Friday, September 03, 2010

Florida Wins in Race to the Top Competition


The Sunshine State has been named a winner in Phase II of the federal Race to the Top competition, and is slated to receive up to $700 million over the next four years to fund education reforms designed to improve the lowest performing schools, develop a system that properly recognizes and rewards the hardest working teachers, and increase the academic achievement of students. A total of 69 local education agencies (school districts) signed on to participate in this historic grant opportunity including 54 school districts with local educator union support. Local school districts will now work to develop their own local plans designed to focus around the grant’s four assurance areas: Standards and Assessments, Building Data Systems, Teachers and Leaders, and Turning Around the Lowest Performing Schools. For more information on Race to the Top, including how to become involved in your local planning efforts, visit www.fldoe.org/arra/racetothetop.asp.