16 States Named Finalists for Race to the Top

The U.S. Department of Education just notified all states of the first-round finalists for the federal Race to the Top grant. Unfortunately, Idaho has not been named as a finalist in this first round.

The following states were named as finalists today: Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

“I am disappointed Idaho has not been awarded in the first round, but from the beginning, I made it clear that I thought Idaho had a 50-50 chance.  Still, I thought it was worth the effort to apply,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna said today. “This is a highly competitive grant, with 41 states applying in the first round, and I believe Idaho still has an opportunity in the second round. Once we receive the peer reviewers’ feedback on Idaho’s initial application, we will work to improve the grant before we reapply in the second round in June.”

“Everyone that applied for Race to the Top is charting a path for education reform in America,” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a news release. “I salute all of the applicants for their hard work. And I encourage non-finalists to reapply for phase 2.”

The finalists will travel to Washington, D.C. to make a presentation. Recipients will be announced in April 2010.  States that are not awarded in the first round are able to submit applications in the second round in June 2010.

Read the U.S. Department of Education’s full press release online.

~ Melissa M.

JFAC Approves Public Schools Budget Agreed Upon by Superintendent Luna, Stakeholders

The Legislature’s budget-setting committee today approved a 7.5 percent reduction to the public schools budget for fiscal year 2011.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna and educational stakeholder groups representing teachers, administrators and school board trustees had worked with legislators on crafting the budget for the upcoming school year and agreed to the proposal before it was approved Monday.

“While no one is happy with this budget to cut public education, I am pleased we were able to come to consensus and craft a budget that will preserve student-teacher contact hours and those programs that get into the classroom and have the most immediate, positive impact on student achievement,” Superintendent Luna said. 

The budget approved by Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC) today includes the $27.5 million in additional revenues Superintendent Luna secured from the State Board of Land Commissioners and other sources within the State Department of Education.

After adding in the funding for estimated growth in student enrollment next year, Idaho public schools budget will be reduced by $128.5 million, or 7.5 percent, next school year. Previously, the shortfall for public schools for FY2011 had been estimated to be between $135 million to $160 million.

Here are the major changes that JFAC has approved to the public schools budget for FY2011, which begins July 1:

• Funding for teacher and classified staff salaries was reduced by 4 percent. The funding for administrator salaries was reduced by 6.5 percent. The experience and education movement on the grids for all certificated staff are frozen for FY2011.
• Funding for technology, teacher incentive award, programs for expectant or delivered mothers, gifted and talented, classroom supplies, textbooks, and Safe and Drug-Free Schools programs was moved from line items within the public schools budget into discretionary funding to give districts more flexibility in how they fund these programs next year.
• Funding for the Idaho Reading Initiative, Idaho Math Initiative and ISAT Remediation funding was combined into one line item and reduced by $2.4 million, or 20 percent.
• Funding for Limited English Proficient (LEP) was reduced by $2 million, or 33 percent. The $2 million was moved to discretionary funding.
• Funding for transportation was reduced by 10 percent in addition to eliminating funding for field trips.

~ Melissa M.

Senate Education Committee Hears Charter Schools Bill

The Senate Education Committee voted today to send a bill raising Idaho’s charter school cap to the full Senate. The bill, introduced by Senator John Goedde (R-Coeur d’Alene), would allow for additional charter petitions to be accepted should those charters serve traditionally underserved populations.

Senator Goedde introduced Senate Bill 1364 in relation to Idaho’s application for the competitive federal Race to the Top grant program. Education Secretary Arne Duncan has said that states have caps on the growth of charter schools would be at a competitive disadvantage of being awarded a grant from the $4.35 billion Race to the Top Fund. Idaho currently has a cap limiting the number of new public charter schools that can open in a year to six.

Superintendent Luna, a proponent of choice within public education, testified in favor of the bill. “If we pass this law, it will not hurt our ability to compete,” Luna told the committee. “It may help us get the extra few points we need if we are unsuccessful in being award in the first round and apply again in the future.”

The committee voted to send the bill to the amending order. The full text of Senate Bill 1364 can be found online here.

-Camille W.

Superintendent Luna Takes Part in Read Across America

Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna read to students at Koelsch Elementary School in Boise this morning as part of Read Across America day.

Read Across America is the National Education Association’s annual reading motivation and awareness program that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading on March 2, the birthday of Dr. Seuss.

At Koelsch Elementary, Superintendent Luna donned a Dr. Seuss hat and spent time reading with first-grade students. He read the children’s book Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. After the reading, Superintendent Luna encouraged the students to read every day and continue to be successful in school.

Superintendent Luna will also be at Mountain View Elementary School in Boise this evening to take part in a family reading night. 

~ Melissa M.

Professional Development Grants Now Available for Teachers

The Idaho Professional Standards Commission is offering Professional Development Grants for educators. In this tough economy, this is a great way for teachers and other educators to still gain professional development opportunities.

Grants for up to $500 will be made available for activities that include conference registration costs, travel, cost for substitutes, etc. Grant monies cannot be used to obtain credit.

Grant proposals will be evaluated based on the following:
• Professional development activity potential for demonstrated impact on classroom teaching
• Clarity of statement regarding the project’s potential for enhancing teaching practice
• Number of people (teachers, students, parents, stakeholders, etc.) impacted
• Appropriate budget

Click here to download a grant application or learn more about the grant. The deadline to apply is April 15, 2010.

~ Melissa M.

Race to the Top Finalists Could Be Announced This Week

The states that are finalists for the first round of the federal Race to the Top grant application could be announced as early as this week, according to buzz from the U.S. Department of Education and national education blogs. 

Race to the Top is a highly competitive federal grant that will award $4.35 billion to a handful of states to implement reforms and innovations in K-12 education. The grants will be awarded in two rounds. The first round will be officially announced in April 2010. First round finalists will be invited to Washington, D.C. for interviews as early as this week. If states are not awarded in the first round, they can re-apply in June 2010.

Idaho applied for $120 million to implement reforms and innovations in several areas, including pay-for-performance, evaluations for teachers and administrators, statewide data collection systems, dual credit for high school students, and school improvement efforts.

More than half of Idaho’s school districts and public charter schools signed on to participate if Idaho is awarded the grant application. Read Idaho’s Race to the Top grant application online.

~ Melissa M.

JFAC Postpones Vote on Public Schools Budget

The Legislature's budget-setting committee postponed a vote on the fiscal year 2011 public schools budget until later this week. 

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC) was originally scheduled to vote on the public schools budget this morning, but has now rescheduled that vote until Wednesday, March 3.

As has been reported in the media, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna has been working with legislators and members of educational stakeholder groups to craft a public schools budget that will maintain his two priorities: preserve student-teacher contact hours and those programs that get into the classroom and have the most positive, immediate impact on student achievement.

We will keep you posted on the blog and via Facebook and Twitter.

~ Melissa M.