Is RttT Dead Before Mailing?

I’m back from Chicago with more information on federal grant opportunities and the potential to partner with SoL on a grant to meet some of our needs to support organizational learning through teacher and administrator leadership training, a focus on system thinking in our work, and increased capacity to develop our sustainability curriculum. I am energized by this opportunity and eager to hear what Peter and others learn in their meeting next week with Education Department officials.

In reviewing articles and sites that I place in a folder for potential blog posts I see one from last week on the state’s RttT grant process in the Seattle PI. I have posted on this many times, but this article does a god job of capturing the thinking of those closest to the process and the significant differences in opinion as on the potential for success.

On the one hand we have Superintendent Dorn saying:

“I've been asked many times if Washington has a chance to acquire a federal Race To The Top grant. My best response is that (current efforts) will move us past the starting line but will not win the race," State Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn said recently.

On the other we have Governor Gregoire saying in response to critics who say the reforms do not go far enough.

“You still have to pass reforms that actually can be submitted and perform," said Gregoire spokesman Viet Shelton. "It would be presumptuous and unrealistic to pass reform that wouldn't fit and couldn't be implementable. You need teachers and principals and parents to go along with them."

The consensus of opinion in the article is that the reforms in SB 6696 do not go far enough to position the state for a successful grant. It mentions the usual suspects in the way of change; democratic majorities who rely on and support WEA. Some interesting comments are included.

"These are the only new dollars coming into the education system and we're saying we aren't interested in getting them?" said Steve Mullin, head of the Washington Roundtable, a group representing major businesses in the state.

“The WEA has always, of course, been charged with and done a great job of protecting it's members, said Grimm, who use to chair the House Ways and Means Committee. "Generally they have been able to thwart, or impeded, or limit education reform proposals over the years based on how those proposals would affect active WEA members."

I believe that we will not get a grant because of no charter schools and lack f a plan that includes the use of student achievement data in teacher and administrator evaluations. Charters have been turned down three times by voters in our state and though WEA was in opposition I think it unfair that they would be blamed for no charters. We need to stop pointing fingers and figure out what is important as a state because the federal guidelines for this grant may become the guidelines for revision of ESEA and the dollars attached to that revenue source. If this revenue becomes competitive and we are not positioned for success, not having access to those dollars would have a negative impact on every district in the state.