With the U.S Department of Education expected any day now to reveal states that will cash in on the $4.35 billion Race to the Top program, education experts are speculating that Tennessee’s application is in line for selection.
In a Wall Street Journal article today, Tennessee and five other states were mentioned as candidates that put forth “particularly strong applications” among the 40 states, along with the District of Columbia, that applied for the federal funds.
Another expert, Thomas W. Carroll of the think tank Foundation for Education Reform and Accountability, put the state in his top three [1] of those likely to receive funds.
Tennessee Department of Education Commissioner Tim Webb told the school board [2] at an October meeting that the state stood a good chance of winning federal funds in the competition, which rewards forward-thinking initiatives in teacher training, new technologies and higher standards for testing, among other improvement measures. The state could be in line for as much as $400 million.
Links:
[1] http://nashvillejefferson.wordpress.com/2010/03/01/tennessees-race-to-the-top-application-deemed-top-3/
[2] http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/doe-commissioner-tennessee-could-win-race-top