BOE signs Race to the Top Memorandum

The Madison Board of Education joined over 97% of Wisconsin's school districts in signing a Memorandum of Understanding related to Wisconsin's application for the federal government's $4.3 billion Race to the Top (RTTT) competitive grants.

Wisconsin's application requests $254 million and all school districts that signed onto the MOU will receive some resources. If the application is approved, Madison Schools could receive over $8 million (including $4.3 million in Title I funds), according to estimates from Governor Jim Doyle's office, some of which will be used to develop strategies to close the student achievement gap. Thirty-nine states and the District of Columbia submitted applications to Washington.

State officials will be notified in April if their state has been awarded a grant. Feedback will be provided to unsuccessful applicants, which will have a second opportunity to secure funding in round two applications, due June 1, 2010 with awards granted in September.

Race to the Top focuses on four specific areas:

• Adopting standards and assessments that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace and to compete in the global economy;
• Building data systems that measure student growth and success, and inform teachers and principals about how they can improve instruction;
• Recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most; and
• Turning around the lowest-achieving schools.

The U.S. Department of Education's Web site with information about RTTT says, "Awards in Race to the Top will go to States that are leading the way with ambitious yet achievable plans for implementing coherent, compelling, and comprehensive education reform. Race to the Top winners will help trail-blaze effective reforms and provide examples for States and local school districts throughout the country to follow as they too are hard at work on reforms that can transform our schools for decades to come."

While touting Wisconsin's application at a news conference prior to submission to Washington, Gov. Jim Doyle said prospects for approval are slim because Wisconsin lawmakers have not approved a mayoral governance model for Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS). "We would be bitterly disappointed if we lose. But to watch the clinging to the status quo (in Milwaukee), it's not going to do us well."

In a letter to the Governor, MPS BOE President Michael Bonds retorted, "Since mayoral control is not a requirement for Race to the Top dollars, your statement can only be interpreted as a political attempt to turn the rest of the state against MPS and to intimidate legislators who oppose mayoral control into supporting your proposal." Milwaukee legislators are split on the change and the state legislative leaders are reluctant to move forward without consensus in Milwaukee.