Last month, state and local leaders from the 11 states and the District of Columbia receiving funds from Phases 1 and 2 of the U.S. Department of Education’s Race to the Top program met in Washington, D.C. Participants explored teacher and leader effectiveness initiatives in the context of college- and career-ready standards. They focused on how to:
- better support teachers and principals as they work with their students to meet new, higher standards;
- create reforms that are sustainable and improve over time; and
- collaborate across agencies to meet Race to the Top goals.
Reflecting on more than a year’s experience with implementing the program, the officials agreed that their Race to the Top efforts sometimes have been challenging but are clearly worth it. They see their reforms as a significant opportunity to better prepare students to succeed in college and careers.
“It’s the right work to do,” said Mitchell Chester, commissioner at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. “It’s clearly an ambitious agenda, and one that requires substantial effort and a willingness to rethink how we do school … but it is the right work to do.”
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Learn more about Race to the Top.
Source Article from http://www.ed.gov/blog/2012/02/race_to_the_top_voices_from_the_states/
