Race to the Top: the Obama Approach to Educational Reform
November 11, 2009 
5 Comments
Nearly a year in office plagued by the economic collapse and now focused on the fiery debate over health care reform has largely distracted the Obama Administration from focusing on education reform. However, this past week the President spoke in Wisconsin exclusively about the topic, hoping to convey the message that Americans must remain committed to the cause.
“Race to the Top,” the Obama Administration’s program for educational reform, offers incentives to school districts based on performance evaluations. While the $4.35 billion dollar program pales in comparison to the staggering $787 billion economic stimulus package, it is the President’s hope that competition for shares of the sum will engender widespread educational reform, and he urgently pressed states to enter the program.
Program Requirements
In order to receive grant money, states need to meet requirements in a number of categories and receive favorable scores when their educational system is assessed. Among the suggested courses of action by the government to achieve such favorable rankings are:
- Linking administrative and teacher pay to student test scores
- Adopting international test and academic benchmarks
- Placing a significant emphasis on improving the lowest performing schools
- Instituting long-term student tracking systems
- Loosening legal spending caps on the creation of charter schools
With such a wide need – and opportunity – for development and progress within the system, when Obama spoke at the Department of Education earlier this summer (see video below) he placed emphasis on reforms with respect to three specific categories: clear academic standards backed with adequate assessments, the presence of qualified teachers, and the transformation of chronically underperforming schools.
Will It Work?
The $4.35 billion dollars set aside for education reform is the largest amount in American history. The Obama Administration wants to be careful about who receives this money and how it is spent. Therefore, it is their hope that the competitive aspect of the Race to the Top Program – with no money guaranteed to any one state – will provide the impetus for real reform. This leaves it up to the states and localities. While the federal government is providing guidelines, it is not enacting any sweeping legislation, nor is it blindly funding supposed reform attempts. In order to receive the grants, states need to address this problem from the roots up, looking at teacher effectiveness, classroom atmosphere, school environments, and other qualitative aspects of education to which money cannot ensure long-term success. Sure, buying “smart-boards” for every classroom is nice, but what use is it as an educational tool without an effective educator behind it?
This program has the potential to stimulate the right kind of reform for the educational system as it looks to eliminate band-aid grants providing only superficial progress. But it ultimately relies on the will of the states, their legislatures and citizens, to address the problem in its entirety, directing enough attention to make long lasting improvements. With a myriad of momentous reforms afoot, the Race to the Top program has received barely any publicity – a major concern for the program. States must take it seriously, work and compete for grants if they want growth within the educational system. It all depends on the willingness of the states to face the problem in the way in which Race to the Top promotes – the right, but very difficult, way.
President Obama on Race to the Top
http://www.flickr.com/photos/changedotgov / / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
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Another good article Ben. I read at CHS the Phys. Ed. department got a $1.25 million grant, but they get the money in quarters, and they only get the next quarter of the grant if the school uses the money the right way. Making schools work for the money instead of blindly giving each school lump sums seems like it could be effective.
Has Obama addressed teacher’s union? If not he is making a significant mistake. This has been shown specifically in the New York school system were Bloomberg has been viciously fighting them. A good article on the problems of teachers unions in New York is in the like below.
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/08/31/090831fa_fact_brill
This is a fine essay and I appreciate having a chance to hear the President’s remarks.
This website is a really good job and I thank you,Ben, and all your staff and contributors for producing such fine work.
Judy Bernstein
I could not disagree more with the part of the plan that ties teacher and administrative pay to student test performance. Studies have revealed that this leads to teachers teaching to the test or even cheating for their students. In the end, the students don’t learn any more from the incentive.
As you say though, people need to become more aware of “Race to the Top”. I hadn’t heard of it until I read this.