Tennessee has been awarded $500 million in federal funding as part of the Race to the Top program from the Dept. of Education.
The state beat out 38 others competing to reform their education systems through bold initatives. Gov. Phil Bredesen called a special meeting of the legislature in January, and through some maneuvering was able to get the Tennessee Education Association, the state's largest union, on board as well as almost all the state's elected officials. It was this broad consensus, said Ed. Sec. Arne Duncan, which helped Tennessee win the money.
When legislators passed the reform measures--which among other things allow student test scores to weigh up to 50 percent in teacher tenure decisions-- they said even without the money it was the right move. So this must feel like $500 million of icing on the cake.
The state beat out 38 others competing to reform their education systems through bold initatives. Gov. Phil Bredesen called a special meeting of the legislature in January, and through some maneuvering was able to get the Tennessee Education Association, the state's largest union, on board as well as almost all the state's elected officials. It was this broad consensus, said Ed. Sec. Arne Duncan, which helped Tennessee win the money.
When legislators passed the reform measures--which among other things allow student test scores to weigh up to 50 percent in teacher tenure decisions-- they said even without the money it was the right move. So this must feel like $500 million of icing on the cake.
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