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Posted by Eric Putnam at www.behavioralcoach.com
March 4, 2010 — PHOENIX – Arizona Governor Jan Brewer today announced that with or without the federal government, Arizona will continue to move forward with its aggressive and innovative plans for education reform. The Obama Administration rejected Arizona’s first round application to receive Race to the Top funds (RTTT).
The education reform proposals developed in the process of this application have helped Arizona enter into a new stage of transforming education to meet the challenges of the 21st Century.
“The ultimate goal of this effort is to implement education reforms that provide Arizona students with a world-class education that enables them to compete on not only a national, but a global basis,” said Governor Brewer. “We will continue to advance education reform regardless of the federal grant process. I would like to thank Superintendent Tom Horne and his staff at the Department of Education, the State Board of Education and the Arizona legislature for their continued support and push for aggressive education reforms in Arizona.”
Through the work of Governor Brewer’s P-20 Coordinating Council and its task forces, comprised of a myriad of key stakeholders, including education, business and community leaders statewide, Arizona began to develop a comprehensive, collaborative plan for Arizona’s educational system. The state’s process of developing the RTTT application was designed to serve as a roadmap for continued education reform, regardless of whether funding is received.
With the development and submission of the first phase application, the state has the experience to continue to build a strong framework for reform. The Governor is excited about key education initiatives that are progressing at the legislature and the State Board of Education, many of which were mentioned in both her State of the State address on January 11th as well as the RTTT application. Education officials will work aggressively to further develop, refine and strengthen Arizona’s future applications.
Race to the Top is a $4.35 billion competitive education reform program funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. For this program, the U.S. Department of Education is asking states to build comprehensive and coherent plans around the four areas of reform outlined in ARRA, including: aid to struggling schools, improving data quality, supporting effective teachers and bettering standards and assessments.
The following 15 states and the District of Columbia were selected by the Obama Administration today as finalists for the first round of funding: Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Finalist states will give oral presentations in Washington, D.C. during the week of March 15 and winning states will be chosen in April.
Article Source: http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/48758518-arizona-fails-race-to-the-top
For more information on help for children that meet special education guidelines and resources for support and help, visit www.behavecoach.com.
