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Rep. Brooks praises Tennessee’s winning “Race to the Top” funds
Written by Administrator
Saturday, 17 April 2010 14:11
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(April 1, 2010, NASHVILLE) - Tennessee was one of two states chosen this week as winners for federal “Race for the Top” funds. Tennessee will receive approximately $500 million and Delaware $100 million to implement their comprehensive school reform plans over the next four years. Representative Kevin Brooks (R-Cleveland) said today that, "Tennessee has a bold plan that will improve public education in the state of Tennessee. This is a great day for the students of Tennessee as they are now being trained as the Tennessee workforce of tomorrow." Tennessee and Delaware beat out 14 other finalists who qualified to win the first round in the competition, after applicants were initially received from 40 states and the District of Columbia. “This is truly a new era for education in Tennessee," said Rep. Brooks. “I am very proud that Tennessee was able to put forth a plan that was bold and innovative, and one that will have a direct, positive effect on Tennessee students in classrooms all across our great state. These reforms will ensure Tennessee students are prepared for success in an increasingly global marketplace.” Brooks cont'd, "I am also grateful that the TN General Assembly, the Administration and the State Dept. of Education were able to work together to accomplish this tremendous feat. It is clear that the called Special Session of the General Assembly paid off in great dividends for all our students in Tennessee." “We received many strong proposals from states all across America, but two applications stood out above all others: Delaware and Tennessee,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Anne Duncan in announcing the winners. “Both states have statewide buy-in for comprehensive plans to reform their schools. They have written new laws to support their policies. And they have demonstrated the courage, capacity, and commitment to turn their ideas into practices that can improve outcomes for students.” The premise of the Race to the Top Competition is to reward states that show the greatest willingness to push innovative ideas to improve student achievement through greater testing standards, improved data collection and better teacher training. Tennessee met all that criteria, especially in the area of data collection as the state has the oldest and most robust student achievement data system in the nation. The U.S. Department of Education will have about $3.4 billion available for the second phase of the Race to the Top competition.
Last Updated ( Saturday, 17 April 2010 14:12 )
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