Department of Education
Tags: Department of Education, Furlough Friday, Teachers Union
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