Race to the Top Saved: Why?

The hard-fought agreement followed months of wrangling between Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives, who aimed to significantly curtail domestic discretionary spending, including for K-12 education, and the Obama administration, which sought to shelter education and other priorities.

HOWEVER, Race to the Top competitive-grant program, will be financed at $700 million.

If you’re not convinced that the dismantling of public schools is a bipartisan agreement then how do you explain continued funding for RttT in the current budget “crisis.” We are willing to cut Head Start (a program with a least some research that demonstrates positive outcomes) but when it comes to funding a competition that creates losers and has no research to support its use how does this survive the cuts? The answer. Both parties must agree. There is so much agreement between parties that funding for the expansion of standardized testing was saved.

This is why we all need to stop playing for our political team (Democrat or Republican). Both parties are supportive of destructive policies aimed at gutting public education. It is now time to be a citizen of your community first—save you community-based public schools!