3:15pm | The Press-Telegram is reporting that the Long Beach Board of Education voted yesterday to participate in California’s application for Race To The Top federal funding.
The move is not exactly a surprise. After being rejected last year, the state of California enlisted seven school districts to draft a new application for a second try this year. The Long Beach Unified School District was not only one of the seven districts chosen, but played a key role in drafting much of the language and was touted by state education leaders as a shining example of California’s schools. The announcement was even made at Lafayette Elementary.
California is, in fact, not applying as a state but as seven school districts, so if approved for funding the money would go to those districts instead of the state as a whole. During the press conference in June, LBUSD Superintendent Chris Steinhauser estimated that the district could expect between $18-26 million if approved.
Some have expressed concerns about requirements that schools need to fulfill in order to be approved for Race To The Top funding, but the LBUSD already adheres to many of those requirements – including innovative ways to examine testing scores and strategies for improved parent involvement.
A major issue of contention is that Race To The Top funding is favorable toward schools that base teacher reviews on student testing scores, but again, the LBUSD has done so for several years.