Arne Duncan

Race to the Top Draft Requirements FINALLY Released Today

maureen — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 13:46:08 -0500

After months of anticipation, in a little mid-summer “Happy Friday” to states, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) released draft requirements for the federal education stimulus’ competitive Race to the Top grant today. There’s a whole slew of media coverage on the release out there (here, here, here and here), but you can read a special message from Ed Sec Arne Duncan in the Washington Post and, for the stout of heart, you can read the full requirements at USDE’s website.

Looks like states will have to address all four stimulus assurances (common standards, human capital, data systems, school improvement) with in their Race to the Top applications. Let the games begin…

Just your daily dose of stimulus…

maureen — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 11:28:22 -0500

In case you missed it, Ed Sec Arne Duncan penned a great op-ed in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal. While I would love to post the whole thing, citing point after point of right on calls for accountability, common standards and charter schools, I’m not exactly keen on having Rupert Murdoch break down my door in the middle of the night. I will, however, leave you with this (in case there was any doubt as to the way in which stimulus competitive grants will be awarded):

“Through the guidance we have published on our Web site, we explicitly told governors, state education chiefs, mayors and district superintendents that the application for competitive grants will begin by asking how noncompetitive grant funds are being spent. If they used the funding to invest in more of the same ineffective programs, they will not receive grant money.”

On the Ed Stimulus: Duncan explains it all

maureen — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 12:01:01 -0500

Check out this great Washington Post interview with Ed Sec. Arne Duncan. The interviewer, Lois Romano, is no slouch about asking tough questions about the ed stimulus, but Duncan answers most questions honestly and affably. And if you ever questioned whether or not the stimulus would be used to leverage reform, your answer comes at about minute 1:20.